Energy News Digest for May 12, 2010

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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Over Energy Subsidy Dispute - Alcoa to Temporarily Curb Aluminum Output in Italy “…Alcoa has complained about high power prices in Italy…Italy’s parliament approved a power decree offering favorable conditions to some industrial consumers to convince Alcoa to keep its Italian plants working…” (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1111089320100511

Central Russian Hydropower Plant Blast Kills Two, Wounds One (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011844799_apeurussiapowerplant.html?syndication=rss

Grays Harbor PUD Has “Big Question Mark” on Radar Ridge Wind Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/05/11/local_news/doc4be9b34424534375394210.txt

Oregon Adopts New Energy Efficiency Code (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/business/24784448-46/energy-code-efficiency-oregon-areas.csp

US Senate’s Climate Bill Makes Its Debut (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/senate-climate-bill-makes-its-debut-today/?partner=rss&emc=rss

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Over Energy Subsidy Dispute - Alcoa To Temporarily Curb Aluminum Output in Italy

·         Talks Between ‘Car Guys’ Got Jefferson PUD-PSE Deal Rolling

·         Port Townsend Leader Op/Ed - Jefferson PUD Foresees Benefits of Community-Based Power

·         Port Townsend Leader Op/Ed - PUD Zapped Customers in East Jefferson County

·         Central Russian Hydropower Plant Blast Kills Two, Wounds One

·         Snowpack Isn’t Helping Chelan PUD’s Melting Budget

·         Natural Gas Complements Renewables

·         Kootenai Electric Lines Hit by Avista Crews

·         Grays Harbor PUD Commissioner, Seely Won’t Run for Re-Election

·         Texas - Pedernales Electric Cooperative Members Want Say in Co-Op’s Charitable Giving

·         West Coast Salmon Fishing to be Monitored

·         Summer Steelhead Season Still On

·         Chehalis River Dam Plan Pitched To Grays Harbor County Commissioners

·         Chesapeake Bay Settlement Has EPA Agreeing To Enforce Pollution Reduction Goals

·         Grays Harbor PUD Has “Big Question Mark” on Radar Ridge Wind Project

·         Developer Adage Hopeful on Two US $250 Million Biopower Plants

·         Indiana - Regulators to Hear Comments on Scottsburg Biomass Project

·         Panel OKs Plan to Burn Biomass at University of Wisconsin Power Plant

·         Columbian Editorial - Analyzing Biomass: Cutting-Edge Power Industry Is Taking Hold in Proposed Pacific Northwest Projects

·         Biomass Magazine Op/Ed - Biomass Power is a Natural Fit

·         Air Quality: Moses Lake Silicon Plant Fined $14,000

·         Idaho Presents Itself as the ‘Green Energy State’

·         Kennewick Company, Infinia to Get $3 Million for Solar Battery Research

·         Everett Solar Panels to Power Electric Cars

·         Solar Stampede Prompts Temporary Halt for New Jersey Rebate Program

·         Oregon Adopts New Energy Efficiency Code

·         Philips Offers LED Replacement for 60-Watt Bulb

·         US Senate’s Climate Bill Makes Its Debut

·         NY Times Analysis - The American Power Act

·         Glacier National Park Turns 100, But May Not Last Another 10

·         Microsoft Gets More Aggressive With Free Software

·         US Broadband Demand Bounces Back

·         Zoom! Zoom! Why Our Insatiable Need for Broadband Equals Bigger Pipes

·         Cable Worries about Web Video as Fee Disputes Grow

·         One in Four Households with Cell Phone, No Landline

·         Tax Bills in 2009 at Lowest Level since 1950

·         Public Gets First Look at Mason General Hospital Expansion & Remodel Plans

·         Sequim Man on Trial for Branding Children “Like Cattle”

·         C-17 Workers Strike Boeing in Long Beach, California

·         Libyan Jet Crash Kills 103, Boy Only Survivor

·         Acquisition of 1,300 Acres Would Expand Dosewallips State Park

·         Swarms of Grasshoppers Predicted To Plague the West This Year

·         Drifting Satellite Threatens US Cable Programming

·         Thieves Steal Controversial War Memorial Cross in Mojave Desert

·         Peter Frampton Concerts Cancelled in Shelton, WA & AZ

WORD OF THE DAY

Arbiter • \ARE-bet-ter\ • noun - 1: a person with power to decide a dispute: judge 2: a person or agency whose judgment or opinion is considered authoritative

“How unfortunate,” mused Betty to her rain-soaked, fashion-conscious friends, “that our fashion disaster would be caused by the new paper-dress trend.” It would figure that the arbiter of the latest fashion craze was the New York Times.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Over Energy Subsidy Dispute - Alcoa To Temporarily Curb Aluminum Output in Italy “…Alcoa has complained about high power prices in Italy…Italy’s parliament approved a power decree offering favorable conditions to some industrial consumers to convince Alcoa to keep its Italian plants working…” (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1111089320100511

Talks Between ‘Car Guys’ Got Jefferson PUD-PSE Deal Rolling - Some residents question $103 million price tag for power utility (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=26874

Port Townsend Leader Op/Ed - Jefferson PUD Foresees Benefits of Community-Based Power

http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=5&SubSectionID=5&ArticleID=26879

Port Townsend Leader Op/Ed - PUD Zapped Customers in East Jefferson County

http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=5&SubSectionID=5&ArticleID=26878

Central Russian Hydropower Plant Blast Kills Two, Wounds One (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011844799_apeurussiapowerplant.html?syndication=rss

Snowpack Isn’t Helping Chelan PUD’s Melting Budget (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/may/12/snowpack-isnt-helping-puds-melting-budget/

Natural Gas Complements Renewables “…Wind & solar only provide enough power in Oregon for 15 days, & we’ve fully allocated our hydro resources…” (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/columns/2010/05/natural_gas_complements_renewables.html

Kootenai Electric Lines Hit by Avista Crews (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/may/12/kootenai-electric-lines-hit-avista-crews/

Grays Harbor PUD Commissioner, Seely Won’t Run for Re-Election (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/05/11/local_news/doc4be9b4e6cd571916876219.txt

Texas - Pedernales Electric Cooperative Members Want Say in Co-Op’s Charitable Giving: Wildflower Center gift raises questions about how nonprofit utility spends money on causes (Austin American-Statesman, TX)

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/pedernales-members-want-say-in-co-ops-charitable-683067.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

West Coast Salmon Fishing to be Monitored (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/05/10/27155.htm

Summer Steelhead Season Still On (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/bill_monroe/index.ssf/2010/05/summer_steelhead_season_still.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Chehalis River Dam Plan Pitched To Grays Harbor County Commissioners (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/05/11/local_news/doc4be9ba6a08d68757060107.txt

Chesapeake Bay Settlement Has EPA Agreeing To Enforce Pollution Reduction Goals (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/11/AR2010051105212.html?wprss=rss_business

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Grays Harbor PUD Has “Big Question Mark” on Radar Ridge Wind Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/05/11/local_news/doc4be9b34424534375394210.txt

Developer Adage Hopeful on Two US $250 Million Biopower Plants (Recharge)

http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/biofuels/article214351.ece

Indiana - Regulators to Hear Comments on Scottsburg Biomass Project (Louisville Courier-Journal, KY)

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100511/NEWS02/5110337/

Panel OKs Plan to Burn Biomass at University of Wisconsin Power Plant (Wisconsin State Journal)

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_27f12c2d-8e4e-5a10-9f85-03d2a5c4dbaf.html

Columbian Editorial - Analyzing Biomass: Cutting-Edge Power Industry Is Taking Hold in Proposed Pacific Northwest Projects

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/may/12/analyzing-biomass/

Biomass Magazine Op/Ed - Biomass Power is a Natural Fit

http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=3692

Air Quality: Moses Lake Silicon Plant Fined $14,000 (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/05/11/1010270/air-quality-moses-lake-silicon.html

Idaho Presents Itself as the ‘Green Energy State’ “…Idaho’s decision not to require renewable portfolio standards may turn out to help the state’s green energy industry…utilities forced to adopt the earliest green energy technology may get locked into less-efficient, more costly technology…” (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/05/12/1189200/idaho-presents-itself-as-the-green.html

Kennewick Company, Infinia to Get $3 Million for Solar Battery Research (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/05/11/1010320/infinia-to-get-3-million-for-solar.html

Everett Solar Panels to Power Electric Cars (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_solar_snohomish.html?source=pimail

Solar Stampede Prompts Temporary Halt for New Jersey Rebate Program (Sunpluggers)

http://sunpluggers.com/news/solar-stampede-prompts-temporary-halt-for-new-jersey-rebate-program-0500

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Oregon Adopts New Energy Efficiency Code (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/business/24784448-46/energy-code-efficiency-oregon-areas.csp

Philips Offers LED Replacement for 60-Watt Bulb (CNET News)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20004766-54.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=GreenTech

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

US Senate’s Climate Bill Makes Its Debut (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/senate-climate-bill-makes-its-debut-today/?partner=rss&emc=rss

NY Times Analysis - The American Power Act

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/the-american-power-act/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Glacier National Park Turns 100, But May Not Last Another 10 (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2010-05-11-glacier-national-park_N.htm

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Microsoft Gets More Aggressive With Free Software (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2010-05-12-microsoft-office_N.htm

US Broadband Demand Bounces Back (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/05/12/us-broadband-demand-bounces-back/

Zoom! Zoom! Why Our Insatiable Need for Broadband Equals Bigger Pipes (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/05/11/terabit-suboptic/

Cable Worries about Web Video as Fee Disputes Grow (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6496C720100510

One in Four Households with Cell Phone, No Landline (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2011844912_apuscellphonesonly.html?syndication=rss

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Tax Bills in 2009 at Lowest Level since 1950 (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2010-05-10-taxes_N.htm

GENERAL NEWS

Public Gets First Look at Mason General Hospital Expansion & Remodel Plans (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2127-public-gets-first-look-at-mgh-expansion-and-remodel-plans

Sequim Man on Trial for Branding Children “Like Cattle” (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011844639_apwabrandingchildren.html?syndication=rss

C-17 Workers Strike Boeing in Long Beach, California (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2624488~C_17_workers_strike_Boeing_in_Long_Beach__Calif_.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Libyan Jet Crash Kills 103, Boy Only Survivor (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64B16V20100512

Acquisition of 1,300 Acres Would Expand Dosewallips State Park (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/may/11/acquisition-of-1300-acres-would-expand-state/?partner=RSS

Swarms of Grasshoppers Predicted To Plague the West This Year (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/swarms_of_grasshoppers_predict.html

Drifting Satellite Threatens US Cable Programming (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011844677_apoutofcontrolsatellite.html?syndication=rss

Thieves Steal Controversial War Memorial Cross in Mojave Desert - Reward Offered (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/From-the-news-wires/2010/0511/Thieves-steal-controversial-war-memorial-cross-in-Mojave-Desert-reward-offered

Peter Frampton Concerts Cancelled in Shelton, WA & AZ (KBKW-Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1593

DIVERSIONS

Water Well Drillers Strike Oil in Small South Dakota Town

http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail6162.cfm?Id=0,99976

Judge says Elderly Sister Can Keep Lottery Prize – Woman Doesn’t Have to Share with Feuding Sibling

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23528857/detail.html

Man, 22, Accused of Posing as Student - Led Basketball Team To State Playoffs

http://www.kirotv.com/sports/23525225/detail.html

Moth-Munching Bird Finds Perch at Twins Ballpark

http://www.kirotv.com/sports/23517140/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Neil Young – Old Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcdSWfWSqGE

Energy News Digest for May 11, 2010

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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Mea Culpa - Pacific Gas & Electric Apologizes for Smart Meter Problems “…50,000 meters have malfunctioned & caused inaccurate bills…” (San Francisco Business Times)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/05/10/daily17.html

Must Meet Emissions Standards - California Bill Would Block Out-of-State Power Deals (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2622768~Calif__bill_would_block_out_of_state_power_deals.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

PUD 3 Retains Neutrality on Proposed ADAGE Biomass Power Plant (Mason County PUD No. 3

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=725

Award to Fund Wafertech Energy Upgrade – Governor Gregoire awarded Clark Public Utilities more than $400,000 toward a $1.2 million energy efficiency upgrade (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/may/11/wafertech-award-upgrade/

New Candy Tax Not Sweetly Simple (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23515729/detail.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         No Surplus Snow Means No Surplus Power for BPA to Sell

·         Mea Culpa - Pacific Gas & Electric Apologizes for Smart Meter Problems

·         Must Meet Emissions Standards - California Bill Would Block Out-of-State Power Deals

·         Oregon – Columbia River PUD Franchise Fee Payments Total Nearly $531,000

·         Tennessee Valley Authority Asks Public What Future for Electricity Generation Should Look Like

·         USDA Marks 75 Years of Commitment to Rural Electrification

·         Columbia River Spring Chinook Run Size Updated

·         Oregonian Editorial - A River Ready to Run Free

·         Louisiana Officials Close Oyster Areas as Precaution to Spill

·         Plan a First Step toward Cleaning up Columbia

·         Raw Sewage Spills into Bellevue’s Meydenbauer Bay

·         Wall to Fix Howard Hanson Dam Could Cost $450 Million

·         EPA Blows Off the San Joaquin Valley

·         PUD 3 Retains Neutrality on Proposed ADAGE Biomass Power Plant

·         Massachusetts - Higher Rates Blowing In: Cape Wind contracts could generate $6B tab over 15 years

·         Wisconsin - Cost of Going Green with Madison Gas & Electric Company is Going Up

·         Green Energy Not Profitable…Yet

·         Canada - Northern Wind Power Surges in BC Hydro’s Clean Power Call

·         Alabama Power Inks Deal With Tuscaloosa Timber Firm to Create Renewable Energy

·         Finland’s Largest Biomass Power Plant Operational

·         Ohio - Company Will Use Sludge to Make Methane, Power

·         Nevada’s Energy Chief Stuns Environmentalists with Renewable Energy Approach

·         Morning Bell: What’s Worse than Energy Taxes? Renewable Electricity Standards

·         When Clean Energy Grants Run Out, Will a ‘Green Bank’ Take Over?

·         New Wind Turbine Design Goes Vertical

·         Award to Fund Wafertech Energy Upgrade – Governor Gregoire awarded Clark Public Utilities more than $400,000

·         Energy Interests Spend Millions for Their Seat at the Climate Table

·         Scientists Unite Against Climate Skeptics

·         Preparing for the Coming Wave of Electric Cars

·         Report: Cambodian Sand for Singapore Devastating Ecology

·         Is Terraforming Mars Impossible?

·         Wi-Fi to Come in a Much Faster, Short-Range Flavor

·         Yakima County Settles Complaint of Firing for Being Too Old

·         Three Craigslist Killing Suspects Appear in Court

·         Hemlock May Have Caused Tacoma Woman’s Death

·         New Candy Tax Not Sweetly Simple

·         Will Your Favorite Candy be Taxed? Not if It Contains Flour

WORD OF THE DAY

Navel-gazing • \NAY-vul-GAY-zing\ • noun - Useless or excessive self-contemplation

“I wonder if lint collects there,” mused the Bhudda-like hermit to himself as he began yet another day of navel-gazing in his life-long quest into the meaning of life, the universe & everything…including where missing socks in the laundry go…

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

No Surplus Snow Means No Surplus Power for BPA to Sell (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/7267-no-surplus-snow-means-no-surplus-power-bpa-sell/

Mea Culpa - Pacific Gas & Electric Apologizes for Smart Meter Problems “…50,000 meters have malfunctioned & caused inaccurate bills…” (San Francisco Business Times)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/05/10/daily17.html

Must Meet Emissions Standards - California Bill Would Block Out-of-State Power Deals (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2622768~Calif__bill_would_block_out_of_state_power_deals.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Oregon – Columbia River PUD Franchise Fee Payments Total Nearly $531,000 (Columbia River PUD)

http://www.crpud.net/about-us/press-archive/20100507

Tennessee Valley Authority Asks Public What Future for Electricity Generation Should Look Like (The Tennessean, Nashville)

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100510/NEWS01/100510074/-1/nsitemapXML/TVA-asks-public-what-future-for-electricity-generation-should-look-like

USDA Marks 75 Years of Commitment to Rural Electrification - RUS Focuses Future on Renewable Energy & Broadband (US Department of Agriculture)

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os_gAC9-wMJ8QY0MDpxBDA09nXw9DFxcXQ-cAA_2CbEdFAEUOjoE!/?contentidonly=true&contentid=2010%2F05%2F0247.xml

FISH & WILDLIFE

Columbia River Spring Chinook Run Size Updated (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2011831810_columbia_river_spring_chinook_2.html?syndication=rss

Oregonian Editorial - A River Ready to Run Free: One by One, Obstacles to Salmon & Steelhead Are Cleared Away from Oregon’s Rogue River

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/05/a_river_ready_to_run_free.html

Louisiana Officials Close Oyster Areas as Precaution to Spill (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2010-05-10-oil-spill-oysters_N.htm

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Plan a First Step toward Cleaning up Columbia - EPA proposal relies on cooperation from landowners, government (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/may/11/plan-a-first-step-toward-cleaning-up-columbia/

Raw Sewage Spills into Bellevue’s Meydenbauer Bay (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/bellevueblog/2011831669_rawsewagespillsintobellevuesmeydenbauerbay.html?syndication=rss

Wall to Fix Howard Hanson Dam Could Cost $450 Million (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011833128_howardhanson11m.html?syndication=rss

EPA Blows Off the San Joaquin Valley - Clean-Air Advocates Say the Feds Refuse to Enforce Smog Standards (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/05/11/27165.htm

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

PUD 3 Retains Neutrality on Proposed ADAGE Biomass Power Plant (Mason County PUD No. 3

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=725

Massachusetts - Higher Rates Blowing In: Cape Wind contracts could generate $6B tab over 15 years (Boston Herald, MA)

http://bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1253903&srvc=business&position=2

Wisconsin - Cost of Going Green with Madison Gas & Electric Company is Going Up (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI)

http://www.jsonline.com/business/93242989.html

Green Energy Not Profitable…Yet - Consumers have caught on to the trendiness of being green, but there’s still a long way to go before manufacturers & the energy industry catch up (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=64c32258-84f7-42d4-a95a-21f2b22e351a&k=94323

Canada - Northern Wind Power Surges in BC Hydro’s Clean Power Call - Half of the electricity supply additions come from wind energy (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Northern+wind+power+surges+Hydro+Clean+Power+Call/3012595/story.html

Alabama Power Inks Deal With Tuscaloosa Timber Firm to Create Renewable Energy (Birmingham Business Journal)

http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2010/05/03/daily40.html

Finland’s Largest Biomass Power Plant Operational (Istock Analyst)

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4101283

Ohio - Company Will Use Sludge to Make Methane, Power: City of Columbus in 10-year deal with energy producer (Columbus Dispatch, OH)
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/05/04/company-will-use-sludge-to-make-methane-power.html?type=rss&cat=21&sid=101

Nevada’s Energy Chief Stuns Environmentalists with Renewable Energy Approach (Las Vegas Sun, NV)

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/may/11/bellicose-approach-renewable-future/

Morning Bell: What’s Worse than Energy Taxes? Renewable Electricity Standards (Heritage Foundation)

http://blog.heritage.org/2010/05/11/morning-bell-whats-worse-than-energy-taxes-renewable-electricity-standards/

When Clean Energy Grants Run Out, Will a ‘Green Bank’ Take Over? (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/05/10/10climatewire-when-clean-energy-grants-run-out-will-a-gree-85696.html

New Wind Turbine Design Goes Vertical (Denver Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2010/05/10/story11.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Award to Fund Wafertech Energy Upgrade – Governor Gregoire awarded Clark Public Utilities more than $400,000 toward a $1.2 million energy efficiency upgrade (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/may/11/wafertech-award-upgrade/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Energy Interests Spend Millions for Their Seat at the Climate Table (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/05/10/10climatewire-energy-interests-spend-millions-for-their-se-61132.html

Scientists Unite Against Climate Skeptics (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/scientists-unite-against-climate-skeptics/?partner=rss&emc=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Preparing for the Coming Wave of Electric Cars (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/podcast/2010/05/how-will-electric-cars-impact-the-grid?cmpid=rss

Report: Cambodian Sand for Singapore Devastating Ecology (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011832940_apascambodiasandforsingapore.html?syndication=rss

Is Terraforming Mars Impossible? (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/Cool-Astronomy/2010/0510/Is-terraforming-Mars-impossible

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Wi-Fi to Come in a Much Faster, Short-Range Flavor (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-05-10-faster-wi-fi_N.htm

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Yakima County Settles Complaint of Firing for Being Too Old (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/05/10/county-settles-complaint-of-firing-for-being-too-old

GENERAL NEWS

Three Craigslist Killing Suspects Appear in Court (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23506115/detail.html

Hemlock May Have Caused Tacoma Woman’s Death (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12457373

New Candy Tax Not Sweetly Simple (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23515729/detail.html

Will Your Favorite Candy be Taxed? Not if It Contains Flour (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2011832138_post_2.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

Didn’t See This Coming - Psychic under Investigation in Southeast Portland

http://southeastportland.katu.com/content/psychic-under-investigation-southeast-portland

Smoking Is Good for You! Um, Not Really

http://news.discovery.com/human/smoking-is-good-for-you.html

This Exists: Dungeons & Dragons Jones Soda (Note: the comment section may include PG-13 content)

http://consumerist.com/2010/05/this-exists-dungeons-dragons-jones-soda.html

Peruvian Moms Celebrate Their Day by Boxing - 200 People Watch Mothers Fight in Boxing Ring

http://www.kirotv.com/sports/23509665/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Maynard Ferguson - Gonna Fly Now (Happy Belated Peruvian Mothers’ Day)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBnp3b3zGto&feature=fvw