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)
- News Release – Mason County PUD No. 3 to Provide for Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Recycling
- Jefferson County commissioners warm to studying PUD as power provider
- Washington State fines Puget Sound Energy $366,000 for fuel spill at Crystal Mountain
- Columbia River PUD warns of identity theft after rip-off
- Crash Knocks Out Power In South Seattle
- After wind turbine fatality, Siemens will defend safety procedures
- Valley public power group and PG&E settle dispute
- Local California communities reach for power over energy
- Canada – Alberta's nuclear power plans concern northern British Columbia mayors
- Wisconsin – Past Due Utility Bills Near $115 Million
- Wisconsin – Electric rates go up Tuesday – again
- Sport Chinook fishery on Chehalis River closed
- Columbia River spring Chinook salmon fishing can get you hooked
- Demand for B.C. farmed salmon outstrips supply, industry says
- Washington State Ecology to lay off as many as nine in its Water Quality Program
- Odessa Aquifer report released for public review
- Study looks at piping water to Umatilla basin farms
- Klamath Basin – It looks like Basin got a break on water supply
- Portland to pay settlement for nearly 90 sewage spills over six years
- Montana –State panel to hear wind-power case
- Will Wind Power Make the Grid Less Reliable?
- Demand and cost of natural gas – Costly fertilizer could bump crop prices
- Demand growing for employees in renewable energy
- Seattle-Based native company launches wind energy project
- Kentucky – Idaho company to study river power at Newburgh Lock & Dam
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Regulation in a Time of Looming Darkness
- Study Finds Garbage-To-Fuel Best Fit for Northwest
- Is ethanol's carbon footprint bad? It depends
- Is the silicon shortage in solar ending? Tea leaves mixed
- Hello Gridwise – Fridges of the world, unite! Smarter appliances mean fewer brown-outs
- White House floats new climate proposal with GOP conservatives
- Climate Changing Faster In The Northwest, Study Finds
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial – Climate Change: Last gasp for autos
- Chinese Officials Announce Plans to Clear Air before Olympics
- Turning White Space into Wireless
- Tennessee – Chattanooga power company to pursue cable venture
- Bill would ban in-flight phone talk
- Did Google 'dupe' FCC?
- Layoffs At Simpson Timber Company
- Unseasonably Cold Storm System Possible By Week's End
- KVI employee suspected of rigging radio contest
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Spinous • \SPY-nuss\ • adjective – 1a: covered or armed with spines; broadly: bearing spines, prickles, or thorns b: slender and pointed like a spine *2: difficult or unpleasant to handle or meet: thorny
Tom had heard the old proverb “as ticklish as dancing with a porcupine,” but until his spinous encounter in dancing class with his neighbor’s pet hedgehog, he never really knew what it meant. An hour later, his emergency room doctor spelled it all out for him.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
News Release – Mason County PUD No. 3 to Provide for Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Recycling (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=425
Jefferson County commissioners warm to studying PUD as power provider (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080415/NEWS/804150305
Washington State fines Puget Sound Energy $366,000 for fuel spill at Crystal Mountain (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/419998.html
Columbia River PUD warns of identity theft after rip-off (South County Spotlight)
http://www.spotlightnews.net/news/story.php?story_id=120830002485421400
Crash Knocks Out Power In South Seattle (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15897180/detail.html
After wind turbine fatality, Siemens will defend safety procedures – The wind turbine maker talks to Oregon regulators today about a tower that fell (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1208314508290870.xml&coll=7
Valley public power group and PG&E settle dispute – The state's first public electricity cooperative (San Joaquin Valley Power Authority) and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said Monday they have settled an acrid dispute over PG&E's marketing campaign against the co-op (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/04/14/state/n175625D82.DTL&feed=rss.business
Local communities reach for power over energy – Marin County residents want more solar and wind power. San Francisco officials think they might be able to strike better energy deals. Some cities in the San Joaquin Valley want to build their own power plants. …California communities are trying to exert more power over, well, their power. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/15/MN1K105A81.DTL
Canada – Alberta's nuclear power plans concern northern British Columbia mayors (CBC News)
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/04/14/bc-alberta-nuclear-plant.html
Wisconsin – Past Due Utility Bills Near $115 Million (Light and Medium Truck)
http://lmtruck.com/articles/lmtbase.aspx?storyid=129
Wisconsin – Electric rates go up Tuesday - again: We Energies' second increase in 3 months blamed on fuel costs (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CjmsrqtqUTjgt9K%22bfen%5Fv
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Sport Chinook fishery on Chehalis River closed (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/17761119.html
Columbia River spring Chinook salmon fishing can get you hooked (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2004351686_chinook16.html?syndication=rss
Demand for B.C. farmed salmon outstrips supply, industry says (Fish Update)
http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/10639/Demand_for_B.C._farmed_salmon_outstrips_supply,_industry_says.html
Ecology to lay off as many as nine – The state Department of Ecology plans to lay off up to nine workers in its 250-person Water Quality Program, prompted in part by declining construction statewide. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/420563.html
Odessa Aquifer report released for public review (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/157988.html
Study looks at piping water to Umatilla basin farms – A consortium of three Oregon companies has been chosen to find out whether it's feasible to draw water from the Columbia River and store it for use by Umatilla basin farmers (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1208310929186630.xml&coll=7
Klamath Basin – It looks like Basin got a break on water supply (Klamath Herald & News)
http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2008/04/14/viewpoints/op-ed/doc4801a48c95a48171180452.txt
Portland to pay settlement for nearly 90 sewage spills over six years (The Associated Press, via the Eugene Register-Guard)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=93128&sid=4&fid=2
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Montana –State panel to hear wind-power case - Small producers, Northwestern at odds over fees (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/04/15/news/mtregional/news07.txt
Will Wind Power Make the Grid Less Reliable? (Renewable Energy World Online)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/ate/story?id=52179&src=rss
Demand and cost of natural gas – Costly fertilizer could bump crop prices
http://www.examiner.com/a-1342401~Costly_fertilizer_could_bump_crop_prices.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
Demand growing for employees in renewable energy (Ashland Daily Tidings)
http://www.dailytidings.com/2008/0414/stories/0414_greenjobs.php
Seattle-Based native company launches wind energy project (Indian Country)
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096417016
Kentucky – Idaho company to study river power at Newburgh Lock & Dam (Evansville Courier & Press)
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2008/apr/15/company-to-study-river-power-at-newburgh-lock/
Energy Pulse Commentary – Regulation in a Time of Looming Darkness
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1719
Study Finds Garbage-To-Fuel Best Fit for Northwest (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/study-finds-garbage-fuel-best-fit-northwest/
Is ethanol's carbon footprint bad? It depends (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9919612-54.html?tag=nl.e703
Is the silicon shortage in solar ending? Tea leaves mixed (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9919442-54.html?tag=nl.e703
CONSERVATION
Hello Gridwise – Fridges of the world, unite! Smarter appliances mean fewer brown-outs (The Economist Magazine Online)
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11041528
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
White House floats new climate proposal with GOP conservatives (The Associated Press, via the Minneapolis Star)
http://www.startribune.com/politics/17675349.html
Climate Changing Faster In The Northwest, Study Finds (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/climate-changing-faster-northwest-study-finds/
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial – Climate Change: Last gasp for autos
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/359157_drived.html?source=rss
Chinese Officials Announce Plans to Clear Air before Olympics (Washington Post – Ed. Note: two words – BIG fans)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/14/AR2008041401598.html?nav=rss_nation
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Turning White Space into Wireless – Some companies want to use leftover parts of the TV broadcast spectrum to create inexpensive wireless service. Such a move could be dangerous, critics say (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89652413&ft=1&f=17
Tennessee – Chattanooga power company to pursue cable venture - EPB says judge's dismissal of suit clears way for plans (Knoxville News)
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/apr/16/chattanooga-power-company-to-pursue-cable/
Bill would ban in-flight phone talk (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8939101?source=rss
Did Google 'dupe' FCC? Google manipulated the U.S. government spectrum auction by bidding just enough to trigger rules that opened a nationwide set of airwaves to any device and then walking away, Republican lawmakers said Tuesday. (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8942121?source=rss
GENERAL NEWS
LAYOFFS AT SIMPSON TIMBER COMPANY – Simpson Timber Company is laying off a total 111 workers at two sawmills at the end of this month. This includes 65 at the mill in Shelton. The other 46 are in Tacoma. The operations in Dayton and Longview, and at Simpson Tacoma Kraft Company are not affected by these layoffs. The Company says the layoffs will take effect April 28th and are the result of a downturn in the wood products business. The Tuesday announcement also said that company officials "cannot predict when improved economic conditions will occur." (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
UNSEASONABLY COLD STORM SYSTEM POSSIBLE BY WEEK'S END – A strong, cold low pressure system dropping south out of Canada will usher in a colder air mass that will result in unseasonably cold temperatures and plummeting snow levels by this weekend. The National Weather Service predicts daytime temperatures on Friday will be in the mid 40s to lower 50s. On Saturday, daytime temperatures are expected to be “winter like.” Temperatures this time of year are normally in the mid 50s to lower 60s. The snow level is also predicted to plummet to near sea level late Friday night making it likely that any showers will change to snow or a rain and snow mix. The precipitation will change back to rain during the day Saturday. The threat of snow will continue late Saturday night and early Sunday morning. If any clearing occurs at night, temperatures could dip into the mid 20s in some areas but especially over the southwest interior. Keep it tuned to 1030 KMAS for updates. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
KVI employee suspected of rigging radio contest (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_041508WAB_rigged_radio_contest_KC.6aaf56a7.html
DIVERSIONS
Car Towed With Sleeping 7-Year-Old Inside – Police: Possible Kidnapping Investigation Under Way
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/15898495/detail.html
80 Percent Admit To 'Mental Health Days' – Stress, Family Problems Lead To Time Off
http://www.kirotv.com/health/15896645/detail.html
Pranksters Get Payback Of Thousands Of Forks In Yard
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15900388/detail.html
Divorcing Wife Spouts Secrets On YouTube – Woman Also Dishes About Spouse's Family, Intimate Life
http://www.kirotv.com/family/15899534/detail.html
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Energy News Digest for April 15, 2008
All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Global warming has a new battleground: coal plants
- Duke Energy CEO: Coal not going away
- Poll: Bring on nuclear power
- Where Will Germany's Energy Come From? Nuclear power is too dangerous. Coal is too dirty. Gas involves too much dependence on Russia. And renewables are insufficient
- New Zealand electricity supply at 'high' risk
- Unsworth named president, COO, of electricity meter maker Itron
- Clinton, Obama and McCain reject dam breaching, at least for now
- Eugene Register Guard Opinion – A season without salmon: Collapse of Sacramento run left no choice
- NY Times Editorial – The Trouble with Salmon
- The Olympian Editorial – Humane Society misses the mark: Salmon or sea lions, which is it going to be?
- So much talk about so few fish – “…The salmon fisheries of the Northwest have spawned a new industry of bureaucrats, lawyers, environmentalists, sport fishers, commercial interests, scientists, and natives…”
- Washington State Officials Look At Building More Dams
- Canada – Province to cap copper mine leaking toxic chemical into Tsolum River
- SE Washington – Windmill rule ideas get public airing
- Technology Smooths the Way for Home Wind-Power Turbines
- GE confirms that wind turbine supply is getting worse
- Swept Up by Wind – Wind power is drawing some fancy suitors.
- New Ways to Store Solar Energy for Nighttime and Cloudy Days
- Solar and wind duking it out in high-powered battle
- Rock Port, Missouri, first in country to run 100% on wind power
- SolarCity offers San Jose residents solar-leasing contract for no money down
- FERC staff announces updates to staff guidance on pilot project licensing procedures for new hydropower technologies
- Fuel Choices, Food Crises and Finger-Pointing
- Wonder plant: Montana-grown camelina could solve more than energy problems
- Talent Shortage Threatens Renewables Growth
- Fluorescent vs. incandescent
- Survey: Energy concerns rising in business, but action lacking
- Canada – Should power users pay for conservation?
- Up In Smoke – Two Carbon-Market Millionaires Take a Hit as U.N. Clamps Down
- Florida energy bill's greening power, costs debated
- Connect Kentucky Gets Disconnected
- Corpus Christi Finally Gives Up on Earthlink
- What the Presidential Election Means for Broadband
- Microsoft: Vista feature designed to 'annoy users'
- Gauging a Collider’s Odds of Creating a Black Hole
- Belfair Woman Arrested After Ramming SUV Into Shelton Department Of Corrections Office
- City Of Shelton Plan For Sustainable Future Starts With General Fund
- Hundreds Of Recent Earthquakes Off Oregon's Coast Confuse Scientists
- Recycling That Harms the Environment and People
- Schultz says he'll sue to get Sonics back
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Ascetic • \uh-SET-ik\ • adjective – 1: practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline *2: austere in appearance, manner, or attitude
Agnes decided that when announcing the increase in her occult-based financial security program that it would be best to take an ascetic approach. Instead of the bangles, bells and gold-embroidered costumes that marked her channeling of “Bogart, the Billion Dollar Spirit Advisor,” she wore a plain, black shroud that looked as if it had fallen off the back of a truck in rural Thurston County.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Global warming has a new battleground: coal plants – Environmental lawyers make a concentrated effort to stop new ones from being built; a coalition claims 65 victories in the last year. But industry groups are fighting back (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-coalwars14apr14,0,5565145.story
Duke Energy CEO: Coal not going away (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9917630-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1040_3-0-5
Poll: Bring on nuclear power (Jacksonville Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/04/14/daily5.html?ana=from_rss
Where Will Germany's Energy Come From? Nuclear power is too dangerous. Coal is too dirty. Gas involves too much dependence on Russia. And renewables are insufficient. So just where is Germany going to get its power from? (Der Spiegel)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,547555,00.html
New Zealand electricity supply at 'high' risk – New Zealand's largest electricity consumers are on stand-by to cut power use as southern hydro lakes continue emptying and a winter crisis draws nearer (Stuff News)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4479931a13.html
Unsworth named president, COO, of electricity meter maker Itron (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1341485~Unsworth_named_president__COO__of_electricity_meter_maker_Itron.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Clinton, Obama and McCain reject dam breaching, at least for now (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/352240.html
Eugene Register Guard Opinion – A season without salmon: Collapse of Sacramento run left no choice
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=93127&sid=5&fid=1
NY Times Editorial – The Trouble with Salmon
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/opinion/15tues2.html?ex=1208923200&en=91f80d40dcf07ef1&ei=5070&emc=eta1
The Olympian Editorial – Humane Society misses the mark: Salmon or sea lions, which is it going to be?
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/419162.html
So much talk about so few fish – The salmon fisheries of the Northwest have spawned a new industry of bureaucrats, lawyers, environmentalists, sport fishers, commercial interests, scientists, and natives, all focused on the absence of fish. Meanwhile, four sockeye returned last summer to a lake in Idaho once teeming with tens of thousands. (Crosscut)
http://www.crosscut.com/recreation/13414/So+much+talk+about+so+few+fish/
Washington State Officials Look At Building More Dams (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/washington-state-officials-look-building-more-dams/
Canada – Province to cap copper mine leaking toxic chemical into Tsolum River – An abandoned copper mine that for four decades has leached a toxic mix into the Tsolum River on Vancouver Island, devastating salmon, trout and steelhead stocks, may finally get turned off. (The National)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080415.BCRIVER15/TPStory/National
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
SE Washington – Windmill rule ideas get public airing – The Columbia County Planning Commission hears options tonight that could change the face of local projects (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2008/04/14/local_news/080414l1windy.txt
Technology Smooths the Way for Home Wind-Power Turbines (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/science/earth/15wind.html?ex=1365998400&en=1063c43c6bd2cf0a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
GE confirms that wind turbine supply is getting worse “…The solar guys, of course, have been dealing with a shortage of silicon since 2004…” (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9918121-54.html?tag=nl.e433
Swept Up by Wind – Wind power is drawing some fancy suitors. (EnergyBiz Insider, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8kowu%5D%5CjmrqmljRTift9K%22bfen%5Fv
New Ways to Store Solar Energy for Nighttime and Cloudy Days (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/science/earth/15sola.html?ex=1365998400&en=2a5396fbb838681c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Solar and wind duking it out in high-powered battle – In the old Aesop fable, wind and sun battle over which is the stronger. The wind blows hard, but the sun shines hot. (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CjmpqorrTTift9K%22bfen%5Fv
Rock Port, Missouri, first in country to run 100% on wind power (St. Louis Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/04/14/daily11.html?ana=from_rss
SolarCity offers San Jose residents solar-leasing contract for no money down (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8929271?source=rss
News Release – FERC staff announces updates to staff guidance on pilot project licensing procedures for new hydropower technologies (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, links to PDF File)
http://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/indus-act/hydrokinetics/pdf/white_paper.pdf
Fuel Choices, Food Crises and Finger-Pointing – The idea of turning farms into fuel plants seemed, for a time, like one of the answers to high global oil prices and supply worries. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/business/worldbusiness/15food.html?_r=1&ex=1365998400&en=04280a2e687f74eb&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Wonder plant: Montana-grown camelina could solve more than energy problems - A crop so diverse you can wash your face with it, spread it on bread and eat it, heat your house with it, feed cows with it, turn it into plastic, even fuel your truck with it (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/04/14/business/biz64.txt
Talent Shortage Threatens Renewables Growth (Renewable Energy World Online)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52175&src=rss
CONSERVATION
Fluorescent vs. incandescent – At the end of 2007, three households in Vancouver’s Northwest neighborhood took part in an experiment: They swapped their energy-greedy incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs, which use a fraction of the electricity (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/04/04142008_Fluorescent-vs-incandescent.cfm/
Survey: Energy concerns rising in business, but action lacking (The Business Journal of Milwaukee)
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/04/14/daily9.html?ana=from_rss
Canada – Should power users pay for conservation? Consultant thinks so but regulator will be one to decide (The Chronicle Herald, Nova Scotia)
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1049903.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Up In Smoke – Two Carbon-Market Millionaires Take a Hit as U.N. Clamps Down (Wall Street Journal Online)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120813542203111705.html
Florida energy bill's greening power, costs debated (Miami Herald)
http://www.miamiherald.com/458/story/496596.html
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Connect Kentucky Gets Disconnected – The Democratic Governor of Kentucky has vetoed two years of funding for the continuation of a statewide broadband expansion program that’s a model for pushing nationwide rural broadband. (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/15/connect-kentucky-gets-disconnected/
Corpus Christi Finally Gives Up on Earthlink – City wants to take back its network and be done with the deal (Broadband Reports – Beware of possibly salty language in the comment section!)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Corpus-Christi-Finally-Gives-Up-on-Earthlink-93607
What the Presidential Election Means for Broadband – Legislation likely to get put on the back burner (Broadband Reports – Beware of possibly salty language in the comment section!)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/What-the-Presidential-Election-Means-for-Broadband-93592
Microsoft: Vista feature designed to 'annoy users' (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/Microsoft-Vista-feature-designed-to-annoy-users/2100-1016_3-6237191.html?tag=nl.e433
Gauging a Collider’s Odds of Creating a Black Hole (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/science/15risk.html?ex=1365998400&en=6fe9c418c4602e72&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
GENERAL NEWS
BELFAIR WOMAN ARRESTED AFTER RAMMING SUV INTO SHELTON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS OFFICE – The Shelton Police Department arrested a 38-year-old Belfair woman on several counts after she drove her Sport Utility Vehicle into five cars and then into the Department of Corrections Office on North Fourth Street Monday. According to a news release, Annamarie Romano was booked into Mason County Jail on several counts of Felony Malicious Mischief, DUI and Reckless Endangerment. All vehicles Romano struck were in the D-O-C parking lot and when officers arrived, Romano's vehicle was almost halfway inside the Department of Corrections building. Witnesses told police that Romano was driving at a high rate of speed and was yelling obscenities out the window. No one was injured in the incident. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
CITY OF SHELTON PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE STARTS WITH GENERAL FUND – Shelton's City Administrator Dave O'Leary unveiled his plan for “A Sustainable Future for Shelton” Monday. According to O'Leary, this plan has seven guiding principles including supporting employees, communication, being proactive, and teamwork. There are four phases of the plan: Planning, Sustainment, rebuilding and growth. O'Leary suggested the City start with its General Fund - rebuilding the fund balance that has been reduced by financial shortfalls. This includes establishing financial policies and procedures, using onetime revenues for onetime expenses not ongoing expenses, accumulate an ending fund balance totaling 15% of the General Fund Budget, continually reviewing programs to determine whether they are the most efficient way of doing business, and pursuing and encouraging development activities that generate new or increase sales taxes. All of these concepts will require direction from the Shelton City Commission. The first step would be adoption of a resolution that establishes the framework for this plan. That action is expected at the Commission's next business meeting. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Hundreds Of Recent Earthquakes Off Oregon's Coast Confuse Scientists (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/hundreds-recent-earthquakes-oregons-coast-confuse-scientists/
Recycling That Harms the Environment and People – Recycling is supposed to be good for the environment. But if it’s not carried out properly, certain kinds of recycling — notably the dismantling of electronic circuit boards, which contain lead, zinc, copper and other metals — can cause environmental harm. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/science/earth/15obrecy.html?ex=1365998400&en=800c26d028984503&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Schultz says he'll sue to get Sonics back (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/358985_stern15.html?source=rss
DIVERSIONS
Stolen rhino horns could be deadly
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSHAR46004820080414?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Fed up with politics, man eats vote (Ed. Note: article contains PG-13, scatological language)
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1313250820080414?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Travel writer says he made up parts of books (as long as you don’t encounter the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal)
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSSYD21440120080414?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Smile and dress modestly, Serbian civil servants told
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1463350620080414?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Oyster-Eating Champ Slurps Down 35 Dozen In New Orleans
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15877511/detail.html
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Global warming has a new battleground: coal plants
- Duke Energy CEO: Coal not going away
- Poll: Bring on nuclear power
- Where Will Germany's Energy Come From? Nuclear power is too dangerous. Coal is too dirty. Gas involves too much dependence on Russia. And renewables are insufficient
- New Zealand electricity supply at 'high' risk
- Unsworth named president, COO, of electricity meter maker Itron
- Clinton, Obama and McCain reject dam breaching, at least for now
- Eugene Register Guard Opinion – A season without salmon: Collapse of Sacramento run left no choice
- NY Times Editorial – The Trouble with Salmon
- The Olympian Editorial – Humane Society misses the mark: Salmon or sea lions, which is it going to be?
- So much talk about so few fish – “…The salmon fisheries of the Northwest have spawned a new industry of bureaucrats, lawyers, environmentalists, sport fishers, commercial interests, scientists, and natives…”
- Washington State Officials Look At Building More Dams
- Canada – Province to cap copper mine leaking toxic chemical into Tsolum River
- SE Washington – Windmill rule ideas get public airing
- Technology Smooths the Way for Home Wind-Power Turbines
- GE confirms that wind turbine supply is getting worse
- Swept Up by Wind – Wind power is drawing some fancy suitors.
- New Ways to Store Solar Energy for Nighttime and Cloudy Days
- Solar and wind duking it out in high-powered battle
- Rock Port, Missouri, first in country to run 100% on wind power
- SolarCity offers San Jose residents solar-leasing contract for no money down
- FERC staff announces updates to staff guidance on pilot project licensing procedures for new hydropower technologies
- Fuel Choices, Food Crises and Finger-Pointing
- Wonder plant: Montana-grown camelina could solve more than energy problems
- Talent Shortage Threatens Renewables Growth
- Fluorescent vs. incandescent
- Survey: Energy concerns rising in business, but action lacking
- Canada – Should power users pay for conservation?
- Up In Smoke – Two Carbon-Market Millionaires Take a Hit as U.N. Clamps Down
- Florida energy bill's greening power, costs debated
- Connect Kentucky Gets Disconnected
- Corpus Christi Finally Gives Up on Earthlink
- What the Presidential Election Means for Broadband
- Microsoft: Vista feature designed to 'annoy users'
- Gauging a Collider’s Odds of Creating a Black Hole
- Belfair Woman Arrested After Ramming SUV Into Shelton Department Of Corrections Office
- City Of Shelton Plan For Sustainable Future Starts With General Fund
- Hundreds Of Recent Earthquakes Off Oregon's Coast Confuse Scientists
- Recycling That Harms the Environment and People
- Schultz says he'll sue to get Sonics back
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Ascetic • \uh-SET-ik\ • adjective – 1: practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline *2: austere in appearance, manner, or attitude
Agnes decided that when announcing the increase in her occult-based financial security program that it would be best to take an ascetic approach. Instead of the bangles, bells and gold-embroidered costumes that marked her channeling of “Bogart, the Billion Dollar Spirit Advisor,” she wore a plain, black shroud that looked as if it had fallen off the back of a truck in rural Thurston County.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Global warming has a new battleground: coal plants – Environmental lawyers make a concentrated effort to stop new ones from being built; a coalition claims 65 victories in the last year. But industry groups are fighting back (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-coalwars14apr14,0,5565145.story
Duke Energy CEO: Coal not going away (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9917630-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1040_3-0-5
Poll: Bring on nuclear power (Jacksonville Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/04/14/daily5.html?ana=from_rss
Where Will Germany's Energy Come From? Nuclear power is too dangerous. Coal is too dirty. Gas involves too much dependence on Russia. And renewables are insufficient. So just where is Germany going to get its power from? (Der Spiegel)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,547555,00.html
New Zealand electricity supply at 'high' risk – New Zealand's largest electricity consumers are on stand-by to cut power use as southern hydro lakes continue emptying and a winter crisis draws nearer (Stuff News)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4479931a13.html
Unsworth named president, COO, of electricity meter maker Itron (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1341485~Unsworth_named_president__COO__of_electricity_meter_maker_Itron.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Clinton, Obama and McCain reject dam breaching, at least for now (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/352240.html
Eugene Register Guard Opinion – A season without salmon: Collapse of Sacramento run left no choice
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=93127&sid=5&fid=1
NY Times Editorial – The Trouble with Salmon
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/opinion/15tues2.html?ex=1208923200&en=91f80d40dcf07ef1&ei=5070&emc=eta1
The Olympian Editorial – Humane Society misses the mark: Salmon or sea lions, which is it going to be?
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/419162.html
So much talk about so few fish – The salmon fisheries of the Northwest have spawned a new industry of bureaucrats, lawyers, environmentalists, sport fishers, commercial interests, scientists, and natives, all focused on the absence of fish. Meanwhile, four sockeye returned last summer to a lake in Idaho once teeming with tens of thousands. (Crosscut)
http://www.crosscut.com/recreation/13414/So+much+talk+about+so+few+fish/
Washington State Officials Look At Building More Dams (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/washington-state-officials-look-building-more-dams/
Canada – Province to cap copper mine leaking toxic chemical into Tsolum River – An abandoned copper mine that for four decades has leached a toxic mix into the Tsolum River on Vancouver Island, devastating salmon, trout and steelhead stocks, may finally get turned off. (The National)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080415.BCRIVER15/TPStory/National
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
SE Washington – Windmill rule ideas get public airing – The Columbia County Planning Commission hears options tonight that could change the face of local projects (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2008/04/14/local_news/080414l1windy.txt
Technology Smooths the Way for Home Wind-Power Turbines (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/science/earth/15wind.html?ex=1365998400&en=1063c43c6bd2cf0a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
GE confirms that wind turbine supply is getting worse “…The solar guys, of course, have been dealing with a shortage of silicon since 2004…” (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9918121-54.html?tag=nl.e433
Swept Up by Wind – Wind power is drawing some fancy suitors. (EnergyBiz Insider, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8kowu%5D%5CjmrqmljRTift9K%22bfen%5Fv
New Ways to Store Solar Energy for Nighttime and Cloudy Days (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/science/earth/15sola.html?ex=1365998400&en=2a5396fbb838681c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Solar and wind duking it out in high-powered battle – In the old Aesop fable, wind and sun battle over which is the stronger. The wind blows hard, but the sun shines hot. (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CjmpqorrTTift9K%22bfen%5Fv
Rock Port, Missouri, first in country to run 100% on wind power (St. Louis Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/04/14/daily11.html?ana=from_rss
SolarCity offers San Jose residents solar-leasing contract for no money down (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8929271?source=rss
News Release – FERC staff announces updates to staff guidance on pilot project licensing procedures for new hydropower technologies (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, links to PDF File)
http://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/indus-act/hydrokinetics/pdf/white_paper.pdf
Fuel Choices, Food Crises and Finger-Pointing – The idea of turning farms into fuel plants seemed, for a time, like one of the answers to high global oil prices and supply worries. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/business/worldbusiness/15food.html?_r=1&ex=1365998400&en=04280a2e687f74eb&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Wonder plant: Montana-grown camelina could solve more than energy problems - A crop so diverse you can wash your face with it, spread it on bread and eat it, heat your house with it, feed cows with it, turn it into plastic, even fuel your truck with it (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/04/14/business/biz64.txt
Talent Shortage Threatens Renewables Growth (Renewable Energy World Online)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52175&src=rss
CONSERVATION
Fluorescent vs. incandescent – At the end of 2007, three households in Vancouver’s Northwest neighborhood took part in an experiment: They swapped their energy-greedy incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs, which use a fraction of the electricity (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/04/04142008_Fluorescent-vs-incandescent.cfm/
Survey: Energy concerns rising in business, but action lacking (The Business Journal of Milwaukee)
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/04/14/daily9.html?ana=from_rss
Canada – Should power users pay for conservation? Consultant thinks so but regulator will be one to decide (The Chronicle Herald, Nova Scotia)
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1049903.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Up In Smoke – Two Carbon-Market Millionaires Take a Hit as U.N. Clamps Down (Wall Street Journal Online)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120813542203111705.html
Florida energy bill's greening power, costs debated (Miami Herald)
http://www.miamiherald.com/458/story/496596.html
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Connect Kentucky Gets Disconnected – The Democratic Governor of Kentucky has vetoed two years of funding for the continuation of a statewide broadband expansion program that’s a model for pushing nationwide rural broadband. (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/15/connect-kentucky-gets-disconnected/
Corpus Christi Finally Gives Up on Earthlink – City wants to take back its network and be done with the deal (Broadband Reports – Beware of possibly salty language in the comment section!)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Corpus-Christi-Finally-Gives-Up-on-Earthlink-93607
What the Presidential Election Means for Broadband – Legislation likely to get put on the back burner (Broadband Reports – Beware of possibly salty language in the comment section!)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/What-the-Presidential-Election-Means-for-Broadband-93592
Microsoft: Vista feature designed to 'annoy users' (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/Microsoft-Vista-feature-designed-to-annoy-users/2100-1016_3-6237191.html?tag=nl.e433
Gauging a Collider’s Odds of Creating a Black Hole (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/science/15risk.html?ex=1365998400&en=6fe9c418c4602e72&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
GENERAL NEWS
BELFAIR WOMAN ARRESTED AFTER RAMMING SUV INTO SHELTON DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS OFFICE – The Shelton Police Department arrested a 38-year-old Belfair woman on several counts after she drove her Sport Utility Vehicle into five cars and then into the Department of Corrections Office on North Fourth Street Monday. According to a news release, Annamarie Romano was booked into Mason County Jail on several counts of Felony Malicious Mischief, DUI and Reckless Endangerment. All vehicles Romano struck were in the D-O-C parking lot and when officers arrived, Romano's vehicle was almost halfway inside the Department of Corrections building. Witnesses told police that Romano was driving at a high rate of speed and was yelling obscenities out the window. No one was injured in the incident. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
CITY OF SHELTON PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE STARTS WITH GENERAL FUND – Shelton's City Administrator Dave O'Leary unveiled his plan for “A Sustainable Future for Shelton” Monday. According to O'Leary, this plan has seven guiding principles including supporting employees, communication, being proactive, and teamwork. There are four phases of the plan: Planning, Sustainment, rebuilding and growth. O'Leary suggested the City start with its General Fund - rebuilding the fund balance that has been reduced by financial shortfalls. This includes establishing financial policies and procedures, using onetime revenues for onetime expenses not ongoing expenses, accumulate an ending fund balance totaling 15% of the General Fund Budget, continually reviewing programs to determine whether they are the most efficient way of doing business, and pursuing and encouraging development activities that generate new or increase sales taxes. All of these concepts will require direction from the Shelton City Commission. The first step would be adoption of a resolution that establishes the framework for this plan. That action is expected at the Commission's next business meeting. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Hundreds Of Recent Earthquakes Off Oregon's Coast Confuse Scientists (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/hundreds-recent-earthquakes-oregons-coast-confuse-scientists/
Recycling That Harms the Environment and People – Recycling is supposed to be good for the environment. But if it’s not carried out properly, certain kinds of recycling — notably the dismantling of electronic circuit boards, which contain lead, zinc, copper and other metals — can cause environmental harm. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/science/earth/15obrecy.html?ex=1365998400&en=800c26d028984503&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Schultz says he'll sue to get Sonics back (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/358985_stern15.html?source=rss
DIVERSIONS
Stolen rhino horns could be deadly
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSHAR46004820080414?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Fed up with politics, man eats vote (Ed. Note: article contains PG-13, scatological language)
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1313250820080414?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Travel writer says he made up parts of books (as long as you don’t encounter the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal)
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSSYD21440120080414?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Smile and dress modestly, Serbian civil servants told
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1463350620080414?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Oyster-Eating Champ Slurps Down 35 Dozen In New Orleans
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15877511/detail.html
Monday, April 14, 2008
Energy News Digest for April 14, 2008
All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Portland General Electric looks to avoid lawsuit over Boardman emissions
- Future of coal-generated electricity unclear
- Oregon regulators alter tax bills of 2 utilities
- Hydropower proposal calls for work at Montana's Gibson Dam
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District considers plan to tie rates to hydroelectric system
- Orchardist, engineer to vie for Chelan, Grant County PUD
- Liquefied Natural Gas terminal opponents move to put the issue on Oregon’s fall ballot
- Alberta – British Columbia gains thanks to Alberta's power pain
- Decoupling would release utilities' inner entrepreneur
- News Tribune Opinion – Salmon cutbacks serve as warning
- Collapse of Chinook season devastates salmon trollers
- West Coast Cancels Salmon Fishing Season
- Ocean salmon anglers get ready – Washington's ocean salmon anglers will have a short, but early, season
- Canada – Fraser River Sockeye season is threatened
- Cold weather lengthens steelhead season on Salmon River
- BPA offers $15.5 million to mitigate Montana fish issues
- California – Cashing in on your solar savings
- The technology that will save humanity – The solar energy you haven't heard of
- Canada – Wind farm ready to breath life into employment scene in Queen Charlotte Islands
- Fuel, Food Demand Raise Corn, Soybean Prices
- Biofuels go from savior to villain
- Who needs ethanol? Let's just reveal the long-held secrets of 200 mile-per-gallon carburetor!
- 'Built Green' movement is picking up energy
- Ohio – Green with Envy: Save money, energy while staying connected
- Washington State Looks to Cut Down on Car Miles to Address Climate Change
- Green transportation is key in Oregon
- California – City paying a premium for carbon offsets
- The Carbon Olympics – Keeping track of the Olympic torch's carbon footprint—one leg at a time
- Passionate users beg for Microsoft to save XP, potential seems slim that Microsoft will agree
- The conversion to digital TV could be a cost to cable users
- FCC to look into firms' use of customer data
- Shelton Fire Chief Taking Job In San Juan Islands
- Housing slump taking toll on lumber mills
- Foreclosures Leads Residents To Abandon Homes In NW
- Klickitat County welcomes garbage from British Columbia
- David Ammons moves on – Dean of Capitol Press Corps accepts new assignment
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Deglutition • \dee-gloo-TISH-un\ • noun – The act or process of swallowing
Man, Derwood looked cool. He was getting a dressing down from his boss that would turn most folks into a dry husk of humanity. Unfortunately, it was Mr. D’s uncontrolled deglutition that did him in. That Ichabod Crane Adam’s apple bobbing up and down on his long, slender neck showed the powerful emotional forces that were at war within that calm exterior.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Portland General Electric looks to avoid lawsuit over Boardman emissions – Environmental coalition says utility's power plant violates Clean Air Act (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/04/14/story8.html?ana=from_rss
Future of coal-generated electricity unclear (Arizona Republic)
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/82431.php
Oregon regulators alter tax bills of 2 utilities – PacifiCorp's customers will pay a bit more, and Portland General Electric’s could get a break – For the first time since the state Legislature passed a controversial utility tax law in 2005, the financial tab is coming due. (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/120797251257670.xml&coll=7
Hydropower proposal calls for work at Montana's Gibson Dam (The Great Falls Tribune, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1337411~Hydropower_proposal_calls_for_work_at_Montana_s_Gibson_Dam.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines
Here’s the Gibson Dam baby picture!
http://www.usbr.gov/dataweb/dams/mt00571.htm
Sacramento Municipal Utility District considers plan to tie rates to hydroelectric system (Sacramento Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2008/04/14/story12.html?ana=from_rss
Orchardist, engineer to vie for Chelan, Grant County PUD (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080412/NEWS04/428335984
Liquefied Natural Gas terminal opponents move to put the issue on Oregon’s fall ballot (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1207965328174920.xml&coll=7
Alberta – British Columbia gains thanks to Alberta's power pain – The deregulation of Alberta's electrical system may be controversial here, but it has been a bonanza for British Columbia, say industry observers. Deregulation handed $500M bonanza to BC Hydro, critics say. (The Edmonton Journal)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=c4dfeb43-b0ca-4af7-a98a-1e5315ee1f4e&k=56566
Decoupling would release utilities' inner entrepreneur “…implement decoupling now and give them incentives to make money reducing our electric bills…” Ed Note: yes, like sending all customers two CFL bulbs and charging them $12 for the privilege. (Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology)
http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2008/04/14/newscolumn3.html?ana=from_rss
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
News Tribune Opinion – Salmon cutbacks serve as warning
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/333885.html
Collapse of Chinook season devastates salmon trollers – In Charleston, on the Oregon coast, a way of life seems endangered (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/120798150649040.xml&coll=7
West Coast Cancels Salmon Fishing Season – The West Coast has seen a severe shortage of King Salmon in the past year, so lawmakers cancelled this year's salmon fishing season. (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89588772&ft=1&f=2
Ocean salmon anglers, get ready – Washington's ocean salmon anglers will have a short, but early, season this year. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/415940.html
Canada – Fraser River Sockeye season is threatened – Commercial, recreational fishing might be scrapped due to dismal numbers (Victoria Times-Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=869f833b-8cb8-46e3-85c1-dc94ae7d7d34&k=62663
Cold weather lengthens steelhead season on Salmon River (The Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/418272.html
BPA offers $15.5 million to mitigate Montana fish issues (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/04/11/bnews//br48.txt
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
California – Cashing in on your solar savings – Electricity generated by a solar roof cuts a homeowner's utility bill, but some of those folks are upset when they learn that the best they can do is end up with a $0 bill, no matter how much power they produce (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8901807?source=rss
The technology that will save humanity – The solar energy you haven't heard of is the one best suited to generate clean electricity for generations to come. (Slate Magazine)
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/04/14/solar_electric_thermal/
Canada – Wind farm ready to breath life into employment scene in Queen Charlotte Islands (Canada.com)
http://www.canada.com/cityguides/princerupert/story.html?id=e673428e-9c56-4c18-a75a-44b2e86474d7
Fuel, Food Demand Raise Corn, Soybean Prices (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89598524&ft=1&f=10
Biofuels go from savior to villain (National Post, Canada)
http://www.nationalpost.com/newsletter/story.html?id=439710
Who needs ethanol? Let's just reveal the long-held secrets of 200 mile-per-gallon carburetor! (Lodi News Sentinel)
http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2008/04/10/opinion/columnists/hansen_steve_080410.txt
CONSERVATION
'Built Green' movement is picking up energy – Energy-efficient homes are becoming more popular in South Sound, according to the Olympia Master Builders (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/business/story/417563.html
Ohio – Green with Envy: Save money, energy while staying connected (The Post)
http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/Articles/Opinion/Columns/2008/04/14/23760/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Washington State Looks to Cut Down on Car Miles to Address Climate Change (Associated Press, via MyNorthwest.com)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=45162
Green transportation is key in Oregon – Gov. Ted Kulongoski promised Friday an aggressive push to address problems of transportation, greenhouse gases and climate change (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/358846_green12.html
California – City paying a premium for carbon offsets – The same city that was the first in the county to ban Styrofoam became the second in the state Wednesday to begin voluntarily paying extra on its PG&E bills to help offset greenhouses gases (The Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1339224~City_paying_a_premium_for_carbon_offsets.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
The Carbon Olympics – Keeping track of the Olympic torch's carbon footprint—one leg at a time (Sale Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2188876/?from=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Passionate users beg for Microsoft to save XP, potential seems slim that Microsoft will agree (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004346394_apmicrosoftsavexp.html?syndication=rss
San Francisco Bay Area tops nation in fast Internet access (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/14/BUH3103EIR.DTL&feed=rss.business
The conversion to digital TV could be a cost to cable users – 28 million analog customers in U.S. facing 2 options Ed Note: Oooo, another reason to raise cable rates! (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/14/BUFD1046KJ.DTL&feed=rss.business
FCC to look into firms' use of customer data – Staff is expected to recommend that it review rules on how phone and cable companies can use customer information as they try to take business from each other (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1147553620080412?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest
GENERAL NEWS
SHELTON FIRE CHIEF TAKING JOB IN SAN JUAN ISLANDS – The City of Shelton’s Fire Chief, Jim Ghiglione, has decided to step down from his position. Ghiglione made his announcement Friday morning and will be leaving the position July 11. The Chief has accepted a position as Fire Chief of Lopez Island Fire and Rescue. Ghiglione has been vacationing in the San Juan Islands for the past 15 years and sees this is an opportunity to fulfill his family’s dream of retiring to a place in the islands. He negotiated a delayed start date so that he can continue to work on his ongoing responsibilities with the City of Shelton, most of which are close to implementation. One of the most important is the proposed merger of Shelton Fire and Mason County Fire District 5. This project started over four years ago and it was agreed that should the merger become feasible that he would step down consequently eliminating the Shelton Fire Chief’s position. The Chiefs are recommending that the Commissions adopt an interim agreement for fire services and are optimistic that the recommendation will be approved. Another project is the new fire station that has been in the planning stages for quite some time. Chief Ghiglione and City Administrator Dave O’Leary discussed the project and both agree that the City has well qualified staff who can step up and manage the project to a successful completion. In his letter of resignation, Jim stated “I want to thank all the citizens for their support these past 27 years. All of my successes are due to the citizens, the elected officials who gave me this opportunity, the members of the Shelton Fire Department, and City staff." (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Housing slump taking toll on lumber mills – The drop in new home construction has timber industry experts predicting a staggering drop in U.S. demand for lumber. (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/358966_sawmill14.html?source=rss
Foreclosures Leads Residents To Abandon Homes In NW (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15869678/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
Klickitat County welcomes garbage from British Columbia – Vancouver is running out of room at its dump and wants to send a half-million tons of garbage a year to Washington by train for burial near the Columbia River (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/358794_garbage12.html
David Ammons moves on – Dean of Capitol Press Corps accepts new assignment (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/944/story/153967.html
DIVERSIONS
Police Follow Trail Of Wrappers In Candy Store Break-In
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15857731/detail.html
Man Accused Of Using Counterfeit Money To Post Bail
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15857716/detail.html
Corporate Waterboarding? Team-Building or Torture? Court Will Decide
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/12/AR2008041201739.html?nav=rss_nation
Canadian Survey: Couples with no kids make the best neighbors
http://www.dose.ca/news/story.html?id=b9a31d72-5f78-4fd8-83ac-867bcac6e622
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Portland General Electric looks to avoid lawsuit over Boardman emissions
- Future of coal-generated electricity unclear
- Oregon regulators alter tax bills of 2 utilities
- Hydropower proposal calls for work at Montana's Gibson Dam
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District considers plan to tie rates to hydroelectric system
- Orchardist, engineer to vie for Chelan, Grant County PUD
- Liquefied Natural Gas terminal opponents move to put the issue on Oregon’s fall ballot
- Alberta – British Columbia gains thanks to Alberta's power pain
- Decoupling would release utilities' inner entrepreneur
- News Tribune Opinion – Salmon cutbacks serve as warning
- Collapse of Chinook season devastates salmon trollers
- West Coast Cancels Salmon Fishing Season
- Ocean salmon anglers get ready – Washington's ocean salmon anglers will have a short, but early, season
- Canada – Fraser River Sockeye season is threatened
- Cold weather lengthens steelhead season on Salmon River
- BPA offers $15.5 million to mitigate Montana fish issues
- California – Cashing in on your solar savings
- The technology that will save humanity – The solar energy you haven't heard of
- Canada – Wind farm ready to breath life into employment scene in Queen Charlotte Islands
- Fuel, Food Demand Raise Corn, Soybean Prices
- Biofuels go from savior to villain
- Who needs ethanol? Let's just reveal the long-held secrets of 200 mile-per-gallon carburetor!
- 'Built Green' movement is picking up energy
- Ohio – Green with Envy: Save money, energy while staying connected
- Washington State Looks to Cut Down on Car Miles to Address Climate Change
- Green transportation is key in Oregon
- California – City paying a premium for carbon offsets
- The Carbon Olympics – Keeping track of the Olympic torch's carbon footprint—one leg at a time
- Passionate users beg for Microsoft to save XP, potential seems slim that Microsoft will agree
- The conversion to digital TV could be a cost to cable users
- FCC to look into firms' use of customer data
- Shelton Fire Chief Taking Job In San Juan Islands
- Housing slump taking toll on lumber mills
- Foreclosures Leads Residents To Abandon Homes In NW
- Klickitat County welcomes garbage from British Columbia
- David Ammons moves on – Dean of Capitol Press Corps accepts new assignment
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Deglutition • \dee-gloo-TISH-un\ • noun – The act or process of swallowing
Man, Derwood looked cool. He was getting a dressing down from his boss that would turn most folks into a dry husk of humanity. Unfortunately, it was Mr. D’s uncontrolled deglutition that did him in. That Ichabod Crane Adam’s apple bobbing up and down on his long, slender neck showed the powerful emotional forces that were at war within that calm exterior.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Portland General Electric looks to avoid lawsuit over Boardman emissions – Environmental coalition says utility's power plant violates Clean Air Act (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/04/14/story8.html?ana=from_rss
Future of coal-generated electricity unclear (Arizona Republic)
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/82431.php
Oregon regulators alter tax bills of 2 utilities – PacifiCorp's customers will pay a bit more, and Portland General Electric’s could get a break – For the first time since the state Legislature passed a controversial utility tax law in 2005, the financial tab is coming due. (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/120797251257670.xml&coll=7
Hydropower proposal calls for work at Montana's Gibson Dam (The Great Falls Tribune, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1337411~Hydropower_proposal_calls_for_work_at_Montana_s_Gibson_Dam.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines
Here’s the Gibson Dam baby picture!
http://www.usbr.gov/dataweb/dams/mt00571.htm
Sacramento Municipal Utility District considers plan to tie rates to hydroelectric system (Sacramento Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2008/04/14/story12.html?ana=from_rss
Orchardist, engineer to vie for Chelan, Grant County PUD (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080412/NEWS04/428335984
Liquefied Natural Gas terminal opponents move to put the issue on Oregon’s fall ballot (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1207965328174920.xml&coll=7
Alberta – British Columbia gains thanks to Alberta's power pain – The deregulation of Alberta's electrical system may be controversial here, but it has been a bonanza for British Columbia, say industry observers. Deregulation handed $500M bonanza to BC Hydro, critics say. (The Edmonton Journal)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=c4dfeb43-b0ca-4af7-a98a-1e5315ee1f4e&k=56566
Decoupling would release utilities' inner entrepreneur “…implement decoupling now and give them incentives to make money reducing our electric bills…” Ed Note: yes, like sending all customers two CFL bulbs and charging them $12 for the privilege. (Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology)
http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2008/04/14/newscolumn3.html?ana=from_rss
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
News Tribune Opinion – Salmon cutbacks serve as warning
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/333885.html
Collapse of Chinook season devastates salmon trollers – In Charleston, on the Oregon coast, a way of life seems endangered (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/120798150649040.xml&coll=7
West Coast Cancels Salmon Fishing Season – The West Coast has seen a severe shortage of King Salmon in the past year, so lawmakers cancelled this year's salmon fishing season. (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89588772&ft=1&f=2
Ocean salmon anglers, get ready – Washington's ocean salmon anglers will have a short, but early, season this year. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/415940.html
Canada – Fraser River Sockeye season is threatened – Commercial, recreational fishing might be scrapped due to dismal numbers (Victoria Times-Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=869f833b-8cb8-46e3-85c1-dc94ae7d7d34&k=62663
Cold weather lengthens steelhead season on Salmon River (The Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/418272.html
BPA offers $15.5 million to mitigate Montana fish issues (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/04/11/bnews//br48.txt
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
California – Cashing in on your solar savings – Electricity generated by a solar roof cuts a homeowner's utility bill, but some of those folks are upset when they learn that the best they can do is end up with a $0 bill, no matter how much power they produce (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8901807?source=rss
The technology that will save humanity – The solar energy you haven't heard of is the one best suited to generate clean electricity for generations to come. (Slate Magazine)
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/04/14/solar_electric_thermal/
Canada – Wind farm ready to breath life into employment scene in Queen Charlotte Islands (Canada.com)
http://www.canada.com/cityguides/princerupert/story.html?id=e673428e-9c56-4c18-a75a-44b2e86474d7
Fuel, Food Demand Raise Corn, Soybean Prices (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89598524&ft=1&f=10
Biofuels go from savior to villain (National Post, Canada)
http://www.nationalpost.com/newsletter/story.html?id=439710
Who needs ethanol? Let's just reveal the long-held secrets of 200 mile-per-gallon carburetor! (Lodi News Sentinel)
http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2008/04/10/opinion/columnists/hansen_steve_080410.txt
CONSERVATION
'Built Green' movement is picking up energy – Energy-efficient homes are becoming more popular in South Sound, according to the Olympia Master Builders (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/business/story/417563.html
Ohio – Green with Envy: Save money, energy while staying connected (The Post)
http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/Articles/Opinion/Columns/2008/04/14/23760/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Washington State Looks to Cut Down on Car Miles to Address Climate Change (Associated Press, via MyNorthwest.com)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=45162
Green transportation is key in Oregon – Gov. Ted Kulongoski promised Friday an aggressive push to address problems of transportation, greenhouse gases and climate change (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/358846_green12.html
California – City paying a premium for carbon offsets – The same city that was the first in the county to ban Styrofoam became the second in the state Wednesday to begin voluntarily paying extra on its PG&E bills to help offset greenhouses gases (The Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1339224~City_paying_a_premium_for_carbon_offsets.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
The Carbon Olympics – Keeping track of the Olympic torch's carbon footprint—one leg at a time (Sale Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2188876/?from=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Passionate users beg for Microsoft to save XP, potential seems slim that Microsoft will agree (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004346394_apmicrosoftsavexp.html?syndication=rss
San Francisco Bay Area tops nation in fast Internet access (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/14/BUH3103EIR.DTL&feed=rss.business
The conversion to digital TV could be a cost to cable users – 28 million analog customers in U.S. facing 2 options Ed Note: Oooo, another reason to raise cable rates! (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/14/BUFD1046KJ.DTL&feed=rss.business
FCC to look into firms' use of customer data – Staff is expected to recommend that it review rules on how phone and cable companies can use customer information as they try to take business from each other (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1147553620080412?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest
GENERAL NEWS
SHELTON FIRE CHIEF TAKING JOB IN SAN JUAN ISLANDS – The City of Shelton’s Fire Chief, Jim Ghiglione, has decided to step down from his position. Ghiglione made his announcement Friday morning and will be leaving the position July 11. The Chief has accepted a position as Fire Chief of Lopez Island Fire and Rescue. Ghiglione has been vacationing in the San Juan Islands for the past 15 years and sees this is an opportunity to fulfill his family’s dream of retiring to a place in the islands. He negotiated a delayed start date so that he can continue to work on his ongoing responsibilities with the City of Shelton, most of which are close to implementation. One of the most important is the proposed merger of Shelton Fire and Mason County Fire District 5. This project started over four years ago and it was agreed that should the merger become feasible that he would step down consequently eliminating the Shelton Fire Chief’s position. The Chiefs are recommending that the Commissions adopt an interim agreement for fire services and are optimistic that the recommendation will be approved. Another project is the new fire station that has been in the planning stages for quite some time. Chief Ghiglione and City Administrator Dave O’Leary discussed the project and both agree that the City has well qualified staff who can step up and manage the project to a successful completion. In his letter of resignation, Jim stated “I want to thank all the citizens for their support these past 27 years. All of my successes are due to the citizens, the elected officials who gave me this opportunity, the members of the Shelton Fire Department, and City staff." (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Housing slump taking toll on lumber mills – The drop in new home construction has timber industry experts predicting a staggering drop in U.S. demand for lumber. (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/358966_sawmill14.html?source=rss
Foreclosures Leads Residents To Abandon Homes In NW (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15869678/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
Klickitat County welcomes garbage from British Columbia – Vancouver is running out of room at its dump and wants to send a half-million tons of garbage a year to Washington by train for burial near the Columbia River (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/358794_garbage12.html
David Ammons moves on – Dean of Capitol Press Corps accepts new assignment (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/944/story/153967.html
DIVERSIONS
Police Follow Trail Of Wrappers In Candy Store Break-In
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15857731/detail.html
Man Accused Of Using Counterfeit Money To Post Bail
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15857716/detail.html
Corporate Waterboarding? Team-Building or Torture? Court Will Decide
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/12/AR2008041201739.html?nav=rss_nation
Canadian Survey: Couples with no kids make the best neighbors
http://www.dose.ca/news/story.html?id=b9a31d72-5f78-4fd8-83ac-867bcac6e622
Friday, April 11, 2008
Energy News Digest for April 11, 2008
All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- SE Washington power plant, carbon plans still in works
- Franklin PUD announces temporary rate credit – Ed Brost has been named interim manager effective May 1
- Puget Sound Energy & Avista – Some WA electric customers will get cheaper bills
- ColumbiaGrid Forms OASIS, Releases System Assessment
- Okanogan County PUD warns of scam seeking credit card numbers
- Judi Johansen gets a new job – Ex-PacifiCorp CEO/BPA Administrator named 13th president of Marylhurst University
- Natural gas stored in underground Lewis County reservoir
- New York – Gas Plant in Long Island Sound Is Rejected
- Billions of Barrels of Oil May Lie Under Northern Plains
- North Carolina – Commissioners Vote To Support Stanly County In Alcoa Dispute
- Salmon 'emergency' spawns new limits – Unprecedented fishing restrictions follow collapse of Calif. Chinook run
- Sharp Curb on Salmon Season
- Deal with tribes could raise rates up to 4 percent, Bonneville says
- Daily Astorian Editorial – Healthy river, ample fish – There may be more than one way of getting there
- Tri-City Herald Editorial – Salmon settlement likely a boon to sea lions
- Environmentalists: Agreements won’t save salmon
- Hastings, Baird seeking action on Endangered Salmon Predation Act
- California – Indictment alleges steelhead poaching near resident’s private dam
- Squaxin Island Tribe Seeks More Science On Johns Creek; Asks Ecology To Stop New Wells
- Murray blasts Administration over lack of levee funding
- U.S. Senate approves renewable energy tax credit extension
- Nevada – Prison’s $8.3 million wood-fired power plant a big loser
- Texas Study: Benefits of Wind Transmission Outweigh Costs
- United Technologies Power lands order for 110 geothermal plants
- San Jose mayor urges solar companies to do free residential installations
- World Bank Chief: Biofuels Boosting Food Prices
- Cut the electric bill without cutting the comfort
- Some Calif. utility customers targeted for $600M think tank bill
- Tribes urged to prepare for possible federal carbon incentives
- Climate Change Brings Health Risks
- Google Data Centers Mapped
- Fierce battle rages over Yahoo/Microsoft deal
- Colorado – Post-Independent Editorial – Broadband issue deserves yes vote
- Qwest plans high-speed fiber-optic network
- The End of Cheap Broadband
- Newsflash: Offer All You Can Eat and People Eat A Lot
- Retailers Fined $3.9 million Over Labels for Analog TVs
- The Top 10 Made Up Words of Web 3.0
- Governor says we've all "been lied to" on Sonics
- "Major disaster" for bees may jeopardize Washington State’s crops
- La Nina Brings Cool Spring, Warm Summer
- Thurston County Planning fund empty
- Wire thieves turn off Tacoma sign; DOT brings in generator
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Ineluctable • \in-uh-LUCK-tuh-bull\ • adjective – Not to be avoided, changed, or resisted
Herbert drew a deep sigh. He knew that the news reports would show the ineluctable stance of the opponents to what he saw was a reasonable course of action. “To keep our sport alive, we must move towards digital tiddlywinks,” he sagely intoned. Regardless, the traditionalists in his organization’s ranks refused to budge. “We’ll go digital when they pry the chips from our cold, dead hands,” they chanted.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
SE Washington power plant, carbon plans still in works – Developers of a proposed coal-fueled power plant may have sidelined their project for the time being, but they hope it will gain steam in the future (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2008/04/11/local_news/080410l1powerprojectcouldproc.txt
Franklin PUD announces temporary rate credit – Ed Brost has been named interim manager effective May 1 (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/153619.html
Puget Sound Energy & Avista – Some WA electric customers will get cheaper bills (Associated Press, via the Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_electric_bills.html
ColumbiaGrid Forms OASIS, Releases System Assessment (North American Wind Power)
http://www.nawindpower.com/naw/e107_plugins/content/content_lt.php?content.2085
Okanogan County PUD warns of scam seeking credit card numbers (Omak Chronicle)
http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n080410c.shtml
Ex-PacifiCorp CEO/BPA Administrator named 13th president of Marylhurst University – Judith A. Johansen, who has spent virtually her entire career in the energy business, is selected over two other finalists with more traditional academic backgrounds (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/education/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1207796140127610.xml&coll=7
Natural gas stored in underground Lewis County reservoir (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1333942~Natural_gas_stored_in_underground_Lewis_County_reservoir.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
New York – Gas Plant in Long Island Sound Is Rejected (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/nyregion/11broadwater.html?_r=1&ex=1365652800&en=12f4d89ae08b8c79&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Billions of Barrels of Oil May Lie Under Northern Plains (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/us/11oil.html?ex=1365652800&en=d32f4a70bef63e97&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
North Carolina – COMMISSIONERS VOTE TO SUPPORT STANLY COUNTY IN ALCOA DISPUTE – Cabarrus County commissioners this week voted to support neighboring Stanly County in opposing aluminum maker Alcoa's bid to renew its hydroelectric license for the Yadkin River. Stanly argues that Alcoa would pocket profits from electricity made on the Yadkin, about $8 million a year, without providing local jobs. The aluminum maker largely closed its Badin smelting plant, once powered by Yadkin dams, in 2002.Gov. Mike Easley on Friday asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to delay for one year issuing the license. Cabarrus County also lies in the Yadkin basin. Its commissioners adopted a resolution Monday that cites the need to protect water sources during a drought. (Charlotte Observer)
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Salmon 'emergency' spawns new limits – Unprecedented fishing restrictions follow collapse of Calif. Chinook run (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/358664_salmon11.html?source=rss
Sharp Curb on Salmon Season – Faced with the collapse of the fall Chinook salmon run in the Sacramento River, the Pacific Fishery Management Council voted Thursday to cancel all commercial salmon fishing this year from the California coast to north-central Oregon. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/us/11salmon.html?ex=1365652800&en=5bd832df8cde98d2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Deal with tribes could raise rates up to 4 percent, Bonneville says – Not all of the money will go to new fish-protection programs, the agency also says (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1207799709233020.xml&coll=7
Daily Astorian Editorial – Healthy river, ample fish – There may be more than one way of getting there
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=392&ArticleID=50452
Tri-City Herald Editorial – Salmon settlement likely a boon to sea lions
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/942/story/153268.html
Environmentalists: Agreements won’t save salmon – Deals reached with Idaho and Northwest tribes provide funding for habitat work (Idaho Mountain Express)
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005120247
Hastings, Baird seeking action on Endangered Salmon Predation Act – Say a federal lawsuit filed to block the killing of sea lions could unnecessarily cause "thousands upon thousands" of endangered salmon to be destroyed (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/152613.html
California – Indictment alleges steelhead poaching near resident’s private dam (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/11/BANS103RIJ.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
SQUAXIN ISLAND TRIBE SEEKS MORE SCIENCE ON JOHNS CREEK; ASKS ECOLOGY TO STOP NEW WELLS – The Squaxin Island Tribe has filed a petition with the state Department of Ecology to stop all new water withdrawals, including permit-exempt wells, in the Johns Creek watershed. According to the Tribe's Chairman, Jim Peters, summer flows on Johns Creek are already below the minimum required by state rules to protect salmon spawning. "The responsible thing to do is for everyone to stop new water withdrawals and figure out what's really going on with the creek." Peters says the impact of over 270 exempt wells drilled in the last 25 years has never been quantified. The tribe is filing the notice under a provision of state law that closes a watershed from future withdrawals if not enough information is available to justify those withdrawals. Development of a groundwater model as proposed by the Tribe and the City of Shelton would have answered many of the questions surrounding Johns Creek, but funding for the model was denied by Ecology. The Tribe expects the Department of Ecology to respond to the petition within the 60-day period required by law. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Murray blasts Administration over lack of levee funding – Sen. Patty Murray sharply criticized the Bush administration Thursday for failing to ask for money for flood-control projects along the Chehalis River. She summoned U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials to explain why (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/332395.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
U.S. Senate approves renewable energy tax credit extension (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/04/07/daily80.html?ana=from_rss
Nevada – Prison’s $8.3 million wood-fired power plant a big loser: After 2-month shutdown, state will farm out operations (Las Vegas Sun)
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/apr/11/prisons-wood-fired-power-plant-big-loser/
Texas Study: Benefits of Wind Transmission Outweigh Costs (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52103&src=rss
United Technologies Power lands order for 110 geothermal plants (Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology)
http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2008/04/07/daily51.html?ana=from_rss
San Jose mayor urges solar companies to do free residential installations (Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/04/07/daily71.html?ana=from_rss
World Bank Chief: Biofuels Boosting Food Prices (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89545855&ft=1&f=3
CONSERVATION
Cut the electric bill without cutting the comfort (Medill Reports, Northwestern University)
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=85391
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Some Calif. utility customers targeted for $600M think tank bill – Customers of privately owned utilities in California will fund a $600 million think tank charged with fighting global warming, under a plan approved Thursday by the Public Utilities Commission (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/04/11/state/n055945D08.DTL&feed=rss.business
Tribes urged to prepare for possible federal carbon incentives (Indian Country Today)
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416971
Climate Change Brings Health Risks – A top government health official said Wednesday that climate change is expected to have a significant impact on health in the next few decades (The Associated Press, via the NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Climate-Health.html?ex=1365652800&en=8832fb2c3ef2fc57&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Google Data Centers Mapped (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/11/everything-you-want-to-know-about-googles-data-centers/
Fierce battle rages over Yahoo/Microsoft deal (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/11/BUF7103GMT.DTL&feed=rss.business
Colorado – Post-Independent Editorial – Broadband issue deserves yes vote: Ballot issues will always tout the benefits for the future. Why else should voters be asked to support an issue if there aren’t benefits involved?
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20080411/VALLEYNEWS/859052598
Qwest plans high-speed fiber-optic network – Utah consumers interested in getting ultrahigh-speed Internet service may no longer have to wait for the financially struggling Utopia network to keep its promises (Salt Lake Tribune)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_8871794
The End of Cheap Broadband (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/10/the-end-of-cheap-broadband/
Newsflash: Offer All You Can Eat and People Eat A Lot – ABI Research makes a not-so-startling discovery... (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Newsflash-Offer-All-You-Can-Eat-And-People-Eat-A-Lot-93494
Retailers Fined $3.9 million Over Labels for Analog TVs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/10/AR2008041003815.html?nav=rss_technology
The Top 10 Made Up Words of Web 3.0
http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2008/04/the-top-10-made.html
GENERAL NEWS
Governor says we've all "been lied to" on Sonics (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sonics/2004341370_sonics11m.html?syndication=rss
"Major disaster" for bees may jeopardize Washington State’s crops (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004341374_bee11m.html?syndication=rss
La Nina Brings Cool Spring, Warm Summer (KIRO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=44526
Thurston County Planning fund empty – Money apparently spent in Futurewise dispute (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/415909.html
Wire thieves turn off Tacoma sign; DOT brings in generator (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/332409.html
DIVERSIONS
Lake Stevens teen's pregnancy hoax fools teachers, friends
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080411/NEWS01/64342894/-1/RSS01
Crayola Celebrates Colorful Milestone – Company Introduces 8 New 'Kids' Choice' Colors
http://www.kirotv.com/family/15843618/detail.html
Pope Bobblehead Video Rattles D.C. Archdiocese – Metro Pulls Video From YouTube
http://www.kirotv.com/travelgetaways/15845201/detail.html
NASA plans to test lunar truck near Moses Lake
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/04/10/news/news01.txt
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- SE Washington power plant, carbon plans still in works
- Franklin PUD announces temporary rate credit – Ed Brost has been named interim manager effective May 1
- Puget Sound Energy & Avista – Some WA electric customers will get cheaper bills
- ColumbiaGrid Forms OASIS, Releases System Assessment
- Okanogan County PUD warns of scam seeking credit card numbers
- Judi Johansen gets a new job – Ex-PacifiCorp CEO/BPA Administrator named 13th president of Marylhurst University
- Natural gas stored in underground Lewis County reservoir
- New York – Gas Plant in Long Island Sound Is Rejected
- Billions of Barrels of Oil May Lie Under Northern Plains
- North Carolina – Commissioners Vote To Support Stanly County In Alcoa Dispute
- Salmon 'emergency' spawns new limits – Unprecedented fishing restrictions follow collapse of Calif. Chinook run
- Sharp Curb on Salmon Season
- Deal with tribes could raise rates up to 4 percent, Bonneville says
- Daily Astorian Editorial – Healthy river, ample fish – There may be more than one way of getting there
- Tri-City Herald Editorial – Salmon settlement likely a boon to sea lions
- Environmentalists: Agreements won’t save salmon
- Hastings, Baird seeking action on Endangered Salmon Predation Act
- California – Indictment alleges steelhead poaching near resident’s private dam
- Squaxin Island Tribe Seeks More Science On Johns Creek; Asks Ecology To Stop New Wells
- Murray blasts Administration over lack of levee funding
- U.S. Senate approves renewable energy tax credit extension
- Nevada – Prison’s $8.3 million wood-fired power plant a big loser
- Texas Study: Benefits of Wind Transmission Outweigh Costs
- United Technologies Power lands order for 110 geothermal plants
- San Jose mayor urges solar companies to do free residential installations
- World Bank Chief: Biofuels Boosting Food Prices
- Cut the electric bill without cutting the comfort
- Some Calif. utility customers targeted for $600M think tank bill
- Tribes urged to prepare for possible federal carbon incentives
- Climate Change Brings Health Risks
- Google Data Centers Mapped
- Fierce battle rages over Yahoo/Microsoft deal
- Colorado – Post-Independent Editorial – Broadband issue deserves yes vote
- Qwest plans high-speed fiber-optic network
- The End of Cheap Broadband
- Newsflash: Offer All You Can Eat and People Eat A Lot
- Retailers Fined $3.9 million Over Labels for Analog TVs
- The Top 10 Made Up Words of Web 3.0
- Governor says we've all "been lied to" on Sonics
- "Major disaster" for bees may jeopardize Washington State’s crops
- La Nina Brings Cool Spring, Warm Summer
- Thurston County Planning fund empty
- Wire thieves turn off Tacoma sign; DOT brings in generator
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Ineluctable • \in-uh-LUCK-tuh-bull\ • adjective – Not to be avoided, changed, or resisted
Herbert drew a deep sigh. He knew that the news reports would show the ineluctable stance of the opponents to what he saw was a reasonable course of action. “To keep our sport alive, we must move towards digital tiddlywinks,” he sagely intoned. Regardless, the traditionalists in his organization’s ranks refused to budge. “We’ll go digital when they pry the chips from our cold, dead hands,” they chanted.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
SE Washington power plant, carbon plans still in works – Developers of a proposed coal-fueled power plant may have sidelined their project for the time being, but they hope it will gain steam in the future (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2008/04/11/local_news/080410l1powerprojectcouldproc.txt
Franklin PUD announces temporary rate credit – Ed Brost has been named interim manager effective May 1 (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/153619.html
Puget Sound Energy & Avista – Some WA electric customers will get cheaper bills (Associated Press, via the Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_electric_bills.html
ColumbiaGrid Forms OASIS, Releases System Assessment (North American Wind Power)
http://www.nawindpower.com/naw/e107_plugins/content/content_lt.php?content.2085
Okanogan County PUD warns of scam seeking credit card numbers (Omak Chronicle)
http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n080410c.shtml
Ex-PacifiCorp CEO/BPA Administrator named 13th president of Marylhurst University – Judith A. Johansen, who has spent virtually her entire career in the energy business, is selected over two other finalists with more traditional academic backgrounds (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/education/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1207796140127610.xml&coll=7
Natural gas stored in underground Lewis County reservoir (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1333942~Natural_gas_stored_in_underground_Lewis_County_reservoir.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
New York – Gas Plant in Long Island Sound Is Rejected (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/nyregion/11broadwater.html?_r=1&ex=1365652800&en=12f4d89ae08b8c79&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Billions of Barrels of Oil May Lie Under Northern Plains (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/us/11oil.html?ex=1365652800&en=d32f4a70bef63e97&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
North Carolina – COMMISSIONERS VOTE TO SUPPORT STANLY COUNTY IN ALCOA DISPUTE – Cabarrus County commissioners this week voted to support neighboring Stanly County in opposing aluminum maker Alcoa's bid to renew its hydroelectric license for the Yadkin River. Stanly argues that Alcoa would pocket profits from electricity made on the Yadkin, about $8 million a year, without providing local jobs. The aluminum maker largely closed its Badin smelting plant, once powered by Yadkin dams, in 2002.Gov. Mike Easley on Friday asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to delay for one year issuing the license. Cabarrus County also lies in the Yadkin basin. Its commissioners adopted a resolution Monday that cites the need to protect water sources during a drought. (Charlotte Observer)
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Salmon 'emergency' spawns new limits – Unprecedented fishing restrictions follow collapse of Calif. Chinook run (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/358664_salmon11.html?source=rss
Sharp Curb on Salmon Season – Faced with the collapse of the fall Chinook salmon run in the Sacramento River, the Pacific Fishery Management Council voted Thursday to cancel all commercial salmon fishing this year from the California coast to north-central Oregon. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/us/11salmon.html?ex=1365652800&en=5bd832df8cde98d2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Deal with tribes could raise rates up to 4 percent, Bonneville says – Not all of the money will go to new fish-protection programs, the agency also says (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1207799709233020.xml&coll=7
Daily Astorian Editorial – Healthy river, ample fish – There may be more than one way of getting there
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=392&ArticleID=50452
Tri-City Herald Editorial – Salmon settlement likely a boon to sea lions
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/942/story/153268.html
Environmentalists: Agreements won’t save salmon – Deals reached with Idaho and Northwest tribes provide funding for habitat work (Idaho Mountain Express)
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005120247
Hastings, Baird seeking action on Endangered Salmon Predation Act – Say a federal lawsuit filed to block the killing of sea lions could unnecessarily cause "thousands upon thousands" of endangered salmon to be destroyed (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/152613.html
California – Indictment alleges steelhead poaching near resident’s private dam (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/11/BANS103RIJ.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
SQUAXIN ISLAND TRIBE SEEKS MORE SCIENCE ON JOHNS CREEK; ASKS ECOLOGY TO STOP NEW WELLS – The Squaxin Island Tribe has filed a petition with the state Department of Ecology to stop all new water withdrawals, including permit-exempt wells, in the Johns Creek watershed. According to the Tribe's Chairman, Jim Peters, summer flows on Johns Creek are already below the minimum required by state rules to protect salmon spawning. "The responsible thing to do is for everyone to stop new water withdrawals and figure out what's really going on with the creek." Peters says the impact of over 270 exempt wells drilled in the last 25 years has never been quantified. The tribe is filing the notice under a provision of state law that closes a watershed from future withdrawals if not enough information is available to justify those withdrawals. Development of a groundwater model as proposed by the Tribe and the City of Shelton would have answered many of the questions surrounding Johns Creek, but funding for the model was denied by Ecology. The Tribe expects the Department of Ecology to respond to the petition within the 60-day period required by law. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Murray blasts Administration over lack of levee funding – Sen. Patty Murray sharply criticized the Bush administration Thursday for failing to ask for money for flood-control projects along the Chehalis River. She summoned U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials to explain why (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/332395.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
U.S. Senate approves renewable energy tax credit extension (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/04/07/daily80.html?ana=from_rss
Nevada – Prison’s $8.3 million wood-fired power plant a big loser: After 2-month shutdown, state will farm out operations (Las Vegas Sun)
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/apr/11/prisons-wood-fired-power-plant-big-loser/
Texas Study: Benefits of Wind Transmission Outweigh Costs (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52103&src=rss
United Technologies Power lands order for 110 geothermal plants (Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology)
http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2008/04/07/daily51.html?ana=from_rss
San Jose mayor urges solar companies to do free residential installations (Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/04/07/daily71.html?ana=from_rss
World Bank Chief: Biofuels Boosting Food Prices (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89545855&ft=1&f=3
CONSERVATION
Cut the electric bill without cutting the comfort (Medill Reports, Northwestern University)
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=85391
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Some Calif. utility customers targeted for $600M think tank bill – Customers of privately owned utilities in California will fund a $600 million think tank charged with fighting global warming, under a plan approved Thursday by the Public Utilities Commission (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/04/11/state/n055945D08.DTL&feed=rss.business
Tribes urged to prepare for possible federal carbon incentives (Indian Country Today)
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416971
Climate Change Brings Health Risks – A top government health official said Wednesday that climate change is expected to have a significant impact on health in the next few decades (The Associated Press, via the NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Climate-Health.html?ex=1365652800&en=8832fb2c3ef2fc57&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Google Data Centers Mapped (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/11/everything-you-want-to-know-about-googles-data-centers/
Fierce battle rages over Yahoo/Microsoft deal (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/11/BUF7103GMT.DTL&feed=rss.business
Colorado – Post-Independent Editorial – Broadband issue deserves yes vote: Ballot issues will always tout the benefits for the future. Why else should voters be asked to support an issue if there aren’t benefits involved?
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20080411/VALLEYNEWS/859052598
Qwest plans high-speed fiber-optic network – Utah consumers interested in getting ultrahigh-speed Internet service may no longer have to wait for the financially struggling Utopia network to keep its promises (Salt Lake Tribune)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_8871794
The End of Cheap Broadband (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/10/the-end-of-cheap-broadband/
Newsflash: Offer All You Can Eat and People Eat A Lot – ABI Research makes a not-so-startling discovery... (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Newsflash-Offer-All-You-Can-Eat-And-People-Eat-A-Lot-93494
Retailers Fined $3.9 million Over Labels for Analog TVs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/10/AR2008041003815.html?nav=rss_technology
The Top 10 Made Up Words of Web 3.0
http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2008/04/the-top-10-made.html
GENERAL NEWS
Governor says we've all "been lied to" on Sonics (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sonics/2004341370_sonics11m.html?syndication=rss
"Major disaster" for bees may jeopardize Washington State’s crops (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004341374_bee11m.html?syndication=rss
La Nina Brings Cool Spring, Warm Summer (KIRO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=44526
Thurston County Planning fund empty – Money apparently spent in Futurewise dispute (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/415909.html
Wire thieves turn off Tacoma sign; DOT brings in generator (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/332409.html
DIVERSIONS
Lake Stevens teen's pregnancy hoax fools teachers, friends
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080411/NEWS01/64342894/-1/RSS01
Crayola Celebrates Colorful Milestone – Company Introduces 8 New 'Kids' Choice' Colors
http://www.kirotv.com/family/15843618/detail.html
Pope Bobblehead Video Rattles D.C. Archdiocese – Metro Pulls Video From YouTube
http://www.kirotv.com/travelgetaways/15845201/detail.html
NASA plans to test lunar truck near Moses Lake
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/04/10/news/news01.txt
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Energy News Digest for April 10, 2008
All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Debate on PSE deal goes beyond foreign buyer – Effect on public is biggest concern
- UTC to vote Thursday on rate relief for PSE customers
- BPA refund means Prosser-area electric bills will decrease
- Ephrata resident Don Long announces candidacy for Grant County PUD Commission
- Preventing Power Outages One Tree at a Time
- Maryland – High-stakes energy debate hardly over
- New Jersey Energy trader guilty of fraud involving natural gas futures
- FERC Oversight Attacked
- Study Reveals Critical Industry Issues That Keep North American Energy Executives Up at Night
- Disagreement surfaces about $900M fish plan
- Idaho Announces Long-Term, $65 Million Fish Agreement with Bonneville Power Administration
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial Board – Wild Salmon: Let science rule
- Pacific Salmon Fishery Faces Limits, Closure
- Alaska Chinook allocation down by 48 percent
- Salmon limits won't affect Columbia
- Canada – Activists deem development a 'travesty' for salmon runs
- Mammoth snowpack generates encouraging outlook about region's water supply
- Critics Blast Water Truce in Central Washington
- Oregon Wine Country Towns Look To Willamette Drinking Water
- Bottlers, looking for water, meet resistance across U.S.
- US Senate expected to extend federal tax credits for solar project to 2016
- Florida baseball team buys carbon credits from Bonneville Environmental Foundation
- New York Wind Farm Buffets Family, Town Relations
- The push to electric cars will come with hidden costs
- The emergence of the smart meter
- Seattle Post Intelligencer Guest Columnist – Green jobs law an empty promise
- Secret deal: Canadian cars to follow Calif. pollution standards
- Washington State Internet law to improve access
- Port Ludlow merchants pitched idea of 'digital village'
- Verizon Sues Time Warner Cable Over Advertising
- Does the Internet Need More Roads or Better Traffic Signals?
- Shelton High School track in 'horrible' condition
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Coalesce • \koe-uh-LESS\ • verb – 1: to grow together 2a: to unite into a whole: fuse *b: to unite for a common end: join forces 3: to arise from the combination of distinct elements
The special interest lobbyists were displaying a wonderful springtime dance on the lawn in front of the capitol building. Their wheeling steps gently drew the different lines of the dark-suited men and women into one seething mass, which then coalesced into the shape of a dollar sign, reminiscent of a Busby Berkeley choreographed musical sequence. “Bravo,” breathed the congressional aid, who observed the activity from his perch atop the capitol dome.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Debate on PSE deal goes beyond foreign buyer – Effect on public is biggest concern (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/358441_pse10.html?source=rss
UTC to vote Thursday on rate relief for PSE customers (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/414359.html
BPA refund means Prosser-area electric bills will decrease (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/3055
Ephrata resident Don Long announces candidacy for Grant County PUD Commission (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/04/09/news/news05.txt
Preventing Power Outages One Tree at a Time (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8144725
Maryland – High-stakes energy debate hardly over: Key issues remain unsettled (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Industry Publications)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CjlplmrlRSmkt9K%22bfen%5Fv
New Jersey Energy trader guilty of fraud involving natural gas futures (The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/business/news/17412884.html
FERC Oversight Attacked – A government watchdog agency is attacking federal energy regulators, saying that that they are not properly monitoring the convergence among electric and gas utilities (EnergyBiz Insider, via Power Marketers Industry Publications)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8kowu%5D%5CjlqqstrXSmkt9K%22bfen%5Fv
News Release – Study Reveals Critical Industry Issues That Keep North American Energy Executives Up at Night (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=87150
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Disagreement surfaces about $900M fish plan – "…The interests of the environmental plaintiffs are narrow, and their objective seems to be singular — focused on Snake River dam breaching. The tribes go well beyond extinction issues. We want healthy, viable populations of all stocks — listed or unlisted — across the [Columbia River] basin," including unlisted salmon, steelhead and lamprey…” (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004338997_bpatribes10m.html?syndication=rss
Idaho Announces Long-Term Agreement with Bonneville Power Administration – 10-year $65 million funding today to enhance fish recovery projects in Idaho (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls)
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=8143850&nav=menu554_2_2
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial Board – Wild Salmon: Let science rule
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/358415_salmoned.html?source=rss
Pacific Salmon Fishery Faces Limits, Closure (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89521887&ft=1&f=3
Alaska Chinook allocation down by 48 percent (Juneau Empire)
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/041008/loc_267164185.shtml
Salmon limits won't affect Columbia (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/3066
Canada – Activists deem development a 'travesty' for salmon runs – Adams River condo and marina proposal will destroy fish habitat, environmentalists say (The Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080410.wbcmarina10/BNStory/National/home
Mammoth snowpack generates encouraging outlook about region's water supply (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004338916_snowpack10m.html
Critics Blast Water Truce in Central Washington (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3762
Oregon Wine Country Towns Look To Willamette Drinking Water – water is starting to get increasingly tight across western Oregon, as well, particularly in wine country (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/water-wars-brewing-oregons-wine-country/
Bottlers, looking for water, meet resistance across U.S. (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004338809_waterbottling10.html?syndication=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
US Senate expected to extend federal tax credits for solar project to 2016 (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/04/07/daily30.html?ana=from_rss
Florida baseball team buys carbon credits from Bonneville Environmental Foundation (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2008/04/07/daily42.html?ana=from_rss
New York Wind Farm Buffets Family, Town Relations (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89432191&ft=1&f=2
The push to electric cars will come with hidden costs – A large-scale switch from gas to electricity would require new sources of power for the provincial grid. (The Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=99e1c72d-cd35-4812-b034-62f52c14d127
CONSERVATION
The emergence of the smart meter (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8874601?source=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Seattle Post Intelligencer Guest Columnist – Green jobs law an empty promise
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/358407_climate10.html?source=rss
Secret deal: Canadian cars to follow Calif. pollution standards (Canwest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=613b44ae-832c-4cf3-9215-7d81f57eda96&k=14444
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Washington State Internet law to improve access – Internet Deployment and Adoption Initiative brings hope that one day fast, affordable Internet access may span the state (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2008/04/04102008_Internet-law-to-improve-access.cfm/
Port Ludlow merchants pitched idea of 'digital village' – Peninsula Daily News
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080410/NEWS/804100305
Verizon Sues Time Warner Cable – what is a “fiber network?) – Verizon is seeking a restraining order to prevent Time Warner from running its supposedly defamatory ads, unspecified monetary damages, and an order requiring it to retract its previous claims (Light Reading)
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=150783&site=cdn&f_src=lightreading_gnews
Does the Internet Need More Roads or Better Traffic Signals? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/10/does-the-internet-need-more-roads-or-better-traffic-signals/
GENERAL NEWS
Shelton High School track in 'horrible' condition (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/143/story/414989.html
DIVERSIONS
Dry cleaner gives same-day steam cleaning service to thieves – while their clothes were still on them!
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0944801020080409?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Big, Black Dogs May Scare Away Adopters – Stereotypes May Keep Fine Dogs In Shelters
http://www.kirotv.com/family/15843868/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible
Car wash finds $500,000 diamond pendant
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1050973720080410?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Beer-sipping clients have taxes done in a bar
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1034276220080410?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Debate on PSE deal goes beyond foreign buyer – Effect on public is biggest concern
- UTC to vote Thursday on rate relief for PSE customers
- BPA refund means Prosser-area electric bills will decrease
- Ephrata resident Don Long announces candidacy for Grant County PUD Commission
- Preventing Power Outages One Tree at a Time
- Maryland – High-stakes energy debate hardly over
- New Jersey Energy trader guilty of fraud involving natural gas futures
- FERC Oversight Attacked
- Study Reveals Critical Industry Issues That Keep North American Energy Executives Up at Night
- Disagreement surfaces about $900M fish plan
- Idaho Announces Long-Term, $65 Million Fish Agreement with Bonneville Power Administration
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial Board – Wild Salmon: Let science rule
- Pacific Salmon Fishery Faces Limits, Closure
- Alaska Chinook allocation down by 48 percent
- Salmon limits won't affect Columbia
- Canada – Activists deem development a 'travesty' for salmon runs
- Mammoth snowpack generates encouraging outlook about region's water supply
- Critics Blast Water Truce in Central Washington
- Oregon Wine Country Towns Look To Willamette Drinking Water
- Bottlers, looking for water, meet resistance across U.S.
- US Senate expected to extend federal tax credits for solar project to 2016
- Florida baseball team buys carbon credits from Bonneville Environmental Foundation
- New York Wind Farm Buffets Family, Town Relations
- The push to electric cars will come with hidden costs
- The emergence of the smart meter
- Seattle Post Intelligencer Guest Columnist – Green jobs law an empty promise
- Secret deal: Canadian cars to follow Calif. pollution standards
- Washington State Internet law to improve access
- Port Ludlow merchants pitched idea of 'digital village'
- Verizon Sues Time Warner Cable Over Advertising
- Does the Internet Need More Roads or Better Traffic Signals?
- Shelton High School track in 'horrible' condition
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Coalesce • \koe-uh-LESS\ • verb – 1: to grow together 2a: to unite into a whole: fuse *b: to unite for a common end: join forces 3: to arise from the combination of distinct elements
The special interest lobbyists were displaying a wonderful springtime dance on the lawn in front of the capitol building. Their wheeling steps gently drew the different lines of the dark-suited men and women into one seething mass, which then coalesced into the shape of a dollar sign, reminiscent of a Busby Berkeley choreographed musical sequence. “Bravo,” breathed the congressional aid, who observed the activity from his perch atop the capitol dome.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Debate on PSE deal goes beyond foreign buyer – Effect on public is biggest concern (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/358441_pse10.html?source=rss
UTC to vote Thursday on rate relief for PSE customers (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/414359.html
BPA refund means Prosser-area electric bills will decrease (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/3055
Ephrata resident Don Long announces candidacy for Grant County PUD Commission (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/04/09/news/news05.txt
Preventing Power Outages One Tree at a Time (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8144725
Maryland – High-stakes energy debate hardly over: Key issues remain unsettled (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Industry Publications)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CjlplmrlRSmkt9K%22bfen%5Fv
New Jersey Energy trader guilty of fraud involving natural gas futures (The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/business/news/17412884.html
FERC Oversight Attacked – A government watchdog agency is attacking federal energy regulators, saying that that they are not properly monitoring the convergence among electric and gas utilities (EnergyBiz Insider, via Power Marketers Industry Publications)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8kowu%5D%5CjlqqstrXSmkt9K%22bfen%5Fv
News Release – Study Reveals Critical Industry Issues That Keep North American Energy Executives Up at Night (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=87150
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Disagreement surfaces about $900M fish plan – "…The interests of the environmental plaintiffs are narrow, and their objective seems to be singular — focused on Snake River dam breaching. The tribes go well beyond extinction issues. We want healthy, viable populations of all stocks — listed or unlisted — across the [Columbia River] basin," including unlisted salmon, steelhead and lamprey…” (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004338997_bpatribes10m.html?syndication=rss
Idaho Announces Long-Term Agreement with Bonneville Power Administration – 10-year $65 million funding today to enhance fish recovery projects in Idaho (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls)
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=8143850&nav=menu554_2_2
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial Board – Wild Salmon: Let science rule
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/358415_salmoned.html?source=rss
Pacific Salmon Fishery Faces Limits, Closure (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89521887&ft=1&f=3
Alaska Chinook allocation down by 48 percent (Juneau Empire)
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/041008/loc_267164185.shtml
Salmon limits won't affect Columbia (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/3066
Canada – Activists deem development a 'travesty' for salmon runs – Adams River condo and marina proposal will destroy fish habitat, environmentalists say (The Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080410.wbcmarina10/BNStory/National/home
Mammoth snowpack generates encouraging outlook about region's water supply (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004338916_snowpack10m.html
Critics Blast Water Truce in Central Washington (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3762
Oregon Wine Country Towns Look To Willamette Drinking Water – water is starting to get increasingly tight across western Oregon, as well, particularly in wine country (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/water-wars-brewing-oregons-wine-country/
Bottlers, looking for water, meet resistance across U.S. (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004338809_waterbottling10.html?syndication=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
US Senate expected to extend federal tax credits for solar project to 2016 (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/04/07/daily30.html?ana=from_rss
Florida baseball team buys carbon credits from Bonneville Environmental Foundation (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2008/04/07/daily42.html?ana=from_rss
New York Wind Farm Buffets Family, Town Relations (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89432191&ft=1&f=2
The push to electric cars will come with hidden costs – A large-scale switch from gas to electricity would require new sources of power for the provincial grid. (The Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=99e1c72d-cd35-4812-b034-62f52c14d127
CONSERVATION
The emergence of the smart meter (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8874601?source=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Seattle Post Intelligencer Guest Columnist – Green jobs law an empty promise
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/358407_climate10.html?source=rss
Secret deal: Canadian cars to follow Calif. pollution standards (Canwest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=613b44ae-832c-4cf3-9215-7d81f57eda96&k=14444
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Washington State Internet law to improve access – Internet Deployment and Adoption Initiative brings hope that one day fast, affordable Internet access may span the state (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2008/04/04102008_Internet-law-to-improve-access.cfm/
Port Ludlow merchants pitched idea of 'digital village' – Peninsula Daily News
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080410/NEWS/804100305
Verizon Sues Time Warner Cable – what is a “fiber network?) – Verizon is seeking a restraining order to prevent Time Warner from running its supposedly defamatory ads, unspecified monetary damages, and an order requiring it to retract its previous claims (Light Reading)
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=150783&site=cdn&f_src=lightreading_gnews
Does the Internet Need More Roads or Better Traffic Signals? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/10/does-the-internet-need-more-roads-or-better-traffic-signals/
GENERAL NEWS
Shelton High School track in 'horrible' condition (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/143/story/414989.html
DIVERSIONS
Dry cleaner gives same-day steam cleaning service to thieves – while their clothes were still on them!
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0944801020080409?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Big, Black Dogs May Scare Away Adopters – Stereotypes May Keep Fine Dogs In Shelters
http://www.kirotv.com/family/15843868/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible
Car wash finds $500,000 diamond pendant
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1050973720080410?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Beer-sipping clients have taxes done in a bar
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1034276220080410?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
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