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.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- TransAlta Rejects Buyout Offer
- Mason County PUD No. 1 Holding Rate Hearing Next Tuesday
- Pacific Power may boost rates by up to 8.5 percent
- Tennessee Valley Authority to hike rates 10%-20%
- Oregon Rural Electric Cooperatives warned of higher power prices
- First female Journeyman Meterman at Franklin PUD
- BPA lines damaged by firearms; repairs could cost up to $40,000
- MONTANA – Crow Tribe strikes deal for $7B coal project
- Inside Look at a McNary Dam Turbine
- PENNSYLVANIA – PPL Electric Utilities to Offer Rate Phase-In Option to Customers
- Rising energy prices stoke natural gas proposals
- Texas competitiveness council urges staying with deregulated power market
- WISCONSIN – Utilities, opponents reach $105 million deal over power plant
- AUSTRALIA – Electricity sparks talks
- Tri-City Herald Editorial – Sockeye get past their dam problem
- Anglers swarm to Lake Wenatchee sockeye fishery
- Washington State outlines changes for hatcheries on Columbia River tributaries
- Mossyrock Hatchery Faces Closure
- Tribes in long effort to restore Noocksack Chinook
- Sewer Progress Focus of Healthy Hood Canal Celebration
- New Watermaster Assigned to the Columbia River Basin
- Private Dams in Washington State Under Scrutiny
- Understaffed Oregon is behind in green project approvals
- EPA Rejects Texas' Call To Cut Ethanol Mandate
- South Idaho ethanol plant tries to rein in smell
- Geothermal Could Boost Oregon's Energy Business
- Solar Highway Tested in Oregon
- CONNECTICUT – The sun supplies this couple's electricity
- Researchers Harness Wind Energy with Kites
- Save a Buck: Free showerhead can help cut your water bill
- CONNECTICUT – Energy-saving effort runs out of steam
- VIRGINIA – 'Smart' Climate Controls Would Heat Up Energy Conservation
- CANADA – Consider increasing carbon tax, B.C. urged
- Seattle Times Op/Ed – Hot and bothered by global warming
- Study: Global warming to bring more rain
- Data center plans on hold during wait for Grant County PUD dark fiber
- Clearwire posts loss despite revenue increase
- Reporters booted from hacker conference for hacking
- Google believes $1 billion investment in AOL is crumbling
- New Report Says Tiered Broadband Bad, Unlikely
- Vonage Subscriber Growth At A Standstill
- Man Arrested After Standoff in Timberlakes
- Bremerton coffee operator labeled purveyor of smut
- How Bremerton's ‘Pastiegate' Flap Got Too Big for Its Britches
- Taste of Hood Canal Returns to Belfair
- Suspects in Vancouver cemetery brass thefts arrested
- Oregon Debates Why Counties Are Hurting For Cash
- Survey: Public divided on in-flight cell phone use
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Vexillology • vecks-sill-AHL-u-jee\ • noun – The study of flags
Barney’s head exploded. Investigators could only surmise that upon being confronted with the enormity of seeing all 193 flags in front of the United Nations building that the amateur vexillologist was overwhelmed by the sight.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
TransAlta Rejects Buyout Offer – No Thanks: Canadian Power Giant Says Proposal Undervalues Company’s Worth (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/rss/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1218130376&archive=
Mason County PUD No. 1 Holding Rate Hearing Next Tuesday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/740/reftab/1632/Default.aspx
Pacific Power may boost rates by up to 8.5 percent (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/bizbeat/story/264796.html
Tennessee Valley Authority to hike rates 10%-20% (Memphis Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2008/08/04/daily37.html?ana=from_rss
OREGON – Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association official warns of higher power prices (Baker City Herald, OR)
http://www.bakercityherald.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=7077
First female Journeyman Meterman at Franklin PUD (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/bizbeat/story/265995.html
BPA lines damaged by firearms; repairs could cost up to $40,000 (The Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/219995/
MONTANA – Crow Tribe strikes deal for $7B coal project (The Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1527311~Crow_Tribe_strikes_deal_for__7B_coal_project.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines
Inside Look at a McNary Dam Turbine (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8801946
PENNSYLVANIA – PPL Electric Utilities to Offer Rate Phase-In Option to Customers – advance payments would offset future rate hikes (MarketWatch)
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/ppl-electric-utilities-offer-rate/story.aspx?guid=%7B234D7584-0047-437D-B0A3-E12180789184%7D&dist=hppr
Rising energy prices stoke natural gas proposals – Despite a political debate over terminal projects, there's no guarantee consumers will get a break (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/121808130758960.xml&coll=7
Texas competitiveness council urges staying with deregulated power market (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5Ckqnllis%5BSkit%3EEvbfen%5Fv
WISCONSIN – Utilities, opponents reach $105 million deal over power plant (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CkqnlmmrWSkit%3EEvbfen%5Fv
AUSTRALIA – Electricity sparks talks – Government says it will save $15 billion under its plan to lease its power stations and sell all but the poles and wire assets (The Canberra Times, Australia)
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/electricity-sparks-talks/1238724.aspx
FISH & WILDLIFE
Tri-City Herald Editorial – Sockeye get past their dam problem – Apparently, sockeye salmon don't know about the dams. They are back in record numbers this year.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/266557.html
Anglers swarm to Lake Wenatchee sockeye fishery (The Associated Press, via the Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP08082008news350211.cfm
Washington State outlines changes for local hatcheries on lower Columbia River tributaries (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/08/08/this_day/doc489bba820d931215601063.txt
Mossyrock Hatchery Faces Closure – Friends of the Cowlitz Protesting to Department of Fish and Wildlife (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/rss/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1218049459&archive=
Tribes in long effort to restore Noocksack Chinook (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008098060_apwanooksackchinook.html?syndication=rss
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Sewer Progress Focus of Healthy Hood Canal Celebration (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/aug/06/sewer-progress-focus-healthy-hood-canal-celebratio/
New Watermaster Assigned to the Columbia River Basin (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8802678
PRIVATE DAMS UNDER SCRUTINY – Owners of small reservoirs built without Department of Ecology permits have until September first to schedule a state safety inspection of their dams. Dam safety supervisor Doug Johnson says dam owners who report by the September first deadline won't face fines. Johnson says Grant County is the leading county in Washington for dams without permits, with more than 70. The department scanned aerial photos from around the state to identify such dams and found more than 370 hazardous dams. Johnson says 22 of the dams are high risk — meaning there is at least one home located downstream. The leading county for potentially hazardous dams is Yakima, with 48. Johnson says dam owners who schedule inspections with Ecology this month can avoid fines of up to five thousand dollars a day. For more information, contact the D.O.E. at (360) 407-6623. (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Understaffed Oregon is behind in green project approvals – Time is running out for companies to earn tax breaks for energy-efficient works (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1218077727303660.xml&coll=7
EPA Rejects Texas' Call To Cut Ethanol Mandate (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93408965&ft=1&f=3
South Idaho ethanol plant tries to rein in smell (The Associated Press, via the Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/535288.html
Geothermal Could Boost Oregon's Energy Business (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/2781-geothermal-could-boost-oregons-energy-business/
Solar Highway Tested in Oregon (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4171
CONNECTICUT – The sun supplies this couple's electricity (The Ridgefield Press, CT)
http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6345:the-sun-supplies-this-couples-electricity&catid=46:rfd-local&Itemid=25
Researchers Harness Wind Energy with Kites (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/science/July-August/Researchers-Harness-Wind-Energy-With-Kites.html
CONSERVATION
Save a Buck: Free showerhead can help cut your water bill (The Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080808/NEWS01/199722374/-1/rss02
CONNECTICUT – Energy-saving effort runs out of steam (The Advocate, Norwalk, CT)
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/norwalkadvocate/ci_10135012
VIRGINIA – 'Smart' Climate Controls Would Heat Up Energy Conservation (University of Virginia Today)
http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=6019
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
CANADA – Consider increasing carbon tax, B.C. urged – Houses for sale should carry ratings of energy efficiency: advisory group (The Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=c175b233-68ff-45bf-b42c-21b0dab48b55
Seattle Times Op/Ed – Hot and bothered by global warming
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008096354_climateop07.html?syndication=rss
Study: Global warming to bring more rain (Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_10131535?source=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Data center plans on hold during wait for Grant County PUD dark fiber (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/08/07/news/news03.txt
Clearwire posts loss despite revenue increase (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/374080_localearns08.html?source=rss
Reporters booted from hacker conference for hacking (The Associated Press via the San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10136747?source=rss
Google believes $1 billion investment in AOL is crumbling (The Associated Press via the San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10136758?source=rss
New Report Says Tiered Broadband Bad, Unlikely (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/08/07/new-report-says-tiered-broadband-bad-but-unlikely/
Vonage Subscriber Growth At A Standstill – But they aren't losing so many customers either (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Vonage-Subscriber-Growth-At-A-Standstill-96802
GENERAL NEWS
Man Arrested After Standoff in Timberlakes (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/746/reftab/1896/Default.aspx
Bremerton coffee operator labeled purveyor of smut (KIRO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=79859
How Bremerton's ‘Pastiegate' Flap Got Too Big for Its Britches (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/aug/07/how-the-145pastiegate-scandal-got-too-big-for/
Taste of Hood Canal Returns to Belfair (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/aug/06/taste-hood-canal-returns-belfair/
Suspects in Vancouver cemetery brass thefts arrested (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/08/08072008_Suspects-in-brass-thefts-arrested.cfm?newsletter=2
Oregon Debates Why Counties Are Hurting For Cash (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93389830&ft=1&f=2
Survey: Public divided on in-flight cell phone use – The friendly skies are not so affable when it comes to using cell phones on commercial airliners (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008083969_apairplanescellphones.html?syndication=rss
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS
Landlord Drives Hummer Into Home To Get Rent
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/17119696/detail.html
Huge chicken sculpture crosses the road, then abandoned by thief
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008099793_apwabrieflystolenrooster.html?syndication=rss
Urine bottles: Another result of high fuel prices?
http://www.examiner.com/a-1526794~Urine_bottles__Another_result_of_high_fuel_prices_.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
Preacher, 71, Convicted For Road Rage – Man Waved Gun, Cursed At Another Driver
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/17120347/detail.html
The Schrammie: Mason County Bureaucrats vs. 'erotic' baristas
http://www.komonews.com/news/26346684.html
Friday, August 8, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Energy News Digest for August 6, 2008 - the "Hi, Guy" edition
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.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- State attorney still opposes sale of Puget Energy to international investors
- Another public utility district takeover of Puget Sound Energy?
- 10th District legislative race focuses on healthcare, ferries, PUD
- Covington
- Mossyrock Dam turbine gets heart transplant to improve efficiency
- Grays Harbor County PUD move surprises Rayonier
- Overhead lines going underground in historic downtown Port Townsend
- North Texans feeling little relief from electricity deregulation
- Spurred by bills, Texans search for ways to cut electricity use
- Home Energy Prices Are Expected to Soar
- McCain, Obama promote nuclear energy plans
- Yucca Mountain Price Tag Up, Hanford Affected?
- IDAHO – Sockeye surge materializes in upper Salmon
- Sockeye Complete Epic Journey to Central Idaho
- Sockeye season starts Wednesday for Lake Wenatchee
- Salmon fishing opens in the upper Okanogan River and lower Similkameen River
- CANADA – Salmon becoming a rarity on Yukoners' tables
- Ocean salmon fishing getting better, lake trout might do the same
- The Olympian Editorial – Puget Sound assets total at least $243 billion
- Water, land values, development – Eastern Oregon vineyard owners, wheat growers clash over land use
- Sequim water, sewer rates might rise as much as 20% next year
- Wind and wave energy project for coastal Grays Harbor County gets fed approval
- The wind blows less when wind power is needed most
- Pickens bringing case for more wind energy to Nebraska
- L.A. Times Editorial – A boon for Pickens, not for America
- Kohl's expanding solar power program to Oregon
- Oregon Tech Looks to Be World's First Fully-Geothermal Campus
- Energy crops key to biofuels growth
- Seattle P-I Columnist – Conserving energy isn't sexy
- Johnson Controls taps new heating and electricity sources for existing buildings
- An Energy Diet for Power-Hungry Household PCs
- Scientists focus anew on livestock's role in climate change
- San Francisco on course for emissions reduction goal
- San Francisco to Vote on Clean Energy City Charter on November Ballot
- Vancouver Sun Op/Ed – British Columbia's carbon tax doesn't let 'polluters' off
- E-Mail Hacking Case Could Redefine Online Privacy
- 300 million votes at Yahoo miscalculated
- HughesNet Offers New 5Mbps Satellite Broadband Service
- In-Flight Broadband Cheat Sheet
- Giant online security hole getting fixed, slowly
- California cities explore fiber options
- Massachusetts Signs New Broadband Law
- Smog alert as local temperatures climb toward 90
- 11 charged in data theft of 41 million credit and debit cards
- Alaska Air says customers' credit cards misused
- Mason County – Attendance & Revenues Up At 2008 Fair & Rodeo
- City (of Tumwater) up against 7-figure shortfall
- Bush designates I-5 Bridge replacement as high priority
- HP pledges strong Vancouver, WA presence despite Oregon inkjet layoffs
- Four Tons Worth – Two arrested in Woodland metal-theft investigation
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Visage • \VIZ-zedge\ • noun – 1: the face, countenance, or appearance of a person or sometimes an animal 2: aspect, appearance
Sidney hummed absently while brushing his teeth, unaware until it was too late that the medicine cabinet had swung open to reveal the jolly visage of his next door neighbor, Chuck McCann. “Hi guy!” exclaimed Chuck, “fancy meeting you here after all these years.” MONA!
No. 94 on Drew Babb's 100 Greatest TV Spots of All Time – Right Guard/"Mona": God knows why we love this sad sack Sidney, standing at his bathroom sink crying out for his wife, Mona! (Wouldn't you cry out too if your medicine cabinet opened into your neighbor's bathroom?) Love the hail-fellow-well-met neighbor, played by Chuck McCann, who greets our schmoe with, Hi, Guy! This campaign pooled into a series in which we get to know Sidney's wife and kid. And the neighbor's kid, too.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
State attorney still opposes sale of Puget Energy to international investors – Too much debt to allow sale, says state AG's Public Counsel (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008094442_puget060.html?syndication=rss
Another public utility district takeover of Puget Sound Energy? As in 1941, so in 2008 (Examiner.com – You gotta see the photo!)
http://www.examiner.com/x-479-Seattle-History-Examiner~y2008m8d4-PSE
10th District legislative race focuses on healthcare, ferries, PUD (South Whidbey Record, Coupeville, WA)
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/news/26318319.html
BPA transmission lines threatened – Wood debris pile burning in Covington (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_080608WAB_covington_fire_LJ.1d5c3d2d.html?npc
Mossyrock Dam turbine gets heart transplant to improve efficiency (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/435491.html
Grays Harbor County PUD move surprises Rayonier (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/08/05/local_news/02news.txt
Overhead lines going underground in historic downtown Port Townsend (The Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080806/NEWS/808060303
North Texans feeling little relief from electricity deregulation (Dallas Morning News, TX)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-summerbills_06met.ART.State.Edition2.4dd3e56.html
Spurred by bills, Texans search for ways to cut electricity use (Dallas Morning News, TX)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/080608dnbusefficiency.40f4d3e.html
Home Energy Prices Are Expected to Soar (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/business/06fuel.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
McCain, Obama promote nuclear energy plans (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-08-05-mccain-nuclear_N.htm?csp=34
Yucca Mountain Price Tag Up, Hanford Affected? (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4163
FISH & WILDLIFE
IDAHO – Sockeye surge materializes in upper Salmon – Sixty-three sockeye salmon made it to the Redfish Lake area by Monday (Idaho Mountain Express, Sun Valley, ID)
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005121978
Sockeye Complete Epic Journey to Central Idaho (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4161
Sockeye season starts Wednesday for Lake Wenatchee (The Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/NEWS04/767775786/1006/NEWS03
Salmon fishing opens in the upper Okanogan River and lower Similkameen River (The Omak Chronicle, WA)
http://www.omakchronicle.com/spt/s080805j.shtml
CANADA – Salmon becoming a rarity on Yukoners' tables (CBC News)
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2008/08/05/yukon-fish.html?ref=rss
Ocean salmon fishing getting better, lake trout might do the same (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/outdoors/story/435526.html
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
The Olympian Editorial – Puget Sound assets total at least $243 billion (Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/532407.html
Water, land values, development – Eastern Oregon vineyard owners, wheat growers clash over land use (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/08/eastern_oregon_vineyard_owners.html
Sequim water, sewer rates might rise as much as 20% next year (The Peninsual Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080806/NEWS/808060305
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Wind and wave energy project for coastal Grays Harbor County gets fed approval (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/08/05/local_news/06news.txt
The wind blows less when wind power is needed most (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CkptuuqmTSigt%3EEvbfen%5Fv
Pickens bringing case for more wind energy to Nebraska (The Associated Press)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080806/ne_pickens_nebraska.html?.v=1
L.A. Times Editorial – A boon for Pickens, not for America – T. Boone Pickens' proposals to wean the country off foreign oil could provide more benefit to Iran than to the U.S.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-luft6-2008aug06,0,3336586.story
Kohl's expanding solar power program to Oregon (The Business Journal of Milwaukee, OR)
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/08/04/daily31.html?ana=from_rss
Oregon Tech Looks to Be World's First Fully-Geothermal Campus (Oregon Public Radio)
http://news.opb.org/article/2760-oregon-tech-would-be-worlds-first-fully-geothermal-campus/
Energy crops key to biofuels growth (CNET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10005414-54.html?tag=nl.e433
CONSERVATION
Seattle P-I Columnist – Conserving energy isn't sexy
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/373621_herbertonline06.html?source=rss
OHIO – Energy alternatives – Johnson Controls taps new heating and electricity sources for existing buildings (The Columbus Dispatch, OH)
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/08/06/solar_power.ART_ART_08-06-08_C8_IAAUP7H.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101
An Energy Diet for Power-Hungry Household PCs (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/technology/06green.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Scientists focus anew on livestock's role in climate change (The Chicago Tribune, via the Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/FOOD/280098011/-1/FEA
San Francisco on course for emissions reduction goal (The San Francisco Chronicle, CA)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/05/BAIB125JQO.DTL&feed=rss.news
San Francisco to Vote on Clean Energy City Charter on November Ballot: Why is "Green" Mayor Gavin Newsom Opposed? (Environmental News Network)
http://www.enn.com/energy/article/37837
Vancouver Sun Op/Ed – British Columbia's carbon tax doesn't let 'polluters' off (Canada)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=e8f3ea1b-1ce4-4820-862e-76317ce7f0ab&k=14954
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
E-Mail Hacking Case Could Redefine Online Privacy – A federal appeals court in California is reviewing a lower court's definition of "interception" in the digital age (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/05/AR2008080503421.html?nav=rss_technology
300 million votes at Yahoo miscalculated – Outcome of election unchanged as revised count cements disdain (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/373741_yahoo06.html?source=rss
HughesNet Offers New 5Mbps Service – Fastest satellite broadband tier ever offered (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/HughesNet-Offers-New-5Mbps-Service-96755
In-Flight Broadband Cheat Sheet (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/08/05/in-flight-broadband-cheat-sheet/
Giant online security hole getting fixed, slowly (The Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080805/ap_on_hi_te/tec_internet_security_hole_2
California cities explore fiber options – Loma Linda may share system with GT to help it win business (San Bernardino Sun, CA)
http://www.sbsun.com/ci_10109656?source=rss
Massachusetts Signs New Broadband Law – Aimed at helping 95 communities with little or no broadband (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Massachusetts-Signs-New-Broadband-Law-96737
GENERAL NEWS
Smog alert as local temperatures climb toward 90 (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/373614_weather06.html
11 charged in data theft of 41 million credit and debit cards – retailers' wireless networks hacked into (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10112727?source=rss
Alaska Air says customers' credit cards misused – About 1,500 people who bought tickets from Alaska or Horizon airlines have been notified their credit cards were misused. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008095135_apalaskaaircreditcards.html?syndication=rss
Mason County – Attendance & Revenues Up At 2008 Fair & Rodeo (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/732/reftab/1896/Default.aspx
City (of Tumwater) up against 7-figure shortfall (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/533083.html
Bush designates I-5 Bridge replacement as high priority (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/08/08052008_Bush-designates-I5-Bridge-replacement-as-high-priority.cfm
HP pledges strong Vancouver, WA presence despite Oregon inkjet layoffs (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2008/08/08052008_HP-pledges-strong-local-presence.cfm?newsletter=1
Four Tons Worth – Two arrested in Woodland metal-theft investigation (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/08/06//area_news/doc489943a255e3d625540009.txt
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS
Man Dials 911, Complains His Sub Had No Sauce
http://www.kirotv.com/news/17099847/detail.html
Dying for a salad? Try a dash of this – Chef accidentally recommends a potentially deadly plant in organic salads
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080804/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_poison;_ylt=AkVK8QpZOVaLI4uADR9pzwztiBIF
Inflatable church looks to lure Italian beachgoers
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080805/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_italy_beach_church;_ylt=AoD6eA2idy8PhMzXkHUYD8jtiBIF
For developers of Bend’s Shire, ‘dream’ is over – The village-themed concept in southeast Bend patterned after J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” series
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/BIZ0102/807310374/1041&nav_category=
Man Presumed Dead In 1976 Colo. Flood Found Alive
http://www.kirotv.com/news/17099899/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- State attorney still opposes sale of Puget Energy to international investors
- Another public utility district takeover of Puget Sound Energy?
- 10th District legislative race focuses on healthcare, ferries, PUD
- Covington
- Mossyrock Dam turbine gets heart transplant to improve efficiency
- Grays Harbor County PUD move surprises Rayonier
- Overhead lines going underground in historic downtown Port Townsend
- North Texans feeling little relief from electricity deregulation
- Spurred by bills, Texans search for ways to cut electricity use
- Home Energy Prices Are Expected to Soar
- McCain, Obama promote nuclear energy plans
- Yucca Mountain Price Tag Up, Hanford Affected?
- IDAHO – Sockeye surge materializes in upper Salmon
- Sockeye Complete Epic Journey to Central Idaho
- Sockeye season starts Wednesday for Lake Wenatchee
- Salmon fishing opens in the upper Okanogan River and lower Similkameen River
- CANADA – Salmon becoming a rarity on Yukoners' tables
- Ocean salmon fishing getting better, lake trout might do the same
- The Olympian Editorial – Puget Sound assets total at least $243 billion
- Water, land values, development – Eastern Oregon vineyard owners, wheat growers clash over land use
- Sequim water, sewer rates might rise as much as 20% next year
- Wind and wave energy project for coastal Grays Harbor County gets fed approval
- The wind blows less when wind power is needed most
- Pickens bringing case for more wind energy to Nebraska
- L.A. Times Editorial – A boon for Pickens, not for America
- Kohl's expanding solar power program to Oregon
- Oregon Tech Looks to Be World's First Fully-Geothermal Campus
- Energy crops key to biofuels growth
- Seattle P-I Columnist – Conserving energy isn't sexy
- Johnson Controls taps new heating and electricity sources for existing buildings
- An Energy Diet for Power-Hungry Household PCs
- Scientists focus anew on livestock's role in climate change
- San Francisco on course for emissions reduction goal
- San Francisco to Vote on Clean Energy City Charter on November Ballot
- Vancouver Sun Op/Ed – British Columbia's carbon tax doesn't let 'polluters' off
- E-Mail Hacking Case Could Redefine Online Privacy
- 300 million votes at Yahoo miscalculated
- HughesNet Offers New 5Mbps Satellite Broadband Service
- In-Flight Broadband Cheat Sheet
- Giant online security hole getting fixed, slowly
- California cities explore fiber options
- Massachusetts Signs New Broadband Law
- Smog alert as local temperatures climb toward 90
- 11 charged in data theft of 41 million credit and debit cards
- Alaska Air says customers' credit cards misused
- Mason County – Attendance & Revenues Up At 2008 Fair & Rodeo
- City (of Tumwater) up against 7-figure shortfall
- Bush designates I-5 Bridge replacement as high priority
- HP pledges strong Vancouver, WA presence despite Oregon inkjet layoffs
- Four Tons Worth – Two arrested in Woodland metal-theft investigation
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Visage • \VIZ-zedge\ • noun – 1: the face, countenance, or appearance of a person or sometimes an animal 2: aspect, appearance
Sidney hummed absently while brushing his teeth, unaware until it was too late that the medicine cabinet had swung open to reveal the jolly visage of his next door neighbor, Chuck McCann. “Hi guy!” exclaimed Chuck, “fancy meeting you here after all these years.” MONA!
No. 94 on Drew Babb's 100 Greatest TV Spots of All Time – Right Guard/"Mona": God knows why we love this sad sack Sidney, standing at his bathroom sink crying out for his wife, Mona! (Wouldn't you cry out too if your medicine cabinet opened into your neighbor's bathroom?) Love the hail-fellow-well-met neighbor, played by Chuck McCann, who greets our schmoe with, Hi, Guy! This campaign pooled into a series in which we get to know Sidney's wife and kid. And the neighbor's kid, too.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
State attorney still opposes sale of Puget Energy to international investors – Too much debt to allow sale, says state AG's Public Counsel (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008094442_puget060.html?syndication=rss
Another public utility district takeover of Puget Sound Energy? As in 1941, so in 2008 (Examiner.com – You gotta see the photo!)
http://www.examiner.com/x-479-Seattle-History-Examiner~y2008m8d4-PSE
10th District legislative race focuses on healthcare, ferries, PUD (South Whidbey Record, Coupeville, WA)
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/news/26318319.html
BPA transmission lines threatened – Wood debris pile burning in Covington (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_080608WAB_covington_fire_LJ.1d5c3d2d.html?npc
Mossyrock Dam turbine gets heart transplant to improve efficiency (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/435491.html
Grays Harbor County PUD move surprises Rayonier (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/08/05/local_news/02news.txt
Overhead lines going underground in historic downtown Port Townsend (The Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080806/NEWS/808060303
North Texans feeling little relief from electricity deregulation (Dallas Morning News, TX)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-summerbills_06met.ART.State.Edition2.4dd3e56.html
Spurred by bills, Texans search for ways to cut electricity use (Dallas Morning News, TX)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/080608dnbusefficiency.40f4d3e.html
Home Energy Prices Are Expected to Soar (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/business/06fuel.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
McCain, Obama promote nuclear energy plans (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-08-05-mccain-nuclear_N.htm?csp=34
Yucca Mountain Price Tag Up, Hanford Affected? (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4163
FISH & WILDLIFE
IDAHO – Sockeye surge materializes in upper Salmon – Sixty-three sockeye salmon made it to the Redfish Lake area by Monday (Idaho Mountain Express, Sun Valley, ID)
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005121978
Sockeye Complete Epic Journey to Central Idaho (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4161
Sockeye season starts Wednesday for Lake Wenatchee (The Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/NEWS04/767775786/1006/NEWS03
Salmon fishing opens in the upper Okanogan River and lower Similkameen River (The Omak Chronicle, WA)
http://www.omakchronicle.com/spt/s080805j.shtml
CANADA – Salmon becoming a rarity on Yukoners' tables (CBC News)
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2008/08/05/yukon-fish.html?ref=rss
Ocean salmon fishing getting better, lake trout might do the same (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/outdoors/story/435526.html
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
The Olympian Editorial – Puget Sound assets total at least $243 billion (Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/532407.html
Water, land values, development – Eastern Oregon vineyard owners, wheat growers clash over land use (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/08/eastern_oregon_vineyard_owners.html
Sequim water, sewer rates might rise as much as 20% next year (The Peninsual Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080806/NEWS/808060305
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Wind and wave energy project for coastal Grays Harbor County gets fed approval (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/08/05/local_news/06news.txt
The wind blows less when wind power is needed most (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CkptuuqmTSigt%3EEvbfen%5Fv
Pickens bringing case for more wind energy to Nebraska (The Associated Press)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080806/ne_pickens_nebraska.html?.v=1
L.A. Times Editorial – A boon for Pickens, not for America – T. Boone Pickens' proposals to wean the country off foreign oil could provide more benefit to Iran than to the U.S.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-luft6-2008aug06,0,3336586.story
Kohl's expanding solar power program to Oregon (The Business Journal of Milwaukee, OR)
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/08/04/daily31.html?ana=from_rss
Oregon Tech Looks to Be World's First Fully-Geothermal Campus (Oregon Public Radio)
http://news.opb.org/article/2760-oregon-tech-would-be-worlds-first-fully-geothermal-campus/
Energy crops key to biofuels growth (CNET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10005414-54.html?tag=nl.e433
CONSERVATION
Seattle P-I Columnist – Conserving energy isn't sexy
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/373621_herbertonline06.html?source=rss
OHIO – Energy alternatives – Johnson Controls taps new heating and electricity sources for existing buildings (The Columbus Dispatch, OH)
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2008/08/06/solar_power.ART_ART_08-06-08_C8_IAAUP7H.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101
An Energy Diet for Power-Hungry Household PCs (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/technology/06green.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Scientists focus anew on livestock's role in climate change (The Chicago Tribune, via the Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/FOOD/280098011/-1/FEA
San Francisco on course for emissions reduction goal (The San Francisco Chronicle, CA)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/05/BAIB125JQO.DTL&feed=rss.news
San Francisco to Vote on Clean Energy City Charter on November Ballot: Why is "Green" Mayor Gavin Newsom Opposed? (Environmental News Network)
http://www.enn.com/energy/article/37837
Vancouver Sun Op/Ed – British Columbia's carbon tax doesn't let 'polluters' off (Canada)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=e8f3ea1b-1ce4-4820-862e-76317ce7f0ab&k=14954
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
E-Mail Hacking Case Could Redefine Online Privacy – A federal appeals court in California is reviewing a lower court's definition of "interception" in the digital age (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/05/AR2008080503421.html?nav=rss_technology
300 million votes at Yahoo miscalculated – Outcome of election unchanged as revised count cements disdain (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/373741_yahoo06.html?source=rss
HughesNet Offers New 5Mbps Service – Fastest satellite broadband tier ever offered (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/HughesNet-Offers-New-5Mbps-Service-96755
In-Flight Broadband Cheat Sheet (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/08/05/in-flight-broadband-cheat-sheet/
Giant online security hole getting fixed, slowly (The Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080805/ap_on_hi_te/tec_internet_security_hole_2
California cities explore fiber options – Loma Linda may share system with GT to help it win business (San Bernardino Sun, CA)
http://www.sbsun.com/ci_10109656?source=rss
Massachusetts Signs New Broadband Law – Aimed at helping 95 communities with little or no broadband (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Massachusetts-Signs-New-Broadband-Law-96737
GENERAL NEWS
Smog alert as local temperatures climb toward 90 (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/373614_weather06.html
11 charged in data theft of 41 million credit and debit cards – retailers' wireless networks hacked into (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10112727?source=rss
Alaska Air says customers' credit cards misused – About 1,500 people who bought tickets from Alaska or Horizon airlines have been notified their credit cards were misused. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008095135_apalaskaaircreditcards.html?syndication=rss
Mason County – Attendance & Revenues Up At 2008 Fair & Rodeo (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/732/reftab/1896/Default.aspx
City (of Tumwater) up against 7-figure shortfall (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/533083.html
Bush designates I-5 Bridge replacement as high priority (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/08/08052008_Bush-designates-I5-Bridge-replacement-as-high-priority.cfm
HP pledges strong Vancouver, WA presence despite Oregon inkjet layoffs (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2008/08/08052008_HP-pledges-strong-local-presence.cfm?newsletter=1
Four Tons Worth – Two arrested in Woodland metal-theft investigation (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/08/06//area_news/doc489943a255e3d625540009.txt
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS
Man Dials 911, Complains His Sub Had No Sauce
http://www.kirotv.com/news/17099847/detail.html
Dying for a salad? Try a dash of this – Chef accidentally recommends a potentially deadly plant in organic salads
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080804/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_poison;_ylt=AkVK8QpZOVaLI4uADR9pzwztiBIF
Inflatable church looks to lure Italian beachgoers
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080805/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_italy_beach_church;_ylt=AoD6eA2idy8PhMzXkHUYD8jtiBIF
For developers of Bend’s Shire, ‘dream’ is over – The village-themed concept in southeast Bend patterned after J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” series
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/BIZ0102/807310374/1041&nav_category=
Man Presumed Dead In 1976 Colo. Flood Found Alive
http://www.kirotv.com/news/17099899/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Energy News Digest for August 5, 2008
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.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- U.S. regulators approve Puget Energy buyout
- Puget Energy's profit declines in second quarter
- Cosmopolis mill deal hasn’t “blown up”
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Op/Ed – Heat vs. eat is untenable choice
- Three in the running for Grant County PUD commission seat
- Public gets rare chance to view sockeye salmon's return to Idaho
- Orca calf's carcass raises more pollution questions
- Teens' 'clean' carwash raises money
- Sea lion lays claim to sailboat
- OREGON – Selling Water to Fund State Programs
- City of Shelton Asks For State Funding For Sewer Plant Improvements
- Yakima hydrant vandal suspects held
- Solar power proponents call for Chelan PUD leadership
- Report: Power giants likely to miss California renewable energy goal
- Utilities And Solar Marketing Programs
- Effects Of The Ethanol Mandate On The Price Of Corn
- Longview Councilwoman files complaint over window company's sales pitch
- Living Green: Energy-Saving Roofs
- Coal's future is safe - but what about the climate?
- Virgin forests more efficient at storing carbon
- The Daily News Editorial – Government too quick to seek lean, green fix
- You Say You Want a Green Revolution?
- Is your Netflix queue destroying the environment?
- NEWS RELEASE – Mason General Hospital Named 2008 “Most Wired” Hospital
- AOL Is Moving Closer To Jettisoning Dial-Up
- Will Frontier Enforce New 5GB Cap?
- Delta Plans to Offer Wi-Fi on Its Jets
- 'Spam King' once felt 'invincible'
- Washington State smog alert as local temperatures climb toward 90
- Missing Union Bicyclist Found Safe in Lynden
- Weyerhaeuser cutting 1,500 jobs in Federal Way, posts third consecutive quarterly loss
- Economic chill: Washington Governor orders hiring freeze
- WA investigator accused of stealing drugs from the dead
- Mason County Rules Belfair Espresso Stand to Be ‘Erotic' Entertainment
- Clallam County Fair manager quits days before annual event
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Witting • \WITT-ting\ • noun – Knowledge or awareness of something: cognizance
Abernathy was the witting accomplice of the renegade mortgage broker. “Sure that fry cook at the local greasy spoon makes 100 grand a year,” he chortled as he notarized the verification of income over his signature.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
U.S. regulators approve Puget Energy buyout (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/08/04/daily5.html?ana=from_rss
Puget Energy's profit declines in second quarter (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/373528_localearns05.html?source=rss
Cosmopolis mill deal hasn’t “blown up” – Evergreen Pulp’s local team has taken a “hiatus” from participating in the negotiating effort with Weyerhaeuser (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/08/04/local_news/01news.txt
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Op/Ed – Heat vs. eat is untenable choice
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/373495_energy05.html?source=rss
Three in the running for Grant County PUD commission seat (The Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080804/NEWS04/532867564/1001/rss1001
FISH & WILDLIFE
Public gets rare chance to view sockeye salmon's return to Idaho (The Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/460373.html
Orca calf's carcass raises more pollution questions – Researchers study animal found dead in San Juan Islands (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/373519_orca05.html?source=rss
Teens' 'clean' carwash raises money – Their salmon-friendly kit keeps soap out of waterways (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/373581_carwash05.html?source=rss
Sea lion lays claim to sailboat (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008092036_sealion05m.html?syndication=rss
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
OREGON – Selling Water to Fund State Programs (The Oregon Commentator)
http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/08/04/selling-water-to-fund-state-programs/
City of Shelton Sends Letter Asking For State Funding For Improvements to Sewer Plant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/727/reftab/1896/Default.aspx
Yakima hydrant vandal suspects held (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/6464
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Solar power proponents call for Chelan PUD leadership (The Wenatchee World – Ed. Note: Although I-937 doesn’t give it credit, the Chelan SNAP program should get kudos for it’s progressive efforts!)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/NEWS04/352832816
Report: Power giants likely to miss California renewable energy goal (Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, CA)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/08/04/daily30.html?ana=from_rss
Utilities And Solar Marketing Programs (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/ate/story?id=53203&src=rss
Effects Of The Ethanol Mandate On The Price Of Corn (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93293391&ft=1&f=3
CONSERVATION
Longview Councilwoman files complaint over window company's sales pitch – Company claimed it had a deal with the city to promote energy conservation (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/08/05/area_news/doc4897e3c4813a5723773171.txt
Living Green: Energy-Saving Roofs (WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH)
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=f38f7b4d-d4c1-4167-9606-eccd619e0260&rss=703
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Coal's future is safe - but what about the climate? (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSL2125126320080805
Virgin forests more efficient at storing carbon (Reuters)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080804.wforests0804/BNStory/Science/home
The Daily News Editorial – Government too quick to seek lean, green fix (Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/08/05/editorial/doc4897f5bc35971786901558.txt
You Say You Want a Revolution – If America's serious about going green, some tradeoffs will have to be made (Newsweek Magazine)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/150770?from=rss
Video Stores vs. Online Rentals – Is your Netflix queue destroying the environment? (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2196651/?from=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
NEWS RELEASE – Mason General Hospital Named 2008 “Most Wired” Hospital – Mason General Hospital was recently named to the nation’s “Most Wired – Rural” hospitals, according to the results of the 2008 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. (From Mason General Hospital – Ed. Note: The Hospital is a big user on the PUD 3 fiber optic network)
AOL Is Moving Closer To Jettisoning Dial-Up (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/04/AR2008080402116.html?nav=rss_technology
Will Frontier Enforce New 5GB Cap? Opposition grows to telco's definition of 'unreasonable' (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Will-Frontier-Enforce-New-5GB-Cap-96723
Delta Plans to Offer Wi-Fi on Its Jets (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/business/06wifi.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1217956740-lw+OcB5qWYmF7db+FTWnZQ
'Spam King' once felt 'invincible' – Desire for 'notoriety' part of e-mail crimes (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/373497_spamking05.html?source=rss
GENERAL NEWS
Washington State smog alert as local temperatures climb toward 90 (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/373614_weather06.html?source=rss
Missing Union Bicyclist Found Safe in Lynden (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/aug/04/missing-union-bicyclist-found-safe-in-lynden/
Weyerhaeuser cutting 1,500 jobs in Federal Way, posts third consecutive quarterly loss (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008092515_webweyco05.html
Economic chill: Washington Governor orders hiring freeze (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008090804_apwagregoirehiringfreeze.html?syndication=rss
WA investigator accused of stealing drugs from the dead (The Associated Press, via the Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/531484.html
Mason County Rules Belfair Espresso Stand to Be ‘Erotic' Entertainment (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/aug/04/belfair-espresso-stand-ruled-to-be-145erotic/
Clallam County Fair manager quits days before annual event (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.konp.com/local/3876
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS
Woman Stuck In Traffic, Bills Michigan for Gas Used While Waiting in Construction Zone
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/17097104/detail.html
'Local Idiot' Learns Road Closed Hard Way – Man Ignores 'Road Closed' Sign, Sees Train Destroy Truck
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/17097713/detail.html
CRIME: Pasco palm reader doesn’t foresee jail time
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/263840.html
Man Gobbles Pot After Crash, Police Say
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/17097191/detail.html
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- U.S. regulators approve Puget Energy buyout
- Puget Energy's profit declines in second quarter
- Cosmopolis mill deal hasn’t “blown up”
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Op/Ed – Heat vs. eat is untenable choice
- Three in the running for Grant County PUD commission seat
- Public gets rare chance to view sockeye salmon's return to Idaho
- Orca calf's carcass raises more pollution questions
- Teens' 'clean' carwash raises money
- Sea lion lays claim to sailboat
- OREGON – Selling Water to Fund State Programs
- City of Shelton Asks For State Funding For Sewer Plant Improvements
- Yakima hydrant vandal suspects held
- Solar power proponents call for Chelan PUD leadership
- Report: Power giants likely to miss California renewable energy goal
- Utilities And Solar Marketing Programs
- Effects Of The Ethanol Mandate On The Price Of Corn
- Longview Councilwoman files complaint over window company's sales pitch
- Living Green: Energy-Saving Roofs
- Coal's future is safe - but what about the climate?
- Virgin forests more efficient at storing carbon
- The Daily News Editorial – Government too quick to seek lean, green fix
- You Say You Want a Green Revolution?
- Is your Netflix queue destroying the environment?
- NEWS RELEASE – Mason General Hospital Named 2008 “Most Wired” Hospital
- AOL Is Moving Closer To Jettisoning Dial-Up
- Will Frontier Enforce New 5GB Cap?
- Delta Plans to Offer Wi-Fi on Its Jets
- 'Spam King' once felt 'invincible'
- Washington State smog alert as local temperatures climb toward 90
- Missing Union Bicyclist Found Safe in Lynden
- Weyerhaeuser cutting 1,500 jobs in Federal Way, posts third consecutive quarterly loss
- Economic chill: Washington Governor orders hiring freeze
- WA investigator accused of stealing drugs from the dead
- Mason County Rules Belfair Espresso Stand to Be ‘Erotic' Entertainment
- Clallam County Fair manager quits days before annual event
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Witting • \WITT-ting\ • noun – Knowledge or awareness of something: cognizance
Abernathy was the witting accomplice of the renegade mortgage broker. “Sure that fry cook at the local greasy spoon makes 100 grand a year,” he chortled as he notarized the verification of income over his signature.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
U.S. regulators approve Puget Energy buyout (Puget Sound Business Journal, WA)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/08/04/daily5.html?ana=from_rss
Puget Energy's profit declines in second quarter (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/373528_localearns05.html?source=rss
Cosmopolis mill deal hasn’t “blown up” – Evergreen Pulp’s local team has taken a “hiatus” from participating in the negotiating effort with Weyerhaeuser (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/08/04/local_news/01news.txt
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Op/Ed – Heat vs. eat is untenable choice
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/373495_energy05.html?source=rss
Three in the running for Grant County PUD commission seat (The Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080804/NEWS04/532867564/1001/rss1001
FISH & WILDLIFE
Public gets rare chance to view sockeye salmon's return to Idaho (The Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/460373.html
Orca calf's carcass raises more pollution questions – Researchers study animal found dead in San Juan Islands (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/373519_orca05.html?source=rss
Teens' 'clean' carwash raises money – Their salmon-friendly kit keeps soap out of waterways (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/373581_carwash05.html?source=rss
Sea lion lays claim to sailboat (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008092036_sealion05m.html?syndication=rss
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
OREGON – Selling Water to Fund State Programs (The Oregon Commentator)
http://www.oregoncommentator.com/2008/08/04/selling-water-to-fund-state-programs/
City of Shelton Sends Letter Asking For State Funding For Improvements to Sewer Plant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/727/reftab/1896/Default.aspx
Yakima hydrant vandal suspects held (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/6464
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Solar power proponents call for Chelan PUD leadership (The Wenatchee World – Ed. Note: Although I-937 doesn’t give it credit, the Chelan SNAP program should get kudos for it’s progressive efforts!)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/NEWS04/352832816
Report: Power giants likely to miss California renewable energy goal (Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal, CA)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/08/04/daily30.html?ana=from_rss
Utilities And Solar Marketing Programs (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/ate/story?id=53203&src=rss
Effects Of The Ethanol Mandate On The Price Of Corn (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93293391&ft=1&f=3
CONSERVATION
Longview Councilwoman files complaint over window company's sales pitch – Company claimed it had a deal with the city to promote energy conservation (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/08/05/area_news/doc4897e3c4813a5723773171.txt
Living Green: Energy-Saving Roofs (WCPO-TV, Cincinnati, OH)
http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=f38f7b4d-d4c1-4167-9606-eccd619e0260&rss=703
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Coal's future is safe - but what about the climate? (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSL2125126320080805
Virgin forests more efficient at storing carbon (Reuters)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080804.wforests0804/BNStory/Science/home
The Daily News Editorial – Government too quick to seek lean, green fix (Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/08/05/editorial/doc4897f5bc35971786901558.txt
You Say You Want a Revolution – If America's serious about going green, some tradeoffs will have to be made (Newsweek Magazine)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/150770?from=rss
Video Stores vs. Online Rentals – Is your Netflix queue destroying the environment? (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2196651/?from=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
NEWS RELEASE – Mason General Hospital Named 2008 “Most Wired” Hospital – Mason General Hospital was recently named to the nation’s “Most Wired – Rural” hospitals, according to the results of the 2008 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks magazine. (From Mason General Hospital – Ed. Note: The Hospital is a big user on the PUD 3 fiber optic network)
AOL Is Moving Closer To Jettisoning Dial-Up (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/04/AR2008080402116.html?nav=rss_technology
Will Frontier Enforce New 5GB Cap? Opposition grows to telco's definition of 'unreasonable' (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Will-Frontier-Enforce-New-5GB-Cap-96723
Delta Plans to Offer Wi-Fi on Its Jets (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/business/06wifi.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1217956740-lw+OcB5qWYmF7db+FTWnZQ
'Spam King' once felt 'invincible' – Desire for 'notoriety' part of e-mail crimes (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/373497_spamking05.html?source=rss
GENERAL NEWS
Washington State smog alert as local temperatures climb toward 90 (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/373614_weather06.html?source=rss
Missing Union Bicyclist Found Safe in Lynden (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/aug/04/missing-union-bicyclist-found-safe-in-lynden/
Weyerhaeuser cutting 1,500 jobs in Federal Way, posts third consecutive quarterly loss (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008092515_webweyco05.html
Economic chill: Washington Governor orders hiring freeze (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008090804_apwagregoirehiringfreeze.html?syndication=rss
WA investigator accused of stealing drugs from the dead (The Associated Press, via the Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/531484.html
Mason County Rules Belfair Espresso Stand to Be ‘Erotic' Entertainment (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/aug/04/belfair-espresso-stand-ruled-to-be-145erotic/
Clallam County Fair manager quits days before annual event (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.konp.com/local/3876
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS
Woman Stuck In Traffic, Bills Michigan for Gas Used While Waiting in Construction Zone
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/17097104/detail.html
'Local Idiot' Learns Road Closed Hard Way – Man Ignores 'Road Closed' Sign, Sees Train Destroy Truck
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/17097713/detail.html
CRIME: Pasco palm reader doesn’t foresee jail time
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/263840.html
Man Gobbles Pot After Crash, Police Say
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/17097191/detail.html
Monday, August 4, 2008
Energy News Digest for August 4, 2008
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.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Locals are in revolt against Puget Sound Energy
- Puget Sound Energy faces votes in three counties on whether residents want to take over the utility's power operations
- Grant County PUD industrial rates could rise by 3 percent
- Copper wire theft costly, but not enough to raise Cowlitz PUD rates
- TransAlta Mostly Silent On Buyout Offer
- MARYLAND – Little Outcry on Nuclear Reactor Proposal
- A Push to Wrest More Oil From Land, but Most New Wells Are for Natural Gas
- In Strait of Georgia – Fishermen find slime, not sockeye, in latest Sockeye salmon run
- Independent scientists may get involved in salmon review
- It's pelican vs. trout in Idaho predator conflict
- Skokomish River brims with eager anglers
- Oregonian Op/Ed – Empty Oceans
- Marbled salmon may be the next "it" fish
- Taking (Out) the High Roads to Save the Skokomish
- Lake water suspected of sullying Tualatin River
- Seattle could face utility-rate increases in '09
- Senate Passes Bill That Would Protect Great Lakes
- Snohomish County PUD looks for energy underfoot
- High fuel costs have more homeowners eying geothermal heat
- Nobody jumps at offer of money to pay for cleaner wood stoves, fireplaces
- This Land: In the Hills of Nebraska, Change Is on the Horizon
- Editorial – Federal Renewable Energy Mandates Make Good Ad Copy But Lousy Policy
- Sun setting on solar energy affordability?
- Wave Energy Development: What are the impacts to fish and other marine life?
- Oregon rancher sees biodiesel where some see weeds
- TEXAS – Public Utility Commission sends out yellow conservation alert for week
- COLORADO – City asks for help in curbing utility bill
- Climate activists converge in Oregon
- FCC Tries to Avert Threatened internet Satellite Cutoff
- OREGON – HP tells staff in Corvallis ink business is 'broken'
- NBC Warns Metered Broadband Could Hinder Olympics Viewing
- Warning Sign: Metered Broadband Already a Hassle
- How Comcast keeps its network humming
- AOL: One Step Closer To Dying
- AT&T May Expand Rural WiMax Use
- Potential WiFi on Alaska Airlines
- Wi-Fi *Hotspots* Not Always Secure
- Woman killed in NW Washington was mistaken for bear
- Sixth foot washes up on shore
- Weyerhaeuser completes $6 billion sale
- First Dirt to Be Turned on Belfair Medical Clinic
- Another day, another marijuana raid in a vineyard
- Up Retirement Age To Save Social Security?
- All the pretty horses of Vantage are only half done
- Will 835% tax increase drain life from Seattle's last working farm?
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Cicerone • \siss-uh-ROE-nee\ • noun – 1: a guide who conducts sightseers *2: mentor, tutor
“And if you look to your left, you’ll see an actual copy of the replica of a Halloween costume of Elvis’ jumpsuit from the later stage of his career,” droned the ponderous cicerone who was leading a rag-tag group of tourists at the low-budget Elvis impersonator museum in Las Vegas. “This is the worst fifty bucks I’ve ever spent on something,” muttered Ambrose to his impeccably coifed companion.
WORD HISTORY FROM MERRIAM-WEBSTER – Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 - 43 B.C.) was renowned in Rome as a statesman, lawyer, and writer, and he is remembered today for his skills as an orator and rhetorician. The Ciceronian style of rhetoric placed special emphasis on the rhythms and cadences of phrases and sentences and their ability to appeal to the speaker's audience. It is believed that Cicero's eloquence and learning influenced the use of his Italian name, "Cicerone," to refer to sightseeing guides, themselves known for their talkativeness and eloquence, and later, to persons who serve as mentors or tutors to others.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Locals are in revolt against Puget Sound Energy (Crosscut Seattle)
http://www.crosscut.com/energy-utilities/16478/Locals+are+in+revolt+against+Puget+Sound+Energy/
The Seattle P-I Insider: “…Puget Sound Energy now faces November votes in three counties on whether residents want to take over the utility's power operations…” (Scroll down the page to the sub-head “And Then There Were Three”)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/373373_theinsider04.html?source=rss
Grant County PUD industrial rates could rise by 3 percent – No decisions made, PUD continues talks (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/08/01/news/news03.txt
Copper wire theft costly, but not enough to raise Cowlitz PUD rates (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/08/04//area_news/doc4896b058dc140901978243.txt
TransAlta Mostly Silent On Buyout Offer (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews/?TransAlta-Mostly-Silent-On-Buyout-Offer=1&blockID=11563&feedID=410
MARYLAND – Little Outcry on Nuclear Reactor Proposal (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/03/AR2008080301642.html
A Push to Wrest More Oil From Land, but Most New Wells Are for Natural Gas (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/us/03drill.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
FISH & WILDLIFE
In Strait of Georgia – Fishermen find slime, not sockeye, in latest Sockeye salmon run (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/529407.html
Independent scientists may get involved in salmon review (KGW-TV, Portland)
http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_080208_environment_salmon_bi-op.981355e.html?npc
It's pelican vs. trout in Idaho predator conflict (The Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080804/ap_on_re_us/pelicans_vs_trout_1
Skokomish River brims with eager anglers (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/528490.html
Oregonian Op/Ed – Empty Oceans: This year's McCormick & Schmick's media tasting of its new salmon dishes was a dramatic display of the range of the Pacific's poster fish…Except, of course, that none of the fish was from around here (Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/david_sarasohn/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1217636708161060.xml&coll=7
Spring Salmon or Blackmouth – Marbled salmon may be the next "it" fish (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2008079690_pacificptaste03.html?syndication=rss
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Taking (Out) the High Roads to Save the Skokomish – The Skokomish River is sick, experts say, and intensive care is needed for any hope of recovery (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/aug/02/taking-out-the-high-roads-to-save-the-skokomish/
Lake water suspected of sullying Tualatin River – Contamination in Wapato Lake may have led to the algae bloom in the nearby Tualatin River (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121764750783310.xml&coll=7
Seattle could face utility-rate increases in '09 (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008087464_seattlerates02m0.html
Senate Passes Bill That Would Protect Great Lakes – Environmental Issues, Not Just Conservation Efforts, Should Also Be Addressed, Activists Contend “…Total restoration and cleanup costs for the Great Lakes are estimated at $15 billion to $20 billion…” (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/02/AR2008080201389.html?nav=rss_nation
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Geothermal Energy – Snohomish County PUD looks for energy underfoot (The Everett Herald, WA)
http://heraldnet.com/article/20080804/NEWS01/72932694
High fuel costs have more homeowners eying geothermal heat (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008090070_heat04m.html?syndication=rss
Nobody jumps at offer of money to pay for cleaner wood stoves, fireplaces – Agency is looking for homeowners willing to take $1,500 to $3,000 to replace old wood stoves and fireplaces (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/08/08032008_Nobody-jumps-at-offer-of-money-to-pay-for-cleaner-wood-stoves-fireplaces.cfm?newsletter=1
This Land: In the Hills of Nebraska, Change Is on the Horizon – you can’t miss its newest crop: wind turbines, three dozen of them, sprouting improbably from the sand hills of north-central Nebraska. (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/us/04land.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Post-Chronicle Editorial – Federal Renewable Energy Mandates Make Good Ad Copy But Lousy Policy (Denville, NJ)
http://www.postchronicle.com/commentary/article_212161847.shtml
Sun setting on solar energy affordability? (Orlando Business Journal, FL)
http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2008/08/04/story12.html?ana=from_rss
CALIFORNIA – Wave Energy Development: What are the impacts to fish and other marine life? (Bay Area Independent Media)
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/08/03/18522428.php
Oregon rancher sees biodiesel where some see weeds (The Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1519756~Ore__rancher_sees_biodiesel_where_some_see_weeds.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
CONSERVATION
TEXAS – Public Utility Commission sends out yellow conservation alert for week (The Waco Tribune, TX)
http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/breakingnews/entries/2008/08/04/puc_sends_out_yellow_conservat.html
COLORADO – City asks for help in curbing utility bill (The Coloradan, Fort Collins, CO)
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080804/NEWS01/808040317/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Climate activists converge in Oregon (The Eugene Register-Guard, OR)
http://www.registerguard.com/rg/CityRegion/story.csp?cid=125947&sid=4&fid=2
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
FCC Tries to Avert Threatened Satellite Cutoff by SES Americom (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080103283.html?nav=rss_technology
OREGON – HP tells staff in Corvallis ink business is 'broken' – Internal memos show the inkjet printer division is in worse straits than the company has revealed publicly (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1217811312223840.xml&coll=7
NBC Warns Metered Broadband Could Hinder Olympics Viewing – Access to content is beginning to be restricted (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/NBC-Warns-Metered-Broadband-Could-Hinder-Olympics-Viewing-96690
Warning Sign: Metered Broadband Already a Hassle – “We’ve talked before that metered access is a boneheaded idea…” (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/08/02/warning-sign-metered-broadband-already-a-hassle/
How Comcast keeps its network humming – A specialized team in the company's operations center in south Everett constantly monitors a 5,200-mile network (The Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080804/BIZ/371689994/-1/rss03
AOL: One Step Closer To Dying – Dial-up, Ad business splintered, sale imminent (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/AOL-One-Step-Closer-To-Dying-96706
AT&T May Expand Rural WiMax Use – A few southern states sometime this year (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ATT-May-Expand-Rural-WiMax-Use-96704
Potential WiFi on Alaska Airlines (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4150
Wi-Fi *Hotspots* Not Always Secure (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8777248
GENERAL NEWS
Woman killed near Rockport in NW Washington was mistaken for bear (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1520091~Woman_killed_near_Rockport_was_mistaken_for_bear.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
Sixth foot washes up on shore (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=1e912a70-9c06-4542-82d4-1674d5924f29
Weyerhaeuser completes $6 billion sale (The Associated Press, via the Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/530978.html
First Dirt to Be Turned on Belfair Medical Clinic (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/aug/04/first-dirt-to-be-turned-on-belfair-medical/
Another day, another marijuana raid in a vineyard (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008089378_apwamarijuanaraid.html?syndication=rss
Up Retirement Age To Save Social Security? Group Proposes Way To Save Social Security System (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/17064232/detail.html
All the pretty horses of Vantage are only half done – Officials are having trouble funding its completion (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008089992_horseart04m.html?syndication=rss
Seattle Times Columnist – Will 835% tax increase drain life from Seattle's last working farm?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2008088812_danny03.html
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS
Pickup thief loses truck to carjacker
http://www.examiner.com/a-1519947~Pickup_thief_loses_truck_to_carjacker.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
Trucker stops to relieve himself, loses load
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/26222534.html
Parents Fly To Paris, Leave Child Behind – Family Unaware Until Officials Find Child
http://www.kirotv.com/family/17086216/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible
Town Spends $1M To Buy, Shut Down Strip Club
http://www.kirotv.com/news/17063961/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Locals are in revolt against Puget Sound Energy
- Puget Sound Energy faces votes in three counties on whether residents want to take over the utility's power operations
- Grant County PUD industrial rates could rise by 3 percent
- Copper wire theft costly, but not enough to raise Cowlitz PUD rates
- TransAlta Mostly Silent On Buyout Offer
- MARYLAND – Little Outcry on Nuclear Reactor Proposal
- A Push to Wrest More Oil From Land, but Most New Wells Are for Natural Gas
- In Strait of Georgia – Fishermen find slime, not sockeye, in latest Sockeye salmon run
- Independent scientists may get involved in salmon review
- It's pelican vs. trout in Idaho predator conflict
- Skokomish River brims with eager anglers
- Oregonian Op/Ed – Empty Oceans
- Marbled salmon may be the next "it" fish
- Taking (Out) the High Roads to Save the Skokomish
- Lake water suspected of sullying Tualatin River
- Seattle could face utility-rate increases in '09
- Senate Passes Bill That Would Protect Great Lakes
- Snohomish County PUD looks for energy underfoot
- High fuel costs have more homeowners eying geothermal heat
- Nobody jumps at offer of money to pay for cleaner wood stoves, fireplaces
- This Land: In the Hills of Nebraska, Change Is on the Horizon
- Editorial – Federal Renewable Energy Mandates Make Good Ad Copy But Lousy Policy
- Sun setting on solar energy affordability?
- Wave Energy Development: What are the impacts to fish and other marine life?
- Oregon rancher sees biodiesel where some see weeds
- TEXAS – Public Utility Commission sends out yellow conservation alert for week
- COLORADO – City asks for help in curbing utility bill
- Climate activists converge in Oregon
- FCC Tries to Avert Threatened internet Satellite Cutoff
- OREGON – HP tells staff in Corvallis ink business is 'broken'
- NBC Warns Metered Broadband Could Hinder Olympics Viewing
- Warning Sign: Metered Broadband Already a Hassle
- How Comcast keeps its network humming
- AOL: One Step Closer To Dying
- AT&T May Expand Rural WiMax Use
- Potential WiFi on Alaska Airlines
- Wi-Fi *Hotspots* Not Always Secure
- Woman killed in NW Washington was mistaken for bear
- Sixth foot washes up on shore
- Weyerhaeuser completes $6 billion sale
- First Dirt to Be Turned on Belfair Medical Clinic
- Another day, another marijuana raid in a vineyard
- Up Retirement Age To Save Social Security?
- All the pretty horses of Vantage are only half done
- Will 835% tax increase drain life from Seattle's last working farm?
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Cicerone • \siss-uh-ROE-nee\ • noun – 1: a guide who conducts sightseers *2: mentor, tutor
“And if you look to your left, you’ll see an actual copy of the replica of a Halloween costume of Elvis’ jumpsuit from the later stage of his career,” droned the ponderous cicerone who was leading a rag-tag group of tourists at the low-budget Elvis impersonator museum in Las Vegas. “This is the worst fifty bucks I’ve ever spent on something,” muttered Ambrose to his impeccably coifed companion.
WORD HISTORY FROM MERRIAM-WEBSTER – Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 - 43 B.C.) was renowned in Rome as a statesman, lawyer, and writer, and he is remembered today for his skills as an orator and rhetorician. The Ciceronian style of rhetoric placed special emphasis on the rhythms and cadences of phrases and sentences and their ability to appeal to the speaker's audience. It is believed that Cicero's eloquence and learning influenced the use of his Italian name, "Cicerone," to refer to sightseeing guides, themselves known for their talkativeness and eloquence, and later, to persons who serve as mentors or tutors to others.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Locals are in revolt against Puget Sound Energy (Crosscut Seattle)
http://www.crosscut.com/energy-utilities/16478/Locals+are+in+revolt+against+Puget+Sound+Energy/
The Seattle P-I Insider: “…Puget Sound Energy now faces November votes in three counties on whether residents want to take over the utility's power operations…” (Scroll down the page to the sub-head “And Then There Were Three”)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/373373_theinsider04.html?source=rss
Grant County PUD industrial rates could rise by 3 percent – No decisions made, PUD continues talks (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/08/01/news/news03.txt
Copper wire theft costly, but not enough to raise Cowlitz PUD rates (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/08/04//area_news/doc4896b058dc140901978243.txt
TransAlta Mostly Silent On Buyout Offer (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews/?TransAlta-Mostly-Silent-On-Buyout-Offer=1&blockID=11563&feedID=410
MARYLAND – Little Outcry on Nuclear Reactor Proposal (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/03/AR2008080301642.html
A Push to Wrest More Oil From Land, but Most New Wells Are for Natural Gas (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/us/03drill.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
FISH & WILDLIFE
In Strait of Georgia – Fishermen find slime, not sockeye, in latest Sockeye salmon run (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/529407.html
Independent scientists may get involved in salmon review (KGW-TV, Portland)
http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_080208_environment_salmon_bi-op.981355e.html?npc
It's pelican vs. trout in Idaho predator conflict (The Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080804/ap_on_re_us/pelicans_vs_trout_1
Skokomish River brims with eager anglers (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/528490.html
Oregonian Op/Ed – Empty Oceans: This year's McCormick & Schmick's media tasting of its new salmon dishes was a dramatic display of the range of the Pacific's poster fish…Except, of course, that none of the fish was from around here (Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/david_sarasohn/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1217636708161060.xml&coll=7
Spring Salmon or Blackmouth – Marbled salmon may be the next "it" fish (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2008079690_pacificptaste03.html?syndication=rss
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Taking (Out) the High Roads to Save the Skokomish – The Skokomish River is sick, experts say, and intensive care is needed for any hope of recovery (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/aug/02/taking-out-the-high-roads-to-save-the-skokomish/
Lake water suspected of sullying Tualatin River – Contamination in Wapato Lake may have led to the algae bloom in the nearby Tualatin River (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121764750783310.xml&coll=7
Seattle could face utility-rate increases in '09 (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008087464_seattlerates02m0.html
Senate Passes Bill That Would Protect Great Lakes – Environmental Issues, Not Just Conservation Efforts, Should Also Be Addressed, Activists Contend “…Total restoration and cleanup costs for the Great Lakes are estimated at $15 billion to $20 billion…” (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/02/AR2008080201389.html?nav=rss_nation
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Geothermal Energy – Snohomish County PUD looks for energy underfoot (The Everett Herald, WA)
http://heraldnet.com/article/20080804/NEWS01/72932694
High fuel costs have more homeowners eying geothermal heat (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008090070_heat04m.html?syndication=rss
Nobody jumps at offer of money to pay for cleaner wood stoves, fireplaces – Agency is looking for homeowners willing to take $1,500 to $3,000 to replace old wood stoves and fireplaces (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/08/08032008_Nobody-jumps-at-offer-of-money-to-pay-for-cleaner-wood-stoves-fireplaces.cfm?newsletter=1
This Land: In the Hills of Nebraska, Change Is on the Horizon – you can’t miss its newest crop: wind turbines, three dozen of them, sprouting improbably from the sand hills of north-central Nebraska. (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/us/04land.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Post-Chronicle Editorial – Federal Renewable Energy Mandates Make Good Ad Copy But Lousy Policy (Denville, NJ)
http://www.postchronicle.com/commentary/article_212161847.shtml
Sun setting on solar energy affordability? (Orlando Business Journal, FL)
http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2008/08/04/story12.html?ana=from_rss
CALIFORNIA – Wave Energy Development: What are the impacts to fish and other marine life? (Bay Area Independent Media)
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/08/03/18522428.php
Oregon rancher sees biodiesel where some see weeds (The Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1519756~Ore__rancher_sees_biodiesel_where_some_see_weeds.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
CONSERVATION
TEXAS – Public Utility Commission sends out yellow conservation alert for week (The Waco Tribune, TX)
http://www.wacotrib.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/communities/breakingnews/entries/2008/08/04/puc_sends_out_yellow_conservat.html
COLORADO – City asks for help in curbing utility bill (The Coloradan, Fort Collins, CO)
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080804/NEWS01/808040317/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Climate activists converge in Oregon (The Eugene Register-Guard, OR)
http://www.registerguard.com/rg/CityRegion/story.csp?cid=125947&sid=4&fid=2
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
FCC Tries to Avert Threatened Satellite Cutoff by SES Americom (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/01/AR2008080103283.html?nav=rss_technology
OREGON – HP tells staff in Corvallis ink business is 'broken' – Internal memos show the inkjet printer division is in worse straits than the company has revealed publicly (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1217811312223840.xml&coll=7
NBC Warns Metered Broadband Could Hinder Olympics Viewing – Access to content is beginning to be restricted (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/NBC-Warns-Metered-Broadband-Could-Hinder-Olympics-Viewing-96690
Warning Sign: Metered Broadband Already a Hassle – “We’ve talked before that metered access is a boneheaded idea…” (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/08/02/warning-sign-metered-broadband-already-a-hassle/
How Comcast keeps its network humming – A specialized team in the company's operations center in south Everett constantly monitors a 5,200-mile network (The Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080804/BIZ/371689994/-1/rss03
AOL: One Step Closer To Dying – Dial-up, Ad business splintered, sale imminent (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/AOL-One-Step-Closer-To-Dying-96706
AT&T May Expand Rural WiMax Use – A few southern states sometime this year (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ATT-May-Expand-Rural-WiMax-Use-96704
Potential WiFi on Alaska Airlines (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4150
Wi-Fi *Hotspots* Not Always Secure (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8777248
GENERAL NEWS
Woman killed near Rockport in NW Washington was mistaken for bear (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1520091~Woman_killed_near_Rockport_was_mistaken_for_bear.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
Sixth foot washes up on shore (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=1e912a70-9c06-4542-82d4-1674d5924f29
Weyerhaeuser completes $6 billion sale (The Associated Press, via the Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/530978.html
First Dirt to Be Turned on Belfair Medical Clinic (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/aug/04/first-dirt-to-be-turned-on-belfair-medical/
Another day, another marijuana raid in a vineyard (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008089378_apwamarijuanaraid.html?syndication=rss
Up Retirement Age To Save Social Security? Group Proposes Way To Save Social Security System (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/17064232/detail.html
All the pretty horses of Vantage are only half done – Officials are having trouble funding its completion (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008089992_horseart04m.html?syndication=rss
Seattle Times Columnist – Will 835% tax increase drain life from Seattle's last working farm?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2008088812_danny03.html
ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS
Pickup thief loses truck to carjacker
http://www.examiner.com/a-1519947~Pickup_thief_loses_truck_to_carjacker.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
Trucker stops to relieve himself, loses load
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/26222534.html
Parents Fly To Paris, Leave Child Behind – Family Unaware Until Officials Find Child
http://www.kirotv.com/family/17086216/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible
Town Spends $1M To Buy, Shut Down Strip Club
http://www.kirotv.com/news/17063961/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible
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