Energy News Digest for July 14, 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

Idaho Falls Mayor: Stable, Long Term Electric Rates Could Soon Be Gone (Local News 8, Idaho Falls, ID)

http://www.localnews8.com/news/24242310/detail.html

Standard and Poor’s Upgrades Mason PUD 3 Bond Rating by Two Classification Levels (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=748

Clark Public Utilities - Local Utilities Agency Earns Top Marks in Study (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jul/14/local-utilities-agency-earns-top-marks-study/

Shellfish at Risk: Puget Sound & Hood Canal Becoming Acidified (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012338264_acidification13m.html

Mason County EDC Comes Out In Support of ADAGE Project (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2701-edc-comes-out-in-support-of-adage-project

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Idaho Falls Mayor: Stable, Long Term Electric Rates Could Soon Be Gone

·         Idaho Falls Power Needs You to Vote for Keeping Its Rates Low

·         BPA Considers Easterly Route for High-Voltage Line

·         Standard and Poor’s Upgrades Mason PUD 3 Bond Rating by Two Classification Levels

·         Clark Public Utilities - Local Utilities Agency Earns Top Marks in Study

·         Overall Satisfaction among Residential Electric Utility Customers Increases

·         Canada - BC Hydro Faces Severe Drought on Peace River

·         Mason PUD 3 Commission Cancels July 20 Meeting, Rescheduled For July 21

·         $3 Billion Gas Pipeline from Wyoming to Oregon Gets Feds' OK

·         Foes Tell (Ask) Nuclear Regulator to Shutter Vermont Plant

·         Utah Firm Nixes Plan to Import Italian Nuke Waste

·         Top Vermont Utility Lawyer Accused of Plagiarism

·         Alcoa Profit Exceeds Expectations

·         $200 Million for Smart Grid Ideas

·         Federal Energy Bill to Debut as Shadow of Itself

·         Illinois - Vandals Use Chain Saws To Down Power Poles

·         Op/Ed - The Seafood Watch Ratings: Taking a Closer Look at Columbia Salmon

·         Wanted: Salmon, Dead and Wanted: Salmon, Dead and Alive

·         Canada - Fraser River Sockeye Certified Sustainable

·         Dead Carp Washing Up At Spokane-Area Lake

·         Shellfish at Risk: Puget Sound & Hood Canal Becoming Acidified

·         Hoquiam City Council Listens To Pitch from Opponents of Plan for Chehalis River Dams

·         Mason County EDC Comes Out In Support of ADAGE Project

·         Group of Residents Voice Support of ADAGE Project

·         Op/Ed - Biomass Plants Aren't in the Business of Clearing Forests

·         Oregon Wind Project Faces Environmental Scrutiny

·         Vestas Plans to Add 1,000 Workers to Colorado Factories by End of 2011

·         Massachusetts - Wind Power Bill Debated: Would make it easier for wind projects to receive permits

·         Spain Said to Save $1.5 Billion on Wind Power Subsidy Cuts

·         Solar-Powered Wells Displacing Windmills on Western Range

·         Global Geothermal Power Capacity to Exceed 18.4 GigaWatts by 2015

·         Two Kitsap School Districts Get Energy Grants

·         US Agencies Try to Restore Faith in Energy Star Appliance Testing

·         Grants to Promote More Earth-Friendly Air Conditioning

·         Compact Fluorescent Lamps Save Energy but Need to be Disposed of Properly

·         Big Chunk of Greenland Glacier Breaks Off

·         Senate Eyes Bush Plan on Carbon Dioxide

·         Boulder to Invest $12M to Cut Carbon Emissions by 15 Percent

·         Selling a Home with Wood Heat? Oregon Wants Your Old Wood Stove Destroyed

·         Editorial - Timing Is Right to Build Car-Charging Stations along I-5

·         Will ‘Solar Trees’ Sprout in Parking Lots

·         Portland Mayor Sam Adams Says City, Too, Will Ban Plastic Grocery Bags

·         Enviro Groups' Memo Outlines Corporate Welfare Attack on Oil Industry

·         A Green Retreat - Why the Environment Is No Longer a Surefire Political Winner

·         Trying to Stop Cattle Burps from Heating up Planet

·         Qwest Sets Meeting on CenturyLink Deal

·         North Carolina - Municipal Broadband Haters In Dealt a Blow

·         Microsoft Grounds its Azure Cloud With an Enterprise Appliance

·         Google Begins Using Its Planned Fiber Network to Flog Internet Service Providers

·         Hello Chelan! Two Northwest Lake Towns among America's Best

·         Montana - Man Convicted Of Stealing Polson House

·         Mayor Proposes Staggering Bar Closing Times to Cut Nightlife Violence

·         It’s Dangerous, Man - California May Drop Its Official State Rock

·         Inventors of Game - Bid for Trophy Becomes a Test of Iroquois Identity

WORD OF THE DAY

Penultimate • \pih-NULL-tih-met\ • adjective - 1: next to the last 2: of or relating to a penult

The drama that is the turning of dirt for the new Mason County PUD No. 3 operations center is nearing its penultimate stage with today’s bid opening. I can see you shiver with antici……pation.

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

Idaho Falls Mayor: Stable, Long Term Electric Rates Could Soon Be Gone (Local News 8, Idaho Falls, ID)

http://www.localnews8.com/news/24242310/detail.html

Idaho Falls Power Needs You to Vote for Keeping Its Rates Low (KIDK-TV, Idaho Falls, ID)

http://www.kidk.com/news/local/98391154.html

BPA Considers Easterly Route for High-Voltage Line (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jul/13/bpa-considers-easterly-route-for-high-voltage-line/

Standard and Poor’s Upgrades Mason PUD 3 Bond Rating by Two Classification Levels (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=748

Clark Public Utilities - Local Utilities Agency Earns Top Marks in Study (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jul/14/local-utilities-agency-earns-top-marks-study/

Overall Satisfaction among Residential Electric Utility Customers Increases - Clark Public Utilities, Tacoma Power, SMUD score big (Marketwatch)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/jd-power-and-associates-reports-overall-satisfaction-among-residential-electric-utility-customers-increases-due-to-perceptions-of-fewer-outages-and-lower-bill-amounts-2010-07-14?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Canada - BC Hydro Faces Severe Drought on Peace River: Dry June blamed for $220-million purchase of imported power (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.vancouversun.com/Hydro+faces+severe+drought+Peace+River/3274186/story.html

Mason PUD 3 Commission Cancels July 20 Meeting, Rescheduled For July 21 (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=747

$3 Billion Gas Pipeline from Wyoming to Oregon Gets Feds' OK (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2012348016_apwygaspipeline.html

Foes Tell (Ask) Nuclear Regulator to Shutter Vermont Plant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2012354089_apusvermontyankeenrc.html

Utah Firm Nixes Plan to Import Italian Nuke Waste (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2012353665_apusforeignnuclearwaste.html

Top Vermont Utility Lawyer Accused of Plagiarism (Associated Press)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2010/07/13/top_vt_utility_lawyer_accused_of_plagiarism/

Alcoa Profit Exceeds Expectations - Alcoa has cut its work force by 37,000 since late 2008, using a combination of layoffs and divestitures to combat the recession (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10194/1072321-28.stm

$200 Million for Smart Grid Ideas (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/200-million-for-smart-grid-ideas/

Federal Energy Bill to Debut as Shadow of Itself (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-07-13-energy-bill_N.htm

Illinois - Vandals Use Chain Saws To Down Power Poles (The Southern, Carbondale, IL)

http://thesouthern.com/news/local/article_94c97ce8-8ddc-11df-8463-001cc4c03286.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Op/Ed - The Seafood Watch Ratings: Taking a Closer Look at Columbia Salmon (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/07/the_seafood_watch_ratings_taki.html

Wanted: Salmon, Dead and Wanted: Salmon, Dead and Alive (Idaho State Journal, Pocatello, ID)

http://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/online/article_a45d24f6-8eb9-11df-a3f7-001cc4c03286.html

Canada - Fraser River Sockeye Certified Sustainable: Decision follows objections from local environmental groups (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/fraser-river-sockeye-certified-sustainable/article1637363/

Dead Carp Washing Up At Spokane-Area Lake (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012341675_deadcarp13.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Shellfish at Risk: Puget Sound & Hood Canal Becoming Acidified (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012338264_acidification13m.html

Hoquiam City Council Listens To Pitch from Opponents of Plan for Chehalis River Dams (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/07/13/local_news/doc4c3ca8eba7b52890117830.txt

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Mason County EDC Comes Out In Support of ADAGE Project (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2701-edc-comes-out-in-support-of-adage-project

Group of Residents Voice Support of ADAGE Project (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2700-group-of-residents-voice-support-of-adage-project

Op/Ed - Biomass Plants Aren't in the Business of Clearing Forests (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/13/AR2010071306246.html

Oregon Wind Project Faces Environmental Scrutiny (Daily Journal of Commerce, OR)

http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/07/13/oregon-wind-project-faces-environmental-scrutiny/

Vestas Plans to Add 1,000 Workers to Colorado Factories by End of 2011 (Denver Post, CO)
http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_15509008

Massachusetts - Wind Power Bill Debated: Would make it easier for wind projects to receive permits and overcome local opposition (Springfield Republican, MA)

http://www.masslive.com/springfield/republican/index.ssf?/base/news-29/1279092072218080.xml&coll=1

Spain Said to Save $1.5 Billion on Wind Power Subsidy Cuts (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-09/spain-said-to-save-1-5-billion-on-wind-power-cuts.html

Solar-Powered Wells Displacing Windmills on Western Range (Associated Press)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gj4MWwW6R15_E-sQqIvMCNllEb4gD9GUMFGG1

Global Geothermal Power Capacity to Exceed 18.4 GigaWatts by 2015 (Just Don’t Break the Planet – REVE)

http://www.evwind.es/noticias.php?id_not=6475

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Two Kitsap School Districts Get Energy Grants (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jul/12/two-kitsap-school-districts-get-energy-grants/

US Agencies Try to Restore Faith in Energy Star Appliance Testing (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/08/AR2010070806804.html

Grants to Promote More Earth-Friendly Air Conditioning (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/07/13/1261881/grants-to-prmote-more-earth-friendly.html

Compact Fluorescent Lamps Save Energy but Need to be Disposed of Properly (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_15499538

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Big Chunk of Greenland Glacier Breaks Off (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/07/big-chunk-of-greeland-glacier-breaks-off/

Senate Eyes Bush Plan on Carbon Dioxide (NY Times)

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/senate-eyes-bush-plan-on-co2/

Boulder to Invest $12M to Cut Carbon Emissions by 15 Percent (Daily Camera, Boulder, CO)

http://www.dailycamera.com/boulder-county-news/ci_15500016

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Selling a Home with Wood Heat? Oregon Wants Your Old Wood Stove Destroyed (Examiner.com)

http://www.examiner.com/x-39974-Eugene-Headlines-Examiner~y2010m7d13-Selling-a-home-with-wood-heat-Oregon-DEQ-wants-your-old-wood-stove-destroyed-after-August1-2010

Editorial - Timing Is Right to Build Car-Charging Stations along I-5 (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/opinion/article_08d3d382-8edb-11df-994c-001cc4c002e0.html

Will ‘Solar Trees’ Sprout in Parking Lots? (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/will-solar-trees-sprout-in-parking-lots/

Portland Mayor Sam Adams Says City, Too, Will Ban Plastic Grocery Bags (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/07/portland_mayor_sam_adams_says.html

Enviro Groups' Memo Outlines Corporate Welfare Attack on Oil Industry (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/12/12greenwire-enviro-groups-memo-outlines-corporate-welfare-41134.html

A Green Retreat - Why the Environment Is No Longer a Surefire Political Winner (Newsweek)

http://www.newsweek-interactive.com/2010/07/12/a-green-retreat.html

Trying to Stop Cattle Burps from Heating up Planet (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/science/earth/14australia.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Qwest Sets Meeting on CenturyLink Deal (Business First of Columbus)

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/07/12/daily11.html

North Carolina - Municipal Broadband Haters In Dealt a Blow (Ars Technica)

http://arstechnica.com/telecom/news/2010/07/north-carolina-kills-moratorium-on-muni-broadband.ars

Microsoft Grounds its Azure Cloud With an Enterprise Appliance (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/07/12/microsoft-azure-appliance/

Google Begins Using Its Planned Fiber Network to Flog Internet Service Providers (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/07/13/google-begins-using-its-fiber-to-flog-isps/

GENERAL NEWS

Hello Chelan! Two Northwest Lake Towns among America's Best, Says Travel Magazine (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/2-Northwest-lake-towns-among-Americas-best-says-travel-magazine-98274509.html

Montana - Man Convicted Of Stealing Polson House (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2724872~Man_convicted_of_stealing_Polson_house.html

Mayor Proposes Staggering Bar Closing Times to Cut Nightlife Violence (KIRO-TV, Seattle – I LOVE this headline…wonder if it was intentional)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/24252886/detail.html

It’s Dangerous, Man - California May Drop Its Official State Rock (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/us/14rock.html

Inventors of Game - Bid for Trophy Becomes a Test of Iroquois Identity (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/us/13lacrosse.html

DIVERSIONS

Dog Left in Hot Car Honks for Help

http://www.kirotv.com/news/24208310/detail.html

Woman Jailed For Making Threats ... To Herself

http://www.ocregister.com/news/sister-257108-law-manunga.html

Choking on Pork Rinds Lead to Blaine Crash

http://www.kirotv.com/news/24243598/detail.html

Idaho Cops Catch Up With Alleged Condiment Vandal

http://www.examiner.com/a-2724930~Idaho_cops_catch_up_with_alleged_condiment_vandal.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines

SONG OF THE DAY

Kenny Loggins - This Is It

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7-e6Yhu5SU

Energy News Digest for July 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

Satsop Power Plant Meetings Scheduled (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/07/11/1300920/montesano-satsop-power-plant-meetings.html

Upriver Steelhead Return Posts a Record; Unusually High Number of Unclipped Fish (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/391924.aspx

California Utilities Struggle to Meet Renewable-Power Requirement (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/10/business/la-fi-clean-power-20100710

New Mexico Electricity Co-Op Files Lawsuit Against Members (El Defensor Chieftan, Socorro, NM)

http://www.dchieftain.com/dc/index.php/news/1688-co-op-files-lawsuit-against-members.html

FCC Proposes Slower Rural Broadband Speeds (Dodge City Daily Globe, KS)

http://www.dodgeglobe.com/newsnow/x1609358962/FCC-proposes-slower-rural-broadband-speeds

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Satsop Power Plant Meetings Scheduled

·         Enviros Challenge Permit for Centralia Coal Plant

·         Montana - NorthWestern Energy Wants to Build Own Gas-Fired Plant

·         Dash for Gas Raises Environmental Worries

·         Contracts for John's Prairie Operations Center Top PUD 3 Meeting

·         New Mexico Electricity Co-Op Files Lawsuit Against Members

·         FERC - Loss of Load is not Necessarily a Violation of Reliability Standards, Spitzer Says

·         Crescent Island Leaseholders Take Case to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

·         Future in the Dark for Lacey Home with No Utilities

·         Upriver Steelhead Return Posts a Record; Unusually High Number of Unclipped Fish

·         Big Salmon, Steelhead Runs Amaze Biologists

·         California - Salmon’s Sad State: Short Season Highlights Fishery’s Woes

·         Army Corps of Engineers Buys Land for Tribal Fishing Site

·         Transgenic Salmon May be on Tables Soon

·         Olympia: Woodard Bay Bat Population Declines

·         Seattle’s Price Tag for Clean Water: $500 Million

·         California Utilities Struggle to Meet Renewable-Power Requirement

·         Devil’s in the Details - Implementing Missouri Renewable Energy Law Proves Tough

·         New Incentive for Turning Oregon Wood Waste into Energy

·         Oregon - Biomass Questions Shed More Heat

·         New Massachusetts Rules May Cloud the Outlook for Biomass

·         Spokane Windmill Manufacturer Builds Small-Town Niche

·         Wind Power on a Smaller Scale Carries Potential

·         Who Pays? Wind Energy Transmission Raises Equity Questions

·         Idaho Power Signs 20-Year Solar Energy Deal

·         City of Wenatchee Gets Stimulus Funds for Energy Improvements

·         Why Is the Department of Energy So Energy Inefficient?

·         California Lobbyists Heat Up over Climate Law

·         Portland’s Mudshark Studios Helps Make Genesis Biopod for Green Burial at Sea

·         FCC Proposes Slower Rural Broadband Speeds

·         Utilities, Telcos Look for Common Ground – Mason PUD 3 mentioned

·         Western Massachusetts Gets Broadband

·         Washington State Agencies Taking Monday Furlough

·         New State Data Center: Office Space for Rent - (Not) Cheap

·         Claims about State Senator Roach in Voters Pamphlet Must be Reworded

·         Families Worry as Big Chelan County Wildfire Threatens Homes

·         Weyerhaeuser to Pay $5.6 Billion to Shareholders

·         Bahamas Police Catch ‘Barefoot Bandit’

·         Over Muslim Cartoon - Seattle Cartoonist Targeted for Execution

·         State Prisons Director to Retire

WORD OF THE DAY

Hysteroid • \HISS-tuh-royd\ • adjective - Resembling or tending toward hysteria

“The sky is falling… the sky is fa…….” Unfortunate last words from the hysteriod air pollution protester who was killed instantly by a single exposure to the largest airborne particulate ever: a 500 pound meteorite.

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

Satsop Power Plant Meetings Scheduled (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/07/11/1300920/montesano-satsop-power-plant-meetings.html

Enviros Challenge Permit for Centralia Coal Plant (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/07/09/1299999/enviros-challenge-permit-for-centralia.html

Montana - NorthWestern Energy Wants to Build Own Gas-Fired Plant (Missoulian, MT)

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_f33b8512-8c99-11df-b983-001cc4c03286.html

Dash for Gas Raises Environmental Worries

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/12/business/energy-environment/12iht-green.html

Contracts for John's Prairie Operations Center Top PUD 3 Meeting (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2677-contracts-for-johns-prairie-operations-center-top-pud-3-meeting

New Mexico Electricity Co-Op Files Lawsuit Against Members (El Defensor Chieftan, Socorro, NM)

http://www.dchieftain.com/dc/index.php/news/1688-co-op-files-lawsuit-against-members.html

FERC - Loss of Load is not Necessarily a Violation of Reliability Standards, Spitzer Says (American Public Power Association)

http://www.naylornetwork.com/app-ppd/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=121174&issueID=22621

Crescent Island Leaseholders Take Case to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012321469_crescent10.html

Future in the Dark for Lacey Home with No Utilities - Couple, city at loggerheads over codes (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/07/11/1259776/future-in-dark-for-lacey-home.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Upriver Steelhead Return Posts a Record; Unusually High Number of Unclipped Fish (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/391924.aspx

Big Salmon, Steelhead Runs Amaze Biologists (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/07/11/1259910/big-salmon-steelhead-runs-amaze.html

California - Salmon’s Sad State: Short Season Highlights Fishery’s Woes (Santa Rosa Press Democrat, CA)

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100710/ARTICLES/100719982/1349?Title=Salmon-s-sad-state-Short-season-highlights-fishery-s-woes&tc=ar

Army Corps of Engineers Buys Land for Tribal Fishing Site (Dalles Chronicle, OR)

http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2010/07/news07-08-10-01.shtml

Transgenic Salmon May be on Tables Soon - Growth hormone used from Pacific Chinook (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/07/12/1260663/transgenic-salmon-may-be-on-tables.html

Olympia: Woodard Bay Bat Population Declines - Capitol Lake drawdown, saltwater flush may have hurt (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/07/11/1300913/woodard-bay-bat-population-declines.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Seattle’s Price Tag for Clean Water: $500 Million - Fixes must be made which will require rate hikes (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/423168_storm12.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

California Utilities Struggle to Meet Renewable-Power Requirement (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/10/business/la-fi-clean-power-20100710

Devil’s in the Details - Implementing Missouri Renewable Energy Law Proves Tough (Associated Press)

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/07/11/2076167/implementing-missouri-energy-law.html

New Incentive for Turning Oregon Wood Waste into Energy “…It’ll help our air quality too, because it’ll help take an old boiler system offline at the sawmill & put in the new biomass, which has all the up-to-date scrubbers…” (Public News Service)

http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/14894-1

Oregon - Biomass Questions Shed More Heat: Critics of plants like one being built in Eugene are making headway with government regulators (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/24992777-41/biomass-plant-carbon-seneca-wood.csp

New Massachusetts Rules May Cloud the Outlook for Biomass (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/10/business/energy-environment/10biomass.html

Spokane Windmill Manufacturer Builds Small-Town Niche (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/jul/11/running-like-the-wind/

Wind Power on a Smaller Scale Carries Potential (Kansas City Star, MO)

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/07/12/2077491/wind-power-on-a-smaller-scale.html

Who Pays? Wind Energy Transmission Raises Equity Questions (Chicago Tribune, IL)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-in-windenergy-transm,0,7526562.story

Idaho Power Signs 20-Year Solar Energy Deal (Associated Press)

http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?S=12785728

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

City of Wenatchee Gets Stimulus Funds for Energy Improvements (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jul/10/city-gets-stimulus-funds-for-energy-improvements/

Why Is the Department of Energy So Energy Inefficient? (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/Green-Economics/2010/0709/Why-is-the-Department-of-Energy-so-energy-inefficient

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California Lobbyists Heat Up over Climate Law (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/12/2883633/lobbyists-heat-up-over-climate.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Portland’s Mudshark Studios Helps Make Genesis Biopod for Green Burial at Sea (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/07/portlands_mudshark_studios_hel.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Proposes Slower Rural Broadband Speeds (Dodge City Daily Globe, KS)

http://www.dodgeglobe.com/newsnow/x1609358962/FCC-proposes-slower-rural-broadband-speeds

Utilities, Telcos Look for Common Ground – Mason PUD 3 mentioned (Fierce Telecom)

http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/utilities-telcos-look-common-ground/2010-07-09

Western Massachusetts Gets Broadband (WGGB-TV, Springfield, MA)

http://www.wggb.com/Global/story.asp?S=12776747

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Agencies Taking Monday Furlough (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012336725_apwastateemployeefurloughs.html

New State Data Center: Office Space for Rent - (Not) Cheap - Rental rate will drive up cost for other agencies (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/07/12/1301744/office-space-for-rent-not-cheap.html

Claims about State Senator Roach in Voters Pamphlet Must be Reworded (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/07/10/1258897/claims-about-roach-must-be-reworded.html

GENERAL NEWS

Families Worry as Big Chelan County Wildfire Threatens Homes (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/98204569.html

Weyerhaeuser to Pay $5.6 Billion to Shareholders

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012335860_apusweyerhaeuserdividend.html

Bahamas Police Catch ‘Barefoot Bandit’ (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/24214563/detail.html

Over Muslim Cartoon - Seattle Cartoonist Targeted for Execution (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=341622

State Prisons Director to Retire - Dick Morgan, a Walla Walla native, is responsible for all of the state’s prisons (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, WA)

http://union-bulletin.com/stories/2010/07/09/state-prisons-director-to-retire

DIVERSIONS

Last PT Cruiser Rolls off the Assembly Line (NY Times)

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/last-pt-cruiser-rolls-off-the-assembly-line/

‘Ecological’ Plan Sees Dead Put in Dunny (Toilet) - Undertakers could dissolve corpses in chemicals then flush the remains into the sewage system

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/the-other-side/dead-put-in-dunny/story-e6frfhk6-1225889434108

Vermont Scrap-Wood Dinosaur Posing Modern-Day Problem (No, it’s not an aging biomass power plant!)

http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/07/11/2002636/vt-scrap-wood-dinosaur-posing.html

Ukuleles Ease Stay in Children’s Hospital

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100708/NEWS01/7090331/Ukeleles-ease-stay-in-children-s-hospital

SONG OF THE DAY

Smokey Robinson - Cruisin’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlzY6cWpoMQ