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)
- More snow headed our way late Wednesday
- Energy NW – Power-plant plan rejected; fails to meet emissions law
- Generator-related – 3 children die in Grant County of carbon monoxide
- Grays Harbor PUD Interested – Weyco will look at other mill offers
- OSU prof talks up tiny nuclear plants
- Final tweaks made to 2008 Chelan PUD budget
- Clark County Utility Hook-Ups Slow
- Clean energy vs. whales: how to choose?
- Oxygen Levels Help Hood Canal Fish, Research Project Flourish
- The reservoir set to go into West Richland continues to bring in complaints
- Idaho May See Water War Over Snake Plane Aquifer
- Clark County – Parakeets that call power company home to be killed.
- Google to enter clean-energy business
- City of Portland might get in the wind farm business
- Winds of Change Blow into Roscoe, Texas
- Economist says conservation push could backfire
- Caves to Google – Verizon Wireless opens network
- Cable Industry Wins Compromise on F.C.C. Plans
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Clairvoyant • \klair-VOY-unt\ • adjective – 1: having the ability to see beyond the range of ordinary perception *2: of or relating to the power or faculty of discerning objects not present to the senses
Bartholomew sat alone in the corner of the crowded bar room. His eyes screwed shut and a look of utmost concentration on his face. He was hoping to call upon his non-existent clairvoyant talents to read the mind of his date. The only message he received was “we’re sorry, the number you have dialed has been changed or disconnected. Please hang up your mind and try again.”
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
More snow headed our way late Wednesday – The Cascades could get more than a foot of snow Wednesday and some areas of Seattle might see wet snow, according to the National Weather Service. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/341432_weather28.html
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Energy NW – Power-plant plan rejected; fails to meet emissions law – New power plants built to light Washington must limit their greenhouse-gas pollution, according to a ruling Tuesday that affirms a new direction for the state's pursuit of electricity. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004039453_powerplant28m.html
Generator-related – 3 children die in Grant County of carbon monoxide (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071127/NEWS04/71127015/1001
Grays Harbor – Weyco will look at other mill offers. The Weyerhaeuser Co. is no longer in “exclusive sales discussions”…concerning its mothballed Cosmopolis Pulp Mill. That could open the door to a joint offer made by the Grays Harbor PUD and Evergreen Pulp (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/11/27/local_news/02new.txt
OSU prof talks up tiny nuclear plants – Over lunch Monday, the Corvallis City Club envisioned a future in which the city’s electricity needs could be met with portable nuclear reactors. (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2007/11/27/news/community/6loc01_nukes.txt
Final tweaks made to 2008 Chelan PUD budget (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071127/NEWS04/711270043/1001
CLARK COUNTY UTILITY HOOK-UPS SLOW AS HOUSING MARKET CONTINUES TO STALL – New residential electrical power hook-ups with Clark Public Utilities slowed to a crawl in October. The number of residential customers with the utility totaled 164,285 last month, up a mere 0.9 percent from October 2006 as local builders cut back operations in the face of declining home sales. There is a 11.4-month supply of new and existing homes for sale in the county with sales off 27 percent last month from a year ago. For more on what it takes to sell a house, see Wednesday's Columbian business section.
Candidates Offer Different Views on Energy Policy “…The truth is that the answer to high prices is high prices…” (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/28/us/politics/28energy.html?ex=1353992400&en=2f65d63c1157e84d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Nevada – No energy experience, but qualified to work for Gibbons. The state's energy secretary appoints someone with no energy experience to be her second in command. How can the governor's critics resist not weighing in? (Las Vegas Sun)
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-other/2007/nov/28/566687176.html
AmerenUE to pay $180M in reservoir collapse settlement – AmerenUE and the state of Missouri reached a settlement, announced Wednesday, worth nearly $180 million resolving the state's lawsuit and claims for damages associated with the December 2005 collapse of AmerenUE's Taum Sauk reservoir. (St. Louis Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2007/11/26/daily31.html?ana=from_rss
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Clean energy vs. whales: how to choose? Northwest's dams are a source of clean energy. But scientists say they endanger salmon and orcas. (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1128/p03s01-usgn.html
Oxygen Levels Help Hood Canal Fish, Research Project Flourish (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/27/oxygen-levels-keep-hood-canal-fish-research/
The reservoir set to go into West Richland continues to bring in complaints – New information about a meeting in West Richland Monday night that wasn't exactly what Columbia Irrigation District leaders or West Richland Residents thought it was going to be. (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=7418020
Idaho May See Water War Over Snake Plane Aquifer (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/idaho-may-see-water-war-over-snake-plane-aquifer/
Alaska sentences processor for letting 400 tons of salmon rot (Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/ap_alaska/story/9480538p-9391724c.html
OSU scientist to visit White House – Carl Schreck, an Oregon State University scientist and one of the leading salmon researchers in the country, has been named the recipient of a Meritorious Presidential Rank Award. (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2007/11/28/news/community/5loc05_scientist.txt
Clark County – Parakeets that call power company home to be killed. They have been called the biggest celebrities in Yacolt - dozens of parakeets that have been building nests on power transformers there for years. (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/11887446.html
Supreme Court Is Referee in Delaware River Fight – The case that was argued Tuesday morning has a more modern focus: a huge liquefied natural gas storage and processing plant that BP wants to build on New Jersey’s Delaware River shore in Logan Township. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/28/nyregion/28scotus.html?ex=1353992400&en=cab3ada66cd1a247&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Google to enter clean-energy business – Search giant earmarks hundreds of millions of dollars with the goal of generating a gigawatt of clean energy that's cheaper than coal. (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/Google-to-enter-clean-energy-business/2100-13844-6220341.html?part=dht
City of Portland might get in the wind farm business – Commissioner says Sherman County project could help meet renewable energy goal (Portland Tribune)
http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=119610960593894500
Winds of Change Blow into Roscoe, Texas – There's a new sound out on the green grid of cotton fields that make up what West Texans affectionately call the "Big Country." Joining the hum of a seemingly ever-present wind is the rhythmic whoosh of spinning carbon-fiber blades on dozens of huge wind turbines. (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16658695&ft=1&f=2
Vibrant Wind Industry Seeks Tax Credit Extension “…Washington, with 140 MW of new wind capacity, pulls ahead of Minnesota into 4th place…” (Environment News Service - And of course, poor REPI is left out…again!)
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/nov2007/2007-11-26-092.asp
CONSERVATION
Economist says conservation push could backfire – Government is fooling itself if it believes that improving the energy efficiency of appliances, buildings, vehicles and businesses will result in less energy consumption and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report released yesterday from CIBC World Markets. (Toronto Star)
http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/280526
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Caves to Google – Verizon Wireless opens network. Company said on Tuesday it will open its network to any phone or software application by the end of 2008 (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2749533620071127?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology
Cable Industry Wins Compromise on F.C.C. Plans – In the face of a lobbying blitzkrieg by the cable television industry, the Federal Communications Commission drastically scaled back Tuesday evening a proposal by the agency’s chairman to more tightly regulate the industry. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/28/business/media/28cable.html?_r=1&ex=1353992400&en=9452eec7ddf5181a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Schwarzenegger: Free market best solution for broadband – California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger showed up in Los Angeles on Tuesday to give a keynote speech at a state broadband conference, but didn't say much in his speech about broadband after all. (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9823983-38.html?part=dht
GENERAL NEWS
DIVERSIONS
Computer Glitch Leads To Kmart Brawl – A weekend melee at a Kmart store in Wauwatosa was started by a computer glitch.
http://www.kirotv.com/money/14702622/detail.html
Man with $1M bill busted at bank – A bank teller had a million reasons to deny this transaction.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071128/ap_on_fe_st/odd_million_dollar_bill;_ylt=AqXCDMauvYKmsZTTJ23VdKTtiBIF
Judge removed over cell phone jailing – A judge who jailed 46 people who were in his courtroom when a cell phone call interrupted proceedings was removed from the bench Tuesday by a state commission.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071128/ap_on_fe_st/odd_judge_cell_phone;_ylt=An0VLxRuT2S.MRP7s1QSD2vtiBIF
Poultry fat spill causes stinky mess – A waste truck leaked poultry fat along 20 miles of roadway Tuesday, causing at least four crashes and making a stinky mess
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071127/ap_on_fe_st/odd_chicken_fat;_ylt=AtHEExVaOZ9q4j85pQDMbRLtiBIF
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Energy News Digest for November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Energy News Digest for November 27, 2007
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)
- Snow makes I-90 a 'raging blizzard' Monday night
- PSE says copper thefts down 28 percent
- Mild Weather Keeps Clark Public Utilities’ Usage Down
- Alcoa-Chelan PUD power proposal scrutinized
- Coos Bay coal beds bubbling with gas
- 5 charged over whale hunt
- Sturdy Sea Lion Under Growing Threat From Acidic Algae
- Many question if Seattle's Duwamish waterway can ever be restored
- From Sewage, Added Water for Drinking
- Oregon’s Roadside Solar Panels New Theft Target
- Consumers Right to the Sun
- Google's Goal: Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal
- ‘Tis the Season for Light-Emitting Diodes
- Can LEED Survive the Carbon-Neutral Era?
- Marriott: Saving Energy, One Step at a Time
- Trees giving bizarre clues to climate change
- Green Marketing Review Is Put on Fast Track at FTC
- The Other Greenhouse Gases
- Cap-and-trade system sets the belching bar low
- Can baking soda curb global warming?
- Massachusetts – Fiber-optic deal draws businesses.
- Tennessee – Cable launches ad attack aimed at Chattanooga’s fiber plan.
- NY Times Editorial – Regulating Cable.
- Derailed by Deficient DSL
- In-Store Wi-Fi Is Free, but Not Commercial-Free
- WiFi and autism: a quick debunking
- Google plans service to store users' data
- Shelton’s First And Franklin Gas Contamination Clean Up To Begin Wednesday
- Light earthquake near Brinnon WA
- Pot 'Grow Houses' Flourish in Pacific Northwest
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Oenophile • \EEN-uh-file\ • noun – A lover or connoisseur of wine
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Snow makes I-90 a 'raging blizzard' Monday night – The National Weather Service issued a heavy snow warning for the Cascades, but snow isn't expected to stick in Seattle.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/341261_snow27.html
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
PSE says copper thefts down 28 percent (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2007/11/26/daily2.html?ana=from_rss
Puget Sound Energy Protecting Copper Wire with Fences (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14695311/detail.html
What’s the Deal? A 17-year proposal power supply proposal would virtually guarantee a three-potline operation and some 450 jobs at Alcoa's Wenatchee Works smelter, according to the findings of an independent consultant hired by Alcoa to assess the proposed deal. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071126/NEWS04/711260060/1025/rss1025
Oregon – Coos Bay coal beds bubbling with gas. Logistical and environmental unknowns make extraction (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1196135727238370.xml&coll=7
MILD WEATHER KEEPS CLARK PUBLIC UTILITIES’ USAGE DOWN – Mild weather in October meant the amount of electrical power sold through Clark Public Utilities was lower than for the same month last year. The utility delivered 414.1 kilowatt hours of electricity to more than 187,000 customers, mostly in Clark County, last month, down 7.3 percent from the 446.5 kilowatt hours tallied in October 2006. (The Columbian)
House Committee on Homeland Security urges FERC chairman to investigate grid security (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/display_article/313026/22/ARTCL/none/none/1/House-Committee-on-Homeland-Security-urges-FERC-chairman-to-investigate-grid-security/
When power's out, couple enjoys sounds of the past – Power outages are a tremendous nuisance, but with a bit of preparation, and a special activity, it can be a heartfelt time at the Andersen home on Camano Island. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071127/NEWS01/711270050
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
5 charged over whale hunt – Five members of the Makah Tribe face a year in prison and may be fined $5,000 each for participating in an unauthorized whale hunt earlier this fall. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/341216_makah27.html
Sturdy Sea Lion Under Growing Threat From Acidic Algae – The California sea lion is a robust species, but in the past decade marine biologists have recognized domoic acid poisoning as a growing threat to its health. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/science/27obseal.html?ex=1353906000&en=909632dee197db40&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
(A Seattle Post Intelligencer Series) Many question if Seattle's Duwamish waterway can ever be restored
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/duwamish/341065_duwamish26.html
Volunteers help restore Puget Sound's coastal prairies – Like parents fussing over their children on the first day of school, volunteers planted the rare golden paintbrush seedlings at Forbes Point in hopes that their efforts will help restore the coastal prairies of Puget Sound. (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1069188~Volunteers_help_restore_Puget_Sound_s_coastal_prairies.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
Public meeting in West Richland to discuss the CID Reservoir – A meeting in West Richland to talk about a very hot topic the new Columbia Irrigation District reservoir. (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=7411767
From Sewage, Added Water for Drinking – It used to be so final: flush the toilet, and waste be gone. But on Nov. 30, for millions of people here in Orange County, pulling the lever will be the start of a long, intense process to purify the sewage into drinking water (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/us/27conserve.html?ex=1353819600&en=32f7c1092e884a70&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Oregon – Roadside Solar Panels New Theft Target. It seems that even crooks have jumped on the renewable energy bandwagon. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/roadside-solar-panels-new-theft-target/
Consumers Right to the Sun – Solar access laws, a topic generally relegated to the province of attorneys and feuding neighbors, establish certain rights for homeowners and businesses to use sunlight to generate solar thermal or solar electric energy (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50671&src=rss
Alberta company's turbines spin wind into gold (CanWest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=b3bb0e1d-1d94-4bec-81a0-1a92760c6ce9&k=92005
Xcel solar power plan catching on – Xcel Energy Inc., Colorado's largest utility, connected its 1,000th small-solar customer to the grid on Monday. “…The money comes from a special charge on every Xcel customers' bill in Colorado. Currently, customers pay an extra 0.6 percent or roughly 36 cents on a $60 monthly electricity bill. The charge currently brings Xcel $13 million a year…” (The Denver Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2007/11/26/daily8.html?ana=from_rss
News Release – Google's Goal: Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal (Google, via FinanzNachrichten)
http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2007-11/artikel-9561627.asp
CONSERVATION
U.S. News & World Report – 'Tis the Season for Light-Emitting Diodes
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/beyond-the-barrel/2007/11/26/tis-the-season-for-light-emitting-diodes.html
Can LEED Survive the Carbon-Neutral Era? The rating system is beginning to gain wide acceptance, but critics now wonder whether the checklist approach can meet the daunting challenges ahead. (MetropolisMag.Com)
http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=3051
News Release – Say 'Bah! Humbug!' to an Energy-Wasting Holiday Season. Simple tips for holiday decorating, cooking and other activities from a leading energy retailer (Duke Energy, via Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071127/aqtu045.html?.v=38
Saving Energy, One Step at a Time – Marriott Transforms Its Penny-Pinching Measures Into a Conservation Ethos. At Marriott International, green has been an evolution, not a revolution. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/25/AR2007112501284.html?nav=rss_business
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Trees giving bizarre clues to climate change (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004037053_trees27m.html
Green Marketing Review Is Put on Fast Track at FTC – The Federal Trade Commission said it would accelerate a review of its decade-old "green" marketing guidelines because of the booming number of businesses that are persuading customers to purchase certificates or pay premiums to help pay for projects or practices that purportedly benefit the environment (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/26/AR2007112601940.html?nav=rss_business
Slate Magazine – The Other Greenhouse Gases. Is methane really worse for the environment than carbon dioxide? (Careful how you answer that one, sonny)
http://www.slate.com/id/2178595/fr/rss/
Canada – Cap-and-trade system sets the belching bar low (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071123.RBRETHOUR23/TPStory/TPBusiness/BritishColumbia/
Can baking soda curb global warming? A start-up in Texas says it can turn the carbon dioxide emitted by power plants into baking soda. (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/Can-baking-soda-curb-global-warming/2100-13838-6220127.html?part=dht
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Massachusetts – Fiber-optic deal draws businesses. Three more city businesses have joined a program offering high-speed fiber-optic service through a joint agreement between Chicopee Electric Light and Holyoke Gas & Electric. (The Republican, Springfield)
http://www.timesfreepress.com/absolutenm/templates/local.aspx?articleid=25909&zoneid=77
Tennessee – Cable launches ad attack aimed at Chattanooga’s fiber plan. Tennessee's cable industry is expanding its fight against EPB's planned entry into the cable business from the legal arena into the court of public opinion. (Chattanooga Times Free Press – OK, what tactic shall we use for THIS community)
http://www.timesfreepress.com/absolutenm/templates/local.aspx?articleid=25909&zoneid=77
NY Times Editorial – Regulating Cable. In 1984, cable companies convinced Congress that they were mere minnows that needed to be exempted from many regulatory requirements so they could compete against the titans of broadcast television. That may have been true back then, but now cable companies are media titans, and they should be regulated.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/opinion/27tue3.html?ex=1353906000&en=da818cfb733b9d9c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Derailed by Deficient DSL – It’s a balmy October afternoon at the Wendy’s restaurant in Keene, N.H., and the franchise is literally paving over a technology that didn’t work out. (Computerworld, via Baller/Herbst)
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=306936
Broadband Connectivity an American Issue, Not Democratic or Republican – Where are the hot discussions about broadband deployment and regional economic sustainability in the presidential debates? (Midwest Business.com, via Baller/Herbst)
http://www.midwestbusiness.com/news/viewnews.asp?newsletterID=18415
In-Store Wi-Fi Is Free, but Not Commercial-Free – People who like to use their laptops, iPhones and other devices in public are always so delighted when they stumble on a wireless hot spot in an unexpected place. Will they be pleased enough to look at ads before getting their broadband fix? (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/business/media/27adco.html?_r=1&ex=1353906000&en=32528287736aba8c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
WiFi and autism: a quick debunking (The Art of Technology, via Baller/Herbst)
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071123-wifi-and-autism-a-quick-debunking.html
Google plans service to store users' data – Google Inc is preparing a service that would enable users to store data from their personal hard drives on its computers, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday in its online edition. (Reuters)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071127/wr_nm/google_service_data_dc_2
Broadband Tariff Trends: Average residential downstream speeds have increased significantly (Point-Topic)
http://point-topic.com/content/dslanalysis/BBAtariffspeeds071126.htm
Cyber Monday Strikes! Heavy online shopping causes Yahoo outages (Sacramento Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2007/11/26/daily11.html?ana=from_rss
GENERAL NEWS
GET READY FOR DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC FUN! SHELTON’S FIRST AND FRANKLIN GAS CONTAMINATION CLEAN UP TO BEGIN WEDNESDAY – The clean up of the gas contaminated soil at the intersection of First and Franklin will likely begin Wednesday. Monday, the Shelton City Commission approved a contract with NCR Environmental Services to remove and dispose of some of the contaminated soil. The City needs to complete the Sewer Basin Two Project and will only be removing the soil needed to complete that project. NCR will be disposing that soil. The contract approved by the City Commission is not to exceed $150,798.76. However, that cost is based on removing nearly 1800 tons of soil or the estimated amount from the whole intersection. Since the City is only cleaning up the soil from the trench needed to complete Basin Two, the cost is expected to be significantly less. Work should begin Wednesday and take four to seven working days. The intersection will need to be closed as crews remove the contaminated soil and finish Sewer Basin Two. The work will close First Street between Railroad and Cedar, and Franklin Street from Second to First. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Light earthquake near Brinnon WA
http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP11272007news238694.cfm?newsletter=10
Pot 'Grow Houses' Flourish in Pacific Northwest – Drug enforcement officials are seeing a spike in a lucrative cottage industry: indoor marijuana crops. (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16628918&ft=1&f=2
Average state prisoner costs $30,000 a year to lock up (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP11262007news238461.cfm
DIVERSIONS
The Return of the Jumping Fleas! Or how we learned to stop worrying and love the ukulele
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/25/CMEQT4UH0.DTL
OMG…it’s like a totally anything goes beauty pageant! Puerto Rico Pageant Officials Probe Pepper Spray
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071125/puerto-rico-pageant-pranks/
Teen Worried About Curfew Gets Stuck In Chimney
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/14694704/detail.html
Mayor Claims He Was Abducted By Satanists – Mayor In Arkansas Says He's Been Leading Double Life for 30 years
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14665444/detail.html
Rome’s parking chief fired for illegal parking
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2624739820071126?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Snow makes I-90 a 'raging blizzard' Monday night
- PSE says copper thefts down 28 percent
- Mild Weather Keeps Clark Public Utilities’ Usage Down
- Alcoa-Chelan PUD power proposal scrutinized
- Coos Bay coal beds bubbling with gas
- 5 charged over whale hunt
- Sturdy Sea Lion Under Growing Threat From Acidic Algae
- Many question if Seattle's Duwamish waterway can ever be restored
- From Sewage, Added Water for Drinking
- Oregon’s Roadside Solar Panels New Theft Target
- Consumers Right to the Sun
- Google's Goal: Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal
- ‘Tis the Season for Light-Emitting Diodes
- Can LEED Survive the Carbon-Neutral Era?
- Marriott: Saving Energy, One Step at a Time
- Trees giving bizarre clues to climate change
- Green Marketing Review Is Put on Fast Track at FTC
- The Other Greenhouse Gases
- Cap-and-trade system sets the belching bar low
- Can baking soda curb global warming?
- Massachusetts – Fiber-optic deal draws businesses.
- Tennessee – Cable launches ad attack aimed at Chattanooga’s fiber plan.
- NY Times Editorial – Regulating Cable.
- Derailed by Deficient DSL
- In-Store Wi-Fi Is Free, but Not Commercial-Free
- WiFi and autism: a quick debunking
- Google plans service to store users' data
- Shelton’s First And Franklin Gas Contamination Clean Up To Begin Wednesday
- Light earthquake near Brinnon WA
- Pot 'Grow Houses' Flourish in Pacific Northwest
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Oenophile • \EEN-uh-file\ • noun – A lover or connoisseur of wine
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Snow makes I-90 a 'raging blizzard' Monday night – The National Weather Service issued a heavy snow warning for the Cascades, but snow isn't expected to stick in Seattle.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/341261_snow27.html
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
PSE says copper thefts down 28 percent (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2007/11/26/daily2.html?ana=from_rss
Puget Sound Energy Protecting Copper Wire with Fences (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14695311/detail.html
What’s the Deal? A 17-year proposal power supply proposal would virtually guarantee a three-potline operation and some 450 jobs at Alcoa's Wenatchee Works smelter, according to the findings of an independent consultant hired by Alcoa to assess the proposed deal. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071126/NEWS04/711260060/1025/rss1025
Oregon – Coos Bay coal beds bubbling with gas. Logistical and environmental unknowns make extraction (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1196135727238370.xml&coll=7
MILD WEATHER KEEPS CLARK PUBLIC UTILITIES’ USAGE DOWN – Mild weather in October meant the amount of electrical power sold through Clark Public Utilities was lower than for the same month last year. The utility delivered 414.1 kilowatt hours of electricity to more than 187,000 customers, mostly in Clark County, last month, down 7.3 percent from the 446.5 kilowatt hours tallied in October 2006. (The Columbian)
House Committee on Homeland Security urges FERC chairman to investigate grid security (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/display_article/313026/22/ARTCL/none/none/1/House-Committee-on-Homeland-Security-urges-FERC-chairman-to-investigate-grid-security/
When power's out, couple enjoys sounds of the past – Power outages are a tremendous nuisance, but with a bit of preparation, and a special activity, it can be a heartfelt time at the Andersen home on Camano Island. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071127/NEWS01/711270050
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
5 charged over whale hunt – Five members of the Makah Tribe face a year in prison and may be fined $5,000 each for participating in an unauthorized whale hunt earlier this fall. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/341216_makah27.html
Sturdy Sea Lion Under Growing Threat From Acidic Algae – The California sea lion is a robust species, but in the past decade marine biologists have recognized domoic acid poisoning as a growing threat to its health. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/science/27obseal.html?ex=1353906000&en=909632dee197db40&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
(A Seattle Post Intelligencer Series) Many question if Seattle's Duwamish waterway can ever be restored
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/duwamish/341065_duwamish26.html
Volunteers help restore Puget Sound's coastal prairies – Like parents fussing over their children on the first day of school, volunteers planted the rare golden paintbrush seedlings at Forbes Point in hopes that their efforts will help restore the coastal prairies of Puget Sound. (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1069188~Volunteers_help_restore_Puget_Sound_s_coastal_prairies.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
Public meeting in West Richland to discuss the CID Reservoir – A meeting in West Richland to talk about a very hot topic the new Columbia Irrigation District reservoir. (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=7411767
From Sewage, Added Water for Drinking – It used to be so final: flush the toilet, and waste be gone. But on Nov. 30, for millions of people here in Orange County, pulling the lever will be the start of a long, intense process to purify the sewage into drinking water (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/us/27conserve.html?ex=1353819600&en=32f7c1092e884a70&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Oregon – Roadside Solar Panels New Theft Target. It seems that even crooks have jumped on the renewable energy bandwagon. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/roadside-solar-panels-new-theft-target/
Consumers Right to the Sun – Solar access laws, a topic generally relegated to the province of attorneys and feuding neighbors, establish certain rights for homeowners and businesses to use sunlight to generate solar thermal or solar electric energy (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50671&src=rss
Alberta company's turbines spin wind into gold (CanWest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=b3bb0e1d-1d94-4bec-81a0-1a92760c6ce9&k=92005
Xcel solar power plan catching on – Xcel Energy Inc., Colorado's largest utility, connected its 1,000th small-solar customer to the grid on Monday. “…The money comes from a special charge on every Xcel customers' bill in Colorado. Currently, customers pay an extra 0.6 percent or roughly 36 cents on a $60 monthly electricity bill. The charge currently brings Xcel $13 million a year…” (The Denver Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2007/11/26/daily8.html?ana=from_rss
News Release – Google's Goal: Renewable Energy Cheaper Than Coal (Google, via FinanzNachrichten)
http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2007-11/artikel-9561627.asp
CONSERVATION
U.S. News & World Report – 'Tis the Season for Light-Emitting Diodes
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/beyond-the-barrel/2007/11/26/tis-the-season-for-light-emitting-diodes.html
Can LEED Survive the Carbon-Neutral Era? The rating system is beginning to gain wide acceptance, but critics now wonder whether the checklist approach can meet the daunting challenges ahead. (MetropolisMag.Com)
http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=3051
News Release – Say 'Bah! Humbug!' to an Energy-Wasting Holiday Season. Simple tips for holiday decorating, cooking and other activities from a leading energy retailer (Duke Energy, via Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071127/aqtu045.html?.v=38
Saving Energy, One Step at a Time – Marriott Transforms Its Penny-Pinching Measures Into a Conservation Ethos. At Marriott International, green has been an evolution, not a revolution. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/25/AR2007112501284.html?nav=rss_business
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Trees giving bizarre clues to climate change (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004037053_trees27m.html
Green Marketing Review Is Put on Fast Track at FTC – The Federal Trade Commission said it would accelerate a review of its decade-old "green" marketing guidelines because of the booming number of businesses that are persuading customers to purchase certificates or pay premiums to help pay for projects or practices that purportedly benefit the environment (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/26/AR2007112601940.html?nav=rss_business
Slate Magazine – The Other Greenhouse Gases. Is methane really worse for the environment than carbon dioxide? (Careful how you answer that one, sonny)
http://www.slate.com/id/2178595/fr/rss/
Canada – Cap-and-trade system sets the belching bar low (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071123.RBRETHOUR23/TPStory/TPBusiness/BritishColumbia/
Can baking soda curb global warming? A start-up in Texas says it can turn the carbon dioxide emitted by power plants into baking soda. (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/Can-baking-soda-curb-global-warming/2100-13838-6220127.html?part=dht
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Massachusetts – Fiber-optic deal draws businesses. Three more city businesses have joined a program offering high-speed fiber-optic service through a joint agreement between Chicopee Electric Light and Holyoke Gas & Electric. (The Republican, Springfield)
http://www.timesfreepress.com/absolutenm/templates/local.aspx?articleid=25909&zoneid=77
Tennessee – Cable launches ad attack aimed at Chattanooga’s fiber plan. Tennessee's cable industry is expanding its fight against EPB's planned entry into the cable business from the legal arena into the court of public opinion. (Chattanooga Times Free Press – OK, what tactic shall we use for THIS community)
http://www.timesfreepress.com/absolutenm/templates/local.aspx?articleid=25909&zoneid=77
NY Times Editorial – Regulating Cable. In 1984, cable companies convinced Congress that they were mere minnows that needed to be exempted from many regulatory requirements so they could compete against the titans of broadcast television. That may have been true back then, but now cable companies are media titans, and they should be regulated.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/opinion/27tue3.html?ex=1353906000&en=da818cfb733b9d9c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Derailed by Deficient DSL – It’s a balmy October afternoon at the Wendy’s restaurant in Keene, N.H., and the franchise is literally paving over a technology that didn’t work out. (Computerworld, via Baller/Herbst)
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=306936
Broadband Connectivity an American Issue, Not Democratic or Republican – Where are the hot discussions about broadband deployment and regional economic sustainability in the presidential debates? (Midwest Business.com, via Baller/Herbst)
http://www.midwestbusiness.com/news/viewnews.asp?newsletterID=18415
In-Store Wi-Fi Is Free, but Not Commercial-Free – People who like to use their laptops, iPhones and other devices in public are always so delighted when they stumble on a wireless hot spot in an unexpected place. Will they be pleased enough to look at ads before getting their broadband fix? (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/27/business/media/27adco.html?_r=1&ex=1353906000&en=32528287736aba8c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
WiFi and autism: a quick debunking (The Art of Technology, via Baller/Herbst)
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071123-wifi-and-autism-a-quick-debunking.html
Google plans service to store users' data – Google Inc is preparing a service that would enable users to store data from their personal hard drives on its computers, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday in its online edition. (Reuters)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071127/wr_nm/google_service_data_dc_2
Broadband Tariff Trends: Average residential downstream speeds have increased significantly (Point-Topic)
http://point-topic.com/content/dslanalysis/BBAtariffspeeds071126.htm
Cyber Monday Strikes! Heavy online shopping causes Yahoo outages (Sacramento Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2007/11/26/daily11.html?ana=from_rss
GENERAL NEWS
GET READY FOR DOWNTOWN TRAFFIC FUN! SHELTON’S FIRST AND FRANKLIN GAS CONTAMINATION CLEAN UP TO BEGIN WEDNESDAY – The clean up of the gas contaminated soil at the intersection of First and Franklin will likely begin Wednesday. Monday, the Shelton City Commission approved a contract with NCR Environmental Services to remove and dispose of some of the contaminated soil. The City needs to complete the Sewer Basin Two Project and will only be removing the soil needed to complete that project. NCR will be disposing that soil. The contract approved by the City Commission is not to exceed $150,798.76. However, that cost is based on removing nearly 1800 tons of soil or the estimated amount from the whole intersection. Since the City is only cleaning up the soil from the trench needed to complete Basin Two, the cost is expected to be significantly less. Work should begin Wednesday and take four to seven working days. The intersection will need to be closed as crews remove the contaminated soil and finish Sewer Basin Two. The work will close First Street between Railroad and Cedar, and Franklin Street from Second to First. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Light earthquake near Brinnon WA
http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP11272007news238694.cfm?newsletter=10
Pot 'Grow Houses' Flourish in Pacific Northwest – Drug enforcement officials are seeing a spike in a lucrative cottage industry: indoor marijuana crops. (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16628918&ft=1&f=2
Average state prisoner costs $30,000 a year to lock up (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP11262007news238461.cfm
DIVERSIONS
The Return of the Jumping Fleas! Or how we learned to stop worrying and love the ukulele
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/25/CMEQT4UH0.DTL
OMG…it’s like a totally anything goes beauty pageant! Puerto Rico Pageant Officials Probe Pepper Spray
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071125/puerto-rico-pageant-pranks/
Teen Worried About Curfew Gets Stuck In Chimney
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/14694704/detail.html
Mayor Claims He Was Abducted By Satanists – Mayor In Arkansas Says He's Been Leading Double Life for 30 years
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14665444/detail.html
Rome’s parking chief fired for illegal parking
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2624739820071126?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Monday, November 26, 2007
Energy News Digest for November 26, 2007
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)
- Snow advisory above 1,500 feet
- Progress Being Made at Defunct Centralia Coal Mine Site
- $80 million at Chief Joseph Dam – Alstom Hydro to refurbish power plant
- Canada – The estimated cost of hydro self-sufficiency: annual 7.5% rate hike for a decade.
- Oregon state agencies raise concerns on liquefied natural gas project
- China to Address Issues around Dam
- New York Manhole Covers, Forged Barefoot in India
- Cowlitz tribe seeks protection for Columbia River smelt
- At Entiat hatchery, Coho are taking the place of Chinook
- Steelhead seem to be on schedule
- Lake Tapps water battle boils
- Inslee's Environmental Message Echoes in Current Political Campaigns
- The use of wind power in many European countries has stagnated in recent years
- As the Price of Oil Soars, Many Turn to Renewables
- Through Genetics, Tapping a Tree’s Potential as a Source of Energy
- Cities turn to LEDs to conserve energy
- As hot-button issues go, global warming trailing
- Being Skeptical of Green
- F.C.C. Chief Seeks Votes to Tighten Cable Rules
- Should USF Be Used For Rural Broadband?
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Minatory • \MIN-uh-tor-ee\ • adjective – Having a menacing quality: threatening
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Snow advisory above 1,500 feet:
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/warnings.php?wfo=sew&zone=WAZ513&pil=XXXWSWSEW&productType=Snow+Advisory
North Central Washington – Snow storms expected to chase away stagnant air – Snow storms expected to chase away stagnant air. Stagnant air across parts of North Central Washington should start to clear away Saturday with the arrival of the first of three storms that could bring significant snowfall. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071124/NEWS04/711240017/1001
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Centralia – Progress Being Made at Defunct Mine Site. TransAlta Says Reclamation Work Done on 150 of 1,000 Acres Donated to Local EDC (The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1195914801&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
Where Have All the Miners Gone? After Transalta: 600 Former Miners Try New Walks of Life (The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1195847012&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
News Release – $80 million at Chief Joseph Dam – Alstom Hydro to refurbish power plant in USA (Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071121/mo288.html?.v=4
Canada – The estimated cost of hydro self-sufficiency: annual 7.5% rate hike for a decade. BC Hydro will have to boost electricity rates at least 7.5 per cent each year for the next decade in order to satisfy British Columbia's goals of electricity self-sufficiency and green power (Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=4f6ccb6e-703a-462c-ad3a-594aed6d88f2&k=59573
Oregon state agencies raise concerns on liquefied natural gas project – Bradwood Landing – A federal environmental review generates comments (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1195703749259370.xml&coll=7
China to Address Issues around Dam – China has announced new plans to confront environmental and geological problems around the Three Gorges Dam, even as a landslide in the region on Tuesday killed one construction worker, injured a second and trapped two others beneath a mound of fallen earth. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/22/world/asia/22gorges.html?ex=1353819600&en=bd240212956a130c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
New York Manhole Covers, Forged Barefoot in India – Workers in Haora, India, have few protections while making manhole covers for Con Edison and some cities’ utilities. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/nyregion/26manhole.html?ex=1353819600&en=4968dd4f2f427ada&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
TVA customers get brief reprieve amid power rate increases – After raising rates in each of the past four quarters to cover higher fuel rates, TVA customers should get a brief reprieve this winter. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgmtupoqTUie%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
North Carolina – Drought could force shutdown of nuclear, coal plants (Triangle Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2007/11/26/story5.html?ana=from_rss
Illinois – Quincy eyes river power – Mighty Mississippi could generate electricity for city (Chicago Tribune)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-quincy_bd25nov25,1,2414625.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Can't afford to keep warm? Energy assistance program can help – People who can't pay their heating bills can apply to the Snohomish County Energy Assistance office for financial aid. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071126/NEWS01/711260029&news01ad=1
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Cowlitz tribe seeks protection for Columbia River smelt (The Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/277934.html
At Entiat hatchery, Coho are taking the place of Chinook – Biologists decided the Chinook program was doing more harm than good. Now they have high hopes for helping another species. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004035120_floppingfish26.html
Steelhead seem to be on schedule – Around Thanksgiving is when winter steelhead start to return to state rivers. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071125/SPORTS/711250043/1004
Eternal dam nation – The life cycle of Columbia River salmon might be endangered, but not so the cycle of litigation over how to save the fish. (Crosscut – Ha! Ha! Good Headline)
http://www.crosscut.com/oregon/9388/
Lake Tapps water battle boils – October meeting’s no-shows ‘a real slap in the face,’ organizer says. Relations are frostier than ever between three local cities that want drinking water from Lake Tapps and an alliance of east King County cities that has first dibs on the water. (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/212460.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Inslee's Environmental Message Echoes in Current Political Campaigns (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/23/inslees-environmental-message-echoes-in-current/
Sweden Turns to a Promising Power Source, With Flaws The use of wind power in many European countries has stagnated in recent years. Sweden’s gleaming wind park is entering service at a time when wind energy is coming under sharper scrutiny, not just from hostile neighbors, who complain that the towers are a blot on the landscape, but from energy experts who question its reliability as a source of power. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/23/business/23wind.html?_r=1&ex=1353819600&en=3024fa47948297f1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Windy Kansas – Coal denial bad news for wind energy, some argue: Transmission lines could have been used for greener enterprises, but others say rejection of plants won't hurt Kansas' prospects (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgmtstoqZUie%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
Jail cells to solar cells – State installing 'green' tech in prison system – For inmates in Massachusetts' state prisons, sunshine is a rare commodity. Soon, however, it may be a powerful energy source. (The Journal of New England Technology)
http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2007/11/26/story2.html?ana=from_rss
As the Price of Oil Soars, Many Turn to Renewables (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2007/11/25/ST2007112501234.html
Through Genetics, Tapping a Tree’s Potential as a Source of Energy – Aiming to turn trees into new energy sources, scientists are using a controversial genetic engineering process to change the composition of the wood. A major goal is to reduce the amount of lignin, a chemical compound that interferes with efforts to turn the tree’s cellulose into biofuels like ethanol. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/science/20tree.html?_r=1&ex=1353733200&en=5a0d506477443bfd&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Canada – Biofuels no longer just a corny alternative (CanWest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=b21f9357-2ef9-4998-a7e0-070bb4e75188&k=16763
Shhhh: Postal carrier plugs in rather than gassing up (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20071126/NEWS/711260303
CONSERVATION
Cities turn to LEDs to conserve energy – Christmas will be greener this year with a growing number of cities and shopping districts saving electricity by using low-energy lights in holiday displays. (Cincinnati Enquirer)
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071124/LIFE08/711240320
California – Local teacher, students light up Napa homes with energy-saving bulbs (Napa Valley Register)
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2007/11/26/news/local/iq_4229338.txt
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
As hot-button issues go, global warming trailing – Climate change transforms an election campaign. Extreme weather and water restrictions galvanize voters. Both political parties scramble to propose mandatory limits on carbon emissions. (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7555421?nclick_check=1
Being Skeptical of Green – The newest trend is “green.” But consumers who think they can help improve the environment should be as careful as a snack-craving depressive when it comes to their purchasing decisions and avoid relying on labels. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/24/technology/24online.html?ex=1353560400&en=25a5589c7bc54f57&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
The Carbon Footprint – Virtually everything we do that requires oil, gas or electricity pumps carbon dioxide, CO2, into the air. As it rises into the atmosphere, scientists say it acts like a blanket and traps heat, warming the planet. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/25/AR2007112501510.html?nav=rss_business
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
F.C.C. Chief Seeks Votes to Tighten Cable Rules – The head of the Federal Communications Commission is struggling to find enough support from a majority of the agency’s commissioners to regulate cable television companies more tightly. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/business/media/26cable.html?ex=1353733200&en=0215c43bb03170aa&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Should USF Be Used For Rural Broadband? Policy-makers want to split the Universal Service Fund, which brings in around $7 billion or so every year and is used to subsidize the old-fashioned phone systems in rural areas, into three distinct parts: one to subsidize wireless services, another for the old-fashioned phone services, and a slice to subsidize the broadband build out in rural areas. (GigaOm)
http://gigaom.com/2007/11/26/should-a-portion-of-usf-be-used-for-rural-broadband/
Internet capacity alarmism is a corporatist scam – Industry in bed with authoritarians (The Inquirer)
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/11/26/internet-capacity-alarmism
GENERAL NEWS
Beach Upgrade Just the Start of Belfair Park Restoration (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/23/beach-upgrade-just-the-start-of-belfair-park/
Christmas-tree growers tout environmental tag – Picking a Christmas tree is typically a matter of taste. Is the shape right? Is it too tall? Too short? And is it "green" enough? (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004032648_greentrees24e.html
Tacoma News Tribune Opinion – Tapping state surplus for family leave a bad idea – Paid family leave is shaping up to be a cautionary tale about legislative punts.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/212395.html
Up Close, Farms Annoy Some Seekers of Rural Life (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/nyregion/26farm.html?ex=1353819600&en=4ef9453e0f0302f8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
DIVERSIONS
At least the partridge still costs $15 – While the origins of the Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" might be a mystery, one thing is certain: It's getting more costly to buy your true love all the items mentioned.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/213297.html
Announcer sacked over spoof messages – An official announcer for London's Tube system has been sacked after making spoof messages mocking American tourists, peeping Toms and sweaty commuters. (Note: Some PG-13 content – The BBC would like to apologize for the following announcements…)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/announcer_dc;_ylt=AkfAVapcdP9esrQJJ.k1zwftiBIF
Cows' ear hair and other waste hit German taxpayers
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071122/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_germany_waste;_ylt=Au5mROCN1XVWlRcAwFQoKz_tiBIF
First it was “Ukes for Troops”, now: Horde of harmonicas earmarked for troops (What’s next, “accordions for the Army?”)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071126/ap_on_fe_st/odd_harmonicas_troops;_ylt=Au1.ADjR8CtA2eVa4znqSE3tiBIF
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Snow advisory above 1,500 feet
- Progress Being Made at Defunct Centralia Coal Mine Site
- $80 million at Chief Joseph Dam – Alstom Hydro to refurbish power plant
- Canada – The estimated cost of hydro self-sufficiency: annual 7.5% rate hike for a decade.
- Oregon state agencies raise concerns on liquefied natural gas project
- China to Address Issues around Dam
- New York Manhole Covers, Forged Barefoot in India
- Cowlitz tribe seeks protection for Columbia River smelt
- At Entiat hatchery, Coho are taking the place of Chinook
- Steelhead seem to be on schedule
- Lake Tapps water battle boils
- Inslee's Environmental Message Echoes in Current Political Campaigns
- The use of wind power in many European countries has stagnated in recent years
- As the Price of Oil Soars, Many Turn to Renewables
- Through Genetics, Tapping a Tree’s Potential as a Source of Energy
- Cities turn to LEDs to conserve energy
- As hot-button issues go, global warming trailing
- Being Skeptical of Green
- F.C.C. Chief Seeks Votes to Tighten Cable Rules
- Should USF Be Used For Rural Broadband?
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Minatory • \MIN-uh-tor-ee\ • adjective – Having a menacing quality: threatening
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Snow advisory above 1,500 feet:
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/warnings.php?wfo=sew&zone=WAZ513&pil=XXXWSWSEW&productType=Snow+Advisory
North Central Washington – Snow storms expected to chase away stagnant air – Snow storms expected to chase away stagnant air. Stagnant air across parts of North Central Washington should start to clear away Saturday with the arrival of the first of three storms that could bring significant snowfall. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071124/NEWS04/711240017/1001
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Centralia – Progress Being Made at Defunct Mine Site. TransAlta Says Reclamation Work Done on 150 of 1,000 Acres Donated to Local EDC (The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1195914801&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
Where Have All the Miners Gone? After Transalta: 600 Former Miners Try New Walks of Life (The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1195847012&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
News Release – $80 million at Chief Joseph Dam – Alstom Hydro to refurbish power plant in USA (Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071121/mo288.html?.v=4
Canada – The estimated cost of hydro self-sufficiency: annual 7.5% rate hike for a decade. BC Hydro will have to boost electricity rates at least 7.5 per cent each year for the next decade in order to satisfy British Columbia's goals of electricity self-sufficiency and green power (Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=4f6ccb6e-703a-462c-ad3a-594aed6d88f2&k=59573
Oregon state agencies raise concerns on liquefied natural gas project – Bradwood Landing – A federal environmental review generates comments (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1195703749259370.xml&coll=7
China to Address Issues around Dam – China has announced new plans to confront environmental and geological problems around the Three Gorges Dam, even as a landslide in the region on Tuesday killed one construction worker, injured a second and trapped two others beneath a mound of fallen earth. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/22/world/asia/22gorges.html?ex=1353819600&en=bd240212956a130c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
New York Manhole Covers, Forged Barefoot in India – Workers in Haora, India, have few protections while making manhole covers for Con Edison and some cities’ utilities. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/nyregion/26manhole.html?ex=1353819600&en=4968dd4f2f427ada&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
TVA customers get brief reprieve amid power rate increases – After raising rates in each of the past four quarters to cover higher fuel rates, TVA customers should get a brief reprieve this winter. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgmtupoqTUie%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
North Carolina – Drought could force shutdown of nuclear, coal plants (Triangle Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2007/11/26/story5.html?ana=from_rss
Illinois – Quincy eyes river power – Mighty Mississippi could generate electricity for city (Chicago Tribune)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-quincy_bd25nov25,1,2414625.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Can't afford to keep warm? Energy assistance program can help – People who can't pay their heating bills can apply to the Snohomish County Energy Assistance office for financial aid. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071126/NEWS01/711260029&news01ad=1
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Cowlitz tribe seeks protection for Columbia River smelt (The Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/277934.html
At Entiat hatchery, Coho are taking the place of Chinook – Biologists decided the Chinook program was doing more harm than good. Now they have high hopes for helping another species. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004035120_floppingfish26.html
Steelhead seem to be on schedule – Around Thanksgiving is when winter steelhead start to return to state rivers. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071125/SPORTS/711250043/1004
Eternal dam nation – The life cycle of Columbia River salmon might be endangered, but not so the cycle of litigation over how to save the fish. (Crosscut – Ha! Ha! Good Headline)
http://www.crosscut.com/oregon/9388/
Lake Tapps water battle boils – October meeting’s no-shows ‘a real slap in the face,’ organizer says. Relations are frostier than ever between three local cities that want drinking water from Lake Tapps and an alliance of east King County cities that has first dibs on the water. (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/212460.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Inslee's Environmental Message Echoes in Current Political Campaigns (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/23/inslees-environmental-message-echoes-in-current/
Sweden Turns to a Promising Power Source, With Flaws The use of wind power in many European countries has stagnated in recent years. Sweden’s gleaming wind park is entering service at a time when wind energy is coming under sharper scrutiny, not just from hostile neighbors, who complain that the towers are a blot on the landscape, but from energy experts who question its reliability as a source of power. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/23/business/23wind.html?_r=1&ex=1353819600&en=3024fa47948297f1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Windy Kansas – Coal denial bad news for wind energy, some argue: Transmission lines could have been used for greener enterprises, but others say rejection of plants won't hurt Kansas' prospects (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgmtstoqZUie%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
Jail cells to solar cells – State installing 'green' tech in prison system – For inmates in Massachusetts' state prisons, sunshine is a rare commodity. Soon, however, it may be a powerful energy source. (The Journal of New England Technology)
http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2007/11/26/story2.html?ana=from_rss
As the Price of Oil Soars, Many Turn to Renewables (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2007/11/25/ST2007112501234.html
Through Genetics, Tapping a Tree’s Potential as a Source of Energy – Aiming to turn trees into new energy sources, scientists are using a controversial genetic engineering process to change the composition of the wood. A major goal is to reduce the amount of lignin, a chemical compound that interferes with efforts to turn the tree’s cellulose into biofuels like ethanol. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/science/20tree.html?_r=1&ex=1353733200&en=5a0d506477443bfd&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Canada – Biofuels no longer just a corny alternative (CanWest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=b21f9357-2ef9-4998-a7e0-070bb4e75188&k=16763
Shhhh: Postal carrier plugs in rather than gassing up (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20071126/NEWS/711260303
CONSERVATION
Cities turn to LEDs to conserve energy – Christmas will be greener this year with a growing number of cities and shopping districts saving electricity by using low-energy lights in holiday displays. (Cincinnati Enquirer)
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071124/LIFE08/711240320
California – Local teacher, students light up Napa homes with energy-saving bulbs (Napa Valley Register)
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2007/11/26/news/local/iq_4229338.txt
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
As hot-button issues go, global warming trailing – Climate change transforms an election campaign. Extreme weather and water restrictions galvanize voters. Both political parties scramble to propose mandatory limits on carbon emissions. (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7555421?nclick_check=1
Being Skeptical of Green – The newest trend is “green.” But consumers who think they can help improve the environment should be as careful as a snack-craving depressive when it comes to their purchasing decisions and avoid relying on labels. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/24/technology/24online.html?ex=1353560400&en=25a5589c7bc54f57&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
The Carbon Footprint – Virtually everything we do that requires oil, gas or electricity pumps carbon dioxide, CO2, into the air. As it rises into the atmosphere, scientists say it acts like a blanket and traps heat, warming the planet. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/25/AR2007112501510.html?nav=rss_business
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
F.C.C. Chief Seeks Votes to Tighten Cable Rules – The head of the Federal Communications Commission is struggling to find enough support from a majority of the agency’s commissioners to regulate cable television companies more tightly. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/business/media/26cable.html?ex=1353733200&en=0215c43bb03170aa&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Should USF Be Used For Rural Broadband? Policy-makers want to split the Universal Service Fund, which brings in around $7 billion or so every year and is used to subsidize the old-fashioned phone systems in rural areas, into three distinct parts: one to subsidize wireless services, another for the old-fashioned phone services, and a slice to subsidize the broadband build out in rural areas. (GigaOm)
http://gigaom.com/2007/11/26/should-a-portion-of-usf-be-used-for-rural-broadband/
Internet capacity alarmism is a corporatist scam – Industry in bed with authoritarians (The Inquirer)
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2007/11/26/internet-capacity-alarmism
GENERAL NEWS
Beach Upgrade Just the Start of Belfair Park Restoration (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/23/beach-upgrade-just-the-start-of-belfair-park/
Christmas-tree growers tout environmental tag – Picking a Christmas tree is typically a matter of taste. Is the shape right? Is it too tall? Too short? And is it "green" enough? (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004032648_greentrees24e.html
Tacoma News Tribune Opinion – Tapping state surplus for family leave a bad idea – Paid family leave is shaping up to be a cautionary tale about legislative punts.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/212395.html
Up Close, Farms Annoy Some Seekers of Rural Life (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/nyregion/26farm.html?ex=1353819600&en=4ef9453e0f0302f8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
DIVERSIONS
At least the partridge still costs $15 – While the origins of the Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" might be a mystery, one thing is certain: It's getting more costly to buy your true love all the items mentioned.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/213297.html
Announcer sacked over spoof messages – An official announcer for London's Tube system has been sacked after making spoof messages mocking American tourists, peeping Toms and sweaty commuters. (Note: Some PG-13 content – The BBC would like to apologize for the following announcements…)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/announcer_dc;_ylt=AkfAVapcdP9esrQJJ.k1zwftiBIF
Cows' ear hair and other waste hit German taxpayers
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071122/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_germany_waste;_ylt=Au5mROCN1XVWlRcAwFQoKz_tiBIF
First it was “Ukes for Troops”, now: Horde of harmonicas earmarked for troops (What’s next, “accordions for the Army?”)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071126/ap_on_fe_st/odd_harmonicas_troops;_ylt=Au1.ADjR8CtA2eVa4znqSE3tiBIF
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Energy News Digest for November 21, 2007
Ed. Note: The energy news digest will be taking a rest this Thanksgiving holiday. Let us all give thanks for clean, renewable energy in the Pacific Northwest...lower carbon emissions than most of the country...and the freedoms we exercise every day.
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)
- Editorial – Residential Exchange: Welcome compromise on a crucial resource
- New Grays Harbor County PUD Commissioner Appointed
- Public tells Chelan PUD to go slow on Alcoa power deal
- Orca advocates say remove Snake River dams
- Bush administration drops effort to ease salmon protections
- State-tribal project marks century of saving salmon
- Kittitas County – Big growth, big fight over water
- Grays Harbor – Huge refinery with big issue
- Seeding the way to better biofuels
- Seattle Times Editorial – Climate change: Lead or step aside.
- Canada – First Nations Leader to Premier: Carbon Credits 'Belong to Us'
- Most products' green claims exaggerated, study finds
- FCC – Martin's 'War on Cable' Not Going Over Well
- Centralia Call Center Attracts Attention
- Telecommuting found to boost morale, cut stress
- Old ferries pulled from service
- Wetlands Investigation Trips Up Regional Horse Arena
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Commove • \kuh-MOOV\ • verb – *1: to move violently: agitate 2: to rouse intense feeling in: excite to passion
The editorial page manager had hoped to calm the waters by making a flat statement that removing the Snake River dams would result in every resident of the Pacific Northwest losing ten pounds, growing five inches taller, and becoming better dancers. He did not mean to commove Arthur Murray Dance Studio executives who picketed the newspaper offices for three days straight…all while dancing the cha-cha inside a snaking conga line. “There is no way that people can become better dancers without expert instruction,” huffed the protest leader. “And I have evidence that shows that regardless of the dam construction, dancers throughout the region, especially in Idaho, are actually becoming better dancers on their own.” After the protests ended, all that was left were those little numbered footprints on the sidewalk.
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Everett Herald Editorial – Residential Exchange: Welcome compromise on a crucial resource
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071120/OPINION01/711200003
Grays Harbor County PUD – Seely appointed to fill Ellison’s PUD post.Truman Seely, who managed the Weyerhaeuser pulp mill in Cosmopolis for 15 years, is now a Grays Harbor PUD commissioner. (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/11/20/local_news/01news.txt
Public tells Chelan County PUD to go slow on Alcoa power deal – Alcoa took a beating Monday morning from Chelan County PUD ratepayers who worry that the utility is giving Alcoa too much too cheaply in a proposed new 17-year power deal. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071120/NEWS04/711200050/1001
News Release – Scott Lowry Fills NWPPA Training Position. The Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) has welcomed Scott Lowry to the Association as its newest training manager. NWPPA – links to PDF file)
http://www.nwppa.org/web/awards/Scott_Lowry_release.pdf
Still going strong – Efforts to curb greenhouse-gas emissions have yet to dent enthusiasm for coal (The Economist)
http://economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10145492
Indiana Utility Regulators Approve Duke Energy Clean Coal Power Plant (PR NewsWire viaCNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/CLTU08620112007-1.htm
Wisconsin – Squirrels Cause Power Outages for Hundreds of Customers. It was an unlucky day for two squirrels and hundreds of Midwestern power customers. (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/14650410/detail.html
FERC Assesses Advanced Metering Programs – Interest in electric demand response and advanced metering increased significantly in the past year, as reported in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's "2007 Assessment of Demand Response and Advanced Metering." (Energy Pulse Commentary)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1610
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Orca advocates say remove Snake River dams (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_orcas_dams.html
More Details and Comments – Orca Researchers Call for Dam Removal. Six killer whale researchers say removing dams on the Snake River would benefit not only endangered salmon but also the killer whales of Puget Sound. (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/20/orca-researchers-call-for-dam-removal/
Bush administration drops effort to ease salmon protections – The Bush administration has abandoned efforts pushed by the timber industry to allow more logging around salmon streams on Northwest national forests. (Associated Press, via the Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1060646~Bush_administration_drops_effort_to_ease_salmon_protections.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
State-tribal project marks century of saving salmon – The Tulalip Tribes continued a century-old tradition last week of partnering with state hatcheries for the increased production of Puget Sound salmon. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2004026012_salmon21n.html
Kittitas County – Big growth, big fight over water. A development bonanza is bringing hundreds of new wells here each year, tapping a limited water supply that long ago was fully claimed for agriculture and other uses. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004026753_water21m.html?syndication=rss
Tri-City Herald Opinion – Much of Kennewick Irrigation District’s dilemma could have been avoided. The ditches may be dry for the winter, but KID officials must be suffering from dampened spirits nonetheless.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/opinions/v-rss/story/9468891p-9380236c.html
Accord reached over Hanford fine – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reached an agreement with its regulators Tuesday to settle a $1.14 million fine for cleanup failures at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site. (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004026634_hanford21m.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Grays Harbor – Huge refinery with big issue: the recipe. At a Washington State plant, all the oils used to make non-fossil fuel raise their own environmental red flags (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/119553450974970.xml&coll=7
Seeding the way to better biofuels – Fuels derived from crops are making inroads into the global energy mix, but many wonder whether the world has enough land to feed 6 billion mouths — let alone 600 million cars. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/biotech/2004026594_biotechcrops21.html
Cynic Alert! – £400m (Appx. $824 m US) wood chip plant is approved. Plans to build the world's biggest biomass power station fuelled by wood chips have been given the go-ahead by the UK government. “…Prenergy said the use of wood chip as a fuel for electricity generation was recognised as being carbon-free. It said the carbon dioxide (CO2) released was equal to that absorbed during the growth of the tree, and replanting the trees ensured sustainability….” (British Broadcasting Corporation)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/7105124.stm
Canada – Harnessing flower power: Farmer proposes heating homes with sewage (The National Post)
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=d99e49bb-25f3-4b1d-843e-8ed64b937b07&k=22962
Solar Power Start-Up Opens Portland Factory (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/solar-power-start-opens-portland-factory/
CONSERVATION
Pulling the Plug – Forty thousand light bulbs! We should explain the true costs and underlying ugliness of these sparkling displays to our children, who may delight in them even more than we do. (The Virginia Pilot)
http://www.styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=15732
North Carolina – Saving energy: The Sierra Club highlights ways to reduce energy use. How would you like to get rid of your electric bill and become your own power station? And, if you had any extra unused energy, you could sell it to your local power company and help the environment at the same time. (Hendersonville Times-News)
http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20071121/NEWS/711210303/1018/SERVICES03/NEWS/Saving_energy
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Seattle Times Editorial – Climate change: Lead or step aside. The United States can best influence how the world addresses global warming by leading the way instead of sniping from the sidelines. Constructive participation in meetings next month in Bali, Indonesia, must set the tone.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004026203_climed21.html
Canada – First Nations Leader to Premier: Carbon Credits 'Belong to Us' (Tyee)
http://thetyee.ca/News/2007/11/20/CarbonCreditClaims/
Most products' green claims exaggerated, study finds – Greenwashing -- making false or misleading green marketing claims -- is pervasive, according to a consumer study released yesterday that found 99 per cent of more than a thousand products from big box stores committed at least one of the "Six Sins of Greenwashing." (The Victoria Times Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=069407bf-c497-407d-bff4-8aca5bad43cc&k=45856
Carbonrally: My carbon footprint's smaller than yours (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/greentech/8301-11128_3-9821041-54.html?part=dht
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Federal Communications Commission – Martin's 'War on Cable' Not Going Over Well – Members of own party call it 'misguided and harmful' (Wall Street Journal)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119551115421998409.html?mod=mm_media_marketing_hs_left
Centralia Call Center Attracts Attention – Unpaid Telemarketers Unhappy: Call Center Workers and Former Landlord Looking for Payment from Select Communications (Daily Chronicle)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1195584742&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
Telecommuting found to boost morale, cut stress (Reuters, via CNET News)
http://www.news.com/Telecommuting-found-to-boost-morale%2C-cut-stress/2100-1022_3-6219462.html?tag=fd_nbs_ent
UK Govt Apologizes About Huge Data Loss – Prime Minister Gordon Brown tried to reassure Britons their personal details were safe Wednesday after the one of the biggest security breaches in the country's history left millions of people exposed to identity theft and bank fraud. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/21/AR2007112100333.html?nav=rss_technology
GENERAL NEWS
Old ferries pulled from service; Keystone-Port Townsend run closed – The state's oldest ferries were pulled from service Tuesday, right before the Thanksgiving holiday rush, amid mounting concerns over cracks, leaks and corrosion in their 80-year-old hulls. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071121/NEWS01/711210061
Wetlands Investigation Trips Up Regional Horse Arena – The Army Corps of Engineers says a development along Interstate 5 in Southwest Washington has the potential to be the biggest wetlands violation the Northwest has ever seen. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/wetlands-investigation-trips-regional-horse-arena/
Yakima mayor asks for resignation of newly election city councilman – He hasn't even taken the oath of office yet, but already Yakima city councilman-elect Rick Ensey is being asked to step down by mayor Dave Edler. (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=7391309
Man Suspected Of Stealing Metal Found Asleep Near Crime Scene (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14650757/detail.html
KOMO’s Larry Nelson – Fans repaying ailing ex-radio host (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004026658_komoradio21.html?syndication=rss
DIVERSIONS
New Jersey Cat Turns Up In Atlanta Area – Heathcliff the cat somehow hitched a nearly 800-mile ride from New Jersey to Georgia -- most likely on a moving van, authorities said.
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/14650441/detail.html
Yes, This Is Your Grandfather's Ford – The Ford Lauderdale, the Volvo Vermont, and other car names that actually make sense.
http://www.slate.com/id/2178332/fr/rss/
Painting found in trash sells for $1M
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071121/ap_on_fe_st/trash_treasure;_ylt=AiIZ4uJz9Eet01PGfFi1HsjtiBIF
Ancient sea scorpion was bigger than a human
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071121/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_scorpion_fossil;_ylt=Au39iE5hsvJQFGbFAtSpNentiBIF
Thousands protest over China ant aphrodisiac scheme
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071121/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_china_protests;_ylt=Ampi99QTFptCXgdMWwV6yk7tiBIF
Police smelled trouble with teenagers – Two teens who went to the Leicester police station to apply for door-to-door sales permits were arrested after officers say they smelled burned marijuana on them.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071121/ap_on_fe_st/odd_police_station_bust;_ylt=AuKazW222RwXzbpem53g1fjtiBIF
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)
- Editorial – Residential Exchange: Welcome compromise on a crucial resource
- New Grays Harbor County PUD Commissioner Appointed
- Public tells Chelan PUD to go slow on Alcoa power deal
- Orca advocates say remove Snake River dams
- Bush administration drops effort to ease salmon protections
- State-tribal project marks century of saving salmon
- Kittitas County – Big growth, big fight over water
- Grays Harbor – Huge refinery with big issue
- Seeding the way to better biofuels
- Seattle Times Editorial – Climate change: Lead or step aside.
- Canada – First Nations Leader to Premier: Carbon Credits 'Belong to Us'
- Most products' green claims exaggerated, study finds
- FCC – Martin's 'War on Cable' Not Going Over Well
- Centralia Call Center Attracts Attention
- Telecommuting found to boost morale, cut stress
- Old ferries pulled from service
- Wetlands Investigation Trips Up Regional Horse Arena
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Commove • \kuh-MOOV\ • verb – *1: to move violently: agitate 2: to rouse intense feeling in: excite to passion
The editorial page manager had hoped to calm the waters by making a flat statement that removing the Snake River dams would result in every resident of the Pacific Northwest losing ten pounds, growing five inches taller, and becoming better dancers. He did not mean to commove Arthur Murray Dance Studio executives who picketed the newspaper offices for three days straight…all while dancing the cha-cha inside a snaking conga line. “There is no way that people can become better dancers without expert instruction,” huffed the protest leader. “And I have evidence that shows that regardless of the dam construction, dancers throughout the region, especially in Idaho, are actually becoming better dancers on their own.” After the protests ended, all that was left were those little numbered footprints on the sidewalk.
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Everett Herald Editorial – Residential Exchange: Welcome compromise on a crucial resource
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071120/OPINION01/711200003
Grays Harbor County PUD – Seely appointed to fill Ellison’s PUD post.Truman Seely, who managed the Weyerhaeuser pulp mill in Cosmopolis for 15 years, is now a Grays Harbor PUD commissioner. (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2007/11/20/local_news/01news.txt
Public tells Chelan County PUD to go slow on Alcoa power deal – Alcoa took a beating Monday morning from Chelan County PUD ratepayers who worry that the utility is giving Alcoa too much too cheaply in a proposed new 17-year power deal. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071120/NEWS04/711200050/1001
News Release – Scott Lowry Fills NWPPA Training Position. The Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) has welcomed Scott Lowry to the Association as its newest training manager. NWPPA – links to PDF file)
http://www.nwppa.org/web/awards/Scott_Lowry_release.pdf
Still going strong – Efforts to curb greenhouse-gas emissions have yet to dent enthusiasm for coal (The Economist)
http://economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10145492
Indiana Utility Regulators Approve Duke Energy Clean Coal Power Plant (PR NewsWire viaCNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/CLTU08620112007-1.htm
Wisconsin – Squirrels Cause Power Outages for Hundreds of Customers. It was an unlucky day for two squirrels and hundreds of Midwestern power customers. (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/14650410/detail.html
FERC Assesses Advanced Metering Programs – Interest in electric demand response and advanced metering increased significantly in the past year, as reported in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's "2007 Assessment of Demand Response and Advanced Metering." (Energy Pulse Commentary)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1610
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Orca advocates say remove Snake River dams (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_orcas_dams.html
More Details and Comments – Orca Researchers Call for Dam Removal. Six killer whale researchers say removing dams on the Snake River would benefit not only endangered salmon but also the killer whales of Puget Sound. (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/20/orca-researchers-call-for-dam-removal/
Bush administration drops effort to ease salmon protections – The Bush administration has abandoned efforts pushed by the timber industry to allow more logging around salmon streams on Northwest national forests. (Associated Press, via the Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1060646~Bush_administration_drops_effort_to_ease_salmon_protections.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
State-tribal project marks century of saving salmon – The Tulalip Tribes continued a century-old tradition last week of partnering with state hatcheries for the increased production of Puget Sound salmon. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2004026012_salmon21n.html
Kittitas County – Big growth, big fight over water. A development bonanza is bringing hundreds of new wells here each year, tapping a limited water supply that long ago was fully claimed for agriculture and other uses. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004026753_water21m.html?syndication=rss
Tri-City Herald Opinion – Much of Kennewick Irrigation District’s dilemma could have been avoided. The ditches may be dry for the winter, but KID officials must be suffering from dampened spirits nonetheless.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/opinions/v-rss/story/9468891p-9380236c.html
Accord reached over Hanford fine – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reached an agreement with its regulators Tuesday to settle a $1.14 million fine for cleanup failures at the nation's most contaminated nuclear site. (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004026634_hanford21m.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Grays Harbor – Huge refinery with big issue: the recipe. At a Washington State plant, all the oils used to make non-fossil fuel raise their own environmental red flags (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/119553450974970.xml&coll=7
Seeding the way to better biofuels – Fuels derived from crops are making inroads into the global energy mix, but many wonder whether the world has enough land to feed 6 billion mouths — let alone 600 million cars. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/biotech/2004026594_biotechcrops21.html
Cynic Alert! – £400m (Appx. $824 m US) wood chip plant is approved. Plans to build the world's biggest biomass power station fuelled by wood chips have been given the go-ahead by the UK government. “…Prenergy said the use of wood chip as a fuel for electricity generation was recognised as being carbon-free. It said the carbon dioxide (CO2) released was equal to that absorbed during the growth of the tree, and replanting the trees ensured sustainability….” (British Broadcasting Corporation)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_west/7105124.stm
Canada – Harnessing flower power: Farmer proposes heating homes with sewage (The National Post)
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=d99e49bb-25f3-4b1d-843e-8ed64b937b07&k=22962
Solar Power Start-Up Opens Portland Factory (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/solar-power-start-opens-portland-factory/
CONSERVATION
Pulling the Plug – Forty thousand light bulbs! We should explain the true costs and underlying ugliness of these sparkling displays to our children, who may delight in them even more than we do. (The Virginia Pilot)
http://www.styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=15732
North Carolina – Saving energy: The Sierra Club highlights ways to reduce energy use. How would you like to get rid of your electric bill and become your own power station? And, if you had any extra unused energy, you could sell it to your local power company and help the environment at the same time. (Hendersonville Times-News)
http://www.blueridgenow.com/article/20071121/NEWS/711210303/1018/SERVICES03/NEWS/Saving_energy
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Seattle Times Editorial – Climate change: Lead or step aside. The United States can best influence how the world addresses global warming by leading the way instead of sniping from the sidelines. Constructive participation in meetings next month in Bali, Indonesia, must set the tone.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004026203_climed21.html
Canada – First Nations Leader to Premier: Carbon Credits 'Belong to Us' (Tyee)
http://thetyee.ca/News/2007/11/20/CarbonCreditClaims/
Most products' green claims exaggerated, study finds – Greenwashing -- making false or misleading green marketing claims -- is pervasive, according to a consumer study released yesterday that found 99 per cent of more than a thousand products from big box stores committed at least one of the "Six Sins of Greenwashing." (The Victoria Times Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=069407bf-c497-407d-bff4-8aca5bad43cc&k=45856
Carbonrally: My carbon footprint's smaller than yours (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/greentech/8301-11128_3-9821041-54.html?part=dht
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Federal Communications Commission – Martin's 'War on Cable' Not Going Over Well – Members of own party call it 'misguided and harmful' (Wall Street Journal)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119551115421998409.html?mod=mm_media_marketing_hs_left
Centralia Call Center Attracts Attention – Unpaid Telemarketers Unhappy: Call Center Workers and Former Landlord Looking for Payment from Select Communications (Daily Chronicle)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1195584742&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
Telecommuting found to boost morale, cut stress (Reuters, via CNET News)
http://www.news.com/Telecommuting-found-to-boost-morale%2C-cut-stress/2100-1022_3-6219462.html?tag=fd_nbs_ent
UK Govt Apologizes About Huge Data Loss – Prime Minister Gordon Brown tried to reassure Britons their personal details were safe Wednesday after the one of the biggest security breaches in the country's history left millions of people exposed to identity theft and bank fraud. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/21/AR2007112100333.html?nav=rss_technology
GENERAL NEWS
Old ferries pulled from service; Keystone-Port Townsend run closed – The state's oldest ferries were pulled from service Tuesday, right before the Thanksgiving holiday rush, amid mounting concerns over cracks, leaks and corrosion in their 80-year-old hulls. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071121/NEWS01/711210061
Wetlands Investigation Trips Up Regional Horse Arena – The Army Corps of Engineers says a development along Interstate 5 in Southwest Washington has the potential to be the biggest wetlands violation the Northwest has ever seen. (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/wetlands-investigation-trips-regional-horse-arena/
Yakima mayor asks for resignation of newly election city councilman – He hasn't even taken the oath of office yet, but already Yakima city councilman-elect Rick Ensey is being asked to step down by mayor Dave Edler. (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=7391309
Man Suspected Of Stealing Metal Found Asleep Near Crime Scene (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/14650757/detail.html
KOMO’s Larry Nelson – Fans repaying ailing ex-radio host (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004026658_komoradio21.html?syndication=rss
DIVERSIONS
New Jersey Cat Turns Up In Atlanta Area – Heathcliff the cat somehow hitched a nearly 800-mile ride from New Jersey to Georgia -- most likely on a moving van, authorities said.
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/14650441/detail.html
Yes, This Is Your Grandfather's Ford – The Ford Lauderdale, the Volvo Vermont, and other car names that actually make sense.
http://www.slate.com/id/2178332/fr/rss/
Painting found in trash sells for $1M
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071121/ap_on_fe_st/trash_treasure;_ylt=AiIZ4uJz9Eet01PGfFi1HsjtiBIF
Ancient sea scorpion was bigger than a human
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071121/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_scorpion_fossil;_ylt=Au39iE5hsvJQFGbFAtSpNentiBIF
Thousands protest over China ant aphrodisiac scheme
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071121/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_china_protests;_ylt=Ampi99QTFptCXgdMWwV6yk7tiBIF
Police smelled trouble with teenagers – Two teens who went to the Leicester police station to apply for door-to-door sales permits were arrested after officers say they smelled burned marijuana on them.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071121/ap_on_fe_st/odd_police_station_bust;_ylt=AuKazW222RwXzbpem53g1fjtiBIF
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Energy News Digest for November 20, 2007
All the links in today’s Energy 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)
- Mostly clear, cold weather forecast for Thanksgiving
- Strait (of Juan de Fuca) power line now slated to light up in August 2009
- No rate increase in proposed Grant PUD budget
- Utility puts couple in dark over easement (PenLight)
- Montana State Land Board OKs Avista dam settlement
- Calpine CEO may be cashing a big bonus
- Nonnative fish impact Western rivers
- Wave energy projects crash into ocean fishing turf
- Homeowners Associations and Solar Panels Don't Always Mix
- California program discounts solar for the poor
- Pacific Ethanol may lose high-profile investor
- Energy Dept. Criticized Over New Standards for Residential Furnaces
- Montana Governor releases goals on emissions
- Oregon’s Multnomah County emissions almost at ’90 levels
- British Columbia to make climate-change targets part of law
- Taxpayers Not Keen To Fund Broadband Subsidies
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Skullduggery • \skull-DUG-uh-ree\ • noun – Underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; also: a devious device or trick
“By hook or crook we will put a crimp in the latest trend to use outdated and hackneyed phrases in headlines,” groused the grizzled assignment editor at the local newspaper. What he didn’t count on was the skullduggery of the linotype operator who had a penchant for “turning himself into police” every Thursday evening so he could arrest scofflaws.
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Mostly clear, cold weather forecast for Thanksgiving across Washington State (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1059146~Mostly_clear__cold_weather_forecast_for_Thanksgiving_across_state.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Port Angeles – Cross-Strait power line now slated to light up in August 2009 – A Canadian high-voltage power line to be sunk in the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Victoria and here now isn't scheduled to be operational until August 2009. (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20071120/NEWS/711200305
No rate increase in proposed Grant PUD budget – Grant County PUD's proposed $458.7 million budget shows $10.3 million set aside to expand the fiber-optic system and $26.8 million for Wanapum Dam's turbine replacement project. (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2007/11/19/news/news02.txt
Utility puts couple in dark over easement (The News Tribune, Tacoma – looks like some stubborn customers need to read their PenLight bylaws)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/208337.html
Montana State Land Board OKs Avista dam settlement (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1057454~Montana_State_Land_Board_OKs_Avista_dam_settlement.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines
Calpine CEO may be cashing a big bonus – Calpine Corp. wants to pay Chief Executive Robert May a bonus worth $10.9 million when it exits Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection under an incentive program that would pay a total of $66.6 million to 2,200 employees. (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7514212
Power line may trigger surge in rates: Experts say PPL's new transmission wire will benefit New Jersey more than the Valley. “…Power costs tend to increase as you move east, Robert McCullough, a Portland, Ore.-based energy consultant, explained…” (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgmrospmVTnk%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
News Release – Ameren Illinois Utilities are Prepared for Severe Winter Weather, Offers Tips to Help Customers When Storms Occur
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=78289
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Nonnative fish impact Western rivers – Oregon and Washington have lowest rates, according to OSU study. About 20 percent of Oregon’s river and stream miles contain nonnative fish and amphibians (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2007/11/20/news/community/6loc01_nonnativefish.txt
His fix for the Yakima River? Pump it up “…a direct pipeline from the pool behind Wanapum Dam…pumping water into a tunnel and open canal that would drop the water into the Roza and Sunnyside canals…” (Yakima Gerald-Republic)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/page/dis/290335500005133
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
(Oh those naughty NIMBY folks) Wave energy projects crash into ocean fishing turf – Storm clouds gather as ocean users compete for priority – There's a new kind of storm rolling into the Oregon coast, and it's driven by conflicting interests in ocean real estate. (The Daily Astorian)
http://dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=46923
Homeowners Associations and Solar Panels Don't Always Mix (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50627&src=rss
California – Program discounts solar for the poor. The cost of going solar just dropped for some low-income California families. Nearly 7,000 such households could get free or discounted solar roofs thanks to a $108 million subsidy program adopted Friday by the state Public Utilities Commission. (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7514243?nclick_check=1
Seattle, Houston companies plan Montana biodiesel project (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1058915~Seattle__Houston_companies_plan_Montana_biodiesel_project.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines
Pacific Ethanol may lose investor – Cascade Investment LLC, a firm owned by Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates, may sell its 21 percent stake in Pacific Ethanol Inc., which has lost almost two-thirds of its market value this year. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/340342_gatesethanol20.html?source=rss
Massachusetts – Air Force Reports No Impact on Radar from Cape Wind (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50625&src=rss
Why the French lag in renewable energy (International Herald Tribune)
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/20/europe/letter.php?WT.mc_id=rssfrontpage
CONSERVATION
Energy Dept. Criticized Over New Standards for Residential Furnaces – As families face record heating bills, the Energy Department issued new requirements yesterday for residential furnaces, although critics say the rules will do little to save consumers money or bring more efficient equipment onto the market. (Associated Press, via the Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/19/AR2007111901449.html?nav=rss_business
News Release – LED Holiday Lighting, Other Energy-Efficiency Measures, Gifts Tame High Winter Energy Costs, Advises Alliance to Save Energy (Alliance to Save Energy)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=78230
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Montana Governor releases goals on emissions (The Missoulian)
http://missoulian.com/articles/2007/11/20/news/local/news04.txt
Oregon – Multnomah County’s emissions almost at ’90 levels. Greenhouse gases decline despite 15 percent increase in population (Portland Tribune – But of course, it’s all in how you measure it)
http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=119551154017434500
British Columbia to make climate-change targets part of law (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071120.wbcgreen20/BNStory/National/home
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Taxpayers Not Keen To Fund Broadband Subsidies – A poll of American taxpayers found little support for expanding telephone Universal Service subsidies to include Internet broadband. (InternetNews.com)
http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3712131
50% of US homes now have broadband Internet access (Connected Home News)
http://www.connected-home-news.com/content/view/527/47/
Comcast CEO: Investors are wrong about us – The CEO of the largest U.S. cable company talks about his company's ailing stock, competition from satellite and phone rivals, and ongoing tussles with the NFL. (CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/19/technology/roberts_comcast.fortune/
Hawaii Broadband Taskforce Examines the Future of High-Speed Internet Access (Hawaii Reporter)
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?c02fef99-86cb-4fcb-a5a2-3f7878bfdf0f
GENERAL NEWS
Olympia City Council's hands likely tied on tax – Gov. Chris Gregoire's call for a special legislative session to limit the growth in property tax collections to 1 percent has effectively quashed an effort by the Olympia City Council to raise property tax revenue by up to 6 percent. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/276521.html
Oregon – Initiatives connect to Internet. Come January, voters will be able to print out petitions, sign them and mail them to organizers (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/119543910322040.xml&coll=7
DIVERSIONS
'Sweet Caroline' Was Caroline Kennedy – Neil Diamond held onto the secret for decades, but he has finally revealed that President Kennedy's daughter was the inspiration for his smash hit "Sweet Caroline."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/11/20/entertainment/e065401S05.DTL&feed=rss.news
DRUNK PARTYGOER’S FIT OF RAGE RESULTS IN STABBING OF HOME OWNER – You’ve heard the phrase “ Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” This is an extreme case. Centralia authorities say a homeowner was stabbed at least ten times after taking a drunken partygoer’s keys. The homeowner was treated after being repeatedly stabbed in the head, arms and hands with the small pocket knife. The suspect was later arrested in Grand Mound. (KELA Radio, Centralia/Chehalis)
Stowaway piglet survives toilet roll ordeal – A piglet nicknamed Andrex is recovering after being found in the back of a truck full of toilet paper at a supermarket.
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2071385220071120?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Donovan, David Lynch Plan University In Scotland – The 'Invincible Donovan University' Will Emphasize Transcendental Meditation
http://kdka.com/health/donovan.david.lynch.2.414944.html
British dog owners go barking mad for fancy dress – Darth Labrador. Dogzilla. Elvis the hound dog. No outfit is too outrageous for man's best friend.The British do love a party animal -- they have gone crazy dressing up their dogs for costume parties.
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2061304520071120?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
When Wild Turkeys Take Over – The cemetery in the quiet college town of Davis, California has been invaded by wild turkeys. The birds are harassing mourners, chasing bicyclists and eating flowers. (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16422237&ft=1&f=17
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Mostly clear, cold weather forecast for Thanksgiving
- Strait (of Juan de Fuca) power line now slated to light up in August 2009
- No rate increase in proposed Grant PUD budget
- Utility puts couple in dark over easement (PenLight)
- Montana State Land Board OKs Avista dam settlement
- Calpine CEO may be cashing a big bonus
- Nonnative fish impact Western rivers
- Wave energy projects crash into ocean fishing turf
- Homeowners Associations and Solar Panels Don't Always Mix
- California program discounts solar for the poor
- Pacific Ethanol may lose high-profile investor
- Energy Dept. Criticized Over New Standards for Residential Furnaces
- Montana Governor releases goals on emissions
- Oregon’s Multnomah County emissions almost at ’90 levels
- British Columbia to make climate-change targets part of law
- Taxpayers Not Keen To Fund Broadband Subsidies
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Skullduggery • \skull-DUG-uh-ree\ • noun – Underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; also: a devious device or trick
“By hook or crook we will put a crimp in the latest trend to use outdated and hackneyed phrases in headlines,” groused the grizzled assignment editor at the local newspaper. What he didn’t count on was the skullduggery of the linotype operator who had a penchant for “turning himself into police” every Thursday evening so he could arrest scofflaws.
WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
Mostly clear, cold weather forecast for Thanksgiving across Washington State (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1059146~Mostly_clear__cold_weather_forecast_for_Thanksgiving_across_state.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Port Angeles – Cross-Strait power line now slated to light up in August 2009 – A Canadian high-voltage power line to be sunk in the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Victoria and here now isn't scheduled to be operational until August 2009. (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20071120/NEWS/711200305
No rate increase in proposed Grant PUD budget – Grant County PUD's proposed $458.7 million budget shows $10.3 million set aside to expand the fiber-optic system and $26.8 million for Wanapum Dam's turbine replacement project. (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2007/11/19/news/news02.txt
Utility puts couple in dark over easement (The News Tribune, Tacoma – looks like some stubborn customers need to read their PenLight bylaws)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/208337.html
Montana State Land Board OKs Avista dam settlement (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1057454~Montana_State_Land_Board_OKs_Avista_dam_settlement.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines
Calpine CEO may be cashing a big bonus – Calpine Corp. wants to pay Chief Executive Robert May a bonus worth $10.9 million when it exits Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection under an incentive program that would pay a total of $66.6 million to 2,200 employees. (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7514212
Power line may trigger surge in rates: Experts say PPL's new transmission wire will benefit New Jersey more than the Valley. “…Power costs tend to increase as you move east, Robert McCullough, a Portland, Ore.-based energy consultant, explained…” (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CgmrospmVTnk%22EN%26bfem%5Ev
News Release – Ameren Illinois Utilities are Prepared for Severe Winter Weather, Offers Tips to Help Customers When Storms Occur
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=78289
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Nonnative fish impact Western rivers – Oregon and Washington have lowest rates, according to OSU study. About 20 percent of Oregon’s river and stream miles contain nonnative fish and amphibians (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2007/11/20/news/community/6loc01_nonnativefish.txt
His fix for the Yakima River? Pump it up “…a direct pipeline from the pool behind Wanapum Dam…pumping water into a tunnel and open canal that would drop the water into the Roza and Sunnyside canals…” (Yakima Gerald-Republic)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/page/dis/290335500005133
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
(Oh those naughty NIMBY folks) Wave energy projects crash into ocean fishing turf – Storm clouds gather as ocean users compete for priority – There's a new kind of storm rolling into the Oregon coast, and it's driven by conflicting interests in ocean real estate. (The Daily Astorian)
http://dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=46923
Homeowners Associations and Solar Panels Don't Always Mix (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50627&src=rss
California – Program discounts solar for the poor. The cost of going solar just dropped for some low-income California families. Nearly 7,000 such households could get free or discounted solar roofs thanks to a $108 million subsidy program adopted Friday by the state Public Utilities Commission. (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7514243?nclick_check=1
Seattle, Houston companies plan Montana biodiesel project (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1058915~Seattle__Houston_companies_plan_Montana_biodiesel_project.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines
Pacific Ethanol may lose investor – Cascade Investment LLC, a firm owned by Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates, may sell its 21 percent stake in Pacific Ethanol Inc., which has lost almost two-thirds of its market value this year. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/340342_gatesethanol20.html?source=rss
Massachusetts – Air Force Reports No Impact on Radar from Cape Wind (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50625&src=rss
Why the French lag in renewable energy (International Herald Tribune)
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/20/europe/letter.php?WT.mc_id=rssfrontpage
CONSERVATION
Energy Dept. Criticized Over New Standards for Residential Furnaces – As families face record heating bills, the Energy Department issued new requirements yesterday for residential furnaces, although critics say the rules will do little to save consumers money or bring more efficient equipment onto the market. (Associated Press, via the Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/19/AR2007111901449.html?nav=rss_business
News Release – LED Holiday Lighting, Other Energy-Efficiency Measures, Gifts Tame High Winter Energy Costs, Advises Alliance to Save Energy (Alliance to Save Energy)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=78230
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Montana Governor releases goals on emissions (The Missoulian)
http://missoulian.com/articles/2007/11/20/news/local/news04.txt
Oregon – Multnomah County’s emissions almost at ’90 levels. Greenhouse gases decline despite 15 percent increase in population (Portland Tribune – But of course, it’s all in how you measure it)
http://portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=119551154017434500
British Columbia to make climate-change targets part of law (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071120.wbcgreen20/BNStory/National/home
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Taxpayers Not Keen To Fund Broadband Subsidies – A poll of American taxpayers found little support for expanding telephone Universal Service subsidies to include Internet broadband. (InternetNews.com)
http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3712131
50% of US homes now have broadband Internet access (Connected Home News)
http://www.connected-home-news.com/content/view/527/47/
Comcast CEO: Investors are wrong about us – The CEO of the largest U.S. cable company talks about his company's ailing stock, competition from satellite and phone rivals, and ongoing tussles with the NFL. (CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/19/technology/roberts_comcast.fortune/
Hawaii Broadband Taskforce Examines the Future of High-Speed Internet Access (Hawaii Reporter)
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?c02fef99-86cb-4fcb-a5a2-3f7878bfdf0f
GENERAL NEWS
Olympia City Council's hands likely tied on tax – Gov. Chris Gregoire's call for a special legislative session to limit the growth in property tax collections to 1 percent has effectively quashed an effort by the Olympia City Council to raise property tax revenue by up to 6 percent. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/276521.html
Oregon – Initiatives connect to Internet. Come January, voters will be able to print out petitions, sign them and mail them to organizers (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/119543910322040.xml&coll=7
DIVERSIONS
'Sweet Caroline' Was Caroline Kennedy – Neil Diamond held onto the secret for decades, but he has finally revealed that President Kennedy's daughter was the inspiration for his smash hit "Sweet Caroline."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/11/20/entertainment/e065401S05.DTL&feed=rss.news
DRUNK PARTYGOER’S FIT OF RAGE RESULTS IN STABBING OF HOME OWNER – You’ve heard the phrase “ Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” This is an extreme case. Centralia authorities say a homeowner was stabbed at least ten times after taking a drunken partygoer’s keys. The homeowner was treated after being repeatedly stabbed in the head, arms and hands with the small pocket knife. The suspect was later arrested in Grand Mound. (KELA Radio, Centralia/Chehalis)
Stowaway piglet survives toilet roll ordeal – A piglet nicknamed Andrex is recovering after being found in the back of a truck full of toilet paper at a supermarket.
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2071385220071120?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Donovan, David Lynch Plan University In Scotland – The 'Invincible Donovan University' Will Emphasize Transcendental Meditation
http://kdka.com/health/donovan.david.lynch.2.414944.html
British dog owners go barking mad for fancy dress – Darth Labrador. Dogzilla. Elvis the hound dog. No outfit is too outrageous for man's best friend.The British do love a party animal -- they have gone crazy dressing up their dogs for costume parties.
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2061304520071120?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
When Wild Turkeys Take Over – The cemetery in the quiet college town of Davis, California has been invaded by wild turkeys. The birds are harassing mourners, chasing bicyclists and eating flowers. (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16422237&ft=1&f=17
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