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)
- Puget Sound Energy errors may mean surprise bill for you
- Seattle Times Editorial – Uneasy lies the head of Puget Sound Energy
- Grays Harbor County PUD thief caught stealing sentenced
- Guest Columnist, Tri-City Herald – Nuclear power talk should be civil
- CA utility asks US to weigh disputed power line
- Three Strikes Against Kansas Coal Plants: Sebelius Vetoes Again
- Duke Energy Carolinas prevails in fight to keep costs confidential
- A retail electricity provider misses payments to state, loses thousands of customers as a result
- MBA candidates redesign South Africa's electrical industry
- United Kingdom – Utility Watchdog Demands Competition Probe Into Energy Market
- Puget Sound Energy’s Baker River fish passage system is complete; $10M over estimates
- Big ball of Columbia River sturgeon baffles experts
- Bad Fishing Weather Likely To Raise Copper River Salmon Prices
- Sammy Awards winners keep fighting for salmon
- Released Water from Howard Hansen Dam Destroy Man's Auburn Farmland
- Caution: High rivers ... and they're going to stay that way for a while
- Columbian Op/Ed – Other opinions: Proposal favors federal power, not farms
- Trial date is set for Olympia brewery water ruling
- Seattle Times Op/Ed –Energy from wind power can also help state's students
- Canada – New rules jeopardize wind and solar projects
- Bulbs pose trash problem – Recycling program needed for mercury-laced fluorescent lights
- Seattle Times Editorial – Those funny light bulbs – The cheapest kilowatt of new energy supply is the kilowatt you don't use
- News Release – PECO Encourages its Customers to Save More by Using Less with CFLs
- Carbon dioxide increases in 2007
- The U.S. Carbon Market
- Congressional Research Service – Climate Change: Costs and Benefits of S. 2191
- Old Trees Used to Build Up Carbon Credits
- Who loves high energy prices? The environment
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Op/Ed – Consider transit's carbon effect
- Microsoft woos Yahoo again
- Portland, Oregon – The end is nigh for free Wi-Fi
- Comcast to invest in Seattle-based file-sharing company
- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development: U.S. Largest, If Not The Fastest, Broadband Market
- Thanks to Cable, VoIP in the U.S. Is Booming
- New Hampshire – Towns plan joint wireless network
- Shelton Bear Sighting Closes Callanan Park
- US court: Paper money discriminates against blind
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Hierophant • \HYE-uh-ruh-fant\ • noun – 1: a priest in ancient Greece; specifically: the chief priest of the Eleusinian mysteries 2*a: a person who explains: commentator b: a person who defends or maintains a cause or proposal: advocate
“Well, my prediction was correct….if you discount the fact that the candidate who I said would win, actually lost,” blathered the clueless cable television hierophant. “If you discount all the votes for his opponent, my candidate won!” And the world swooned…
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
Puget Sound Energy errors may mean surprise bill for you (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004420795_meter17m.html
Seattle Times Editorial – Uneasy lies the head of Puget Sound Energy
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004419914_pseed18.html
Grays Harbor County PUD thief caught stealing sentenced (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_051908WAB_pud_thief_sentenced_SW.cd01b9d.html?npc
Guest Columnist, Tri-City Herald – Nuclear power talk should be civil
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/964/story/188450.html
CA utility asks US to weigh disputed power line (Associated Press, via AOL Finance)
http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/ca-utility-asks-us-to-weigh-disputed/n20080516193809990002?cid=1230
Three Strikes Against Kansas Coal Plants: Sebelius Vetoes Again (Environmental News Service)
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2008/2008-05-16-093.asp
Duke Energy Carolinas prevails in fight to keep costs confidential (Charlotte Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2008/05/19/story14.html?b=1211169600^1636021
A retail electricity provider misses payments to state, loses thousands of customers as a result (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/5790994.html
MBA candidates redesign South Africa's electrical industry – A team of Omaha business students is helping expand the electrical industry of a nation in another hemisphere (Omaha World-Herald)
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=1208&u_sid=10338109&u_rss=1&
United Kingdom – Utility Watchdog Demands Competition Probe Into Energy Market (CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djhighlights/200805200757DOWJONESDJONLINE000260.htm
FISH & WILDLIFE
Puget Sound Energy’s Baker River fish passage system is complete; $10M over estimates (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/05/19/daily6.html?ana=from_rss
Big ball of Columbia River sturgeon baffles experts – Tens of thousands of sturgeon are found bunched up below Bonneville Dam (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121091010848010.xml&coll=7
Bad Fishing Weather Likely To Raise Copper River Salmon Prices (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/food/16293553/detail.html
Sammy Awards winners keep fighting for salmon (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/05/05182008_Sammy-Awards-winners-keep-fighting-for-salmon.cfm/
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Released Water from Howard Hansen Dam Destroy Man's Auburn Farmland (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16293010/detail.html
Caution: High rivers ... and they're going to stay that way for a while (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/4219
Columbian Op/Ed – Other opinions: Proposal favors federal power, not farms
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2008/05/05162008_Other-opinions-Proposal-favors-federal-power-not-farms.cfm?newsletter=5
Trial date is set for Olympia brewery water ruling – Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater will compensate owner (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/451636.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Seattle Times Op/Ed –Energy from wind power can also help state's students
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004425403_windop20.html?syndication=rss
Canada – New rules jeopardize wind and solar projects (Toronto Star)
http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/427244
CONSERVATION
Bulbs pose trash problem – Recycling program needed for mercury-laced fluorescent lights (Associated Press, via the Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080520/BIZ/157005623/-1/RSS03
Mason County PUD No. 3’s news release on CFL recycling is here: PUD 3 to Provide for Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Recycling
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=425
Seattle Times Editorial – Those funny light bulbs – The cheapest kilowatt of new energy supply is the kilowatt you don't use.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004417411_savingsed16.html
News Release – PECO Encourages its Customers to Save More by Using Less with CFLs (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=90119
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Carbon dioxide increases in 2007 (NY Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004426368_apcongressclimate.html?syndication=rss
The U.S. Carbon Market (Renewable Energy World Online)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/ate/story?id=52451&src=rss
Congressional Research Service – Climate Change: Costs and Benefits of S. 2191
http://opencrs.cdt.org/document/RL34489
Old Trees Used to Build Up Carbon Credits – For many people, buying carbon offsets has become a way to go personally "carbon neutral." But these voluntary efforts are entirely unregulated and in California, that's beginning to change (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90570215&ft=1&f=10
Who loves high energy prices? The environment – The skyrocketing costs pinch consumers but are expected to reduce use and emissions (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1211160307236140.xml&coll=7
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Op/Ed – Consider transit's carbon effect
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/363708_transit20.html?source=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft woos Yahoo again (San Francisco Chronicle, via the Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/915/story/188160.html
Portland, Oregon – The end is nigh for free Wi-Fi – Without a buyer, the system may shut off by the end of June (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1210992908135060.xml&coll=7
Comcast to invest in Seattle-based file-sharing company (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/365170.html
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development: U.S. Largest, If Not The Fastest, Broadband Market (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/05/20/oecd-us-largest-if-not-the-fastest-broadband-market/
Thanks to Cable, VoIP in the U.S. Is Booming (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/05/19/thanks-to-cable-voip-in-the-us-is-booming/
New Hampshire – Towns plan joint wireless network (The Dartmouth)
http://thedartmouth.com/2008/05/20/news/wcnh/
GENERAL NEWS
SHELTON BEAR SIGHTING CLOSES CALLANAN PARK – A bear sighting has closed Callanan Park until further notice. According to Shelton City Commissioner Dawn Pannell, the bear was spotted in the Park late Saturday night rummaging through a garbage can. The State Department of Fish and Wildlife has placed a trap in the Park and officials hope to have the bear out of the area as soon as possible. But until officials can capture the bear or confirm that the bear has left the area, Callanan Park will remain closed. This means all events, including little league games; will not be held in the park until further notice. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
US court: Paper money discriminates against blind (Actually it is the DESIGN of the money, not the money itself that discriminates – Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/454475.html
DIVERSIONS
UPS Avoids Making Left Turns To Save Gas
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16293880/detail.html
Man Has Own Oil Well In Back Yard
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/16329053/detail.html
Ohio Northern University Awards Dog A Degree – 1-Year-Old Golden Retriever Gets Degree In Canine Companionship
http://www.kirotv.com/education/16320881/detail.html
Little Leaguer Benched For Mom's No-Show – Woman Was Supposed To Work Concession Stand
http://www.kirotv.com/family/16292533/detail.html
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Energy News Digest for May 15, 2008
The Energy News Digest will be on vacation May 16 and May 19 as it travels down the Oregon Coast to invest in the tourist trade. It will return rested and relaxed on May 20.
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)
- Puget Sound Energy may raise rates
- Utilities' executive pay will get closer look from Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission
- PenLight CEO sets eyes on the future
- Utilities seek public’s help to thwart thefts of metal
- Montana – Ex-energy executive: Phase out coal, oil
- FERC Sees Higher US Wholesale Electricity Prices
- New York – State, federal energy policies topic of power producers annual meeting
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Winning Over Customers – Challenges of Growing Online Bill Payment
- Heatstroke killed six trapped sea lions at Bonneville Dam
- New column Part 1: Shoot the messenger, not the sea lions
- New column Part 2: Salmon are a uniter, not a divider
- Anglers blast wildlife officials in Cathlamet over Columbia Chinook fishing
- Port of Grays Harbor touts what fishing there is
- Spring salmon season off to good start on Klamath
- Survey shows trout vital to Montana
- Makah judge fails to empanel jury to prosecute whalers
- City of Olympia, tribe agreement aims to ease water worries
- Bellingham Herald Op/Ed – Squaxin Island Tribe finds basis in state law to limit wells, conserve water
- Seattle Times Editorial – Failing our Sound
- EPA asks Grant County to help start well sampling program
- North Carolina – Bad gauge measured water level too high
- Pacific Gas & Electric to Congress: take action on renewable-energy tax credits
- San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed – Congress must side with renewable energy tax credits
- Ohio mill's power going green – Plant will simultaneously generate electricity and heat
- Solar-plant builder BrightSource raises $115 million
- IBM magnifying power of solar cells
- In-River Turbines – New idea would turn Niagara River into power plant
- California – Lafayette schools to install solar panels
- Seattle Times Guest columnist – Biofuels and food: a grain of truth
- Pacific Northwest energy conservation hits high in 2007
- San Francisco Mayor touts green standards at D.C. hearing
- Salt Lake Tribune Editorial – Getting green: Energy conservation begins with individuals
- Washington State University Offers Energy Saving Schedule Change
- SE Washington Carbon Sequestration Experiment Meets Opposition
- Oregon Governor asks CFOs for backing on green initiatives, transportation
- Polar Bear Is Made a Protected Species
- A $3 trillion climate change battle
- Rural Telcos Bring Fiber-to-the-Boondocks
- Digital divide in U.S. closing slowly but still 'significant'
- Tennessee: Cable group seeks EPB suit rehearing
- Reversing trend, cable modems win over DSL
- After Embarrassing failure, FCC starts over with emergency network push
- Billionaire investor will lead revolt against Yahoo, report says
- Ask.com plans to announce that it has agreed to acquire privately-held Lexico
- CBS buying CNet for $1.8 billion
- Forecasters say Washington weather turning hot
- Hot Weather, Quick Snow Melt to Cause Dangerous Conditions
- State Rep. Mary Skinner bows out of politics
- Mars Lander May Find First Signs of Life on the Red Planet
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Titivate • \TIH-tuh-vayt\ • verb – To make or become smart or spruce
With a June wedding approaching, Gaylord worked long hours to titivate his backwoods cabin. The crowning glory, however, were the two life-sized black velvet paintings of Elvis that were slated for the master suite. The young Elvis was to be placed near the closet. Ironically, the old, jump-suited Elvis was inadvertently placed in the bathroom. (Ouch…sorry Elvis fans)
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
Puget Sound Energy may raise rates (MyNorthwest.com)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=55248
Utilities' executive pay will get closer look from Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/363086_virgin15.html?source=rss
PenLight CEO sets eyes on the future (The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor)
http://www.gateline.com/106/story/1376.html
Utilities seek public’s help to thwart thefts of metal (The Eugene Register-Guard)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=100728&sid=4&fid=1
Montana – Ex-energy executive: Phase out coal, oil (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/14/news/mtregional/news07.txt
FERC Sees Higher US Wholesale Electricity Prices (Dow Jones NewsWire)
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20080515%5cACQDJON200805151121DOWJONESDJONLINE000762.htm&&mypage=newsheadlines&title=UPDATE:%20FERC%20Sees%20Higher%20US%20Wholesale%20Electricity%20Prices
New York – State, federal energy policies topic of power producers annual meeting – Anti coal efforts fail to gain traction (The Business Review)
http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2008/05/12/daily32.html?ana=from_rss
Energy Pulse Commentary – Winning Over Customers – Challenges of Growing Online Bill Payment
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1735
FISH & WILDLIFE
Heatstroke killed six trapped sea lions at Bonneville Dam – Necropsies – With the cage doors shut; the animals couldn't reach the water to cool off (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121082191574480.xml&coll=7
Government: Overheating may have killed sea lions (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004415552_sealions15m.html
New column Part 1: Shoot the messenger, not the sea lions (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/15//area_news/doc482a167d5aaa1735795551.txt
New column Part 2: Salmon are a uniter, not a divider “…So, when sea lions congregate at the dam it isn’t so much the fish they’re eating that bothers us, it’s all the money we’ve spent trying to keep those fish around for us to kill…” (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/15//area_news/doc482b946185e3c107811604.txt
Anglers blast wildlife officials in Cathlamet over Columbia Chinook fishing –"…You guys did not go to bat for us…" (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/15/area_news/10245736.txt
Port of Grays Harbor touts what fishing there is – The Port of Grays Harbor and much of the fishing community are battening down the hatches and bracing for a devastating recreational fishing season at Westport (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/05/14/local_news/05news.txt
Spring salmon season off to good start on Klamath (The Daily Triplicate, Crescent City)
http://www.triplicate.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=8726
Survey shows trout vital to area – Wild trout, Montana icons hard hit by development, pollution and other threats, remain an important part of the Missoula area's economy and culture, a new survey found (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/14/news/local/znews05.txt
Makah judge fails to empanel jury to prosecute whalers (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004415609_makah16m.html?syndication=rss
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
City of Olympia, tribe agreement aims to ease water worries (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/449548.html
Bellingham Herald Op/Ed – Squaxin Island Tribe finds basis in state law to limit wells, conserve water
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/291/story/408944.html
Seattle Times Editorial – Failing our Sound
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004415131_pugeted15.html
EPA asks Grant County to help start well sampling program (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/05/14/news/news02.txt
North Carolina – Bad gauge measured water level too high: Duke Energy Web site incorrectly reported lake above target for about 3 weeks (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CkhgnljlSTif%216C%29bfen%5Fv
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Pacific Gas & Electric to Congress: take action on renewable-energy tax credits (East Bay Business Times)
http://www.bizjournals.com/eastbay/stories/2008/05/12/daily50.html?ana=from_rss
San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed – Congress must side with renewable energy tax credits
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/14/ED4F10LJ07.DTL
Mill's power going green – Plant will simultaneously generate electricity and heat, which the company says will make it the first carbon-neutral paper plant in North America, burning only industrial wood and fiber waste. (Cincinnati Enquirer – So, emitting carbon that would normally remain sequestered is carbon neutral…what?)
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/BIZ01/805130320/1076/BIZ
Solar-plant builder BrightSource raises $115 million – Oakland Company Aims To Grow Globally (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9266366?source=rss
IBM magnifying power of solar cells – Says Technology Provides 5-Fold Increase (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9266393?source=rss
In-River Turbines – New idea would turn Niagara River into power plant (Business First of Buffalo)
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/05/12/daily29.html?ana=from_rss
California – Lafayette schools to install solar panels – The district will have solar panels installed on the roofs of four of its five schools, all without paying a dime (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_9260100?source=rss
Seattle Times Guest columnist – Biofuels and food: a grain of truth
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004415125_biofuelsop15.html?syndication=rss
CONSERVATION
Pacific Northwest energy conservation hits high in 2007 (The Associated Press, via KMTR-TV, Springfield, OR)
http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=62e9e38b-9eff-4923-aa3e-eadffd4b28c0&rss=191
San Francisco Mayor touts green standards at D.C. hearing – Gavin Newsom testified before Congress on Wednesday about the city's tough new green building standards and urged lawmakers to pass similar rules nationwide (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/15/BAH310MDP5.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
Salt Lake Tribune Editorial – Getting green: Energy conservation begins with individuals
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9260272
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY OFFERS ENERGY SAVING SCHEDULE CHANGE – An energy-saving option of a four-day work week is being offered to faculty and staff at the Washington State University Vancouver campus as part of a new summer initiative. Effective from May through August, all WSU campuses statewide will offer employees the option of working four 10-hour days. The Vancouver campus employs about 275 full-time employees. WSU employs approximately 6,000 statewide. (The Columbian)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
SE Washington Carbon Sequestration Experiment Meets Opposition (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3869
Oregon Governor asks CFOs for backing on green initiatives, transportation (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/05/12/daily32.html?ana=from_rss
Polar Bear Is Made a Protected Species (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/us/15polar.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1210871190-92XCNHg2o0lBPvhm5RMRWw
A $3 trillion climate change battle – Regulating greenhouse gases will generate a lot of money. Who should get it? (Fortune Magazine, via CNN)
http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/14/news/economy/climate_change_bill.fortune/?postversion=2008051507
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Rural Telcos Bring Fiber-to-the-Boondocks (Light Reading, via Baller/Herbst)
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=153767
Digital divide in U.S. closing slowly but still 'significant' (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/05/12/daily26.html?ana=from_rss
Tennessee: Cable group seeks EPB suit rehearing – Officer had dismissed the Tennessee Cable Telecommunications Association’s lawsuit that sought to block EPB from offering fiber to the home (Chattanooga Times-Free Press, via Baller/Herbst)
http://timesfreepress.com/news/2008/may/14/cable-group-seeks-epb-suit-rehearing/
Reversing trend, cable modems win over DSL (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/05/15/financial/f075102D60.DTL&feed=rss.business
FCC starts over with emergency network push – A high-profile government auction earlier this year failed to attract enough private investment dollars for airwaves dedicated to a nationwide broadband network for emergency responders (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9944129-7.html?tag=nl.e703
Billionaire investor will lead revolt against Yahoo, report says (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/361017.html
Ask.com Tries Again – The company plans to announce that it has agreed to acquire privately-held Lexico, which owns Dictionary.com, as well as Thesaurus.com and Reference.com (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/askcom-tries-again-and-not-just-with-women/index.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
CBS buying CNet for $1.8 billion (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9267469?source=rss
GENERAL NEWS
Forecasters say Washington weather turning hot (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP05152008news317768.cfm
Hot Weather, Quick Snow Melt To Cause Dangerous Conditions (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16267205/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
Skinner bows out of politics – State Rep. Mary Skinner stunned the local political establishment Wednesday, announcing her retirement one month after assuring supporters she would seek an eighth term (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/4054
Mars Lander May Find First Signs of Life on the Red Planet (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/science/May-June-08/Mars-Lander-May-Find-First-Signs-of-Life-on-the-Red-Planet.html
DIVERSIONS
Ants Invade Houston, Eat Computers
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i0Ck8ZlMj4LewikS7scW7Ca-z6PgD90LJMFO2
Gas Giveaway Drawing New Parishioners – Georgia Church Giving Two $500 Gas Cards
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/16261885/detail.html
Rare Bottle Of Oregon Beer Sells For $707 – Six-Pack Of Hair Of The Dog Beer Would Cost $4,242
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16262747/detail.html
Vatican scientist says belief in God and aliens is OK
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080514/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_pope_extraterrestrials;_ylt=AqKx9G7O12tZ8GL5aDPaqHjtiBIF
Von Trapp's "Sound of Music" villa to become hotel
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080514/od_nm/soundofmusic_dc;_ylt=AlkOn5TQqlG9LpMu5yn8yXPtiBIF
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)
- Puget Sound Energy may raise rates
- Utilities' executive pay will get closer look from Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission
- PenLight CEO sets eyes on the future
- Utilities seek public’s help to thwart thefts of metal
- Montana – Ex-energy executive: Phase out coal, oil
- FERC Sees Higher US Wholesale Electricity Prices
- New York – State, federal energy policies topic of power producers annual meeting
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Winning Over Customers – Challenges of Growing Online Bill Payment
- Heatstroke killed six trapped sea lions at Bonneville Dam
- New column Part 1: Shoot the messenger, not the sea lions
- New column Part 2: Salmon are a uniter, not a divider
- Anglers blast wildlife officials in Cathlamet over Columbia Chinook fishing
- Port of Grays Harbor touts what fishing there is
- Spring salmon season off to good start on Klamath
- Survey shows trout vital to Montana
- Makah judge fails to empanel jury to prosecute whalers
- City of Olympia, tribe agreement aims to ease water worries
- Bellingham Herald Op/Ed – Squaxin Island Tribe finds basis in state law to limit wells, conserve water
- Seattle Times Editorial – Failing our Sound
- EPA asks Grant County to help start well sampling program
- North Carolina – Bad gauge measured water level too high
- Pacific Gas & Electric to Congress: take action on renewable-energy tax credits
- San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed – Congress must side with renewable energy tax credits
- Ohio mill's power going green – Plant will simultaneously generate electricity and heat
- Solar-plant builder BrightSource raises $115 million
- IBM magnifying power of solar cells
- In-River Turbines – New idea would turn Niagara River into power plant
- California – Lafayette schools to install solar panels
- Seattle Times Guest columnist – Biofuels and food: a grain of truth
- Pacific Northwest energy conservation hits high in 2007
- San Francisco Mayor touts green standards at D.C. hearing
- Salt Lake Tribune Editorial – Getting green: Energy conservation begins with individuals
- Washington State University Offers Energy Saving Schedule Change
- SE Washington Carbon Sequestration Experiment Meets Opposition
- Oregon Governor asks CFOs for backing on green initiatives, transportation
- Polar Bear Is Made a Protected Species
- A $3 trillion climate change battle
- Rural Telcos Bring Fiber-to-the-Boondocks
- Digital divide in U.S. closing slowly but still 'significant'
- Tennessee: Cable group seeks EPB suit rehearing
- Reversing trend, cable modems win over DSL
- After Embarrassing failure, FCC starts over with emergency network push
- Billionaire investor will lead revolt against Yahoo, report says
- Ask.com plans to announce that it has agreed to acquire privately-held Lexico
- CBS buying CNet for $1.8 billion
- Forecasters say Washington weather turning hot
- Hot Weather, Quick Snow Melt to Cause Dangerous Conditions
- State Rep. Mary Skinner bows out of politics
- Mars Lander May Find First Signs of Life on the Red Planet
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Titivate • \TIH-tuh-vayt\ • verb – To make or become smart or spruce
With a June wedding approaching, Gaylord worked long hours to titivate his backwoods cabin. The crowning glory, however, were the two life-sized black velvet paintings of Elvis that were slated for the master suite. The young Elvis was to be placed near the closet. Ironically, the old, jump-suited Elvis was inadvertently placed in the bathroom. (Ouch…sorry Elvis fans)
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
Puget Sound Energy may raise rates (MyNorthwest.com)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=55248
Utilities' executive pay will get closer look from Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/363086_virgin15.html?source=rss
PenLight CEO sets eyes on the future (The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor)
http://www.gateline.com/106/story/1376.html
Utilities seek public’s help to thwart thefts of metal (The Eugene Register-Guard)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=100728&sid=4&fid=1
Montana – Ex-energy executive: Phase out coal, oil (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/14/news/mtregional/news07.txt
FERC Sees Higher US Wholesale Electricity Prices (Dow Jones NewsWire)
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20080515%5cACQDJON200805151121DOWJONESDJONLINE000762.htm&&mypage=newsheadlines&title=UPDATE:%20FERC%20Sees%20Higher%20US%20Wholesale%20Electricity%20Prices
New York – State, federal energy policies topic of power producers annual meeting – Anti coal efforts fail to gain traction (The Business Review)
http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2008/05/12/daily32.html?ana=from_rss
Energy Pulse Commentary – Winning Over Customers – Challenges of Growing Online Bill Payment
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1735
FISH & WILDLIFE
Heatstroke killed six trapped sea lions at Bonneville Dam – Necropsies – With the cage doors shut; the animals couldn't reach the water to cool off (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121082191574480.xml&coll=7
Government: Overheating may have killed sea lions (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004415552_sealions15m.html
New column Part 1: Shoot the messenger, not the sea lions (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/15//area_news/doc482a167d5aaa1735795551.txt
New column Part 2: Salmon are a uniter, not a divider “…So, when sea lions congregate at the dam it isn’t so much the fish they’re eating that bothers us, it’s all the money we’ve spent trying to keep those fish around for us to kill…” (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/15//area_news/doc482b946185e3c107811604.txt
Anglers blast wildlife officials in Cathlamet over Columbia Chinook fishing –"…You guys did not go to bat for us…" (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/15/area_news/10245736.txt
Port of Grays Harbor touts what fishing there is – The Port of Grays Harbor and much of the fishing community are battening down the hatches and bracing for a devastating recreational fishing season at Westport (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/05/14/local_news/05news.txt
Spring salmon season off to good start on Klamath (The Daily Triplicate, Crescent City)
http://www.triplicate.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=8726
Survey shows trout vital to area – Wild trout, Montana icons hard hit by development, pollution and other threats, remain an important part of the Missoula area's economy and culture, a new survey found (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/14/news/local/znews05.txt
Makah judge fails to empanel jury to prosecute whalers (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004415609_makah16m.html?syndication=rss
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
City of Olympia, tribe agreement aims to ease water worries (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/449548.html
Bellingham Herald Op/Ed – Squaxin Island Tribe finds basis in state law to limit wells, conserve water
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/291/story/408944.html
Seattle Times Editorial – Failing our Sound
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004415131_pugeted15.html
EPA asks Grant County to help start well sampling program (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/05/14/news/news02.txt
North Carolina – Bad gauge measured water level too high: Duke Energy Web site incorrectly reported lake above target for about 3 weeks (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CkhgnljlSTif%216C%29bfen%5Fv
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Pacific Gas & Electric to Congress: take action on renewable-energy tax credits (East Bay Business Times)
http://www.bizjournals.com/eastbay/stories/2008/05/12/daily50.html?ana=from_rss
San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed – Congress must side with renewable energy tax credits
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/14/ED4F10LJ07.DTL
Mill's power going green – Plant will simultaneously generate electricity and heat, which the company says will make it the first carbon-neutral paper plant in North America, burning only industrial wood and fiber waste. (Cincinnati Enquirer – So, emitting carbon that would normally remain sequestered is carbon neutral…what?)
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/BIZ01/805130320/1076/BIZ
Solar-plant builder BrightSource raises $115 million – Oakland Company Aims To Grow Globally (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9266366?source=rss
IBM magnifying power of solar cells – Says Technology Provides 5-Fold Increase (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9266393?source=rss
In-River Turbines – New idea would turn Niagara River into power plant (Business First of Buffalo)
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/05/12/daily29.html?ana=from_rss
California – Lafayette schools to install solar panels – The district will have solar panels installed on the roofs of four of its five schools, all without paying a dime (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_9260100?source=rss
Seattle Times Guest columnist – Biofuels and food: a grain of truth
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004415125_biofuelsop15.html?syndication=rss
CONSERVATION
Pacific Northwest energy conservation hits high in 2007 (The Associated Press, via KMTR-TV, Springfield, OR)
http://www.kmtr.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=62e9e38b-9eff-4923-aa3e-eadffd4b28c0&rss=191
San Francisco Mayor touts green standards at D.C. hearing – Gavin Newsom testified before Congress on Wednesday about the city's tough new green building standards and urged lawmakers to pass similar rules nationwide (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/15/BAH310MDP5.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
Salt Lake Tribune Editorial – Getting green: Energy conservation begins with individuals
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9260272
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY OFFERS ENERGY SAVING SCHEDULE CHANGE – An energy-saving option of a four-day work week is being offered to faculty and staff at the Washington State University Vancouver campus as part of a new summer initiative. Effective from May through August, all WSU campuses statewide will offer employees the option of working four 10-hour days. The Vancouver campus employs about 275 full-time employees. WSU employs approximately 6,000 statewide. (The Columbian)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
SE Washington Carbon Sequestration Experiment Meets Opposition (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3869
Oregon Governor asks CFOs for backing on green initiatives, transportation (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/05/12/daily32.html?ana=from_rss
Polar Bear Is Made a Protected Species (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/us/15polar.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1210871190-92XCNHg2o0lBPvhm5RMRWw
A $3 trillion climate change battle – Regulating greenhouse gases will generate a lot of money. Who should get it? (Fortune Magazine, via CNN)
http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/14/news/economy/climate_change_bill.fortune/?postversion=2008051507
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Rural Telcos Bring Fiber-to-the-Boondocks (Light Reading, via Baller/Herbst)
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=153767
Digital divide in U.S. closing slowly but still 'significant' (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/05/12/daily26.html?ana=from_rss
Tennessee: Cable group seeks EPB suit rehearing – Officer had dismissed the Tennessee Cable Telecommunications Association’s lawsuit that sought to block EPB from offering fiber to the home (Chattanooga Times-Free Press, via Baller/Herbst)
http://timesfreepress.com/news/2008/may/14/cable-group-seeks-epb-suit-rehearing/
Reversing trend, cable modems win over DSL (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/05/15/financial/f075102D60.DTL&feed=rss.business
FCC starts over with emergency network push – A high-profile government auction earlier this year failed to attract enough private investment dollars for airwaves dedicated to a nationwide broadband network for emergency responders (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9944129-7.html?tag=nl.e703
Billionaire investor will lead revolt against Yahoo, report says (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/361017.html
Ask.com Tries Again – The company plans to announce that it has agreed to acquire privately-held Lexico, which owns Dictionary.com, as well as Thesaurus.com and Reference.com (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/askcom-tries-again-and-not-just-with-women/index.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
CBS buying CNet for $1.8 billion (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9267469?source=rss
GENERAL NEWS
Forecasters say Washington weather turning hot (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP05152008news317768.cfm
Hot Weather, Quick Snow Melt To Cause Dangerous Conditions (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16267205/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
Skinner bows out of politics – State Rep. Mary Skinner stunned the local political establishment Wednesday, announcing her retirement one month after assuring supporters she would seek an eighth term (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/4054
Mars Lander May Find First Signs of Life on the Red Planet (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/science/May-June-08/Mars-Lander-May-Find-First-Signs-of-Life-on-the-Red-Planet.html
DIVERSIONS
Ants Invade Houston, Eat Computers
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i0Ck8ZlMj4LewikS7scW7Ca-z6PgD90LJMFO2
Gas Giveaway Drawing New Parishioners – Georgia Church Giving Two $500 Gas Cards
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/16261885/detail.html
Rare Bottle Of Oregon Beer Sells For $707 – Six-Pack Of Hair Of The Dog Beer Would Cost $4,242
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16262747/detail.html
Vatican scientist says belief in God and aliens is OK
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080514/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_pope_extraterrestrials;_ylt=AqKx9G7O12tZ8GL5aDPaqHjtiBIF
Von Trapp's "Sound of Music" villa to become hotel
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080514/od_nm/soundofmusic_dc;_ylt=AlkOn5TQqlG9LpMu5yn8yXPtiBIF
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Energy News Digest for May 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)
- China says troops rush to plug dangerous cracks in dam
- The Water-Industrial Complex
- Alcoa spent $410,000 in first quarter on lobbying, including BPA issues
- Chelan County PUD considers rate hikes
- McCain tries to ease nuclear-power worries
- Documents shed light on Grays Harbor PUD mill plan
- Wire Thieves Costing You Money
- News Release – Shawn Anstey, PUD 3 Customer Service Manager Retires After 23 years at the Utility
- TVA revenues up, net income sinks 42%
- Australia – Electricity workers march on parliament
- Power Lines and Your Health
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Competition vs. Regulation: Have We Achieved Conversational Clarity?
- Farm bill includes salmon aid
- Idaho anglers report damage to fish habitat
- Springer numbers lead to Willamette, Columbia salmon changes
- A pitch to fix Duwamish: Private firm hopes to profit from riverbank restoration
- North Mason County Fourth-Graders Get the Straight Poop on Belfair Watersheds
- How not to save salmon – Criticism for predator control programs, oh…and the Snake River dams
- Washington oyster a winner in competition – Comes from Shelton Area
- Paying landowners to protect Puget Sound
- Seattle Times Columnist – Being green is in the bag when it's shoved down our throats
- Trash-to-ethanol firms get digging
- Juneau, Alaska – A City Cooler and Dimmer, and, Oh, Proving a Point
- New York – Officials Decry Long Island Power Authority Conservation Surcharge
- McCain polishes "green" credentials in WA visit
- Firms Seek Patents on 'Climate Ready' Altered Crops
- Montana panel cold toward climate proposals
- Huge study documents changes from climate warming
- Counterfeit Cisco Products – FBI Fears Hardware Backdoors “BPA may have been bilked”
- Douglas PUD to supply TV programming over fiber
- EarthLink to pull the plug on Wi-Fi in Philadelphia
- When It Comes to Broadband, There’s Never Enough
- Metal Thieves Targeting South Sound Railroads
- Oklahoma – Copper thefts cut into telephone services
- Worker accused of faking cancer to steal from state
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Effloresce • \eff-flor-ESS\ • verb – 1: to burst forth: bloom 2a: to change to a powder from loss of water of crystallization b: to form or become covered with a powdery crust
Donna was getting impatient. The time had come for her garden to effloresce into a rich tapestry of red, blue and yellow. But by June she had become increasingly worried that the silk flower seeds she purchased from the door to door salesmen had been a complete waste of money.
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
China says troops rush to plug dangerous cracks in dam (Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080514/ap_on_re_as/china_earthquake
The Water-Industrial Complex – In 2001, a water shortage in America's Pacific Northwest wiped out nearly a third of the U.S. aluminum industry (Forbes Magazine)
http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/05/13/water-electricity-industry-biz-energy-cx_bp_0514water.html
Alcoa spent $410,000 in first quarter on lobbying – “…and access to electricity from the Bonneville Power Administration in Portland, Ore…” (The Associated Press, via the Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5773608.html
Chelan County PUD considers rate hikes – Predicted 'net assets' of $18.5 million are 27 percent lower than budgeted (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/NEWS04/605006022
McCain tries to ease nuclear-power worries (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004412459_mccain14m.html?syndication=rss
Documents shed light on Grays Harbor PUD mill plan – Newly released documents show how the Grays Harbor PUD plans to structure its financing of the Cosmopolis Pulp Mill’s powerhouse purchase to make money on the deal and meet new state “green power” requirements (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/05/13/local_news/02news.txt
WIRE THIEVES COSTING YOU MONEY – The Lewis County PUD continues to be hit by wire thieves. The latest theft in the Toledo area includes 2,700 feet of line stolen from the Cedar Creek Road. The value of the stolen line is estimated at $650. But the manpower required to replace it is considerably higher (KELA Radio, Centralia)
News Release – Shawn Anstey, PUD 3 Customer Service Manager Retires After 23 years at the Utility (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=434
TVA revenues up, net income sinks 42% (Memphis Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2008/05/12/daily16.html?ana=from_rss
Australia – Electricity workers march on parliament – workers from across Queensland have stopped work to march on state parliament to protest against stalled pay talks (The Herald Sun)
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23696880-5005961,00.html
Power Lines and Your Health (MSN Health & Fitness)
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100202335>1=31025
Energy Pulse Commentary – Competition vs. Regulation: Have We Achieved Conversational Clarity? (This one is NOT a quick read folks)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1744
FISH & WILDLIFE
Farm bill includes salmon aid (Times Standard, Eureka)
http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_9253567
Idaho anglers report damage to fish habitat – Two Sandpoint outfitters say the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers fouled a tributary of the Clark Fork River and destroyed protected bull trout habitat during a $250,000 flood-control project (Spokesman Review, Spokane)
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=14919
Springer numbers lead to Willamette, Columbia salmon changes(Salem Statesman Journal)
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080514/OUTDOORS/805140442/1034/SPORTS
A pitch to fix Duwamish: Private firm hopes to profit from riverbank restoration – Let's restore the banks of the Duwamish River to make them more natural, help shelter young salmon -- and make money in the process. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/363006_duwamish14.html?source=rss
North Mason County Fourth-Graders Get the Straight Poop on Belfair Watersheds (Kitsap Sun)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/may/13/fourth-graders-get-the-straight-poop-on/
How not to save salmon – Criticism for predator control programs, oh…and the Snake River dams (High Country News)
http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.WOTRArticle?article_id=17706
Washington oyster a winner in competition – The winner? A surprise Washington invader: the Totten Virginica, which matures on a secluded beach at the end of a dead-end road between Olympia and Shelton (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/359973.html
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Paying landowners to protect Puget Sound (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004412432_growth_tdr15m.html?syndication=rss
Seattle Times Columnist – Being green is in the bag when it's shoved down our throats
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004411952_rams14.html?syndication=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Trash-to-ethanol firms get digging (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9939613-54.html?tag=nl.e703
CONSERVATION
Juneau, Alaska – A City Cooler and Dimmer, and, Oh, Proving a Point – Here in Alaska, where melting arctic ice and eroding coastlines have made global warming an urgent threat, this little city has cut its electricity use by more than 30 percent in a matter of weeks (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/us/14juneau.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
New York – Officials Decry Long Island Power Authority Conservation Surcharge – Is the latest planned surcharge - as much as $3 a month beginning in January 2009 - a way to encourage conservation or a back-door approach to raising rates? (Suffolk Life Newspapers)
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19688440&BRD=1776&PAG=461&dept_id=6365&rfi=6
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
McCain polishes "green" credentials in WA visit (The Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP05132008news317071.cfm
Firms Seek Patents on 'Climate Ready' Altered Crops (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/12/AR2008051202919.html?nav=rss_technology
Montana panel cold toward climate proposals (Billings Gazette)
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/05/13/news/state/47-climateproposals.txt
Huge study documents changes from climate warming (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-05-14-climate-study_N.htm?csp=34
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Counterfeit Cisco Products – FBI Fears Hardware Backdoors In US “…Marine Corps, the Air Force, the Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI, US Navy, and Bonneville Power Administration…were allegedly sold counterfeit products…” (Ziff-Davis)
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39417171,00.htm
Douglas PUD to supply TV programming over fiber (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/NEWS04/881951556/1001
EarthLink to pull the plug on Wi-Fi in Philadelphia (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9244577?source=rss
When It Comes to Broadband, There’s Never Enough (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/05/13/when-it-comes-to-broadband-theres-never-enough/
GENERAL NEWS
Metal Thieves Targeting South Sound Railroads – Thieves looking to cash in metal for money took railroad crossing arms from a location south of Olympia, and railroad tracks were stolen in Grays Harbor County (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16258704/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
Oklahoma – Copper thefts cut into telephone services (The Muskogee Phoenix)
http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/local/local_story_134232421.html
Worker accused of faking cancer to steal from state – The woman received $21,000 in paid leave after forging letters from doctors, prosecutors allege (The Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080514/NEWS01/956613429/-1/RSS02
DIVERSIONS
Kittens Credited With Saving Lives In Fire – Two-Alarm Blaze Damages Three Houses
http://www.kirotv.com/family/16251627/detail.html
Man Refuses To Turn Off Cell On Flight – Southwest Traveler Cited For Cell Phone Call
http://www.kirotv.com/travelgetaways/16252931/detail.html
Ohio man finds someone already buried in his grave
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004413071_apmistakenburial.html?syndication=rss
Solitaire-y Confinement – Why we can't stop playing a computerized card game “…solitaire is the most-used program in the Windows universe…”
http://www.slate.com/id/2191295/?from=rss
Pull plug on automated toilets, panel says – Seattle's City Council say it's time to get rid of the city's five automated, single-stall toilets
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/362987_toilets14.html
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- China says troops rush to plug dangerous cracks in dam
- The Water-Industrial Complex
- Alcoa spent $410,000 in first quarter on lobbying, including BPA issues
- Chelan County PUD considers rate hikes
- McCain tries to ease nuclear-power worries
- Documents shed light on Grays Harbor PUD mill plan
- Wire Thieves Costing You Money
- News Release – Shawn Anstey, PUD 3 Customer Service Manager Retires After 23 years at the Utility
- TVA revenues up, net income sinks 42%
- Australia – Electricity workers march on parliament
- Power Lines and Your Health
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Competition vs. Regulation: Have We Achieved Conversational Clarity?
- Farm bill includes salmon aid
- Idaho anglers report damage to fish habitat
- Springer numbers lead to Willamette, Columbia salmon changes
- A pitch to fix Duwamish: Private firm hopes to profit from riverbank restoration
- North Mason County Fourth-Graders Get the Straight Poop on Belfair Watersheds
- How not to save salmon – Criticism for predator control programs, oh…and the Snake River dams
- Washington oyster a winner in competition – Comes from Shelton Area
- Paying landowners to protect Puget Sound
- Seattle Times Columnist – Being green is in the bag when it's shoved down our throats
- Trash-to-ethanol firms get digging
- Juneau, Alaska – A City Cooler and Dimmer, and, Oh, Proving a Point
- New York – Officials Decry Long Island Power Authority Conservation Surcharge
- McCain polishes "green" credentials in WA visit
- Firms Seek Patents on 'Climate Ready' Altered Crops
- Montana panel cold toward climate proposals
- Huge study documents changes from climate warming
- Counterfeit Cisco Products – FBI Fears Hardware Backdoors “BPA may have been bilked”
- Douglas PUD to supply TV programming over fiber
- EarthLink to pull the plug on Wi-Fi in Philadelphia
- When It Comes to Broadband, There’s Never Enough
- Metal Thieves Targeting South Sound Railroads
- Oklahoma – Copper thefts cut into telephone services
- Worker accused of faking cancer to steal from state
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Effloresce • \eff-flor-ESS\ • verb – 1: to burst forth: bloom 2a: to change to a powder from loss of water of crystallization b: to form or become covered with a powdery crust
Donna was getting impatient. The time had come for her garden to effloresce into a rich tapestry of red, blue and yellow. But by June she had become increasingly worried that the silk flower seeds she purchased from the door to door salesmen had been a complete waste of money.
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
China says troops rush to plug dangerous cracks in dam (Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080514/ap_on_re_as/china_earthquake
The Water-Industrial Complex – In 2001, a water shortage in America's Pacific Northwest wiped out nearly a third of the U.S. aluminum industry (Forbes Magazine)
http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/05/13/water-electricity-industry-biz-energy-cx_bp_0514water.html
Alcoa spent $410,000 in first quarter on lobbying – “…and access to electricity from the Bonneville Power Administration in Portland, Ore…” (The Associated Press, via the Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/5773608.html
Chelan County PUD considers rate hikes – Predicted 'net assets' of $18.5 million are 27 percent lower than budgeted (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/NEWS04/605006022
McCain tries to ease nuclear-power worries (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004412459_mccain14m.html?syndication=rss
Documents shed light on Grays Harbor PUD mill plan – Newly released documents show how the Grays Harbor PUD plans to structure its financing of the Cosmopolis Pulp Mill’s powerhouse purchase to make money on the deal and meet new state “green power” requirements (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/05/13/local_news/02news.txt
WIRE THIEVES COSTING YOU MONEY – The Lewis County PUD continues to be hit by wire thieves. The latest theft in the Toledo area includes 2,700 feet of line stolen from the Cedar Creek Road. The value of the stolen line is estimated at $650. But the manpower required to replace it is considerably higher (KELA Radio, Centralia)
News Release – Shawn Anstey, PUD 3 Customer Service Manager Retires After 23 years at the Utility (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=434
TVA revenues up, net income sinks 42% (Memphis Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2008/05/12/daily16.html?ana=from_rss
Australia – Electricity workers march on parliament – workers from across Queensland have stopped work to march on state parliament to protest against stalled pay talks (The Herald Sun)
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23696880-5005961,00.html
Power Lines and Your Health (MSN Health & Fitness)
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100202335>1=31025
Energy Pulse Commentary – Competition vs. Regulation: Have We Achieved Conversational Clarity? (This one is NOT a quick read folks)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1744
FISH & WILDLIFE
Farm bill includes salmon aid (Times Standard, Eureka)
http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_9253567
Idaho anglers report damage to fish habitat – Two Sandpoint outfitters say the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers fouled a tributary of the Clark Fork River and destroyed protected bull trout habitat during a $250,000 flood-control project (Spokesman Review, Spokane)
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=14919
Springer numbers lead to Willamette, Columbia salmon changes(Salem Statesman Journal)
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080514/OUTDOORS/805140442/1034/SPORTS
A pitch to fix Duwamish: Private firm hopes to profit from riverbank restoration – Let's restore the banks of the Duwamish River to make them more natural, help shelter young salmon -- and make money in the process. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/363006_duwamish14.html?source=rss
North Mason County Fourth-Graders Get the Straight Poop on Belfair Watersheds (Kitsap Sun)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/may/13/fourth-graders-get-the-straight-poop-on/
How not to save salmon – Criticism for predator control programs, oh…and the Snake River dams (High Country News)
http://www.hcn.org/servlets/hcn.WOTRArticle?article_id=17706
Washington oyster a winner in competition – The winner? A surprise Washington invader: the Totten Virginica, which matures on a secluded beach at the end of a dead-end road between Olympia and Shelton (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/359973.html
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Paying landowners to protect Puget Sound (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004412432_growth_tdr15m.html?syndication=rss
Seattle Times Columnist – Being green is in the bag when it's shoved down our throats
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004411952_rams14.html?syndication=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Trash-to-ethanol firms get digging (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9939613-54.html?tag=nl.e703
CONSERVATION
Juneau, Alaska – A City Cooler and Dimmer, and, Oh, Proving a Point – Here in Alaska, where melting arctic ice and eroding coastlines have made global warming an urgent threat, this little city has cut its electricity use by more than 30 percent in a matter of weeks (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/14/us/14juneau.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
New York – Officials Decry Long Island Power Authority Conservation Surcharge – Is the latest planned surcharge - as much as $3 a month beginning in January 2009 - a way to encourage conservation or a back-door approach to raising rates? (Suffolk Life Newspapers)
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19688440&BRD=1776&PAG=461&dept_id=6365&rfi=6
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
McCain polishes "green" credentials in WA visit (The Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP05132008news317071.cfm
Firms Seek Patents on 'Climate Ready' Altered Crops (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/12/AR2008051202919.html?nav=rss_technology
Montana panel cold toward climate proposals (Billings Gazette)
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/05/13/news/state/47-climateproposals.txt
Huge study documents changes from climate warming (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-05-14-climate-study_N.htm?csp=34
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Counterfeit Cisco Products – FBI Fears Hardware Backdoors In US “…Marine Corps, the Air Force, the Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI, US Navy, and Bonneville Power Administration…were allegedly sold counterfeit products…” (Ziff-Davis)
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39417171,00.htm
Douglas PUD to supply TV programming over fiber (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/NEWS04/881951556/1001
EarthLink to pull the plug on Wi-Fi in Philadelphia (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9244577?source=rss
When It Comes to Broadband, There’s Never Enough (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/05/13/when-it-comes-to-broadband-theres-never-enough/
GENERAL NEWS
Metal Thieves Targeting South Sound Railroads – Thieves looking to cash in metal for money took railroad crossing arms from a location south of Olympia, and railroad tracks were stolen in Grays Harbor County (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16258704/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
Oklahoma – Copper thefts cut into telephone services (The Muskogee Phoenix)
http://www.muskogeephoenix.com/local/local_story_134232421.html
Worker accused of faking cancer to steal from state – The woman received $21,000 in paid leave after forging letters from doctors, prosecutors allege (The Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080514/NEWS01/956613429/-1/RSS02
DIVERSIONS
Kittens Credited With Saving Lives In Fire – Two-Alarm Blaze Damages Three Houses
http://www.kirotv.com/family/16251627/detail.html
Man Refuses To Turn Off Cell On Flight – Southwest Traveler Cited For Cell Phone Call
http://www.kirotv.com/travelgetaways/16252931/detail.html
Ohio man finds someone already buried in his grave
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004413071_apmistakenburial.html?syndication=rss
Solitaire-y Confinement – Why we can't stop playing a computerized card game “…solitaire is the most-used program in the Windows universe…”
http://www.slate.com/id/2191295/?from=rss
Pull plug on automated toilets, panel says – Seattle's City Council say it's time to get rid of the city's five automated, single-stall toilets
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/362987_toilets14.html
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Energy News Digest for May 13, 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)
- Puget Sound Energy Partners for Pipeline Project
- Puget Sound Energy: Raise gas rates by $60 a year?
- Fitch Rates Grays Harbor PUD No. 1 $27 million Electric Revenue Bonds 'A'; Outlook Stable
- Congressional Research Reports – Aging Infrastructure: Dam Safety
- In memoriam, Sonny Smart – Former PUD manager remembered as 'tremendous teacher'
- More Countries Looking to Nuclear Power
- Time for Germany to reverse its nuclear phase-out policy?
- Tennessee Valley Authority working to stay on top in changing industry
- Congressional Research Reports – Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Infrastructure Security: Issues for Congress
- Australia – Electricity workers to strike in Queensland
- Complaints -- Who needs them?
- Lower Columbia steelhead fishing delayed
- Meetings Begin On Federal Disaster Assistance For Fishermen
- Who Killed the Sea Lions?
- Beaches suffer as walls go up
- Northwest rivers to rise along with temperatures
- Energy Dept. says wind power could be savior
- Big growth in wind power expected
- Head Winds Buffet Some Wind Energy Projects
- Bill Clinton, on his 2nd trip to the area, turns to energy
- Obama, speaking in Bend, turns energy to oil alternatives
- Red tape, costs entangle fans of 'green' fuel
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Perfect Storm Warnings for Renewable Energy
- Australia – Wind farm vow to power desalination
- Seattle Times Columnist – We have the tools and smarts to create a greener energy future
- In Oregon, McCain touts his cap-and-trade system to fight global warming
- Climate change barely bothers wealthy, polluting nations: study
- San Jose passes buck on trees
- Phone Service Back To Normal for Hood Canal Communications Customers
- Utah – Payson again says 'no' to UTOPIA refinancing
- Angry Customers Sue T-Mobile over Texting Charges
- Charter Starts Selling Your Browsing History
- Congressional Research Reports – "Spam": An Overview of Issues
- Student Hurt in School Bus Collision near Allyn in Mason County
- Midweek rain could give way to record-breaking temperatures by Saturday
- Why old gas pumps can't keep up with price hikes
- California – Military cracks down on scrap-metal scavengers
- Mason Firm Named Tree Farm of The Year
- Microsoft's free WorldWide Telescope brings Windows users up close to the universe
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Attitudinize • \at-uh-TOO-duh-nyze\ • verb – To assume an affected mental attitude: pose
Natalie was feeling saucy at the annual meeting of the Scott Baio Fan Club. She came in her Bugsy Malone costume, saying it was time to attitudinize the event with something more interesting than the “Charles in Charge” and “Joanie Loves Chachi” hacks that showed up in costume every year.
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
PUGET SOUND ENERGY PARTNERS FOR PIPELINE PROJECT – Puget Sound Energy has partnered with Tulsa-based natural gas provider Williams Co. to announce a call for binding commitments from shippers interested in a proposed Blue Bridge pipeline project. The pipeline, which would increase capacity piped from a site in Stanfield, Ore. and would serve the Pacific Northwest. Blue Bridge would be operated as part of Williams' Northwest Pipeline system, with service provided under Northwest's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Gas Tariff. PSE would be an anchor shipper on Blue Bridge and may become an equity investor in the project. The pipeline would run 172 miles along an existing natural gas pipeline corridor and require upgrades to a facility in Chehalis. (South Sound Business Examiner)
Puget Sound Energy: Raise gas rates by $60 a year? (The Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080513/BIZ/597431773/-1/RSS03
Fitch Rates Grays Harbor PUD No. 1 $27 million Electric Revenue Bonds 'A'; Outlook Stable (BusinessWire)
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080512006158&newsLang=en
Congressional Research Reports – Aging Infrastructure: Dam Safety
http://opencrs.com/document/RL33108
In memoriam, Sonny Smart – Former PUD manager remembered as 'tremendous teacher' (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/NEWS04/318370302
More Countries Looking to Nuclear Power – The increasing number of developing countries interested in nuclear power programs raises concerns about the proliferation of nuclear arms. (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Middle-East/May-June-08/More-Countries-Looking-to-Nuclear-Power.html
Time for Germany to reverse its nuclear phase-out policy? (Power Engineering)
http://pepei.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=6&ARTICLE_ID=326790&C=Regu&dcmp=rss
Tennessee Valley Authority working to stay on top in changing industry, but public status, priorities here to stay (Knoxville News Sentinel)
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/may/11/timely-transformation/
Congressional Research Reports – Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Infrastructure Security: Issues for Congress
http://opencrs.com/document/RL32073
Australia – Electricity workers to strike in Queensland – Workers at three state-owned electricity companies will walk off the job on Wednesday and march on state parliament as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions (The Age)
http://news.theage.com.au/electricity-workers-to-strike-in-qld/20080513-2dmg.html
Complaints -- Who needs them? (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=327672&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss
FISH & WILDLIFE
Lower Columbia steelhead fishing delayed (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP05132008news316612.cfm?newsletter=10
Meetings Begin On Federal Disaster Assistance For Fishermen (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/2061/meetings-begin-federal-disaster-assistance-fishermen/
Who Killed the Sea Lions? A salmon shortage. Dead mammals. Inside a maritime mystery. (Newsweek Magazine)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/136621
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Beaches suffer as walls go up – On beach after beach, barriers of concrete and boulders are erected to keep the Sound from washing away valuable real estate (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004409777_growth_shorelines15m1.html
Northwest rivers to rise along with temperatures (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080512/NEWS04/411994257/-1/BIZ01
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Energy Dept. says wind power could be savior (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/12/MNLE10L2KM.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
Big growth in wind power expected (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004409716_windenergy13.html
Head Winds Buffet Some Wind Energy Projects (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3861
Bill Clinton, on his 2nd trip to the area, turns to energy (The Bend Bulletin)
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080512/NEWS0107/805120366/1041&nav_category=
Obama, speaking in Bend, turns energy to oil alternatives – The Democrat says government and individuals must share responsibility (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1210474514111150.xml&coll=7
Red tape, costs entangle fans of 'green' fuel (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9941849-54.html?tag=nl.e703
Energy Pulse Commentary – Perfect Storm Warnings – Renewables investment, we are told, faces “The Perfect Storm.” But what does it mean?
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1739
Australia – Wind farm vow to power desalination (Sydney Morning Herald)
http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/wind-farm-vow-to-power-desalination/2008/05/13/1210444436869.html
CONSERVATION
Seattle Times Columnist – We have the tools and smarts to create a greener energy future – Can we really go "green" to achieve big-time energy savings?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004409066_peirce13.html?syndication=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
In Oregon, McCain touts his cap-and-trade system to fight global warming (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004409844_mccain13m.html
Climate change barely bothers wealthy, polluting nations: study (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9942587-54.html?tag=nl.e703
San Jose passes buck on trees – San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed may want to plant 100,000 trees around town over the next 15 years, but it's going to be everyday homeowners who are left footing the bill (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9241991?source=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
PHONE SERVICE BACK TO NORMAL FOR HOOD CANAL COMMUNICATIONS CUSTOMERS – Telephone service has been restored for customers of Hood Canal Communications and others. A fiber optic line in the Aberdeen area was cut this morning that knocked out phone service for several areas served by Century Telephone. Hood Canal service was restored about 11 AM. However, other areas, especially those on the Washington Coast, won't have service restored until about two this afternoon. This outage did have an impact on emergency calls to ShelCom. Hood Canal had to divert 9-1-1 calls from its customers to the Internet which then connected them to ShelCom. However, now that regular phone service has been restored, operations at ShelCom have returned to normal. During this phone outage, some one who tried to make a phone call to or from affected telephone customers only heard a fast busy signal. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Utah – Payson again says 'no' to UTOPIA refinancing (The Daily Herald)
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/266017/18/
Angry Customers Sue T-Mobile Over Texting Charges (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16244639/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
Charter Starts Selling Your Browsing History – Don't worry, it's all to bring you an 'enhanced online experience...' (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Charter-Starts-Selling-Your-Browsing-History-94356
Congressional Research Reports – "Spam": An Overview of Issues Concerning Commercial Electronic Mail
http://opencrs.com/document/RL31953
GENERAL NEWS
Student Hurt In School Bus Collision Near Allyn in Mason County (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16251381/detail.html
Midweek rain could give way to record-breaking temperatures by Saturday (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004409951_weather13m.html?syndication=rss
Why old gas pumps can't keep up with price hikes (Associated Press, via the Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080513/BIZ/409320816/-1/RSS03
California – Military cracks down on scrap-metal scavengers (Associated Press, via the Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1388441~Military_cracks_down_on_scrap_metal_scavengers.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
MASON FIRM NAMED TREE FARM OF THE YEAR – Hama Hama Tree Farm, managed by David Robbins and his family, has been named the 2008 Washington State Tree Farmer of the Year, recognizing the company's commitment to enhancing its forest land. "The Robbins family deserves to be recognized for their many years of excellent forest management and their commitment to forest stewardship," Washington Tree Farm Program chair Bryon Loucks said. The award was announced at the annual meeting of the Washington Farm Forestry Association, which is a co-sponsor of the Washington Tree Farm Program. David Robbins' grandfather, H.M. Robbins, started Hama Hama Logging Co. in 1922. In 1972, Robbins became involved in the management of the property, which lies on the west side of Hood Canal and includes the Hama Hama River, Johns Creek, and 400 acres of estuary and tideflats. The tree farm is mostly composed of Douglas fir with scattered stands of alder, hemlock and cedar, and supports a sustainable harvest of 1.4 million board feet per year. (South Sound Business Examiner)
Microsoft's free WorldWide Telescope brings Windows users up close to the universe (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoft/2004409651_telescope13.html?syndication=rss
DIVERSIONS
Texas Girl Wins State Team Track Title – On Her Own
http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=806832
Students Participate In World's Largest Scavenger Hunt
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/16241063/detail.html
Man says JetBlue made him sit on toilet, sues for $2 million
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080513/ap_on_fe_st/jetblue_lawsuit;_ylt=Akdn.weFEKUIxcJ1kcb3SNXtiBIF
Drunk 'Darth Vader' punished for Jedi attack – A booze-fuelled Briton pretending to be Star Wars villain Darth Vader was punished Tuesday for a bizarre surprise attack on two Jedi fanatics
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/britaincourtoffbeatentertainmentfilmstarwars;_ylt=AlZWpUgAbInqrGFt4v6RnoXtiBIF
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Puget Sound Energy Partners for Pipeline Project
- Puget Sound Energy: Raise gas rates by $60 a year?
- Fitch Rates Grays Harbor PUD No. 1 $27 million Electric Revenue Bonds 'A'; Outlook Stable
- Congressional Research Reports – Aging Infrastructure: Dam Safety
- In memoriam, Sonny Smart – Former PUD manager remembered as 'tremendous teacher'
- More Countries Looking to Nuclear Power
- Time for Germany to reverse its nuclear phase-out policy?
- Tennessee Valley Authority working to stay on top in changing industry
- Congressional Research Reports – Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Infrastructure Security: Issues for Congress
- Australia – Electricity workers to strike in Queensland
- Complaints -- Who needs them?
- Lower Columbia steelhead fishing delayed
- Meetings Begin On Federal Disaster Assistance For Fishermen
- Who Killed the Sea Lions?
- Beaches suffer as walls go up
- Northwest rivers to rise along with temperatures
- Energy Dept. says wind power could be savior
- Big growth in wind power expected
- Head Winds Buffet Some Wind Energy Projects
- Bill Clinton, on his 2nd trip to the area, turns to energy
- Obama, speaking in Bend, turns energy to oil alternatives
- Red tape, costs entangle fans of 'green' fuel
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Perfect Storm Warnings for Renewable Energy
- Australia – Wind farm vow to power desalination
- Seattle Times Columnist – We have the tools and smarts to create a greener energy future
- In Oregon, McCain touts his cap-and-trade system to fight global warming
- Climate change barely bothers wealthy, polluting nations: study
- San Jose passes buck on trees
- Phone Service Back To Normal for Hood Canal Communications Customers
- Utah – Payson again says 'no' to UTOPIA refinancing
- Angry Customers Sue T-Mobile over Texting Charges
- Charter Starts Selling Your Browsing History
- Congressional Research Reports – "Spam": An Overview of Issues
- Student Hurt in School Bus Collision near Allyn in Mason County
- Midweek rain could give way to record-breaking temperatures by Saturday
- Why old gas pumps can't keep up with price hikes
- California – Military cracks down on scrap-metal scavengers
- Mason Firm Named Tree Farm of The Year
- Microsoft's free WorldWide Telescope brings Windows users up close to the universe
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Attitudinize • \at-uh-TOO-duh-nyze\ • verb – To assume an affected mental attitude: pose
Natalie was feeling saucy at the annual meeting of the Scott Baio Fan Club. She came in her Bugsy Malone costume, saying it was time to attitudinize the event with something more interesting than the “Charles in Charge” and “Joanie Loves Chachi” hacks that showed up in costume every year.
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
PUGET SOUND ENERGY PARTNERS FOR PIPELINE PROJECT – Puget Sound Energy has partnered with Tulsa-based natural gas provider Williams Co. to announce a call for binding commitments from shippers interested in a proposed Blue Bridge pipeline project. The pipeline, which would increase capacity piped from a site in Stanfield, Ore. and would serve the Pacific Northwest. Blue Bridge would be operated as part of Williams' Northwest Pipeline system, with service provided under Northwest's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Gas Tariff. PSE would be an anchor shipper on Blue Bridge and may become an equity investor in the project. The pipeline would run 172 miles along an existing natural gas pipeline corridor and require upgrades to a facility in Chehalis. (South Sound Business Examiner)
Puget Sound Energy: Raise gas rates by $60 a year? (The Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080513/BIZ/597431773/-1/RSS03
Fitch Rates Grays Harbor PUD No. 1 $27 million Electric Revenue Bonds 'A'; Outlook Stable (BusinessWire)
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080512006158&newsLang=en
Congressional Research Reports – Aging Infrastructure: Dam Safety
http://opencrs.com/document/RL33108
In memoriam, Sonny Smart – Former PUD manager remembered as 'tremendous teacher' (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/NEWS04/318370302
More Countries Looking to Nuclear Power – The increasing number of developing countries interested in nuclear power programs raises concerns about the proliferation of nuclear arms. (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Middle-East/May-June-08/More-Countries-Looking-to-Nuclear-Power.html
Time for Germany to reverse its nuclear phase-out policy? (Power Engineering)
http://pepei.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=6&ARTICLE_ID=326790&C=Regu&dcmp=rss
Tennessee Valley Authority working to stay on top in changing industry, but public status, priorities here to stay (Knoxville News Sentinel)
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/may/11/timely-transformation/
Congressional Research Reports – Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Infrastructure Security: Issues for Congress
http://opencrs.com/document/RL32073
Australia – Electricity workers to strike in Queensland – Workers at three state-owned electricity companies will walk off the job on Wednesday and march on state parliament as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions (The Age)
http://news.theage.com.au/electricity-workers-to-strike-in-qld/20080513-2dmg.html
Complaints -- Who needs them? (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=327672&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss
FISH & WILDLIFE
Lower Columbia steelhead fishing delayed (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP05132008news316612.cfm?newsletter=10
Meetings Begin On Federal Disaster Assistance For Fishermen (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/2061/meetings-begin-federal-disaster-assistance-fishermen/
Who Killed the Sea Lions? A salmon shortage. Dead mammals. Inside a maritime mystery. (Newsweek Magazine)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/136621
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Beaches suffer as walls go up – On beach after beach, barriers of concrete and boulders are erected to keep the Sound from washing away valuable real estate (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004409777_growth_shorelines15m1.html
Northwest rivers to rise along with temperatures (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080512/NEWS04/411994257/-1/BIZ01
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Energy Dept. says wind power could be savior (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/12/MNLE10L2KM.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
Big growth in wind power expected (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004409716_windenergy13.html
Head Winds Buffet Some Wind Energy Projects (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3861
Bill Clinton, on his 2nd trip to the area, turns to energy (The Bend Bulletin)
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080512/NEWS0107/805120366/1041&nav_category=
Obama, speaking in Bend, turns energy to oil alternatives – The Democrat says government and individuals must share responsibility (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1210474514111150.xml&coll=7
Red tape, costs entangle fans of 'green' fuel (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9941849-54.html?tag=nl.e703
Energy Pulse Commentary – Perfect Storm Warnings – Renewables investment, we are told, faces “The Perfect Storm.” But what does it mean?
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1739
Australia – Wind farm vow to power desalination (Sydney Morning Herald)
http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/wind-farm-vow-to-power-desalination/2008/05/13/1210444436869.html
CONSERVATION
Seattle Times Columnist – We have the tools and smarts to create a greener energy future – Can we really go "green" to achieve big-time energy savings?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004409066_peirce13.html?syndication=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
In Oregon, McCain touts his cap-and-trade system to fight global warming (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004409844_mccain13m.html
Climate change barely bothers wealthy, polluting nations: study (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9942587-54.html?tag=nl.e703
San Jose passes buck on trees – San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed may want to plant 100,000 trees around town over the next 15 years, but it's going to be everyday homeowners who are left footing the bill (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9241991?source=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
PHONE SERVICE BACK TO NORMAL FOR HOOD CANAL COMMUNICATIONS CUSTOMERS – Telephone service has been restored for customers of Hood Canal Communications and others. A fiber optic line in the Aberdeen area was cut this morning that knocked out phone service for several areas served by Century Telephone. Hood Canal service was restored about 11 AM. However, other areas, especially those on the Washington Coast, won't have service restored until about two this afternoon. This outage did have an impact on emergency calls to ShelCom. Hood Canal had to divert 9-1-1 calls from its customers to the Internet which then connected them to ShelCom. However, now that regular phone service has been restored, operations at ShelCom have returned to normal. During this phone outage, some one who tried to make a phone call to or from affected telephone customers only heard a fast busy signal. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Utah – Payson again says 'no' to UTOPIA refinancing (The Daily Herald)
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/266017/18/
Angry Customers Sue T-Mobile Over Texting Charges (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16244639/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
Charter Starts Selling Your Browsing History – Don't worry, it's all to bring you an 'enhanced online experience...' (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Charter-Starts-Selling-Your-Browsing-History-94356
Congressional Research Reports – "Spam": An Overview of Issues Concerning Commercial Electronic Mail
http://opencrs.com/document/RL31953
GENERAL NEWS
Student Hurt In School Bus Collision Near Allyn in Mason County (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16251381/detail.html
Midweek rain could give way to record-breaking temperatures by Saturday (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004409951_weather13m.html?syndication=rss
Why old gas pumps can't keep up with price hikes (Associated Press, via the Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080513/BIZ/409320816/-1/RSS03
California – Military cracks down on scrap-metal scavengers (Associated Press, via the Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1388441~Military_cracks_down_on_scrap_metal_scavengers.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
MASON FIRM NAMED TREE FARM OF THE YEAR – Hama Hama Tree Farm, managed by David Robbins and his family, has been named the 2008 Washington State Tree Farmer of the Year, recognizing the company's commitment to enhancing its forest land. "The Robbins family deserves to be recognized for their many years of excellent forest management and their commitment to forest stewardship," Washington Tree Farm Program chair Bryon Loucks said. The award was announced at the annual meeting of the Washington Farm Forestry Association, which is a co-sponsor of the Washington Tree Farm Program. David Robbins' grandfather, H.M. Robbins, started Hama Hama Logging Co. in 1922. In 1972, Robbins became involved in the management of the property, which lies on the west side of Hood Canal and includes the Hama Hama River, Johns Creek, and 400 acres of estuary and tideflats. The tree farm is mostly composed of Douglas fir with scattered stands of alder, hemlock and cedar, and supports a sustainable harvest of 1.4 million board feet per year. (South Sound Business Examiner)
Microsoft's free WorldWide Telescope brings Windows users up close to the universe (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoft/2004409651_telescope13.html?syndication=rss
DIVERSIONS
Texas Girl Wins State Team Track Title – On Her Own
http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=806832
Students Participate In World's Largest Scavenger Hunt
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/16241063/detail.html
Man says JetBlue made him sit on toilet, sues for $2 million
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080513/ap_on_fe_st/jetblue_lawsuit;_ylt=Akdn.weFEKUIxcJ1kcb3SNXtiBIF
Drunk 'Darth Vader' punished for Jedi attack – A booze-fuelled Briton pretending to be Star Wars villain Darth Vader was punished Tuesday for a bizarre surprise attack on two Jedi fanatics
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/britaincourtoffbeatentertainmentfilmstarwars;_ylt=AlZWpUgAbInqrGFt4v6RnoXtiBIF
Monday, May 12, 2008
Energy News Digest for May 12, 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)
- Grant PUD to get nearly $12 million in power sale lawsuit settlement
- Chehalis Area Natural Gas Plant Changes Hands – PacifiCorp to Take Over
- Climate bill could raise natural gas, power costs
- Department of Energy report says Oregon doesn't need liquefied natural gas
- As electricity rates go up, natural gas' high prices, deregulation blamed
- Activists plan end run around Puget Sound Energy sale, seek public utility district formation
- Raccoon causes power outage for nearly 3,000 in Wenatchee
- News Release – BPA announces more flexible banking arrangement with U.S. Treasury
- Tri City Herald Opinion – Governor, look inward for answers on Areva
- Tri City Herald Opinion – Slow resurrection of nuclear power
- Chilean Drought, Power Shortages Drive up World Metal Prices
- Thefts Rise With Copper Prices – States Boost Efforts To Catch Crooks
- New York – Consolidated Edison seeks rate hike of $654 million in NY
- North Carolina – Duke CEO grilled by shareholders
- New York – Astoria Residents Protest Power Plant
- Missouri – Kansas City Power & Light Company’s Weston power plant to cost 15 percent more
- Congress divided on energy plan
- Chinook run faltering on upriver Columbia
- Salmon fishing to close on parts of Snake, Columbia Rivers
- Oregon – Salmon closure hits Winchester Bay hard
- Steelhead head to new home on wheels
- Montana – Catch & release: Biologists radio-tag trout in effort to study effect of Milltown Dam removal
- Perch crowd trout from Eastern Oregon reservoir
- Montana fish kill plan on display
- First Copper River salmon arrives Friday in Seattle
- Whaling would have little effect on environment, U.S. says
- Maine – Salmon stocking boosts Pleasant River
- Delayed melting in Cascade Mountains leaves reservoirs low
- Wastewater Treatment – Lower bills could raise Brightwater costs by $1 billion
- Olympia looks for water source – City, Nisqually tribe seek agreement on well field
- Longview council delays water-supply decision
- How we're still failing our Sound – The painful cost of booming growth
- Daily News Editorial – Nation can't afford to neglect shipping channels
- City of Seattle wants going green to be easier on taxpayers
- Wallula paper mill powered by 'refuse derived fuel'
- Et Tu Grays Harbor PUD – Developers buy Berlin, N.H. paper mill for biomass power plant
- Solar industry needs workers
- Seattle Times Columnist – The Holy Grail of ethanol – This is a lesson for the civics books
- Washington PUD Association Building Receives Top Green Label
- L-E-Ds could light up our future – Bulbs cost more but use less energy
- News Release – Progress Energy Releases Climate Change Report to Shareholders
- Heartland Powers the Net – Server Farms Produce A New Cash Crop In Nation's Midsection
- UK Town Embraces Sewer Line Broadband
- 35th District Democrats Back Finn For Ike’s State Representative Position
- Gas Prices Set New Record
- Olympia resident – Surf fisherman dies near Ocean Shores
- News Tribune Editorial – Why is faulty wiring still killing U.S. soldiers?
- Ecology headquarters built in 1993 slated for $11 million repair
- Shelton-Area Ceremony Today For New Ramp From Sr3 To 101
- Hidden Hybrid Automobile Dangers
- Cell Phone Stores Preparing for Hands Free Cell Phone Law
- Seattle, Olympia, Bend, Coeur d’Alene Tabbed as 'Recession-Proof' Cities
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Treacle • \TREE-cull\ • noun – 1: a medicinal compound formerly in wide use as a remedy against poison 2a: chiefly British: molasses b: a blend of molasses, invert sugar, and corn syrup used as syrup *3: something (as a tone of voice) heavily sweet and cloying
“Oh dear, what a lovely smock,” oozed the honeyed tones of Abernathy Rockjaw to the beautiful Violet Fenwick-Jones. What the oily shyster did not realize that Ms Fenwick-Jones saw right through his treacle-loaded advances. The taser in her extended hand instantly cooled his amorous advances.
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
Grant PUD to get nearly $12 million in power sale lawsuit settlement – Grant County PUD will receive $11.8 million as part of a settlement agreed upon this week with three California utilities over unpaid power sales made during the 2000-2001 energy crisis (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/05/09/news/news03.txt
Chehalis Area Natural Gas Plant Changes Hands – PacifiCorp to Take Over, Pending Regulatory Approval (The Daily Chronicle, Centralia)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1210408961&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
Climate bill could raise natural gas, power costs (Dallas Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2008/05/12/story6.html?ana=from_rss
Department of Energy report says Oregon doesn't need liquefied natural gas – NorthernStar says it still wants to build a liquefied natural gas terminal near Astoria, and Gov. Kulongoski asks federal regulators to redo their study (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1210391709160710.xml&coll=7
As electricity rates go up, natural gas' high prices, deregulation blamed – If you haven't locked in your electricity rate, expect to pay more for power this summer (The Dallas Morning News)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/industries/energy/stories/DN-electricity_12bus.ART0.State.Edition1.4608dec.html
Activists plan end run around Puget Sound Energy sale, seek public utility district formation –People for Yes on Whidbey PUD plans to gather signatures on an initiative petition to replace Puget Sound Energy with a local public utility district (The Whidbey Examiner)
http://www.whidbeyexaminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=1354&TM=41414.18
Raccoon causes power outage for nearly 3,000 in Wenatchee (The Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080510/NEWS04/499710582/1001/rss1001
News Release – BPA announces more flexible banking arrangement with U.S. Treasury (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/201767/
Tri City Herald Opinion – Governor, look inward for answers on Areva – The governor blew it. There is no other way to interpret Areva's decision to build its new uranium enrichment plant in Idaho Falls instead of Richland.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/180892.html
Tri City Herald Opinion – Slow resurrection of nuclear power
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/181412.html
Chilean Drought, Power Shortages Drive up World Metal Prices (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/10/AR2008051000151.html?nav=rss_business
Thefts Rise With Copper Prices – States Boost Efforts To Catch Crooks (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/10/AR2008051002239.html?nav=rss_business
New York – Consolidated Edison seeks rate hike of $654 million in NY (Associated Press)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080509/ny_con_ed_rate_hike.html?.v=2
North Carolina – Duke CEO grilled by shareholders: Questions, comments come for 90 minutes over plans to build 800-megawatt coal plant near Blue Ridge Mountains (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CkhekqrpUSmk%216C%29bfen%5Fv
New York – Astoria Residents Protest Power Plant (The Queens Chronicle)
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19672789&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574903&rfi=6
Missouri – Kansas City Power & Light Company’s Weston power plant to cost 15 percent more (The Southeast Missourian)
http://www.semissourian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/NEWS03/888623291/-1/RSS
Congress divided on energy plan (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004407855_apcongressenergyfactcheck.html?syndication=rss
FISH & WILDLIFE
Chinook run faltering on upriver Columbia – The ballyhooed strong return of upriver Columbia River spring Chinook — that produced off-the-chart sport fishing in the lower river last month — isn't quite living up to expectations at this point. (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2004406124_outnweb12.html
Salmon fishing to close on parts of Snake, Columbia Rivers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wst_salmon_closures.html
Oregon – Salmon closure hits Winchester Bay hard – The whole Oregon coast will feel the pinch of the broadest shutdown ever, but the sport fishing town is particularly dependent on salmon (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121055733661450.xml&coll=7
Steelhead head to new home on wheels – under the care of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which manages the Eastbank Hatchery on a contract with the Chelan County PUD (The Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/NEWS04/62909470/1025/rss1025
Montana – Catch & release: Biologists radio-tag trout in effort to study effect of Milltown Dam removal on the Clark Fork River (The Missoulian)
http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/09/news/mtregional/news06.txt
Perch crowd trout from Eastern Oregon reservoir (Baker City Herald, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1386390~Perch_crowd_trout_from_Eastern_Ore__reservoir.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
Montana fish kill plan on display – Biologists are putting on public display the initial results of a complex and controversial program that will kill thousands of fish in wilderness lakes over the coming decade. (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/12/news/local/news02.txt
First Copper River salmon arrives Friday in Seattle (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_051208FOB_copper_river_salmon_LJ.f2b7c246.html
Whaling would have little effect on environment, U.S. says – The Makah tribe's proposed return to legal whale hunting would have little effect on the environment — including on the targeted gray whales — according to a federal study. (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080511/NEWS/805110302
Maine – Salmon stocking boosts Pleasant River – There are about 50,000 more salmon in the Pleasant River this week thanks to the annual stocking effort of the Downeast Salmon Federation (Bangor Daily News)
http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=164222&zoneid=500
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Delayed melting in Cascade Mountains leaves reservoirs low (The News Tribune, Tacoma)http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/358046.html
Wastewater Treatment – Lower bills could raise Brightwater costs by $1 billion (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004407604_brightwater12m.html?syndication=rss
Olympia looks for water source – City, Nisqually tribe seek agreement on well field (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/444680.html
Longview council delays water-supply decision – The Cowlitz PUD, which owns 14 percent of Longview’s Regional Water Treatment Plant on Fisher’s Lane, told the council it strongly favors drilling six deep wells into a deep aquifer at the Mint Farm Industrial Park… (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/09/area_news/doc482487d68e1fc685326618.txt
How we're still failing our Sound – The painful cost of booming growth – If you want to see where Puget Sound's fate is being decided, turn your back to the water (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004406070_growth_prologue15m.html
Daily News Editorial – Nation can't afford to neglect shipping channels – The Columbia River channel deepening project could be finished at the end of fiscal 2009, a year ahead of schedule
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/12/editorial/doc4824cda22da06146424275.txt
City of Seattle wants going green to be easier on taxpayers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/362711_waste12.html?source=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Wallula paper mill powered by 'refuse derived fuel' (You mean, garbage? Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/180897.html
Et Tu Grays Harbor PUD – Developers buy Berlin, N.H. paper mill for biomass power plant (Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology - Mass High Tech)
http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2008/05/12/daily1.html?ana=from_rss
Solar industry needs workers (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/10/BUGD10JVGP.DTL&feed=rss.business
Seattle Times Columnist – The Holy Grail of ethanol – This is a lesson for the civics books. Five months ago, ethanol derived from corn was the new miracle green fuel. If we learned anything from the 1970s, we apparently forgot it. Then it was synfuels. Now it's biofuels, equally expensive and impractical.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/362459_ethanolonline11.html?source=rss
CONSERVATION
WASHINGTON PUD ASSOCIATION BUILDING RECEIVES TOP GREEN LABEL – The Washington Public Utility Districts Association headquarters building in Olympia has received platinum certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program. The two-story office building on Union Avenue features 160 solar panels. The solar-power system generates more than enough electricity to meet the building's daytime energy needs, even on overcast days, utility association officials say. The 11,000-square-foot building was built with an emphasis on water conservation, nontoxic building materials and Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood products. Platinum certification is the highest rating possible under the LEED program. (The Olympian, Environmental Briefs)
L-E-Ds could light up our future – Bulbs cost more but use less energy (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/362653_led12.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
News Release – Progress Energy Releases Climate Change Report to Shareholders – Company outlines efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and position on carbon regulation (Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080512/clm102.html?.v=60
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Heartland Powers the Net – Server Farms Produce A New Cash Crop In Nation's Midsection (Kansas City Star, via the San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9231303?source=rss
UK Town Embraces Sewer Line Broadband – 88,000 homes to get more fiber (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/UK-Town-Embraces-Sewer-Line-Broadband-94324
GENERAL NEWS
35TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS BACK FINN FOR IKE’S STATE REPRESENTATIVE POSITION – 35th District Democrats nominated Fred Finn for Bill Eikmeyer’s State Representative seat. At a convention Saturday, Finn earned the backing from the Democrats for the August 19th Primary Election over Daryl Daugs. Out of a total 332 precinct votes, Finn received 224 for the seat being vacated by the retiring Eikmeyer. Two Republicans, Herb Baze and Randy Neatherlin are also seeking the seat. A two term Port of Olympia Commissioner and resident of the Steamboat Island area, Paul Telford, has also express interest in the seat. At this time, Telford does not have a political party affiliation and says he could run as either “a Tim Sheldon Democrat, an independent, or a Republican.” The official filing period for this fall’s election is the first week in June. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Gas Prices Set New Record (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16238809/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
Olympia resident – Surf fisherman dies near Ocean Shores (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8310011
News Tribune Editorial – Why is faulty wiring still killing U.S. soldiers?
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/357464.html
Ecology headquarters built in 1993 slated for $11 million repair – At 450 feet long and 45 feet tall, it's a big wall. And it's going to be expensive to replace, at $11 million of the public's money. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/444708.html
SHELTON-AREA CEREMONY TODAY FOR NEW RAMP FROM SR3 TO 101 – A ground breaking ceremony is set for 1:30 this afternoon to mark the beginning of the construction of an on-ramp south of Shelton from Highway 3 to northbound U.S. Highway 101. The new on-ramp is expected to significantly improve safety by eliminating the need to cross high-speed oncoming traffic when connecting to 101. Those scheduled to participate in the ground breaking are State Representative Kathy Haigh, State Senator and Mason County Commissioner Tim Sheldon, as well as Mason County Commissioners Lynda Ring Erickson and Ross Gallagher. The ceremony will take place at the approximate location of the ramp. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Hidden Hybrid Automobile Dangers – According to the New York Times, strong electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emanating from high voltage power cables located near the driver can be hazardous to your health (The Consumerist)
http://consumerist.com/5008376/hidden-hybrid-automobile-dangers-what-you-should-know-about-emfs
Cell Phone Stores Preparing for Hands Free Cell Phone Law (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8292647
Seattle, Olympia, Bend, Coeur d’Alene Tabbed as 'Recession-Proof' Cities (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/2043/seattle-bend-coeur-dalene-tabbed-recession-proof-cities/
DIVERSIONS
Tacoma court deciding whether pet pig is a hog
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/446404.html
Men charged after skull dug up, used as bong (this brings a whole new meaning to the term “Head” Shop, Dude)
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0842573120080509?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
"Self-important and irritating" – England is an irritating and insular country full of overweight, binge-drinking, reality TV addicts, a new guide warns tourists
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL0941780120080509?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Mosquito-Eating Fish Help Clean Up Foreclosure Mess – Government officials are using hungry fish to stop an epidemic of mosquitoes breeding in swimming pools abandoned by their owners after mortgage foreclosures
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/business/May-June-08/Mosquito-Eating-Fish-Help-Clean-Up-Foreclosure-Mess.html
One Day: Driver Has Crash, Sees Home Catch Fire, Gets Ticket
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16233028/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible
Oops! Civil War Collector Killed by Antique Shell
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90344025&ft=1&f=7
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Grant PUD to get nearly $12 million in power sale lawsuit settlement
- Chehalis Area Natural Gas Plant Changes Hands – PacifiCorp to Take Over
- Climate bill could raise natural gas, power costs
- Department of Energy report says Oregon doesn't need liquefied natural gas
- As electricity rates go up, natural gas' high prices, deregulation blamed
- Activists plan end run around Puget Sound Energy sale, seek public utility district formation
- Raccoon causes power outage for nearly 3,000 in Wenatchee
- News Release – BPA announces more flexible banking arrangement with U.S. Treasury
- Tri City Herald Opinion – Governor, look inward for answers on Areva
- Tri City Herald Opinion – Slow resurrection of nuclear power
- Chilean Drought, Power Shortages Drive up World Metal Prices
- Thefts Rise With Copper Prices – States Boost Efforts To Catch Crooks
- New York – Consolidated Edison seeks rate hike of $654 million in NY
- North Carolina – Duke CEO grilled by shareholders
- New York – Astoria Residents Protest Power Plant
- Missouri – Kansas City Power & Light Company’s Weston power plant to cost 15 percent more
- Congress divided on energy plan
- Chinook run faltering on upriver Columbia
- Salmon fishing to close on parts of Snake, Columbia Rivers
- Oregon – Salmon closure hits Winchester Bay hard
- Steelhead head to new home on wheels
- Montana – Catch & release: Biologists radio-tag trout in effort to study effect of Milltown Dam removal
- Perch crowd trout from Eastern Oregon reservoir
- Montana fish kill plan on display
- First Copper River salmon arrives Friday in Seattle
- Whaling would have little effect on environment, U.S. says
- Maine – Salmon stocking boosts Pleasant River
- Delayed melting in Cascade Mountains leaves reservoirs low
- Wastewater Treatment – Lower bills could raise Brightwater costs by $1 billion
- Olympia looks for water source – City, Nisqually tribe seek agreement on well field
- Longview council delays water-supply decision
- How we're still failing our Sound – The painful cost of booming growth
- Daily News Editorial – Nation can't afford to neglect shipping channels
- City of Seattle wants going green to be easier on taxpayers
- Wallula paper mill powered by 'refuse derived fuel'
- Et Tu Grays Harbor PUD – Developers buy Berlin, N.H. paper mill for biomass power plant
- Solar industry needs workers
- Seattle Times Columnist – The Holy Grail of ethanol – This is a lesson for the civics books
- Washington PUD Association Building Receives Top Green Label
- L-E-Ds could light up our future – Bulbs cost more but use less energy
- News Release – Progress Energy Releases Climate Change Report to Shareholders
- Heartland Powers the Net – Server Farms Produce A New Cash Crop In Nation's Midsection
- UK Town Embraces Sewer Line Broadband
- 35th District Democrats Back Finn For Ike’s State Representative Position
- Gas Prices Set New Record
- Olympia resident – Surf fisherman dies near Ocean Shores
- News Tribune Editorial – Why is faulty wiring still killing U.S. soldiers?
- Ecology headquarters built in 1993 slated for $11 million repair
- Shelton-Area Ceremony Today For New Ramp From Sr3 To 101
- Hidden Hybrid Automobile Dangers
- Cell Phone Stores Preparing for Hands Free Cell Phone Law
- Seattle, Olympia, Bend, Coeur d’Alene Tabbed as 'Recession-Proof' Cities
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Treacle • \TREE-cull\ • noun – 1: a medicinal compound formerly in wide use as a remedy against poison 2a: chiefly British: molasses b: a blend of molasses, invert sugar, and corn syrup used as syrup *3: something (as a tone of voice) heavily sweet and cloying
“Oh dear, what a lovely smock,” oozed the honeyed tones of Abernathy Rockjaw to the beautiful Violet Fenwick-Jones. What the oily shyster did not realize that Ms Fenwick-Jones saw right through his treacle-loaded advances. The taser in her extended hand instantly cooled his amorous advances.
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
Grant PUD to get nearly $12 million in power sale lawsuit settlement – Grant County PUD will receive $11.8 million as part of a settlement agreed upon this week with three California utilities over unpaid power sales made during the 2000-2001 energy crisis (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/05/09/news/news03.txt
Chehalis Area Natural Gas Plant Changes Hands – PacifiCorp to Take Over, Pending Regulatory Approval (The Daily Chronicle, Centralia)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1210408961&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
Climate bill could raise natural gas, power costs (Dallas Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2008/05/12/story6.html?ana=from_rss
Department of Energy report says Oregon doesn't need liquefied natural gas – NorthernStar says it still wants to build a liquefied natural gas terminal near Astoria, and Gov. Kulongoski asks federal regulators to redo their study (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1210391709160710.xml&coll=7
As electricity rates go up, natural gas' high prices, deregulation blamed – If you haven't locked in your electricity rate, expect to pay more for power this summer (The Dallas Morning News)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/industries/energy/stories/DN-electricity_12bus.ART0.State.Edition1.4608dec.html
Activists plan end run around Puget Sound Energy sale, seek public utility district formation –People for Yes on Whidbey PUD plans to gather signatures on an initiative petition to replace Puget Sound Energy with a local public utility district (The Whidbey Examiner)
http://www.whidbeyexaminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=1354&TM=41414.18
Raccoon causes power outage for nearly 3,000 in Wenatchee (The Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080510/NEWS04/499710582/1001/rss1001
News Release – BPA announces more flexible banking arrangement with U.S. Treasury (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/201767/
Tri City Herald Opinion – Governor, look inward for answers on Areva – The governor blew it. There is no other way to interpret Areva's decision to build its new uranium enrichment plant in Idaho Falls instead of Richland.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/180892.html
Tri City Herald Opinion – Slow resurrection of nuclear power
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/181412.html
Chilean Drought, Power Shortages Drive up World Metal Prices (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/10/AR2008051000151.html?nav=rss_business
Thefts Rise With Copper Prices – States Boost Efforts To Catch Crooks (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/10/AR2008051002239.html?nav=rss_business
New York – Consolidated Edison seeks rate hike of $654 million in NY (Associated Press)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080509/ny_con_ed_rate_hike.html?.v=2
North Carolina – Duke CEO grilled by shareholders: Questions, comments come for 90 minutes over plans to build 800-megawatt coal plant near Blue Ridge Mountains (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CkhekqrpUSmk%216C%29bfen%5Fv
New York – Astoria Residents Protest Power Plant (The Queens Chronicle)
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19672789&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574903&rfi=6
Missouri – Kansas City Power & Light Company’s Weston power plant to cost 15 percent more (The Southeast Missourian)
http://www.semissourian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/NEWS03/888623291/-1/RSS
Congress divided on energy plan (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004407855_apcongressenergyfactcheck.html?syndication=rss
FISH & WILDLIFE
Chinook run faltering on upriver Columbia – The ballyhooed strong return of upriver Columbia River spring Chinook — that produced off-the-chart sport fishing in the lower river last month — isn't quite living up to expectations at this point. (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2004406124_outnweb12.html
Salmon fishing to close on parts of Snake, Columbia Rivers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wst_salmon_closures.html
Oregon – Salmon closure hits Winchester Bay hard – The whole Oregon coast will feel the pinch of the broadest shutdown ever, but the sport fishing town is particularly dependent on salmon (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121055733661450.xml&coll=7
Steelhead head to new home on wheels – under the care of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which manages the Eastbank Hatchery on a contract with the Chelan County PUD (The Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/NEWS04/62909470/1025/rss1025
Montana – Catch & release: Biologists radio-tag trout in effort to study effect of Milltown Dam removal on the Clark Fork River (The Missoulian)
http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/09/news/mtregional/news06.txt
Perch crowd trout from Eastern Oregon reservoir (Baker City Herald, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1386390~Perch_crowd_trout_from_Eastern_Ore__reservoir.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
Montana fish kill plan on display – Biologists are putting on public display the initial results of a complex and controversial program that will kill thousands of fish in wilderness lakes over the coming decade. (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/12/news/local/news02.txt
First Copper River salmon arrives Friday in Seattle (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_051208FOB_copper_river_salmon_LJ.f2b7c246.html
Whaling would have little effect on environment, U.S. says – The Makah tribe's proposed return to legal whale hunting would have little effect on the environment — including on the targeted gray whales — according to a federal study. (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080511/NEWS/805110302
Maine – Salmon stocking boosts Pleasant River – There are about 50,000 more salmon in the Pleasant River this week thanks to the annual stocking effort of the Downeast Salmon Federation (Bangor Daily News)
http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=164222&zoneid=500
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Delayed melting in Cascade Mountains leaves reservoirs low (The News Tribune, Tacoma)http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/358046.html
Wastewater Treatment – Lower bills could raise Brightwater costs by $1 billion (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004407604_brightwater12m.html?syndication=rss
Olympia looks for water source – City, Nisqually tribe seek agreement on well field (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/444680.html
Longview council delays water-supply decision – The Cowlitz PUD, which owns 14 percent of Longview’s Regional Water Treatment Plant on Fisher’s Lane, told the council it strongly favors drilling six deep wells into a deep aquifer at the Mint Farm Industrial Park… (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/09/area_news/doc482487d68e1fc685326618.txt
How we're still failing our Sound – The painful cost of booming growth – If you want to see where Puget Sound's fate is being decided, turn your back to the water (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004406070_growth_prologue15m.html
Daily News Editorial – Nation can't afford to neglect shipping channels – The Columbia River channel deepening project could be finished at the end of fiscal 2009, a year ahead of schedule
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/12/editorial/doc4824cda22da06146424275.txt
City of Seattle wants going green to be easier on taxpayers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/362711_waste12.html?source=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Wallula paper mill powered by 'refuse derived fuel' (You mean, garbage? Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/180897.html
Et Tu Grays Harbor PUD – Developers buy Berlin, N.H. paper mill for biomass power plant (Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology - Mass High Tech)
http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2008/05/12/daily1.html?ana=from_rss
Solar industry needs workers (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/10/BUGD10JVGP.DTL&feed=rss.business
Seattle Times Columnist – The Holy Grail of ethanol – This is a lesson for the civics books. Five months ago, ethanol derived from corn was the new miracle green fuel. If we learned anything from the 1970s, we apparently forgot it. Then it was synfuels. Now it's biofuels, equally expensive and impractical.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/362459_ethanolonline11.html?source=rss
CONSERVATION
WASHINGTON PUD ASSOCIATION BUILDING RECEIVES TOP GREEN LABEL – The Washington Public Utility Districts Association headquarters building in Olympia has received platinum certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program. The two-story office building on Union Avenue features 160 solar panels. The solar-power system generates more than enough electricity to meet the building's daytime energy needs, even on overcast days, utility association officials say. The 11,000-square-foot building was built with an emphasis on water conservation, nontoxic building materials and Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood products. Platinum certification is the highest rating possible under the LEED program. (The Olympian, Environmental Briefs)
L-E-Ds could light up our future – Bulbs cost more but use less energy (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/362653_led12.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
News Release – Progress Energy Releases Climate Change Report to Shareholders – Company outlines efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and position on carbon regulation (Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080512/clm102.html?.v=60
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Heartland Powers the Net – Server Farms Produce A New Cash Crop In Nation's Midsection (Kansas City Star, via the San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9231303?source=rss
UK Town Embraces Sewer Line Broadband – 88,000 homes to get more fiber (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/UK-Town-Embraces-Sewer-Line-Broadband-94324
GENERAL NEWS
35TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS BACK FINN FOR IKE’S STATE REPRESENTATIVE POSITION – 35th District Democrats nominated Fred Finn for Bill Eikmeyer’s State Representative seat. At a convention Saturday, Finn earned the backing from the Democrats for the August 19th Primary Election over Daryl Daugs. Out of a total 332 precinct votes, Finn received 224 for the seat being vacated by the retiring Eikmeyer. Two Republicans, Herb Baze and Randy Neatherlin are also seeking the seat. A two term Port of Olympia Commissioner and resident of the Steamboat Island area, Paul Telford, has also express interest in the seat. At this time, Telford does not have a political party affiliation and says he could run as either “a Tim Sheldon Democrat, an independent, or a Republican.” The official filing period for this fall’s election is the first week in June. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Gas Prices Set New Record (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16238809/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
Olympia resident – Surf fisherman dies near Ocean Shores (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8310011
News Tribune Editorial – Why is faulty wiring still killing U.S. soldiers?
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/357464.html
Ecology headquarters built in 1993 slated for $11 million repair – At 450 feet long and 45 feet tall, it's a big wall. And it's going to be expensive to replace, at $11 million of the public's money. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/444708.html
SHELTON-AREA CEREMONY TODAY FOR NEW RAMP FROM SR3 TO 101 – A ground breaking ceremony is set for 1:30 this afternoon to mark the beginning of the construction of an on-ramp south of Shelton from Highway 3 to northbound U.S. Highway 101. The new on-ramp is expected to significantly improve safety by eliminating the need to cross high-speed oncoming traffic when connecting to 101. Those scheduled to participate in the ground breaking are State Representative Kathy Haigh, State Senator and Mason County Commissioner Tim Sheldon, as well as Mason County Commissioners Lynda Ring Erickson and Ross Gallagher. The ceremony will take place at the approximate location of the ramp. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Hidden Hybrid Automobile Dangers – According to the New York Times, strong electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emanating from high voltage power cables located near the driver can be hazardous to your health (The Consumerist)
http://consumerist.com/5008376/hidden-hybrid-automobile-dangers-what-you-should-know-about-emfs
Cell Phone Stores Preparing for Hands Free Cell Phone Law (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8292647
Seattle, Olympia, Bend, Coeur d’Alene Tabbed as 'Recession-Proof' Cities (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/2043/seattle-bend-coeur-dalene-tabbed-recession-proof-cities/
DIVERSIONS
Tacoma court deciding whether pet pig is a hog
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/446404.html
Men charged after skull dug up, used as bong (this brings a whole new meaning to the term “Head” Shop, Dude)
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0842573120080509?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
"Self-important and irritating" – England is an irritating and insular country full of overweight, binge-drinking, reality TV addicts, a new guide warns tourists
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL0941780120080509?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Mosquito-Eating Fish Help Clean Up Foreclosure Mess – Government officials are using hungry fish to stop an epidemic of mosquitoes breeding in swimming pools abandoned by their owners after mortgage foreclosures
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/business/May-June-08/Mosquito-Eating-Fish-Help-Clean-Up-Foreclosure-Mess.html
One Day: Driver Has Crash, Sees Home Catch Fire, Gets Ticket
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16233028/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible
Oops! Civil War Collector Killed by Antique Shell
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90344025&ft=1&f=7
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