Energy News Digest for January 17, 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)

- More Reaction on Vera Claussen – PUD leader remembered as role model and friend
- Idaho – Rupert tables action on BPA payment agreement
- Maryland – Allegheny Power to refund light bulb surcharge
- Lack of electric competition cost Marylanders $87.5 million
- Suit against Duke Energy alleges kickbacks
- Calpine plans to emerge from bankruptcy by February
- Thieves hit BPA substation in Flathead County. Montana
- Authorities: Would-be copper thief stopped by surprise visit from cop
- FERC conditionally approves Duquesne Light Company’s exit from PJM
- U.S. Releases Aid for Heating Costs
- Groups reach agreement to remove dams on Klamath River
- Washington Lawmakers Express Hope for Klamath
- Idaho anglers start gillnet protest
- Skagit River’s late steelhead season in limbo
- Pacific Salmon Invading Atlantic, Threatening Penguins
- Coal Producer Agrees to Pay $30M for pollution
- US Wind Energy Capacity Surged in 2007
- California – Plan for radio-controlled thermostats nixed
- News Release – BPA surpasses regional energy conservation goals
- Chelan PUD to launch online conservation newsletter
- Basking in the Glow of Energy-Saving Lights
- Texas is biggest carbon polluter
- Lawmakers told to prepare state for worst-case climate scenarios
- Montana – Climate Talk’s Cancellation Splits a Town
- Federal Trade Commission is quite right to scrutinize companies’ advertising of carbon offset programs
- Energy, Food Costs Balloon US Inflation
- Belfair Projects To Top Mason County Commission’s "5th Tuesday" Meeting
- Flood aid disparity among neighbors leaves residents bewildered
- Olympian Opinion – Flooding: DNR must look at logging practices
- Wild turkeys running afoul at Berkeley lab
- Candidates' Tunes Hit A Few Sour Notes

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Behemoth • \bi-HEE-muth\ • noun – 1: often capitalized: a mighty animal described in Job 40:15–24 as an example of the power of God 2: something of monstrous size, power, or appearance

Alfred was pleased with the results of his sand sculpture on the Washington Coast. It was a full sized reproduction of an orca whale, carved with delicate care near Ocean Shores. Unfortunately for his creation, decorated with black and white dyed sand, it was done too well. The sand whale was absolutely destroyed when whale watchers arrived on the scene and tried to push the behemoth back into the pounding surf.

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

More Reaction on Vera Claussen – PUD leader remembered as role model and friend (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080116/NEWS04/420593320/1001/rss1001

Idaho – Rupert tables action on BPA payment agreement. Publicly-owned utilities across the Northwest are waiting for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to make the next move in a decades-old battle over the rights utility companies have to federally-funded power systems. (South Idaho Press)
http://www.southidahopress.com/articles/2008/01/16/news/local/9758bonneville.txt

Maryland – Allegheny Power to refund light bulb surcharge. Utility will stop charging fee for CFLs and aim to better inform customers (Baltimore Sun)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bulbs0116,0,6403893.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout

Maryland – PSC: Lack of electric competition cost Marylanders $87.5 million (Baltimore Sun)
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/hancock/blog/2008/01/psc_lack_of_electricity_compet.html

Ohio – Suit against Duke Energy alleges kickbacks (Business Courier of Cincinnati)
http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/01/14/daily42.html?ana=from_rss

Calpine plans to emerge from bankruptcy by February (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/display_article/317180/22/ARTCL/none/none/1/Calpine-plans-to-emerge-from-bankruptcy-by-February/

News Release – Thieves hit BPA substation in Flathead County. Montana; reward offered (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/188629/

Authorities: Would-be copper thief stopped by surprise visit from cop (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/16/MNRIUGC2O.DTL&feed=rss.news

News Release – FERC conditionally approves Duquesne Light Company’s exit from PJM regional group (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-1/01-17-08-E-3.asp

News Release – Diverse Coalition Urges FERC to Stay the Course on Markets: Request to Expand Scope of Rulemaking Should be Rejected (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=81404

U.S. Releases Aid for Heating Costs – The federal government released $450 million in emergency funds on Wednesday to help provide relief to low-income homeowners struggling with the rising cost of heating their homes. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/nyregion/17heating.html?_r=1&ex=1358312400&en=922838fdf3e67f68&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Groups reach agreement to remove dams on Klamath River (Eugene Register Guard)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=50131&sid=1&fid=1

Washington Lawmakers Express Hope for Klamath (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3495

Idaho anglers start gillnet protest – Sport anglers have started a protest campaign against the Nez Perce Tribe's gillnetting season on the Snake and Clearwater rivers. (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP01162008news263610.cfm

Skagit River’s late steelhead season in limbo (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080117/SPORTS/835080615/1004/SPORTS

Pacific Salmon Invading Atlantic, Threatening Penguins – Ocean-swapping Pacific salmon are moving into Atlantic waters, scientists say (National Geographic News)
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071228-alien-salmon.html

Millions Of Gallons Of Water Lost In Hydrant Vandalism (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15063285/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news

Coal Producer Agrees to Pay $30M – The country's fourth-largest coal producer, Massey Energy Co., has agreed to a $30 million settlement with the government over allegations that over seven years it routinely polluted hundreds of streams and waterways in West Virginia and Kentucky (Associated Press, via Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004130357_apcoalpollution17.html?syndication=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

US Wind Energy Capacity Surged in 2007 (Forbes)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/01/17/ap4542941.html

CONSERVATION

California – Plan for radio-controlled thermostats nixed. 'Big Brother' fears, criticism lead energy panel to drop proposal (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7996518?source=rss

News Release – BPA surpasses regional energy conservation goals (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/188681/

Chelan PUD to launch online conservation newsletter – An Internet-based newsletter with expert advice on how to conserve energy and reduce power costs will become part of the Chelan County PUD Web site next month. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080116/NEWS04/576896924/1025/rss1025

Basking in the Glow of Energy-Saving Lights (NY Times Letters)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/opinion/lweb17bulb.html?ex=1358312400&en=a4920bbb32d8d643&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Texas is biggest carbon polluter (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News. Ed. Note: Here’s my back of envelope estimate of 2003 per capita tons of CO2 emissions: Washington State, 12.17; Oregon, 10.78; Idaho, 9.47; Montana, 34.14; Texas, 28.04; Alaska, 65.52; United States, 19.23.)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080116/ap_on_re_us/global_warming_texas;_ylt=AjnNS4Lwd_s.uvpmWdK2y9Os0NUE

Lawmakers told to prepare state for worst-case climate scenarios – Washington is poised to take a regional and national leadership role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (The Columbian)
http://columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/01/01162008_Lawmakers-told-to-prepare-state-for-worst-case-climate-scenarios.cfm

Montana – Climate Talk’s Cancellation Splits a Town. School authorities’ cancellation of a talk that a Nobel laureate climate researcher was to have given to high school students has deeply divided this small farming and ranching town at the base of the east side of the Rocky Mountains. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/us/17climate.html?ex=1358312400&en=7f57e16fd9f9b1a1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

NY Times Guest Commentary – The Federal Trade Commission is quite right to scrutinize companies’ advertising of carbon offset programs. But despite the high potential for greenwashing, the carbon offset market can also be a great environmental boon — provided it’s made accountable and transparent.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/opinion/lweb16carbon.html?ex=1358226000&en=2a432e16bebf51ab&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

On Radio: FCC takes aim at local radio – Proposal may change how area broadcasters operate “…guidelines to ensure that all broadcasters provide some locally oriented programming..." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/tv/347616_radiobeat17.html

GENERAL NEWS

Energy, Food Costs Balloon US Inflation – Higher costs for energy and food last year pushed inflation up by the largest amount in 17 years (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/01/15/national/w053312S34.DTL&feed=rss.business

BELFAIR PROJECTS TO TOP MASON COUNTY COMMISSION’S "5TH TUESDAY" MEETING – The Mason County Commissioners have announced that the Belfair Wastewater and Water Reclamation Facilities and Belfair Area Highway 3 Widening and Safety Improvements will be the topic of their “Fifth Tuesday” meeting on January 29th. Staff from both projects will be available to address citizens' questions starting at a 5 p.m. open house, followed by overview presentations as part of the regular meeting agenda beginning at 6 p.m. This “Fifth Tuesday” Commissioners' Meeting will be held at Belfair Elementary School. Citizens are encouraged to attend this event to: Speak to project team designers and ask specific questions about design and coordination between these two projects; See the latest drawings of the Highway 3 project and the wastewater system conveyance line and treatment facility locations; Hear how the SR 3 project will help reduce congestion through Belfair; Learn about the membrane bioreactor (MBR) wastewater treatment technology being selected for the treatment plant, and how it functions; And find out plans to coordinate the infrastructure transfer from septic to a sewer system utility. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

Aid disparity among neighbors leaves residents bewildered – Kevin Hessler received $6,000 less in federal aid than his neighbor even though he says his Centralia home sustained more flood damage. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/329976.html

Olympian Opinion – Flooding: DNR must look at logging practices
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/329908.html

DIVERSIONS

Oh, My GOD! They’re Turkeys!!! Wild turkeys running afoul at Berkeley lab – They are breaking windows, defecating on public property and intimidating workers. Now scientists at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory are calling them a public safety problem.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_7985964?source=rss&nclick_check=1

National Portrait Gallery Adds Colbert
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/17/national-portrait-gallery-adds-colbert/index.html?ex=1358312400&en=8b08d76eb5e159e9&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

`Mona Lisa' Naming Leaves Mysteries Unsolved
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aNhDedXKaQyQ&refer=home

Candidates' Tunes Hit A Few Sour Notes – If we can tell anything about the candidates from their campaign theme music, it may be this: They (or perhaps their aides) aren't paying much attention to the lyrics. If they were, they might change their tune.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/16/AR2008011604152.html?wpisrc=rss_politics