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)

- Power Outage in Allyn Area Overnight
- Montana - Snow, Ice Cut BPA Cables
- Chelan PUD’s lean $329 million budget passes
- Grand Coulee Dam Power & Water Pumping Plant To Be Renamed
- Should Coal Be Considered A Clean Fuel?
- Plant That Spilled Coal Ash Had Earlier Leak Problems
- How To Avert A Looming Power Crisis
- Smart Grid Companies Want Stimulus Cash From Feds
- FACTB0X-What Is A Smart Grid?
- Comcast Tech Left Dangling 100 Feet Up
- Federal Draft Report: Sacramento River Delta System Imperils Fish
- Water Levels Should Stay on Track for the Coming Months
- Victoria, BC – Pollution Squabble Sinks Testing of Sewage Outfalls
- Washington State Turns Down Stock Watering Petition
- Montana - Bill Benefits 'Medium-Speed' Electric Cars
- Cause of English Wind Turbine Damage Unknown – UFO May be to Blame
- Efficiency Help Wanted
- Organic LEDs Have Many Uses
- Global Warming Will Be A Killer for Agriculture, UW Scientists Say
- Qwest Seeks Stimulus Dollars for Broadband
- Comcast Making Switch To Digital Signals In Portland Area
- I-5, Snoqualmie Pass Open
- Solution to Flooding Problem A Long Way Off
- Daily News Editorial - Flood Closure More Costly Than I-5 Fix
- Washington's A State Of Emergency as Rain-Filled Rivers Rebel
- News Tribune Editorial - Is This the Future of Northwest Winters?
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Put Up For Sale
- Nationwide Inquiry on Bids for Municipal Bonds
- Cabin Owners In National Forests Will Get Lease Break
- Western Washington Cuts Football Program

These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest

WORD OF THE DAY

Hassock • \HASS-uck\ • noun - 1: a cushion for kneeling b: a padded cushion or low stool that serves as a seat or leg rest

Large, ponderous Casper Gutman waddled across the room, the long tube tied to his water pipe wobbled like an obscene umbilical cord as he drew the grey, swirling smoke from the bowl on the many-faceted contraption through its length. He grunted heavily as he backed into his overstuffed chair, the tassel on his canted fez draped across one ear. Only the dark, heavy, leather hassock protected his dainty, beslippered feet from the desecration of touching the floor. “Now,” he rasped to the impatient Sam Spade, “I assume you are here to speak with me about ‘the bird’”

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?textField1=47.213805&textField2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=Shelton%2C%20WA%2C%20USA

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Power Outage In Allyn Area Overnight (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6045/reftab/1632/t/POWER-OUTAGE-IN-ALLYN-AREA-OVERNIGHT/Default.aspx

Montana - Snow, ice cut BPA cables (The Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, MT)
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2009/01/09/news/local_montana/news_8768521326_08.txt

Chelan PUD’s lean $329 million budget passes (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081216/NEWS04/712169974/1001

Grand Coulee Dam Power & Water Pumping Plant To Be Renamed - Late agency head to be honored (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/01/08/news/doc496632150990a132585324.txt

Should Coal Be Considered A Clean Fuel? “…The state should adopt a ‘clean’ standard for generating electricity, not just a ‘renewable’ standard…” (The Tampa Tribune, FL)
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jan/08/should-coal-be-considered-clean-fuel/

Plant That Spilled Coal Ash Had Earlier Leak Problems
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/us/09coal.html

How to Avert A Looming Power Crisis (Houston Chronicle, TX)
http://www.star-telegram.com/245/story/1132371.html

Smart Grid Companies Want Stimulus Cash From Feds (C/NET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10137337-54.html

FACTB0X-What Is A Smart Grid? (The Guardian, United Kingdom)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/8219882

Comcast Tech Left Dangling 100 Feet Up - Though saved his own life by following proper safety guidelines (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Tech-Left-Dangling-100-Feet-Up-100129

FISH & WILDLIFE

Federal Draft Report: Sacramento River Delta System Imperils Fish – “…salmon, steelhead and sturgeon in the Central Valley are being driven to extinction…” (Sacramento Bee)
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1528201.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Water Levels Should Stay on Track for the Coming Months - latest snowpack readings show we're actually a little behind compared to this time last year (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=9643134

Victoria, BC – Pollution Squabble Sinks Testing of Sewage Outfalls (Vancouver Sun, BC – BTW, Victoria discharges raw sewage from its “treatment” system into the Strait of Juan de Fuca)
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Pollution+squabble+sinks+testing+sewage+outfalls/1158039/story.html

Washington State Turns Down Stock Watering Petition (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1785608~State_denies_stockwatering_petition.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Montana - Bill Benefits 'Medium-Speed' Electric Cars (Great Falls Tribune, MT)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090109/NEWS01/901090337/1002

Cause of English Wind Turbine Damage Unknown – UFO May be to Blame (Reuters)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090108/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_wind_turbine;_ylt=Ah4hhZJjA4TYuK5tDxS.9pTtiBIF

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Efficiency Help Wanted (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/efficiency-help-wanted/

Organic LEDs Have Many Uses (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/09/BUQF15615P.DTL&feed=rss.business

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Global Warming Will Be A Killer For Agriculture, UW Scientists Say (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008606940_warming09m.html?syndication=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Qwest Seeks Stimulus Dollars for Broadband (New Mexico Business Weekly)
http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2009/01/05/daily42.html?ana=from_rss

Comcast Making Switch To Digital Signals In Portland Area - The cable company's conversion is different from the national switch, which may confuse some customers (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1231476915177900.xml&coll=7

GENERAL NEWS

I-5, Snoqualmie Pass open (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008608509_weblewis09m.html

Solution To Flooding Problem A Long Way Off – For roads there are two years of design work yet to be done (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/395367_lewis09.html?source=rss

Daily News Editorial - Flood Closure More Costly Than I-5 Fix
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/01/09/editorial/doc4966add6eaf73590765899.txt

Washington's A State Of Emergency As Rain-Filled Rivers Rebel (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/395249_storm09.html

News Tribune Editorial - Is This The Future Of Northwest Winters?
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/589382.html

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Put Up For Sale (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/395463_newspapersale10.html

Nationwide Inquiry on Bids for Municipal Bonds- Lawmen investigating collusion that has taken approximately $400 billion worth of municipal notes and bonds to market each year (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/business/09insure.html

Cabin Owners In National Forests Will Get Lease Break – Cushman Residents Rejoice! (Associated Press)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/395398_cabins09.html?source=rss

Western Washington Cuts Football Program (Examiner.Com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1784435~Western_Washington_cuts_football_program.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

DIVERSIONS

Diabetics Beware! Cute Things Falling Asleep
http://www.cutethingsfallingasleep.org/

Karaoke Most Irritating Gadget In Britain: Govt Survey
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090109/lf_afp/lifestylebritaintechnologyoffbeatjapan_newsmlmmd;_ylt=AgfaAlovHgsaWtPZ4GyjQEGgOrgF

Masked Man Waits In Line To Rob Ohio Bank
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090109/ap_on_fe_st/odd_masked_robber;_ylt=AhkJDvEnI2yaUGMebHd.V5jtiBIF

Canadian Woman Mistakes Labor Pains For Kidney Stone – Had no Idea She Was Pregnant
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090108/wl_canada_afp/canadachildfamilyoffbeat_newsmlmmd;_ylt=At5oZK3fLriHtKPu99qcUfmgOrgF

Energy News Digest for January 8, 2009

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)

- Chair of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to Resign
- Jefferson PUD to Begin Talks With BPA about Electric Power Takeover
- Chelan PUD to Cut Ten Jobs At Dams
- Montana - Senators Seek Power for Columbia Falls Aluminum Company
- Critics Push For PGE To Modernize Boardman Plant
- Douglas PUD Commissioners Take New Posts
- Congressman Markey of Massachusetts to Chair Key House Energy Subcommittee
- Detroit News Editorial - Don't Bar Coal from State's Energy Future
- Bi-State Chinook Flap Set To Resume Friday
- TVA ratepayers may be stuck with ash cleanup bill
- Solar-Cell Maker Halts Construction Plans for New Plant in Hillsboro
- Idaho - Otter Backs Pickens in Drive to Cut Foreign Oil
- Can 'Green Jobs' Stimulate The Economy?
- California - New Power Plant at Half Moon Bay Landfill Turns Methane into Energy
- FPL Energy is Now NextEra Energy Resources
- America's Untapped Energy Resource: Boosting Efficiency
- Obama Wants To Cut Energy Use in Federal Buildings
- Study: Big Homes, One-Person Households Are Main Causes of Consumer Energy Waste
- Plenty Of Green Will Be Spent Being 'Green'
- Charter Sues Verizon - Claims telco is violating four patents with FiOS
- Congress Urged to Postpone Nation's Switch to Digital TV
- Shelton Man Rescued From Raging Stream
- Mason County: Flood Warnings Continue; Roads & Highways Closed
- Washout: Unprecedented flooding forces evacuations, closes highways
- I-5 still swamped; Lewis County cautious, hopeful
- Rainfall totals for Western Washington
- Reichert named to House Ways and Means committee

These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest

WORD OF THE DAY

Dank • \Dan-k\ • adjective - unpleasantly moist or wet

Insert your favorite flood stories in the “fill in the blanks” example sentence of the day. It’s fun!

Abernathy grumbled under his breath, his frustration over the flooded ________________ River growing with each plodding step through his dank, dark, water permeated garage. As the topper, he couldn’t leave his house in ________________ because of the mudslide over ________________ Road.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?textField1=47.213805&textField2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=Shelton%2C%20WA%2C%20USA

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Chair of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to Resign (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/01/07/national/w105557S76.DTL&feed=rss.business

Jefferson PUD to Begin Talks With BPA about Electric Power Takeover (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090108/news/301089992

Chelan PUD to Cut Ten Jobs At Dams (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090107/NEWS04/701089932

Montana - Senators Seek Power for Columbia Falls Aluminum Company (The Missoulian, MT)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/01/08/news/mtregional/znews07.txt

Critics Push For PGE To Modernize Boardman Plant - The Environmental Quality Commission hears from people who want the coal-fired power plant to install pollution controls (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/123138873781740.xml&coll=7

Douglas PUD Commissioners Take New Posts (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090107/NEWS04/701089936

Congressman Markey of Massachusetts to Chair Key House Energy Subcommittee (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/08/markey-to-chair-key-house-energy-subcommittee/

Detroit News Editorial - Don't Bar Coal from State's Energy Future
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090108/OPINION01/901080345

FISH & WILDLIFE

Bi-State Chinook Flap Set To Resume Friday (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090108/SPORTS04/701089922

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

TVA ratepayers may be stuck with ash cleanup bill (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008583296_apfloodedneighborhood.html?syndication=rss

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Solar-Cell Maker Halts Construction Plans for New Plant in Hillsboro (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/solarcell_maker_halts_construc.html

Idaho - Otter Backs Pickens in Drive to Cut Foreign Oil (Idaho Statesman, Boise)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/625571.html

Can 'Green Jobs' Stimulate The Economy? (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99100825&ft=1&f=3

California - New Power Plant at Half Moon Bay Landfill Turns Methane Into Energy (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11401243

FPL Energy is Now NextEra Energy Resources (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=54451&src=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

America's Untapped Energy Resource: Boosting Efficiency (Time Magazine)
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1869224,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

Obama Wants To Cut Energy Use in Federal Buildings (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ieBi6mm2SBfSIWEZtnrQtqL4JC0QD95IIE5G0

Study: Big Homes, One-Person Households Are Main Causes of Consumer Energy Waste (Autility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=349642&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Plenty Of Green Will Be Spent Being 'Green' (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/395107_virgin08.html?source=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Charter Sues Verizon - Claims telco is violating four patents with FiOS (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Charter-Sues-Verizon-100097

Congress Urged to Postpone Nation's Switch to Digital TV (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/07/AR2009010703916.html?nav=rss_email%2Fcomponents

GENERAL NEWS

Shelton Man Rescued From Raging Stream (KOMO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/37278719.html

Mason County: Flood Warnings Continue; Roads & Highways Closed (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6032/reftab/1632/Default.aspx

Washout: Unprecedented flooding forces evacuations, closes highways (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008602949_flood08m.html?syndication=rss

I-5 still swamped; Lewis County cautious, hopeful (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008604400_webchehalis08m.html?syndication=rss

Rainfall totals for Western Washington (Associated Press)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/395242_rainfall09.html?source=rss

Reichert named to House Ways and Means committee (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008601032_apwareichertcongress.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

Man Demands Estranged Wife Pay Him for Kidney
http://www.kirotv.com/health/18431267/detail.html

Man and Girlfriend Use Disguise in Attempt to Rob Grandmother’s Bank Account
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE50755320090108?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Holier Than Thou? Brazilian Christ Statue Has Rival
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE50755320090108?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Greek Court Voids Property Deal between Barman And Alcoholic
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090102/od_afp/greecejusticeoffbeat_newsmlmmd;_ylt=AlvlKXYDuGNf9V26KSefiM2gOrgF

Jan 9, 2009 - News Digest Addendum

FERC chief Kelliher to step down (Baltimore Sun, MD)
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/hancock/blog/2009/01/ferc_chief_kelliher_to_step_do.html

Energy News Digest for January 7, 2009

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)

- Alcoa Plans to Close Plants and Trim Work Force
- Alcoa to Cut 13% of Its Work Force
- New layoffs coming at Alcoa’s Wenatchee Works
- Power Restored - Mason County PUD No. 3 customers affected by January 6 Windstorm
- Mason County PUD No. 3 Commissioner Tom Farmer Takes Oath of Office
- Jefferson County Public Power: Proposition 1 revisited
- Ruling Could Open Door to New Trial in Enron Case
- Portland General Electric Customer Questions Intelligence Of New Smart Meters
- Donation to Help Chelan PUD Customers Pay Power Bills
- Why Storms Are Good News for Fishermen
- Coastal Fishing Closure Won't Affect Inland Fisheries
- U.S. To Compensate B.C. Fishermen Under Latest Pact To Protect Salmon
- Seal Turns Massachusetts Hatchery Into All-You-Can-Eat Buffet
- Runoff Forecast Better, But Still Lacking
- Hundreds of Coal Ash Dumps Lack Regulation
- Company Seeks To Study Ocean Waves' Potential to Produce Electricity
- Canada - Biogas from sewage could power buses
- Wind Turbines Will Cut NYC Building's Electricity Bills in Half
- Cities Use Creative, Targeted Lending to Speed Energy Projects
- Scientists Flock to Rubber Duckies for Measuring Glacial Melt in Greenland
- In New York, Downturn Kills Free WiFi
- As Broadband Growth Slows, Telcos Lose Out
- Intel Writes Almost $1B Off Clearwire Investment
- Lewis County: Dire Flood Predictions Coming True
- Huge Molten Glass Leak Closes Kalama Bottle Plant
- Man Gets Two-Year Sentence for Phone-Wire Theft

These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest

WORD OF THE DAY

Dipsomaniac • \dips-uh-main-ee-ack\ • noun - One who has an uncontrollable craving for alcoholic liquors

“Aaahhh, Foster Brooks. Now that was a dipsomaniac’s dipsomaniac,” sighed Orson Welles, as he reached for the decanted bottle of Paul Masson Wine. “He really would drink wine before its time.”

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?textField1=47.213805&textField2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=Shelton%2C%20WA%2C%20USA

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Alcoa Plans to Close Plants and Trim Work Force “…falling energy and freight prices are helping aluminum makers, it is tough…to make money with aluminum prices at such low levels (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/business/07alcoa.html

Alcoa to Cut 13% of Its Work Force “Ed. Note: more details on where layoffs are occurring, Like EVERYWHERE…” (Associated Press)
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/01/06/business/AP-Alcoa-Job-Cuts.html

New layoffs coming at Alcoa’s Wenatchee Works “…Alcoa pays approximately $12 to $13 per megawatt hour for PUD power. The same power would currently cost $45 to $50 on the open market…” (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090106/NEWS04/701079992

Power Restored - Mason County PUD No. 3 customers affected by January 6 Windstorm (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=494

Mason County PUD No. 3 Commissioner Tom Farmer Takes Oath of Office – Board Elects Officers For 2009 (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=492

Jefferson County Public Power: Proposition 1 revisited (Port Townsend Leader WA)
http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=22860&TM=44895.7

Ruling Could Open Door to New Trial in Enron Case “…judges called “troubling” indications of possible prosecutorial misconduct…” (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/business/07enron.html

Portland General Electric Customer Questions Intelligence Of New Smart Meters - Rates spiked after he had the automated reading system installed (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/123130411766910.xml&coll=7

Donation to Help Chelan PUD Customers Pay Power Bills (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090106/NEWS04/701069966/1025/rss1025

FISH & WILDLIFE

Why Storms Are Good News for Fishermen (NewScientist)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20126881.700-why-storms-are-good-news-for-fishermen--.html

Coastal Fishing Closure Won't Affect Inland Fisheries (The Oregonian, Portalnd, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2008/03/notebook_closure_wont_affect_i.html

U.S. To Compensate B.C. Fishermen Under Latest Pact To Protect Salmon (CBC News)http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/01/06/bc-us-salmon-treaty.html

Seal Turns Massachusetts Hatchery Into All-You-Can-Eat Buffet (Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090107/ap_on_fe_st/odd_hungry_seal;_ylt=ArjhBRMB.7J9G7Wu7O2plkftiBIF

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Runoff Forecast Better, But Still Lacking (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090106/NEWS04/701069978

Hundreds of Coal Ash Dumps Lack Regulation (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/us/07sludge.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & CONSERVATION

Company Seeks To Study Ocean Waves' Potential to Produce Electricity (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/395019_oceanenergy07.html

Canada - Biogas from sewage could power buses (BC Local News)
http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/37126169.html

Wind Turbines Will Cut NYC Building's Electricity Bills in Half (EcoGeek)
http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2433/86/

Cities Use Creative, Targeted Lending to Speed Energy Projects (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/cities-use-creative-targeted-lending-to-speed-energy-projects/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Scientists Flock to Rubber Duckies for Measuring Glacial Melt in Greenland (Wall Street Journal)
http://columbian.com/article/20090106/NEWS02/701059961/-1/NEWS

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

In New York, Downturn Kills Free WiFi (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/01/06/in-new-york-downturn-kills-free-wifi/

As Broadband Growth Slows, Telcos Lose Out (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/01/06/as-broadband-growth-slows-telcos-lose-out/

Intel Writes Almost $1B Off Clearwire Investment (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/01/07/intel-writes-almost-1b-off-clearwire-investment/

GENERAL NEWS

Lewis County: Dire Flood Predictions Coming True (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/storybreaking.php?subaction=showfull&id=1231349168&archive=&start_from=&ucat=4&

Huge Molten Glass Leak Closes Kalama Bottle Plant (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/718393.html

Man Gets Two-Year Sentence for Phone-Wire Theft – Copper worth $3,000; repairs cost $121,000 (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/01/07//area_news/doc49642fd097183078347836.txt

DIVERSIONS

Chew on This: We'll Soon Be Able to Grow Replacement Teeth
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008593860_teeth06.html?syndication=rss

Nebraska Man Sues Ex-Wife for Putting Recorder in Toy
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090107/ap_on_fe_st/odd_teddy_bear_spy;_ylt=Ao9ScFlp_h3P0NLUBsTKG_ftiBIF

Bummer: Man's Bottom Bared In Colorado Ski-Lift Mishap
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090107/ap_on_fe_st/odd_ski_mishap;_ylt=AsF4O4ojTsDm4mjgsoe6VKbtiBIF

Fahrenheit 451 - Indian teachers burn books to keep warm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090106/od_afp/indiaweatherbooksoffbeat_newsmlmmd;_ylt=AiSIB9.7wjWfdeHwp0jKdBSgOrgF

Energy News Digest for January 6, 2009

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)

- Montana - Baucus, Tester Press BPA to Renegotiate Aluminum Energy Prices
- Murray: Where have the bailout dollars gone?
- Georgia Coal Plant Project Threatened By Partnership Breakup
- Approval of Puget Sound Energy takeover by foreign interests the wrong decision
- Congdon Named President of Chelan PUD Board
- Utility cutoffs fuel carbon monoxide poisonings
- Michigan - Utility Companies Told To Pay Up For Outage Costs
- China’s Power Surge Ends, for Now
- GridWise report: 280,000 new jobs tied to smart grid deployment
- Belfair Salmon Center Finishes Land Acquisition for Its New Digs
- Bush to Protect Three Areas in Pacific
- Montana’s Got Wind, Needs Power Lines
- The Beauty Of The Backyard Turbine
- Arizona Star Editorial - Solar Panels Are a Good Idea If Affordable
- Obama's Plan Would Double Renewable Energy Production in the U.S.
- California Study Shows Shade Trees Reduce Summertime Electricity Use
- Tossing iron powder into ocean to fight global warming
- Climate Change versus Global Warming
- Seeking Alpha - Broadband: Why Government Investment Is Justified Now
- Comcast Can Now Slow Bandwidth Hogs Across Its Network
- SkyWi President Says Qwest Cost His Firm Customers
- Feds start waiting list for DTV converter box coupons
- Heavy rain forecast for Western Washington
- Mason County Flood Watch In Effect Through Friday Afternoon
- Lewis County Declares Storm Emergency
- Bear Captured In the Island Lake/Shelton Springs Road Area
- Leader of Manke Lumber Embezzlement Scheme Pleads Guilty
- Washington State Employee Hiring Freeze Lifted
- Do Continuing Earthquakes in Yellowstone Signal Monumental Destruction?
- Poll: Seattle Residents Not Thrilled With Mayor

These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest

WORD OF THE DAY

Frieze • \FREEZ\ • noun - 1: the part of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice 2: a sculptured or richly ornamented band (as on a building or piece of furniture) *3: a band, line, or series suggesting a frieze

Lady Emma strolled expectantly towards the house of her next door neighbor, an infamous collector of H.R. Pufnstuff memorabilia. What she did not expect was the frieze that encircled the entire front door, depicting the “Many Moods of Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo”. Lady Emma thought the exotic carvings were a bit excessive, especially since “Witchiepoo” had only one mood: evil.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?textField1=47.213805&textField2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=Shelton%2C%20WA%2C%20USA

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Montana - Baucus, Tester Press BPA to Renegotiate Energy Prices with Columbia Falls Aluminum Company: Energy Prices a Key Part of Shutdown Decision (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)
http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/baucus_tester_press_bpa_to_renegotiate_energy_pries_with_cfac/7526/

Murray: Where have the bailout dollars gone? “…she wants $5 billion from the package to rebuild the Bonneville Power Administration…” (KEPR-TV, Pasco, WA)
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/37127849.html

Georgia Coal Plant Project Threatened By Partnership Breakup (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/01/05/daily22.html?ana=from_rss

Seattle Times Editorial - Approval of Puget Sound Energy takeover by foreign interests the wrong decision
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2008592860_edit06wutc.html

Congdon Named President of Chelan PUD Board (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090105/NEWS04/701069996/1001/rss1001

Utility cutoffs fuel carbon monoxide poisonings - Desperate families are turning to dangerous heat sources, experts say (MSNBC)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28508809/

Michigan - Utility Companies Told To Pay Up For Outage Costs: Municipalities' fees for fire, police help unfair; they say (Detroit Free Press, MI)
http://www.freep.com/article/20090102/NEWS05/901020370/-1/Ferndale

China’s Power Surge Ends, for Now (NY Times)
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/chinas-power-surge-ends-for-now/

GridWise report: 280,000 new jobs tied to smart grid deployment (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=349411&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Belfair Salmon Center Finishes Land Acquisition for Its New Digs (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jan/05/belfair-salmon-center-finishes-property/?partner=RSS

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Bush to Protect Three Areas in Pacific (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/05/AR2009010501181.html?nav=rss_email%2Fcomponents

RENEWABLE ENERGY & CONSERVATION

Montana’s Got Wind, Needs Power Lines - But environmentalists worry that an expanded grid will help carry more dirty power (Christian Science Monitor)
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2008/12/29/montana%e2%80%99s-got-wind-needs-power-lines/

The Beauty Of The Backyard Turbine - Industrial-scale installations aren't the only source of wind energy for Canadian homes and businesses (The Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090106.wwindside06/BNStory/National/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20090106.wwindside06

Arizona Star Editorial - Solar Panels Are a Good Idea If Affordable: Push for renewable energy shouldn't jeopardize other programs
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/274554

Obama's Plan Would Double Renewable Energy Production in the U.S. (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=54428&src=rss

California Study Shows Shade Trees Reduce Summertime Electricity Use (Science Daily)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090105150831.htm

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Tossing iron powder into ocean to fight global warming (Times of India)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Tossing_iron_powder_into_ocean_to_fight_global_warming/articleshow/3943779.cms

Climate Change versus Global Warming (Muncie Star Press, IN)
http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20090106/GREEN03/90106013

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Seeking Alpha - Broadband: Why Government Investment Is Justified Now
http://seekingalpha.com/article/112991-broadband-why-government-investment-is-justified-now

Comcast Can Now Slow Bandwidth Hogs Across Its Network (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/01/05/comcast-can-now-slow-bandwidth-hogs-across-its-network/

SkyWi President Says Qwest Cost His Firm Customers (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/01/05/financial/f151629S97.DTL&feed=rss.business

Feds start waiting list for DTV converter box coupons (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11373316

GENERAL NEWS

Heavy rain forecast for Western Washington (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=9623070

Mason County Flood Watch In Effect Through Friday Afternoon (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6011/reftab/1632/t/FLOOD-WATCH-IN-EFFECT-THROUGH-FRIDAY-AFTERNOON/Default.aspx

Lewis County Declares Storm Emergency (The Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/717733.html

Bear Captured In the Island Lake/Shelton Springs Road Area (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6009/reftab/1632/Default.aspx

Leader of Manke Lumber Embezzlement Scheme Pleads Guilty (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/585821.html

Washington State Employee Hiring Freeze Lifted (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008595313_webhiringfreeze06m.html?syndication=rss

Alert the Discovery Channel! Do Continuing Earthquakes in Yellowstone Signal Monumental Destruction? (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/science/2009/jan/Do-Continuing-Earthquakes-in-Yellowstone-Signal-Monumental-Destruction.html

Poll: Seattle Residents Not Thrilled With Mayor (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stories/NW_010509WAB_seattle_mayor_city_survey_TP.4086bf02.html

DIVERSIONS

Another Hearing Sought In $54 million Missing Pants Case
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008595208_ap54millionpants.html?syndication=rss

Police Foil German Children's Dash to Africa
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE50444120090105?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

Fabulous Fib Is Named Wisconsin Club's Top Lie Of 2008
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090106/ap_on_fe_st/odd_top_liars;_ylt=AgOZoR_oLSax4SQOIqAtG_3tiBIF

6-Year-Old Misses Bus, Takes Family Car, Crashes
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090106/ap_on_re_us/odd_boy_driver;_ylt=Aqm1zpIC2bjvAisKATiP3xTtiBIF

Energy News Digest for January 5, 2009

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)

- BPA Decision on Smelter Contracts Expected This Month
- New Mason County PUD No. 3 Commissioner to be sworn In Tuesday
- Clallam PUD-Puget Sound Energy Agreement Keeps Lights On In Port Townsend
- Oregonian Op/Ed - Our Energy Future: What is noble enough?
- Why “Cheap” Energy Is Really Costly In the Long Run
- Squirrel Causes Afternoon Outage in Boise
- There May Be Better Days Ahead For Salmon Runs
- Army Corps of Engineers Will Kill More Cormorants in Salmon Study
- California - Coho Salmon Are Bred For Diversity, Strength
- California Fishermen's Struggles Worsen
- Alaska Fisheries Had Their Challenges
- Group Uses Lawsuits To Help Clean Up Puget Sound
- Washington Post Editorial - Failure on the Chesapeake Bay
- Our Ocean Backyard: Ocean Energy from Warm Water and Wind?
- Ecology Department Uses Online Campaign to Help Water Quality
- Congressional Research Service - Water Infrastructure Needs and Investment
- Researchers Focus On Bringing Missing Bees Back
- Tacoma Pulp Plant to Generate Power, Too
- Oregon Is Exceptionally Generous with Green-Energy Subsidies
- Solar-Power Industry Remains Hot In California
- Missourians Wanting To Power Their Own Homes Are Finding It Difficult
- Winters Farm Makes Green Fuel By Burning Walnut Shells
- In Blue Economy, Green Jobs Are In Play
- Flat-screen TVs to face energy-efficiency rules in California
- What to Do with All That Carbon
- Carbon Offsets in the Air in San Francisco
- Why Obama's Green Jobs Plan Might Work
- Congressional Research Service - Global Climate Change: Three Policy Perspectives
- East Jefferson, Forks-Area Cable TV Provider Files For Bankruptcy Protection
- Superfast Wimax Comes To Portland
- Teen's Startup Promises Fast Internet Speeds
- Microsoft's Browser Sees Notable Decline in Usage
- Comcast Mum on New Bandwidth Tracker
- Bring in the COWS - Inauguration Spotlights Cell Phone Opportunities
- New Age UK town says Wi-Fi is making them sick
- Olympia Mayor Asks That Council Limit E-Mail Discussions during Meetings
- Rep. Bill Grant Succumbs to Cancer
- Despite Law, Drivers Still Talking And Talking And Talking
- Oregon Looks At Taxing Mileage Instead Of Gasoline

These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest

WORD OF THE DAY

Elysian • \ih-LIZH-un\ • adjective - Blissful, delightful

In the midst of the contentious meeting over jackstraw game quotas, Ambrose took an unexpected mental trip to his “happy place.” The Elysian retreat was made only slightly less enjoyable by the fact that the incessant chatter of his staff kept intruding in the form of large, swooping crows. “At least they haven’t been gorging themselves on blackberries,” Ambrose thought, dreamily. “That would create quite a mess on my white linen suit…”

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?textField1=47.213805&textField2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=Shelton%2C%20WA%2C%20USA

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Monday Update: BPA Decision on Smelter Contracts Expected This Month (Will they, or won’t they…let’s start a pool! The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/01/05/area_news/doc4961bcb835a3a443426880.txt

New Mason County PUD No. 3 Commissioner to be Sworn In Tuesday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6000/reftab/1632/Default.aspx

Clallam PUD-Puget Sound Energy Agreement Keeps Lights On In Port Townsend (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090105/news/301059996

Oregonian Op/Ed - Our Energy Future: What is noble enough?
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/01/our_energy_future_what_is_nobl.html

Why “Cheap” Energy Is Really Costly In the Long Run (ZDNet)
http://blogs.zdnet.com/green/?p=1619

Squirrel Causes Afternoon Outage in Boise (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/714871.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

There May Be Better Days Ahead For Salmon Runs - With forces aligning in favor of salmon returns, now would be a good time for commercial and sport anglers to compromise Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/110/story/621067.html

Army Corps of Engineers Will Kill More Cormorants In Salmon Study (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/715613.html

California - Coho Salmon Are Bred For Diversity, Strength (San Francisco Chronicle, CA)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/02/MNKJ14QS3D.DTL&feed=rss.news

California Fishermen's Struggles Worsen (Associated Press)
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/business/1360967,4_3_JO04_FISH_S1.article

Alaska Fisheries Had Their Challenges (Anchorage Daily News, AK)
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/641996.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Group Uses Lawsuits To Help Clean Up Puget Sound - Citizens take aggressive stand against pollution (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/394707_soundsuits05.html?source=rss

Washington Post Editorial - Failure on the Chesapeake Bay: The cleanup effort will need political courage if it's ever to succeed
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/02/AR2009010202087.html?nav=rss_opinions

Our Ocean Backyard: Ocean Energy from Warm Water and Wind? (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_11365370?nclick_check=1

Ecology Department Uses Online Campaign to Help Water Quality (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008590180_pollutionwebsite05m.html?syndication=rss

Congressional Research Service - Water Infrastructure Needs and Investment: Review and Analysis of Key Issues
http://opencrs.com/document/RL31116

Researchers Focus On Bringing Missing Bees Back - Scientists in the field and the lab are trying to solve a mystery critical to the future of American agriculture: Why are honeybee hives failing at a disturbingly high rate? (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008590495_apfarmscenebringingbeesback.html?syndication=rss

RENEWABLE ENERGY & CONSERVATION

Tacoma Pulp Plant to Generate Power, Too - $90M biomass project to squeeze energy out of Simpson Tacoma wood waste (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/01/05/story5.html?ana=from_rss

Oregon Is Exceptionally Generous with Green-Energy Subsidies “…money is going to risky ventures with questionable environmental benefits and to prosperous companies that need no incentives but are cashing in anyway…” (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/oregon_is_exceptionally_genero.html

Solar-Power Industry Remains Hot In California (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11358068?nclick_check=1

Missourians Wanting To Power Their Own Homes Are Finding It Difficult (Kansas City Star, MO)
http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/962821.html

Winters Farm Makes Green Fuel By Burning Walnut Shells - Dixon Ridge Farms wants to produce all of its energy on-site by 2012 (Sacramento Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/01/05/story7.html?ana=from_rss

In Blue Economy, Green Jobs Are In Play (Dallas Morning News, TX)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/010409dnnatgreenjobs.2124064.html

Flat-screen TVs to face energy-efficiency rules in California (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fi-tv3-2009jan03,0,1059107.story

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

What to Do with All That Carbon - We need a global technology center to find ways of capturing and burying greenhouse gases (Newsweek)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/177445?from=rss

Carbon Offsets in the Air in San Francisco (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/offsets-in-the-air-in-san-francisco/

Why Obama's Green Jobs Plan Might Work (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-fi-greenjobs4-2009jan04,0,6373295.story

Congressional Research Service - Global Climate Change: Three Policy Perspectives
http://opencrs.com/document/98-738

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

East Jefferson, Forks-Area Cable TV Provider Files For Bankruptcy Protection (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090104/NEWS/301049997

Superfast Wimax Comes To Portland (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/01/superfast_wimax_comes_to_portl.html

Teen's Startup Promises Fast Internet Speeds (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/584444.html

Microsoft's Browser Sees Notable Decline in Usage (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11359122

Comcast Mum on New Bandwidth Tracker (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Mum-On-New-Bandwidth-Tracker-99980

Bring in the COWS - Inauguration Spotlights Cell Phone Opportunities (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/04/AR2009010401330.html?wprss=rss_business

Wi-Fi, Like, Totally Messes with My Chakras - New Age UK town says Wi-Fi is making them sick (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/WiFi-Like-Totally-Messes-With-My-Chakras-99990

GENERAL NEWS

Olympia Mayor Asks That Council Limit E-Mail Discussions - Review shows members writing about issues during meetings (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/716442.html

Rep. Bill Grant Succumbs to Cancer (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
http://union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/01/04/local_news/090104arepbillgrantdeath.txt

Drivers Still Talking And Talking And Talking - Is new state law restricting cell phone use behind the wheel having any effect? (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/584909.html

Oregon Looks At Taxing Mileage Instead Of Gasoline (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008583644_apmileagetax.html

DIVERSIONS

Swedish Town Using Cremation Heat to Warm Houses
http://gizmodo.com/5121450/swedish-town-using-cremation-heat-to-warm-houses

Portland Loo Freezes Up During Snowstorm (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_010409ORN_portland_restroom_freezes_SW.3ad6d646.html

Economic Trends: Boo the Bankers and Lose the Spouse
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090101/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_financial_times;_ylt=Al5rcouoDf61ldwqAgmHMd_tiBIF

Sarah Palin Most Desirable Celebrity Neighbor
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081230/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_neighbors;_ylt=AnVgFbA5nKukwBS_YeTqOtztiBIF

Energy News Digest for January 2, 2009

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)

- State Approves Puget Energy Purchase by Foreign Group
- Approval of PSE Sale Not Seen As Affecting Jefferson PUD Power Study
- Montana - Result of BPA Suit: $17 Million Loss to Columbia Falls Aluminum
- Mason County PUD No. 3 Spends New Year's Day Restoring Power
- Mason County PUD 1 Approves 2009 Budgets
- Feds approve gas drilling plan for Montana
- Montana - Energy development, conservation hot topics for 2009 Legislature
- Areva seeks license to build Idaho uranium plant
- Boston Globe Editorial - The power of municipal power
- Boston Globe Op/Ed - Storm's aftermath underscores value of municipal utilities
- Tennessee - Improving Oversight Of Coal Ash Retention Ponds
- Utah - Battle over coal-fired plant rages on
- Utilities Offer ‘Green’ Nuclear Plans to Customers
- California - Pacific Gas and Electric Hands over Rulebook on Handling Reported Gas leaks
- Portland General Electric Workers Scramble To Save Hatchery Salmon From Suffocation
- S.F. Chronicle Op/Ed - Agreement to take down Klamath dams?
- Panel to Review Chinook Plans at Olympia Meetings
- Loaded Headline Theater - Power Plant Has No Plans to Stop Killing Fish
- California - Sea Lions along Sacramento River Blamed For Salmon Decline
- California - Sea Lion Barrier Broken, Coast Guard Closes Pier
- Researcher Says Jell-O May Eliminate Yellowstone Lake Trout
- Oregonians Foresee Future Water Shortages
- Idaho Power Asks to Keep Renewable Energy Credits
- Green Projects Hit Snags in Idaho
- 'A Social Service, Green Energy Financed By Tax Credits'
- Renewable Energy Flood-Control Dams Eyed For Energy Potential
- How Underground ‘Hot Rocks’ Could Power America’s Future
- Lending woes push alternative energy to back burner
- Maryland Utilities To Add Conservation Fees
- Wind Association's wind power trends to watch for in 2009
- Coke’s Wind-Powered Billboard Reveals Push for Eco-Friendly Advertising
- Clallam County Set To Get Final "Green" Plan
- Canada’s carbon tax conundrum
- Climate Change - We’re In for Stormy Weather
- How Carbon Neutral Is Dell, Really?
- CRIME: Vandals to Blame for Internet Outage
- Shots Damage BPA Fiber Optic Line and Disrupt Service
- 'Clear' Launches in Portland Next Week
- Qwest Ordered to Restore New Mexico Services to SkyWi
- Researchers Hack Internet Security Infrastructure
- Time Warner Still Pretending Core, Last Mile Fiber The Same
- On The Shelf: "Mommy, Why is There a Server in the House?"
- State Buys Store, Land Near Belfair State Park

These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest

WORD OF THE DAY

Frigorific • \frig-uh-RIFF-ik\ • adjective - Causing cold: chilling

“This frigorific weather is unbearable,” grunted the all-electric home customer during a short outage. “Let’s turn up the heat to full blast so the house warms up quickly when the lights come back on,” the bright-bulbed visitor from warmer climates exclaimed.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?textField1=47.213805&textField2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=Shelton%2C%20WA%2C%20USA

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

State Approves Puget Energy Purchase by Foreign Group - 'Creates Too Much Risk,' Dissenter Says (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/394208_puget31.html

Regulatory Approval of PSE Sale Not Seen As Affecting Jefferson PUD Power Study (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20081231/news/312319994

Montana - Result of BPA Suit: $17 Million Loss to Columbia Falls Aluminum: A multi-tiered federal lawsuit had a poison pill; effectively ceased a $17 million annual payment from the Bonneville Power Administration (Hungry Horse News, MT)
http://www.flatheadnewsgroup.com/articles/2007/10/31/hungryhorsenews/news/doc495a917271612274787880.txt

Mason County PUD No. 3 Spends New Year's Day Restoring Power (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/5976/reftab/1632/Default.aspx

Mason County PUD 1 Approves 2009 Budgets (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/5964/reftab/1632/Default.aspx

Feds approve gas drilling plan for Montana (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1769983~Feds_approve_gas_drilling_plan_for_Montana.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines

Montana - Energy development, conservation hot topics for 2009 Legislature
http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2008/12/30/state/hjjbihhahgjhei.txt

Areva seeks license to build Idaho uranium plant (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/713281.html

Boston Globe Editorial - The power of municipal power
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/12/29/the_power_of_municipal_power/

Boston Globe Op/Ed - Storm's aftermath underscores value of municipal utilities
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2009/01/02/storms_aftermath_underscores_value_of_municipal_utilities/

Tennessee - Improving Oversight Of Coal Ash Retention Ponds (Associated Press)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/us/01brfs-004.html

Utah - Battle over coal-fired plant rages on (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11347400

Utilities Offer ‘Green’ Nuclear Plans to Customers (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/01/utilities-offer-green-nuclear-plans-to-customers/

California - Pacific Gas and Electric Hands over Rulebook on Handling Reported Gas leaks - The utility refuses to make it public (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1510405.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Portland General Electric Workers Scramble To Save Hatchery Salmon From Suffocation - Last week's snow threatened a pump keeping 900,000 spring Chinook alive (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1230776725287610.xml&coll=7

S.F. Chronicle Op/Ed - Agreement to take down Klamath dams? Not likely
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/31/EDRV150MGT.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

Panel to Review Chinook Plans at Olympia Meetings (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/01/02/this_day/doc495d6576f2f1d999218104.txt

Loaded Headline Theater - Power Plant Has No Plans to Stop Killing Fish (San Francisco Chronicle, CA)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/01/BAAS151F1U.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

California - Sea Lions along Sacramento River Blamed For Salmon Decline (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1511636.html

California - Sea Lion Barrier Broken, Coast Guard Closes Pier (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11347519

Researcher Says Jell-O May Eliminate Yellowstone Lake Trout (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1766982~Researcher_says_Jell_O_may_eliminate_lake_trout.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Oregonians Foresee Future Water Shortages (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/12/oregonians_foresee_future_wate.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & CONSERVATION

Idaho Power Asks to Keep Renewable Energy Credits – Fears loss from potential renewable portfolio standards mandate (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4795

Green Projects Hit Snags in Idaho - Concerns about wildlife habitat, aesthetics and competing interests have hindered a number of alternative energy proposals (Idaho Statesman, Boise)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/620216.html

'A Social Service, Green Energy Financed By Tax Credits' - Washington leads the way and wind offers some fresh hope as utilities move to renewable (Daily Astorian, OR)
http://www.dailyastorian.com/Main.asp?SectionID=184&ArticleID=57102

Renewable Energy Flood-Control Dams Eyed For Energy Potential - Dozens of Government Sites Studied For Hydro-Electric Retrofits (MSNBC)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28421520/

How Underground ‘Hot Rocks’ Could Power America’s Future (Christian Science Monitor)
http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2008/12/31/how-underground-hot-rocks-could-power-america’s-future/

Lending woes push alternative energy to back burner (Houston Chronicle, TX)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6190611.html

Maryland Utilities To Add Conservation Fees - Regulators OK plan to subsidize initiative aimed at reducing energy use (Baltimore Sun, MD)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.energy01jan01,0,5547582.story

American Wind Energy Association's wind power trends to watch for in 2009 (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=349003&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

Coke’s Wind-Powered Billboard Reveals Push for Eco-Friendly Advertising (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/environment/2008/December/Coke-s-Wind-Powered-Billboard-Reveals-Push-for-Eco-Friendly-Advertising-.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Clallam County Set To Get Final "Green" Plan (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.konp.com/local/4277

Canada’s carbon tax conundrum - A key question in the coming provincial election will be whether the downturn will overshadow - or reignite - anger over the Liberal government's controversial measure (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090102.BCYEARENDERCARBON02/TPStory/TPNational/BritishColumbia

We’re In for Stormy Weather - Overshadowed by the economic headlines, serious climate trouble looms ahead (Newsweek)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/177224?from=rss

How Carbon Neutral Is Dell, Really? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/12/30/how-carbon-neutral-is-dell-really/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

CRIME: Vandals To Blame For Internet Outage (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/431367.html

News Release – Shots Damage BPA Fiber Optic Line and Disrupt Service (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/246639/

'Clear' Launches in Portland Next Week - Customers getting an early look at speed, pricing (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Clear-Launches-In-Portland-Next-Week-99956

Qwest Ordered to Restore Services to SkyWi - New Mexico regulators step in to tackle $1.7 million dispute (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Qwest-Ordered-To-Restore-Services-To-SkyWi-99970

Researchers Hack Internet Security Infrastructure - International Team Discovers Way to Mimic Digital Identity (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/30/AR2008123001056.html?wprss=rss_technology

Time Warner Still Pretending Core, Last Mile Fiber The Same (Broadband Reports)
http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/Time-Warner-Still-Pretending-Core-Last-Mile-Fiber-The-Same-99948

On The Shelf: "Mommy, Why is There a Server in the House?" (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/157973.asp

GENERAL NEWS

State Buys Store, Land Near Belfair State Park (The Kitsap Sun)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/dec/30/state-buys-store-near-belfair-park/?partner=RSS

DIVERSIONS

Annual 'Banished Words' List Unveiled - Language Critics Cast Out 'Bailout,' 'Maverick' From Lexicon
http://www.kirotv.com/education/18387382/detail.html?treets=sea&tid=2653595907813&tml=sea_nots&tmi=sea_nots_-1_01000112312008&ts=H

Man Says He Shot Car with Paintballs to Deter DUI
http://www.examiner.com/a-1771792~Man_says_he_shot_car_with_paintballs_to_deter_DUI.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

Popular Photo Frames Carry Risk of Computer Virus Infection
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/02/BUV9150IH8.DTL&feed=rss.business

Discarded Lottery Ticket Resurfaces a $650K Winner
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18389912/detail.html