Energy News Digest for December 21, 2007

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

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- Goodbye wet fall; hello wet winter
- Chelan County PUD – Rock Island Dam gets a new turbine
- Broken bearing halts McNary
- The Astorian Editorial – Selling out the river for California
- Baltimore Sun Columnist – Electricity honey pot is starting to stink
- Electricity Planning: Disband the Ontario Power Authority
- On Salmon flow rider: Craig Thwarted by Senate Democrats
- Monster Drano Lake spring Chinook run forecast
- Birds dying from lead poisoning in Western Washington
- Study shows hunting and fishing have huge impact on state economy
- Pacific Grove's low-tech seal proposal: Pot-banging
- Columbian Editorial – In our view: Puget Sound cleanup – This won't be easy
- Grant could mean lower water costs for Monitor residents
- Idaho – Twin Fall farmers reduce sediment in canals
- The answer is not blowin' in the wind this time
- Powerful conservation motivation: Electric-bill elevation
- Washington State will sue EPA over emission decision
- Oregon Governor promises legal fight over auto emissions
- Denial of State Emissions Plan Was Foreshadowed
- Staff at EPA supported California's attempt to reduce car emission
- News Tribune Opinion – An indefensible veto of state clean air rules
- Eco-friendly Portland State University plans to hire 'green' professors
- World's next outsourcing hub: Kenya?
- Nearly $100 million wasted by Port of Seattle
- Tissue mill's closing ends era for Bellingham
- US Senator Cantwell losing top two staffers

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Passel • \PASS-ul\ • noun – A large number or amount

A passel of presents pummeled the palace on the peninsula. “Golly Santa,” exclaimed Comet, “think that your package ejection system has a few bugs in it.” You’d better stick to the chimney delivery system for now.”

Merry Christmas to all. The Energy News Digest will be enjoying a few hot toddies on the 24th and 26th. It will return, bleary-eyed and jolly on the 27th.

WEATHER
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944

Goodbye wet fall; hello wet winter – Love it or hate it, it's here. Winter. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/306054.html

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Chelan County PUD – Rock Island Dam gets a new turbine. Rock Island Dam got an early holiday gift Tuesday afternoon in the form of a shiny new runner turbine complete with never-before-used blades that give off that new electron smell. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071220/NEWS04/499252110/1002

Broken bearing halts McNary – Replacement power costs Northern Wasco PUD $8,000 per day. A broken thrust bearing has kept the PUD’s hydropower plant at McNary Dam shut down since mid-November, forcing the utility to buy higher priced power elsewhere. (The Dalles Chronicle)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2007/12/news12-20-07-01.shtml

The Astorian Editorial – Selling out the river for California. Gov. Kulongoski protects our world while Commissioners give it away
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=392&ArticleID=47767

Baltimore Sun Columnist – Electricity honey pot is starting to stink
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.hancock21dec21,0,7741295.column

Canada – Electricity Planning: Disband the Ontario Power Authority; panel urges (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071221.POWER21/TPStory/TPNational/Ontario/

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Craig Thwarted by Senate Democrats – Senate Democrats thwarted Idaho Sen. Larry Craig's bid to use a federal spending bill to dictate water flow for Northwest salmon. (Associated Press)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gnfp00LWLPx-wi2HGIDsFIuBkbNgD8TLE2980

Monster Drano Lake spring Chinook run forecast – No matter which forecasting methodology the state biologists use, the result is the same: a record-high 36,800 spring Chinook salmon are predicted to enter the Columbia River headed for Drano Lake in Skamania County. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/sports/localNews/2007/12/12202007_Monster-Drano-Lake-spring-chinook-run-forecast.cfm?newsletter=1

Birds dying from lead poisoning in Western Washington – Several swans have shown up dead of lead poisoning in Western Washington, and researchers think it's being caused by Judson Lake in Whatcom County. (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_122007WAB_swan_dead_lead_TP.364992d5.html

Study shows hunting and fishing have huge impact on state economy – A new study says people who hunt and fish have a $1.4 billion dollar annual impact on the Washington economy. (KNDO/KNDU-TV, Tri Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=7526470

California – Pacific Grove's low-tech seal proposal: Pot-banging (The Examiner.com – now I’ve got a mental image that I can’t get out of my head, thanks a lot pal…)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1117942~Pacific_Grove_s_low_tech_seal_proposal__Pot_banging.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Columbian Editorial – In our view: This won't be easy. Puget Sound cleanup effort is under way, but Chesapeake example is discouraging
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2007/12/12202007_In-our-view-This-wont-be-easy.cfm?newsletter=5

Grant could mean lower water costs for Monitor residents – The Chelan County PUD on Wednesday received a federal grant that could lead to lower costs for residents who will be served by its Monitor water project. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071220/NEWS04/310052217/1001/rss1001

Idaho – Twin Fall farmers reduce sediment in canals – Less sediment has improved water quality for endangered species, spared farmers from having to repair clogged irrigation equipment and saved the company from pricey cleanup bills, canal officials said. (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/305747.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Maryland – Cumberland Times-News Op/Ed – The answer is not blowin' in the wind this time “…a critical analysis of the workings of our region's electricity grid reveals that industrial wind energy development within Appalachia belies its "green" reputation…” (And another 25 cents to Robert Zimmerman)
http://www.times-news.com/opinion/local_story_355120115.html?keyword=secondarystory

Introducing the Solar Tree – The streets of Europe could soon be lit by solar energy due to the fact that a solar tree prototype recently passed a key test phase. (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=50934&src=rss

CONSERVATION

Charleston Post & Courier Commentary – Powerful conservation motivation: Electric-bill elevation
http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/dec/09/powerful_conservation_motivation_electri24488/

Japan's Energy Demand to Fall in 2008 on Conservation (Bloomberg News)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=akllffkwduh0

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State will sue EPA over emission decision – Several others joining against federal agency (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/344414_epa21.html?source=rss

Oregon Governor promises legal fight over auto emissions (Ashland Daily Tidings)
http://www.dailytidings.com/2007/1220/stories/1220_greenhouse.php

Denial of State Emissions Plan Was Foreshadowed – The Bush administration’s decision to deny California the right to regulate greenhouse gases from vehicles exploded like a grenade here and in California. But it was hiding in plain sight for weeks. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/21/washington/21emissions.html?ei=5088&en=27a467e0e2987243&ex=1355893200&adxnnl=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1198260160-fM6ATg+iqaRw7UmozbeX9w

Staff at EPA supported California's attempt to reduce car emission – Administrator reportedly overruled the unanimous opinion of his legal and technical staff in blocking California's effort to cut greenhouse gases from vehicles - a new revelation that California officials say shows his decision was based on politics, not the law. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/21/MNOUU26JN.DTL&tsp=1

News Tribune Opinion – An indefensible veto of state clean air rules. Is it the Environmental Protection Agency – or the Emissions Protection Agency?
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/235354.html

Eco-friendly Portland State University plans to hire 'green' professors – Half of a $2 million boost in funding will pay for the new faculty (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1198166106294430.xml&coll=7

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

U.K. gov't urged to adopt codes for broadband service – users concerned that they are being short-changed over broadband speeds. (Network World)
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/121907-uk-govt-urged-to-adopt.html

World's next outsourcing hub: Kenya? (Christian Science Monitor)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20071221/ts_csm/ocallcenter_1

Colorado – Glenwood city council looks into expanding broadband (Glenwood Springs Post-Independent)
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20071221/VALLEYNEWS/448683357

GENERAL NEWS

Nearly $100 million wasted by Port of Seattle, state says – A state audit Thursday blasted the Port of Seattle for shoddy management of construction contracts, which auditors say wasted $97 million in public money, violated competitive-bidding laws, and left the Port "vulnerable to fraud, waste and abuse." (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004085652_portaudit21m.html?syndication=rss

Tissue mill's closing ends era for Bellingham “…in December 2000, electricity prices spiked to $3,500 a megawatt hour, and Georgia-Pacific shut down its Bellingham mills for three days. The company ended up closing its pulp mill for good the following March…” (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004085609_mill21m.html?syndication=rss

US Senator Cantwell losing top two staffers – Chief of staff Michael Meehan and Katharine Lister, the deputy staff chief, are both leaving; a year after Cantwell won a convincing re-election. (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_122107WAB_cantwell_staff_leaving_LJ.39a94fee.html

Stewart and Colbert to Return without Writers – Comedy Central’s pair of popular news satirists, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, will return to their television shows on Jan. 7, two months after production was suspended because of a writers’ strike. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/21/business/media/21strike.html?_r=1&ex=1355979600&en=e55d8d03b14dce21&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

DIVERSIONS

Blue Man Seeks Acceptance
http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=5843725

Revealed: The seven great "medical myths"
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSARM15505420071221?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Passport office in need of spellcheck spell check
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2017925520071220?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Chocolate fuels a carbon-negative voyage from England to Timbuktu – While others eat their way through advent calendars this Christmas season, two Britons are doing something quite different with their chocolate: using it to drive across the Sahara.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20071221/ts_csm/obiotruck