Energy News Digest for May 9, 2011

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

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Salmon Wars Return to Portland Courtroom: Can At-Risk Fish & Hydroelectric Dams Coexist? (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/05/salmon_wars_return_to_portland.html

Green talk vs. green action – Radar Ridge in the Crosshairs: NIMBY’S, BANANA’S, NOPE’S & CAVE people, oh my (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_93e2ce12-783f-11e0-bdbf-001cc4c03286.html

Senators Urge Reopening of Aluminum Plant, Question Tax Reduction Request (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT – Give us cheap power…but what’s the deal with this tax break?)

http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/senators_urge_reopening_of_aluminum_plant_question_tax_reduction_request/22915/

Klamath River - California Commission Approves Removal of Four Southern Oregon Dams (Oregon Public Radio)

http://news.opb.org/article/california-commission-approves-removal-four-southern-oregon-dams/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Klamath River - California Commission Approves Removal of Four Southern Oregon Dams

·         US Senators Question Columbia Falls Aluminum Company’s Tax Relief

·         Senators Urge Reopening of Aluminum Plant, Question Tax Reduction Request

·         Cowlitz PUD Studying Taking over Power Lines along Spirit Lake Memorial Highway

·         Op/Ed - In Government, Less is More: Suppose Local Governments Ran Like Snohomish PUD

·         California – Pacific Gas & Electric Gets State OK to Charge Customers More

·         US Bill Favors Manitoba Hydro's Power - Electricity from Wuskwatim generating station would be a 'renewable resource'

·         Power Plant Cooling Rules Aim to Reduce Fish Kills

·         Canada - The Debate: Wind vs. Nuclear

·         Illinois - Local Students Using Utility Company Website to Learn About Energy

·         Salmon Wars Return to Portland Courtroom: Can At-Risk Fish & Hydroelectric Dams Coexist?

·         Timeline, Major Players in the Northwest Salmon Lawsuit in the Columbia River Basin

·         Habitat Restoration Soars on Columbia River, But Fish Benefits Are Murky

·         Op/Ed - Give Salmon Plan a Chance to Work

·         Washington State Anglers Reaping Benefits from Fin-Clipped Trout, Salmon

·         Portland's Unique Spring Salmon Run Blooms With the Dogwoods

·         Sea Lion Yanks Willamette River Fisherman Overboard on Tug-Of-War over Salmon

·         News Whiz - A Pivotal Hearing for the Columbia & Snake Rivers

·         Agents Go Undercover to Bust Washington Shellfish Poachers

·         Canada - Banner Sockeye Run Expected: Mid-May Start to Angling Season Widely Anticipated

·         Vancouver Island - Three Weeks after Crash, Goldstream River Remains Blighted by Fuel Spill

·         Elwha Dam's Days Numbered; Powerhouse First to be Shut Down

·         Editorial - Caldwell: Water Disputes Need Local Solutions

·         Green talk vs. green action – Radar Ridge in the Crosshairs

·         Visitors Drawn to Wild Horse to See Farm-Fresh Wind Power

·         California - Permit Process Clouds Solar Energy Projects

·         Massachusetts Firm Proposes Hydro Plants at Locks & Dams along the Upper Mississippi River

·         Wisconsin - Walker, GOP Reversing Green Initiatives

·         Solar Panels Can Melt Away Utility Bills

·         United Kingdom - Offshore Wind Farm Plans 'Are a Costly Mistake'

·         Renewables to Raise UK Energy Bills – Report

·         Denmark Tops List of Clean Technology Producers; China is No. 2; US at 17 is Rapidly Expanding

·         Five Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Refrigerator

·         Green Jobs Have Been Slow to Grow

·         PNW Developers Vie to Construct “World’s Greenest” Buildings

·         Editorial - South Sound Faces a Reckoning over Wood-Burning

·         Julia Roberts Joins Campaign for Cleaner Stoves

·         Tesla Posts a $48.9-Million Loss despite Jump in Revenue

·         Could “Cloud” Become a Dirty Word for Consumers?

·         Is Email Going the Way of the Floppy Disk?

·         Washington State Workers Lose Furlough Battle

·         Body Found in Lake Limerick Identified

·         Mason County Supports New Corrections Facility

·         Thurston County Residents Voice Concerns about Proposed Corrections Facility

·         La Nina Phenomenon to End Soon

·         Navy's Floating Acoustics Lab Doing Work in Hood Canal

WORD OF THE DAY

Ken • \KENN\ • Noun - 1a: the range of vision b: sight, view 2: the range of perception, understanding, or knowledge

Oh Rolf, you quisling: “…Totally unprepared are you; To face a world of men; Timid and shy and scared are you; Of things beyond your ken…”

(Sound of Music, Sixteen going on Seventeen)

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

Klamath River - California Commission Approves Removal of Four Southern Oregon Dams (Oregon Public Radio)

http://news.opb.org/article/california-commission-approves-removal-four-southern-oregon-dams/

US Senators Question Columbia Falls Aluminum Company’s Tax Relief - Request that Flathead County waive 95 percent of the 2010 property tax bill (The Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT – Sure, give us subsidized electricity, but local tax breaks…no way!)

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_1c2afee0-7906-11e0-8425-001cc4c002e0.html

Senators Urge Reopening of Aluminum Plant, Question Tax Reduction Request (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT – Give us cheap power…but what’s the deal with this tax break?)

http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/senators_urge_reopening_of_aluminum_plant_question_tax_reduction_request/22915/

Cowlitz PUD Studying Taking over Power Lines along Spirit Lake Memorial Highway (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/f8d8785c-7381-11e0-b134-001cc4c03286.html

Op/Ed - In Government, Less is More: Suppose Local Governments Ran Like Snohomish PUD (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110508/OPINION03/705089952

California – Pacific Gas & Electric Gets State OK to Charge Customers More (SF Chronicle, CA)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/06/BUSV1JCGH6.DTL

US Bill Favors Manitoba Hydro's Power - Electricity from Wuskwatim generating station would be a 'renewable resource' under a Wisconsin bill, making it eligible to export power to the state (Winnipeg Free Press, Manitoba)

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/us-bill-favours-hydros-power-121432899.html

Power Plant Cooling Rules Aim to Reduce Fish Kills (Midwest Energy News)

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2011/05/03/power-plant-cooling-rules-aim-to-reduce-fish-kills/

Canada - The Debate: Wind vs. Nuclear: Replacing the province’s nuclear generators with wind turbines would drive up power bills and eat up vast swaths of countryside (Toronto Star, Ontario)

http://www.thestar.com/business/companies/article/986390--the-debate-wind-vs-nuclear

Illinois - Local Students Using Utility Company Website to Learn About Energy (Quincy Herald-Whig, IL)

http://www.whig.com/story/news/Ameren-Class-050111

FISH & WILDLIFE

Salmon Wars Return to Portland Courtroom: Can At-Risk Fish & Hydroelectric Dams Coexist? (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/05/salmon_wars_return_to_portland.html

Timeline, Major Players in the Northwest Salmon Lawsuit in the Columbia River Basin (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/05/timeline_major_players_in_the.html

Habitat Restoration Soars on Columbia River, But Fish Benefits Are Murky (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/05/will_habitat_improvementsbe_en.html

Op/Ed - Give Salmon Plan a Chance to Work (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/05/01/1472684/give-salmon-plan-a-chance-to-work.html

Washington State Anglers Reaping Benefits from Fin-Clipped Trout, Salmon (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/may/08/feeling-distinguished/

Portland's Unique Spring Salmon Run Blooms With the Dogwoods “…Spring Chinook have begun moving upriver, too, with Willamette Falls counts jumping into the hundreds. About 1,500 have headed south so far. At Bonneville Dam, daily counts also jumped, into the thousands…”  (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/bill_monroe/index.ssf/2011/04/portlands_unique_spring_salmon.html

Sea Lion Yanks Willamette River Fisherman Overboard on Tug-Of-War over Salmon (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/05/sea_lion_yanks_a_willamette_ri.html

News Whiz - A Pivotal Hearing for the Columbia & Snake Rivers (American Rivers)

http://www.americanrivers.org/newsroom/blog/mgarrity-20110509-a-pivotal-hearing-for-the-columbia-and-snake-rivers.html

Agents Go Undercover to Bust Washington Shellfish Poachers (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Agents-go-undercover-to-bust-Washington-shellfish-poachers-121424654.html

Canada - Banner Sockeye Run Expected: Mid-May Start to Angling Season Widely Anticipated (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/Banner+sockeye+expected/4738264/story.html

Vancouver Island - Three Weeks after Crash, Goldstream River Remains Blighted by Fuel Spill (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/thewest/Three+weeks+after+crash+Goldstream+River+remains+blighted+fuel+spill/4743013/story.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Elwha Dam's Days Numbered; Powerhouse First to be Shut Down (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110509/NEWS/305099994/elwha-dams-days-numbered-powerhouse-first-to-be-shut-down

Editorial - Caldwell: Water Disputes Need Local Solutions (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/may/08/water-disputes-need-local-solutions/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Green talk vs. green action – Radar Ridge in the Crosshairs: NIMBY’S, BANANA’S, NOPE’S & CAVE people, oh my (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_93e2ce12-783f-11e0-bdbf-001cc4c03286.html

Visitors Drawn to Wild Horse to See Farm-Fresh Wind Power (Renewables Biz)

http://www.renewablesbiz.com/article/11/05/visitors-drawn-wild-horse-see-farm-fresh-wind-power

California - Permit Process Clouds Solar Energy Projects (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/01/3590755/permit-process-clouds-solar-energy.html

Massachusetts Firm Proposes Hydro Plants at Locks & Dams along the Upper Mississippi River (Renewables Biz)

http://www.renewablesbiz.com/article/11/05/firm-proposes-hydro-plants-locks-and-dams

Wisconsin - Walker, GOP Reversing Green Initiatives: Recycling, Wind Power, Energy Efforts Weakened (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI)

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/121449869.html

Solar Panels Can Melt Away Utility Bills (North Jersey Media Group, NJ)

http://www.northjersey.com/community/house_gardening/121430308_Solar_panels_can_melt_away_utility_bills.html

United Kingdom - Offshore Wind Farm Plans 'Are a Costly Mistake' - Climate experts demand rethink on turbines and more nuclear power (The Daily Mail, UK)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1384898/Climate-experts-demand-rethink-turbines-nuclear-power.html

Renewables to Raise UK Energy Bills – Report (Reuters)

http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE7451BO20110508

Denmark Tops List of Clean Technology Producers; China is No. 2; US at 17 is Rapidly Expanding (Canadian Press)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g86wJ1CpeAChilK5rPoVJH9lV-sw?docId=6789257

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Five Things You Need to Know Before Buying a Refrigerator (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/general/2011-05-05-reviewed-dot-com-refrigerators_n.htm

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Green Jobs Have Been Slow to Grow - Workers are training for positions in the green economy, only to discover many of those jobs don't yet exist (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110508/biz/705089924/-1/rss03

PNW Developers Vie to Construct “World’s Greenest” Buildings (Northwest Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=8737

Editorial - South Sound Faces a Reckoning over Wood-Burning (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/opinion/2011/05/07/south-sound-faces-a-reckoning-over-wood-burning/

Julia Roberts Joins Campaign for Cleaner Stoves (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2014981474_apusjuliarobertsstoves.html

Tesla Posts a $48.9-Million Loss despite Jump in Revenue (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_18002124

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Could “Cloud” Become a Dirty Word for Consumers? (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2011/04/29/could-cloud-become-a-dirty-word-for-consumers/

Is Email Going the Way of the Floppy Disk? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/2011/05/06/is-email-going-the-way-of-the-floppy-disk/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Workers Lose Furlough Battle - Unpaid days off OK because contract had comma in right place (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/05/07/1643331/workers-lose-furlough-battle.html

GENERAL NEWS

Body Found in Lake Limerick Identified (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/6154-body-found-in-lake-limerick-identified

Mason County Supports New Corrections Facility (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/6104-mason-county-supports-new-prison-

Thurston County Residents Voice Concerns about Proposed Corrections Facility (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/121331069.html

La Nina Phenomenon to End Soon (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=475977

Navy's Floating Acoustics Lab Doing Work in Hood Canal (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/may/06/navys-floating-acoustics-lab-doing-work-in-hood/

DIVERSIONS

Osprey Pair Makes Unwanted Home on NOAA Ship

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Osprey-Pair-Joins-NOAAs-Ark-121410689.html

The Mark of Kane - Orson Welles' Masterpiece, 70 Years On

http://www.slate.com/id/2293387/

16-Year-Old Mason County Girl Graduating From WSU

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/121392689.html

Groom Jilted at the Altar Sues Fiancée for Emotional Distress

http://www.timescolonist.com/life/Groom+jilted+altar+sues+fiancee+emotional+distress/4740242/story.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Bernard Herrmann - Citizen Kane Overture

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1Ob74I6bRc

Energy News Digest for May 6, 2011

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

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Northwest Wind Power to Double, but Inconsistency Creates Grid Nightmare (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/05/northwest_wind_power_to_double.html

Montana’s US Senators Press for Columbia Falls Aluminum to Reopen (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT – Still waitin’ on those thank you notes…)

http://www.kaj18.com/news/senators-press-for-columbia-falls-aluminum-to-reopen/

It’s Not All Doom & Gloom for Salmon & Steelhead; They’ve Thrived for Years (Bellingham Herald, WA)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/04/30/1994585/its-not-all-doom-and-gloom-for.html

Oregon - Seneca Sawmill Celebrates Eugene Biomass Plant Opening, Three Protestors Arrested (KVAL-TV, Eugene, OR)

http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story/Seneca-Sawmill-celebrates-Eugene-biomass-plant/XFTJb0nvo0uEmckrB5XNpg.cspx

Bonneville Power Administration Seeks Efficiency Gains at Columbia Generating Station (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/may/05/bpa-seeks-efficiency-gains/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Bonneville Power Administration Seeks Efficiency Gains at Columbia Generating Station

·         Hanford Nuclear Plant Midway Through Refueling

·         Montana’s US Senators Press for Columbia Falls Aluminum to Reopen

·         Natural Gas Most Likely to Replace Coal at Centralia’s Big Power Plant

·         Mason County PUD 3’s New Headquarters Project on Track for End of Year Opening

·         Chelan PUD Agrees to Break Cost Caps

·         Bonneville Power Administration Rolls Back Renewable Energy Incentives

·         Editorial - Mountain States’ Regional Transmission Plans Need Formal Public Review

·         Portland General Electric Posts Strong First Quarter, Increases Forecast

·         Pacific Gas & Electric to Replace 1,600 Defective SmartMeters that Inflated Customers' Electric Bills

·         Montana - Mission Valley Power Informs Customers of Rate Hike at Appreciation Dinner

·         Linemen Use Helicopter Training to Stay Safe

·         Renegade Trampoline Knocks Out Power to 11,000

·         May 10 – Harstine Point: Underground Power Line Replacement Project Set to Begin

·         Federal Hydropower Investments in the West

·         Utilities Finding New Ways to Use Social Media

·         It’s Not All Doom & Gloom for Salmon & Steelhead; They’ve Thrived for Years

·         Columbia River’s Chinook Salmon Run Making Up for Late Start

·         Editorial - Judge Should OK Columbia River Salmon Proposal

·         Congress Unlikely to Step In on Columbia River Salmon

·         PBS Documentary Looks At the State of Pacific Northwest Salmon Runs

·         Canadian Salmon Inquiry Too Secretive, Participant Complains

·         Fluoride Foes File Suit Against Port Angeles, Forks

·         2007 Flood Skewed Chehalis Data, Studies Show

·         Northwest Wind Power to Double, but Inconsistency Creates Grid Nightmare

·         Massachusetts Congressman Weighs In On Pacific Northwest Water vs. Wind Question

·         Renewable Energy Group Focusing on Five SE Washington State Counties

·         Vestas Profits Down, Revenue Up

·         Oregon - Seneca Sawmill Celebrates Eugene Biomass Plant Opening, Three Protestors Arrested

·         Massachusetts Drops Backing for Wood Power

·         Norway's Renewable Energy Corporation Sees Q2 Impact from Italian Order Delays

·         Utilities Look to Renewables as Natural Gas Dwindles

·         United Kingdom - Hydro-Power Plan for Berkshire & Oxfordshire Thames

·         North Carolina - Davidson County Turns Trash into Electricity

·         Clark Public Utilities’ Energy Adviser: EnergyStar Labels Help Consumers

·         Sacramento Municipal Utility District Program Helps With Home Energy Audits

·         Political Doubt Hinders Carbon Sequestration Projects

·         United Kingdom - Carbon Accounting System is Mad as a Hatter

·         Jet Fuel from Timber Scraps?

·         Scotland Toasts New Whisky-Powered Bioenergy Plant

·         Ham Radio Volunteers Worry about Spectrum Plan

·         Internet Consumes More Energy than Auto Industry

·         Editorial - In the Tech Industry, Power Management Is a Key to Going Green

·         Lucrative Contract for Former State Manager Leads to Investigation inside Oregon Agency

·         New Mason County Racetrack Moves Forward

·         Third Hearing on Prison Sites Tonight in Shelton

WORD OF THE DAY

Animus • \ANN-uh-muss\ • Noun - 1: basic attitude or governing spirit: disposition, intention 2: a usually prejudiced and often spiteful or malevolent ill will 3: an inner masculine part of the female personality in the analytic psychology of C. G. Jung

My animus for thick, spongy restaurant pancakes has no bounds. The pancake, cooked thin and almost crepe-like, should be able to stand on its own (so to speak), with just the right amount of butter and syrup. It should not be a vehicle for carrying such flavor enhancements into your alimentary tract.

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

Bonneville Power Administration Seeks Efficiency Gains at Columbia Generating Station (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/may/05/bpa-seeks-efficiency-gains/

Hanford Nuclear Plant Midway Through Refueling (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Hanford-nuclear-plant-midway-through-refueling-1363603.php

Montana’s US Senators Press for Columbia Falls Aluminum to Reopen (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT – Still waitin’ on those thank you notes…)

http://www.kaj18.com/news/senators-press-for-columbia-falls-aluminum-to-reopen/

Natural Gas Most Likely to Replace Coal at Centralia’s Big Power Plant (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/natural-gas-most-likely-replace-coal-big-power-plant/

Mason County PUD 3’s New Headquarters Project on Track for End of Year Opening (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/may/02/pud-3s-new-headquarters-project-track-end-year-ope/

Chelan PUD Agrees to Break Cost Caps (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/may/03/pud-agrees-to-break-cost-caps/

Bonneville Power Administration Rolls Back Renewable Energy Incentives (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/05/bpa-rolls-back-renewable-energy.html

Editorial - Mountain States’ Regional Transmission Plans Need Formal Public Review (The MIssoulian, MT)

http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/columnists/article_e0dbe42e-7722-11e0-8a5f-001cc4c03286.html

Portland General Electric Posts Strong First Quarter, Increases Forecast (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2011/05/05/pge-posts-strong-q1-increases-forecast.html

Pacific Gas & Electric to Replace 1,600 Defective SmartMeters that Inflated Customers' Electric Bills (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_17975857

Montana - Mission Valley Power Informs Customers of Rate Hike at Appreciation Dinner (Char-Koosta News, Pablo, MT)

http://www.charkoosta.com/2011/2011_05_05/MVP_rate_hike_noted_at_appreciation_dinner.html

Linemen Use Helicopter Training to Stay Safe (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndo.com/story/14583807/linemen-use-helicopter-training-to-stay-safe

Renegade Trampoline Knocks Out Power to 11,000 (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/apr/30/renegade-trampolice-knocks-out-power-11000/

May 10 – Harstine Point: Underground Power Line Replacement Project Set to Begin (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=859

Federal Hydropower Investments in the West; Committee: House Natural Resources; Subcommittee: Water & Power (Hydro-World)

http://www.hydroworld.com/index/display/news_display.1411169436.html

Utilities Finding New Ways to Use Social Media - AEP Using Facebook to Address Legal Challenges to New Power Plant (Intelligent Utilities)

http://www.intelligentutility.com/article/11/05/utilities-finding-new-ways-use-social-media

FISH & WILDLIFE

It’s Not All Doom & Gloom for Salmon & Steelhead; They’ve Thrived for Years (Bellingham Herald, WA)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/04/30/1994585/its-not-all-doom-and-gloom-for.html

Columbia River’s Chinook Salmon Run Making Up for Late Start (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2011/may/04/chinook-salmon-run-making-late-start/

Editorial - Judge Should OK Columbia River Salmon Proposal (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20110504/OPINION/105040424/Judge-should-OK-Columbia-River-salmon-proposal

Congress Unlikely to Step In on Columbia River Salmon - The judge would have to throw out the plan to restore the runs, experts say, and that’s not expected to happen

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/05/01/1630568/congress-unlikely-to-step-in-on.html

PBS Documentary Looks At the State of Pacific Northwest Salmon Runs (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2014980381_pbs_documentary_looks_at_the_s.html

Canadian Salmon Inquiry Too Secretive, Participant Complains (Globe & Mail)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/salmon-inquiry-too-secretive-participant-complains/article2005034/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Fluoride Foes File Suit Against Port Angeles, Forks (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/121055274.html

2007 Flood Skewed Chehalis Data, Studies Show (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/05/04/1640499/consultant-2007-flood-affected.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Northwest Wind Power to Double, but Inconsistency Creates Grid Nightmare (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/05/northwest_wind_power_to_double.html

Massachusetts Congressman Weighs In On Pacific Northwest Water vs. Wind Question (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/05/sen-markey-weighs-in-water-vs-wind.html

Renewable Energy Group Focusing on Five SE Washington State Counties (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/05/03/1475445/renewable-energy-group-focusing.html

Vestas Profits Down, Revenue Up (Portland Business Journal, OR)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2011/05/04/vestas-profits-down-revenue-up.html

Oregon - Seneca Sawmill Celebrates Eugene Biomass Plant Opening, Three Protestors Arrested (KVAL-TV, Eugene, OR)

http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story/Seneca-Sawmill-celebrates-Eugene-biomass-plant/XFTJb0nvo0uEmckrB5XNpg.cspx

Massachusetts Drops Backing for Wood Power (United Press International)

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/05/04/Mass-drops-backing-for-wood-power/UPI-70361304543158/

Norway's Renewable Energy Corporation Sees Q2 Impact from Italian Order Delays (Reuters)

http://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFLDE7411K820110502

Utilities Look to Renewables as Natural Gas Dwindles (Peninsula Clarion, Kenai, AK)

http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/050111/new_822831582.shtml

United Kingdom - Hydro-Power Plan for Berkshire & Oxfordshire Thames (British Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-13248771

North Carolina - Davidson County Turns Trash into Electricity (WGHP-TV, NC)

http://www.myfox8.com/news/wghp-story-trash-electricity-110504,0,6872238.story

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Clark Public Utilities’ Energy Adviser: EnergyStar Labels Help Consumers (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/may/05/energy-adviser-energystar-labels-help-consumers/

Sacramento Municipal Utility District Program Helps With Home Energy Audits (Sacramento Business Journal, CA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2011/04/29/smud-program-helps-with-home-energy.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Political Doubt Hinders Carbon Sequestration Projects (Nature News)

http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110505/full/news.2011.271.html

United Kingdom - Carbon Accounting System is Mad as a Hatter (The Guardian, UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/may/01/carbon-accounting-emissions-imported-goods

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Jet Fuel from Timber Scraps? Sounds Like the Perfect Pacific Northwest Marriage (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/2011/05/03/energy-utilities/20877/Jet-fuel-from-timber-scraps--Sounds-like-the-perfect-Northwest-marriage/

Scotland Toasts New Whisky-Powered Bioenergy Plant (The Guardian, UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/04/whisky-energy-biomass-scotland-speyside

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Ham Radio Volunteers Worry about Spectrum Plan (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/30/135873302/ham-radio-volunteers-worry-about-spectrum-plan?ft=1&f=2

Internet Consumes More Energy than Auto Industry (Signal News)

http://signalnews.com/internet-consumes-more-energy-than-auto-industry386

Editorial - In the Tech Industry, Power Management Is a Key to Going Green (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_17953436

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Lucrative Contract for Former State Manager Leads to Investigation inside Oregon Agency - Allowed a state manager to retire and then return to work as a $90-an-hour consultant (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/05/lucrative_contract_for_former.html

GENERAL NEWS

New Mason County Racetrack Moves Forward (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/6085-new-racetrack

Third Hearing on Prison Sites Tonight in Shelton (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/5999-third-hearing-on-prison-sites

DIVERSIONS

Sign of the Times: Is Cursive a Dying Art in Classrooms?

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/05/02/sign-of-the-times-is-cursive-a-dying-art-in-classrooms/

On This Day: The Hindenburg Crashes

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/May-June-08/On-this-Day--The-Hindenburg-Crashes.html

Woman Gets New Accent after Dentist Visit

http://www.kirotv.com/health/27798974/detail.html

Swiss 'JetMan' to Soar into Grand Canyon

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110506/od_afp/usaviationswissoffbeat_20110506135110

SONG OF THE DAY

Joe Cocker - The Letter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xraj86LNgYc