Energy News Digest for January 15, 2008

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

The news digest is also available at the following web site:
http://www.energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- Washington State joins Snohomish County PUD's fight on expensive power contract
- Maryland – Utilities commission orders Allegheny to hearings – Public outcry over cost of energy-efficient bulbs sparks action
- Montana – As coal-power plants boom, environmentalists launch legal assault
- Nuclear Safety Rule Ignites Strong Reactions
- Environmentalists Sue DOE over its creation of a corridor in the mid-Atlantic region
- FERC Eyeing New BPA Grid Interconnection Plan
- Transmission Developers Jolted
- Mason County PUD No. 3 receives national financial reporting award for third straight year
- Putting power to work for Western New York (cheap hydro supports industry)
- California – Pacific Gas and Electric PG&E launches work force development program
- Deep snowpack raises flood risk, forecasters warn
- Stakeholder group seeks to end rift between fishers
- Dallas Judge overturns TXU wind power supply award
- The Never-ending Story: Cape Wind Takes Step Forward
- California – Home builders group pledges to halve energy consumption by 2020
- Gregoire backs climate change legislation
- Satellite Will Search For Carbon “Sinks”
- Congressional Research – Pipelines for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Control
- Pollution Regulation's Unintended Consequences
- FCC Asks Comcast About Internet Filter
- Louisiana – Officials to begin Lafayette Utility Service fiber project
- Report Critical Of Cell Phone Ban On U.S. Planes
- 2008 Legislature leans toward green
- Jefferson commissioners approve rezoning for big Brinnon development
- Oops! Remember (Ed Hansen) that emails to public agencies are public records

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Auctorial • \awk-TOR-ee-ul\ • adjective – Of or relating to an author

Of all his auctorial duties, Dagwood’s required appearances at signing parties were the most feared and loathed. It wasn’t until the fourth such appearance at a bookstore in Dirt, North Dakota that he decided to only sign books in his personal secret code. Therefore, the recipient of the book would never know that although the inscription said “best wishes” the real meaning was “get lost”. Dagwood’s quality life was thereby improved immeasurably, and he looked forward to his appointments with glee.

WEATHER

Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Washington State joins Snohomish County PUD's fight on expensive power contract - The support is key to the PUD's argument before the U.S. Supreme Court. (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080115/NEWS01/366808079/-1/RSS01

Maryland – Utilities commission orders Allegheny to hearings – Public outcry over cost of energy-efficient bulbs sparks action (Frederick News Post)
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=70008

Montana – As coal-power plants boom, environmentalists launch legal assault (Associated Press, via the Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1157113~As_coal_power_plants_boom__environmentalists_launch_legal_assault.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines

Nuclear Safety Rule Ignites Strong Reactions (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/14/AR2008011402576.html?wpisrc=_rssbusiness

Environmentalists Sue DOE over its creation of a corridor in the mid-Atlantic region that could smooth the way for construction of new power lines. (Associated Press)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jUAYKjXaNb0UbYadhIOt3nwte31gD8U5S1AO2

FERC Eyeing New BPA Grid Interconnection Plan “…BPA…is considering the open season concept for its new grid interconnection approach…” (Trading Markets.com)
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/988027/

Transmission Developers Jolted – A proposed project to supply power throughout the East has come under fierce opposition. (Power Marketers Industry Publications)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8kowu%5D%5ChntusklVTif%7D38%7Dbfen%5Fv

News Release – Mason County PUD No. 3 receives national financial reporting award for third straight year (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=406

Putting power to work for Western New York: For the first time in a half-century, state officials are preparing to rethink the use of a huge block of low-cost hydropower generated north of Niagara Falls that's intended to promote economic development in Western New York. (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5ChnqpvtpVTif%7D38%7Dbfen%5Fv

California – Pacific Gas and Electric PG&E launches work force development program (East Bay Business Times)
http://www.bizjournals.com/eastbay/stories/2008/01/14/daily16.html?ana=from_rss

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Deep snowpack raises flood risk, forecasters warn (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/01/15//area_news/10059249.txt

Oregon – A winter haven. A five-year Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife study is showing how small streams like Hamilton Creek in Ashland may help wild salmon survive (Mail-Tribune, Medford)
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080114/NEWS/801140319

Stakeholder group seeks to end rift between fishers – Sport and commercial representatives to discuss river fishing seasons (Daily Astorian)
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=48332&TM=25757.47

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Dallas Judge overturns TXU award – A Dallas judge has overturned a jury decision that awarded TXU Corp. $8.9 million last June related to a flap over wind energy. (Dallas Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2008/01/14/daily7.html?ana=from_rss

News Release – Electric Power Supply Association issues statement on renewable energy “…Organized electricity markets provide ease of access to grid; clear market signals to encourage investment; and large land area to compensate for variability…” (ThomasNet)
http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/538468

The Never-ending Story: Cape Wind Takes Step Forward (Renewable Energy Access)
http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=51128&src=rss

CONSERVATION

California – Home builders group pledges to halve energy consumption by 2020 (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/15/BUMTUF79S.DTL&feed=rss.business

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Gregoire backs climate change legislation (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/347291_climate15.html?source=rss

Satellite Will Search For Carbon “Sinks” (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3483

Congressional Research – Regulation of Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions: State and Federal Standards
http://opencrs.cdt.org/document/RS22788

Congressional Research – Pipelines for Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Control: Network Needs and Cost Uncertainties
http://opencrs.cdt.org/document/RL34316

Pollution Regulation's Unintended Consequences – Two recent energy stories were cheered by environmentalists and booed by the Wall Street Journal. Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless efforts to warn about climate change. American Electric Power was fined $4.6 billion for modifying old coal-fired power plants. (Energy Pulse Commentary)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1645

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Asks Comcast About Internet Filter – Comcast Corp. Monday said it has received a letter of inquiry from the Federal Communications Commission regarding complaints that the company actively interferes with its subscribers' Internet traffic. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004126113_apcomcastdatadiscrimination15.html?syndication=rss

Vermont – Search broadens in rural options for broadband (Burlington Free Press, via Baller/Herbst)
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080114/NEWS02/801140320/1007

Kansas – Municipal WiFi Provider Forces Local Monopoly to Offer Free Broadband Service (The Lawrencian, via Baller/Herbst)
http://buzz.lawrencian.com/lfnwifi.html

Louisiana – Officials to begin Lafayette Utility Service fiber project. Lafayette officials celebrated a milestone in the Lafayette Utilities System's fiber-to-the-home project Thursday. (The Daily Advertiser, via Baller/Herbst)
http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/BUSINESS/801110322/1046

Report Critical Of Cell Phone Ban On U.S. Planes (Boo-Hoo! Information Week)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20080115/tc_cmp/205604708

GENERAL NEWS

2008 Legislature leans toward green – Poll gives governor a 13-percentage-point lead over Rossi, but it might not be enough (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/347379_poll15.html

Jefferson commissioners approve rezoning for big Brinnon development; permits next (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080115/NEWS/801150307

DIVERSIONS

Oops! Remember that emails to public agencies are public records – Go 2 Guy: Too bad boosters can't be fired (Seattle Post Intelligencer fingers Ed Hansen in UW booster correspondence)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/huskies/347353_moore15.html

Man Apologizes For Profane Remark On Check To Pay Parking Ticket
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15044945/detail.html

Oscar Mayer Weiner Mobile Singing Contest Locations
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=7625136

Citroen apologizes for scowling Mao ad
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1549505420080115?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Germans puff on as smoking ban fizzles
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1421202620080115?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews