Friday, April 29, 2011

Energy News Digest for April 29, 2011

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

TransAlta Plans New Natural Gas Plant in Washington State (Associated Press)

Study Questions Federal Spending on Broadband (USA Today)

Pilot Program to Haze Sea Lions at Willamette Falls Finds Mixed Results (Oregonian, Portland)

Columbia River Pikeminnow Season Opens - Catch a Tagged Northern Pikeminnow & win $500 (Bonneville Power Administration)

Drivers Filling Up on Anger, Worry (Seattle Times)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         TransAlta Plans New Natural Gas Plant in Washington State
·         Comment Period on Boardman Coal-Fired Power Plant Reopened
·         Seattle City Light: Penalty for Stealing Copper Could be Death
·         State of Oregon Clears Way for NW Natural Venture in Wyoming Wells
·         Snohomish Business Journal - Executive of the Year Steve Klein Sparks PUD’s Conservation Efforts
·         Contractor Needed for Snohomish PUD Growth Spurt
·         Tacoma Utility Volunteers Bring Safety, Efficiency to Two Local Homes
·         More Natural Gas & Nuclear - Exelon-Constellation Deal Could Create ‘Clean Energy’ Giant
·         Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chief Questions Blackout Plans for US Plants
·         California - Pacific Gas & Electric Worked On Some Documents with Erasable Ink
·         Editorial - Power Line Upgrade Costs Would Hit Michigan Unfairly
·         Chevron’s Profits Rise 36 Percent to $6.2 Billion in First Quarter
·         Pilot Program to Haze Sea Lions at Willamette Falls Finds Mixed Results
·         Columbia River Pikeminnow Season Opens
·         Yakama Nation Releases Sturgeon into the Columbia River
·         Chelan-Douglas Researchers Go on a Poop-Finding Mission
·         States Start Banning Felt-Sole Waders
·         Idaho - High Water Raises Concerns about Hayden Dam
·         Longview Approves Contract for Biosolids Plan
·         Sun Energy Power, Inc. - Sun Sets on Solar Energy Group
·         Wisconsin State Regulators Balk at Price Tag for Rothschild Biomass Plant
·         Is Wind Energy the New Wedge Issue for Conservatives?
·         Spring Cleaning Your Energy Bill
·         North Carolina - Electricity Hogs to Get Letters
·         Court Asked to Dismiss Lawsuit over Climate Change Prank
·         Should Eco-Friendly Liquefaction Replace Cremation?
·         College Students Push to Restrict Bottled Water
·         Study Questions Federal Spending on Broadband
·         Yahoo Mail Outage
·         Amazon Apologizes for Server Outage, Offers Credit
·         Amazon Parts with South Carolina - No Tax Break Equals ‘No Go’
·         Wireless Carriers Say They Get Consent to Use Location Data
·         Poll: Washington Voters Pessimistic About Future
·         Drivers Filling Up on Anger, Worry
·         Seattle Teacher Passwords Stolen, Grades Changed
·         Weyerhaeuser Turns First Quarter Profit on Timberlands Sale
·         Earth Day on Oakland Bay
·         Microsoft Changes Disability Policy Following KING 5 Report
·         Sugar Farmers Sue over ‘Corn Sugar’ Campaign

WORD OF THE DAY

Trichotillomania • \trick-kuh-tillah-MANE-ee-uh\ • Noun - An abnormal desire to pull out one’s hair

A bald man with trichotillomania; think about it.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

TransAlta Plans New Natural Gas Plant in Washington State (Associated Press)

Comment Period on Boardman Coal-Fired Power Plant Reopened (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Seattle City Light: Penalty for Stealing Copper Could be Death (Seattle Times)

State of Oregon Clears Way for NW Natural Venture in Wyoming Wells (Portland Business Journal, OR)

Snohomish Business Journal - Executive of the Year Steve Klein Sparks PUD’s Conservation Efforts (Snohomish County Business Journal, WA)

Contractor Needed for Snohomish PUD Growth Spurt (Everett Herald, WA)

Tacoma Utility Volunteers Bring Safety, Efficiency to Two Local Homes (Tacoma Daily Index, WA)

More Natural Gas & Nuclear - Exelon-Constellation Deal Could Create ‘Clean Energy’ Giant (NY Times)

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chief Questions Blackout Plans for US Plants (Associated Press)

California - Pacific Gas & Electric Worked On Some Documents with Erasable Ink (SF Chronicle, CA)

Editorial - Power Line Upgrade Costs Would Hit Michigan Unfairly (Detroit Free Press, MI)

Chevron’s Profits Rise 36 Percent to $6.2 Billion in First Quarter (Associated Press)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Pilot Program to Haze Sea Lions at Willamette Falls Finds Mixed Results (Oregonian, Portland)

Columbia River Pikeminnow Season Opens - Catch a Tagged Northern Pikeminnow & win $500 (Bonneville Power Administration)

Yakama Nation Releases Sturgeon into the Columbia River (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Chelan-Douglas Researchers Go on a Poop-Finding Mission (Associated Press)

States Start Banning Felt-Sole Waders (USA Today)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Idaho - High Water Raises Concerns about Hayden Dam (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Longview Approves Contract for Biosolids Plan (Longview Daily News, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Sun Energy Power, Inc. - Sun Sets on Solar Energy Group (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Wisconsin State Regulators Balk at Price Tag for Rothschild Biomass Plant (Wausau Daily Herald, WI)

Is Wind Energy the New Wedge Issue for Conservatives? (North American Wind Power)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Spring Cleaning Your Energy Bill (PR Newswire)

North Carolina - Electricity Hogs to Get Letters (Raleigh News & Observer, NC)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Court Asked to Dismiss Lawsuit over Climate Change Prank (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Should Eco-Friendly Liquefaction Replace Cremation? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)

College Students Push to Restrict Bottled Water (Washington Post)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Study Questions Federal Spending on Broadband (USA Today)

Yahoo Mail Outage (Associated Press)

Amazon Apologizes for Server Outage, Offers Credit (KING-TV, Seattle)

Amazon Parts with South Carolina - No Tax Break Equals ‘No Go’ (Associated Press)

Wireless Carriers Say They Get Consent to Use Location Data (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Poll: Washington Voters Pessimistic About Future (Seattle Times)

GENERAL NEWS

Drivers Filling Up on Anger, Worry (Seattle Times)

Seattle Teacher Passwords Stolen, Grades Changed (Associated Press)

Weyerhaeuser Turns First Quarter Profit on Timberlands Sale (Associated Press)

Earth Day on Oakland Bay (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Microsoft Changes Disability Policy Following KING 5 Report (KING-TV, Seattle)

Sugar Farmers Sue over ‘Corn Sugar’ Campaign (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

How Long Can You Survive on Beer Alone? Long Enough to Develop Scurvy

The Best Place to Discover New Life Forms? Truck Stops

Man in Cow Suit Steals 26 Gallons of Milk From Wal-Mart

Calling Animals ‘Pets’ is Insulting, Academics Claim

SONG OF THE DAY

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds