Energy News Digest for February 19, 2008 - the President-Sized Edition

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)

* Petition for Jefferson PUD to take over electricity service at 25% of goal
* Andy Wappler Leaving KIRO-TV For Puget Sound Energy
* Energy policy is costly for Oregon dairy farmers
* Fitch Rates Chelan County Public Utility Dist $48M 'AA'; Outlook Positive
* Liquefied Natural Gas debate tests Oregon's 'green' mettle
* California – Supreme Court: State casts a wary eye on deregulation
* Over Deregulation Flap – Constellation, BGE suffer another credit ratings blow
* Energy market deregulation will prove a godsend for New York
* Washington Post Editorial – The Demise of FutureGen
* Energy crisis making way for 'nuclear renaissance'
* Carbon-emission cuts – Nuclear, coal energy renewable?
* As Nuclear Waste Languishes, Expense to U.S. Rises
* Going green encourages customers to adopt electronic billing
* Olympian’s special series – Toxic runoff silent killer
* Seattle Times Editorial – Puget Sound: the silent crisis
* 12-day salmon season set for lower Columbia
* Early forecast for Columbia Coho is cloudy
* Pesticide Brew Spells Trouble for Salmon
* Alcoa petitions to dredge PCB-polluted sediment from Columbia River
* Seattle Post-Intelligencer – Opinion – Oceans: Dead zone threats
* Delay Of Report Is Blamed On Politics – Document Suggests Public Health Risks Near Great Lakes
* Southwest lakes may dry up, study says
* S.F. renewable energy startup looks to launch portfolio with hydro power
* Unfortunately for this company: FERC nixes initial application for McKenzie River hydro plants
* Canada – Private River Power Draws Diverse Foes. 'Run of river' project underway on Ashlu river. 'Green' claims disputed
* Wind blowing money farmers' way
* Cantwell: Tax law key to wind power
* Wind 'credits' not as green as they seem
* Oregon's largest wind project awaits approval
* Oregon – Utilities seek proposals for renewable energy
* Cape Wind gathers force – Impact report fills the sails of wind turbine effort
* California – Altamont wind farm could be model
* Austin American Statesman – Opinion: How to balance wind power and wildlife
* Why should Scotland pay the price of England's renewable-energy deficit?
* Massachusetts – Provision could allow building of wind farm
* Geothermal energy gaining steam, but its future is up for debate
* Iowa – Environment may force change in geothermal energy systems
* After damning biofuels study, ethanol advocates fight back
* NY Times Editorial – That Newfangled Light Bulb.
* Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs): Issues with Use and Disposal
* Turned-off devices still can waste money, energy
* National Energy Rebate Fund Scam
* Washington State Legislature considers bill to spend more on urban trees
* Tri-City Herald – Opinion: Science favors action to ease global warming
* N.H. city prepares for worst as warming fears rise
* Scientists Would Turn Greenhouse Gas Into Gasoline
* America's Most Wired Cities
* Costly wireless program could hold up census
* Seattle not quite ready for conversion to digital TV
* Meteor seen across wide swath of Pacific Northwest
* Kessler concedes defeat on taping bill for government executive sessions
* New Data: Grays Harbor County Winds topped 133 mph during Dec. 2-3 storm
* WA House passes bill expanding tribal police jurisdiction
* Tribes are state's new high rollers — in business

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Esplanade • \ESS-pluh-nahd\ • noun – A level open stretch of paved or grassy ground; especially: one designed for walking or driving along a shore

“Seaside was beautiful,” exclaimed Dagwood. “we walked along the esplanade, had corn dogs and cotton candy….then jostled it all together with rides on the bumper cars.”

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

Petition for Jefferson PUD to take over electricity service at 25% of goal (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080217/NEWS/802170304

Andy Wappler Leaving KIRO-TV For Puget Sound Energy – Andy Wappler, KIRO 7's Chief Meteorologist, is leaving the station after 14 years to join Puget Sound Energy, where he will promote the company's renewable energy and conservation efforts. (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15316769/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news

Energy policy is costly for Oregon dairy farmers – North Coast dairy farmers are feeling the effects of a U.S. energy policy push toward corn-based ethanol.The upside to corn-based ethanol production is U.S. independence from foreign oil. But one of the downsides is a higher corn price for dairy farmers and others who raise livestock. (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1226180~Energy_policy_is_costly_for_Oregon_dairy_farmers.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Fitch Rates Chelan County Public Utility Dist $48M 'AA'; Outlook Positive (Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/080215/20080215005796.html?.v=1

Liquefied Natural Gas debate tests Oregon's 'green' mettle – The governor's request for a big-picture energy analysis could get steamrolled by the feds (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1203148505263150.xml&coll=7

California – State casts a wary eye on deregulation. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today about whether the high-priced energy contracts signed amid the crisis can be reopened to make sure the rates are fair. (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-power19feb19,1,3604410.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

Over Deregulation Flap – Constellation, BGE suffer another credit ratings blow (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/02/18/story10.html?ana=from_rss

Energy market deregulation will prove a godsend for New York (NY Daily News)
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/02/19/2008-02-19_energy_market_deregulation_will_prove_a_.html?ref=rss

Washington Post Editorial – The Demise of FutureGen. The cancellation of a clean-coal project shows there's no silver bullet for climate change.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/15/AR2008021503186.html?nav=rss_opinions

Energy crisis making way for 'nuclear renaissance' – Global warming fears, rising fuel prices spur the comeback (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5546778.html

Carbon-emission cuts – Nuclear, coal energy renewable? (Salt Lake Tribune)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_8301202?source=rss

As Nuclear Waste Languishes, Expense to U.S. Rises (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/us/17nuke.html?ex=1361077200&en=a9541a71ab30f7aa&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Going green encourages customers to adopt electronic billing (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=320304&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Olympian’s special series – Toxic runoff silent killer. Every time it rains, pollution pours into Puget Sound.
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/361799.html

Seattle Times Editorial – Puget Sound: the silent crisis
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004184778_pugeted16.html

12-day salmon season set for lower Columbia – Sport anglers will get 12 precious days of spring chinook fishing in the lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington fish managers decided Friday. (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/02/16/area_news/10113533.txt

Early forecast for Columbia Coho is cloudy – The Columbia River Coho forecast was recently released, and anglers shouldn't expect off-the-charts fishing in the ocean this summer. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2004186746_outn17.html

Pesticide Brew Spells Trouble for Salmon (ScienceNow Magazine)
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2008/216/2

Alcoa petitions to dredge PCB-polluted sediment from Columbia River – The company will dredge 36,000 cubic yards of PCB-tainted sediment from a heavily polluted stretch of Columbia River shoreline in Vancouver (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/02/02172008_Alcoa-petitions-to-dredge-PCB-polluted-sediment.cfm/

Seattle Post-Intelligencer – Opinion – Oceans: Dead zone threats
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/351533_oceaned.html?source=rss

Delay Of Report Is Blamed On Politics – Document Suggests Public Health Risks Near Great Lakes (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/17/AR2008021702186.html?nav=rss_email/components

Southwest lakes may dry up, study says – Climate change, growing demand for water could drain two reservoirs by 2021, scientists say (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8288804?source=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

S.F. renewable energy startup looks to launch portfolio with hydro power (East Bay Business Times)
http://www.bizjournals.com/eastbay/stories/2008/02/18/focus4.html?ana=from_rss

Unfortunately for this company: FERC nixes initial application for McKenzie River hydro plants (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-23/120320184589510.xml&storylist=orlocal

Canada – Private River Power Draws Diverse Foes. 'Run of river' project underway on Ashlu river. 'Green' claims disputed. (The Tyee)
http://thetyee.ca/News/2008/02/19/RunOfRiver/

Wind blowing money farmers' way (The Oregonian, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004188910_windcosts19.html?syndication=rss

Cantwell: Tax law key to wind power (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/02/19/top_story/10117261.txt

Wind 'credits' not as green as they seem – Buyers don't purchase renewable energy, just Wall Street certificates (The News Journal, Delaware)
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080218/NEWS/802180323/1003/BUSINESS

Oregon's largest wind project awaits approval – Developer describes Shepherds Flat project between Ione and Arlington
http://www.eastoregonian.info/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48&ArticleID=73417&TM=72237.05

Oregon – Utilities seek proposals for renewable energy. Pacific Power, PGE look for projects to help meet mandate (Portland Tribune)
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=120337016858737800

Cape Wind gathers force – Impact report fills the sails of wind turbine effort (Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology)
http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2008/02/18/focus1.html?ana=from_rss

California – Altamont wind farm could be model (East Bay Business Times)
http://www.bizjournals.com/eastbay/stories/2008/02/18/focus1.html?ana=from_rss

Austin American Statesman – Opinion: How to balance wind power and wildlife
http://www.statesman.com/opinion/content/editorial/stories/02/14/0214hoffman_edit.html

United Kingdom – Why should Scotland pay the price of England's renewable-energy deficit? (The Scotsman)
http://news.scotsman.com/opinion/Why-should-Scotland-pay-the.3790045.jp

Massachusetts – Provision could allow building of wind farm – Large wind farms could be constructed in state waters under legislation passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives Wednesday that critics said could aid a controversial wind energy project in Buzzards Bay. (Boston Globe)
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/15/provision_could_allow_building_of_wind_farm/

Geothermal energy gaining steam, but its future is up for debate – Northern California's Geyser Country Is Hotbed Of Electricity Generation (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_8287942

Iowa – Environment may force change in geothermal energy systems (The Gazette, Cedar Rapids)
http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080218/NEWS/139454510

After damning biofuels study, ethanol advocates fight back (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9873207-54.html?part=dht&tag=nl.e433

Toronto Star – Thirst for green energy has its cost. Alternate fuels need more water, and the U.S. is bound to look north
http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/Environment/article/304355

CONSERVATION

NY Times Editorial – That Newfangled Light Bulb. Across the world, consumers are being urged to stop buying outdated incandescent light bulbs and switch to new spiral fluorescent bulbs, which use about 25 percent of the energy and last 10 times longer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/opinion/17sun3.html?ref=opinion

Congressional Research Reports – Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs): Issues with Use and Disposal
http://opencrs.cdt.org/document/RS22807

Turned-off devices still can waste money, energy (Arizona Republic)
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/0218energyvampire0218.html

Power player: This device sniffs out electricity hogs (Chicago Tribune)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/home/chi-0217avguyfeb17,1,6455954.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

National Energy Rebate Fund Scam – Some window installers are offering what sounds like a great deal, a 50% off rebate (KUTV, Utah via the Consumerist)
http://consumerist.com/356907/national-energy-rebate-fund-scam

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Legislature considers bill to spend more on urban trees (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/02/17//area_news/10113498.txt

Here’s a link to the bill: see section 23
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2007-08/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/House/2844.HBA%2008.pdf

Here’s a link to the bill analysis (PDF File)
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/documents/billdocs/2007-08/Pdf/Bill%20Reports/House/2844.HBA%2008.pdf

Tri-City Herald – Opinion: Science favors action to ease global warming
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/94432.html

N.H. city prepares for worst as warming fears rise (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-02-17-keene-prepares_N.htm?csp=34

Scientists Would Turn Greenhouse Gas Into Gasoline (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/science/19carb.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

America's Most Wired Cities (MSN)
http://tech.msn.com/news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=6132556&icid=tg6132556&GT1=10938

Costly wireless program could hold up census (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004186649_census17.html

Wireless Philadelphia: An update from its CEO (MuniWireless)
http://www.muniwireless.com/applications/digital-inclusion/2008/02/15/wireless-philadelphia-an-update-from-its-ceo/

Cable, satellite operators look to gain subscribers – Analog television signals will end in about one year (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/business/story/361287.html

Seattle not quite ready for conversion to digital TV (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/02/18/daily4.html?ana=from_rss

GENERAL NEWS

Meteor seen across wide swath of Pacific Northwest (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP02192008news280453.cfm

Kessler concedes defeat on taping bill for government executive sessions — for this year (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080219/NEWS/802190304

New Data: Grays Harbor County Winds topped 133 mph during Dec. 2-3 storm (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/02/18/local_news/02news.txt

WA House passes bill expanding tribal police jurisdiction (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP02192008news280376.cfm

Tribes are state's new high rollers — in business (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004186688_tribes17m.html

DIVERSIONS

Runaway Kitten Found After 25 Days In NYC Subway Tunnels
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15332528/detail.html

Mensa Head Lists Smartest Shows Ever – 'House,' 'NCIS,' 'Law & Order' Among Current Shows Picked
http://www.kirotv.com/entertainment/15311126/detail.html

Scientists find 'Devil Toad' fossil
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080219/ap_on_fe_st/giant_frog;_ylt=AsOJLjewwrAgXqxwaCpNtHvtiBIF

German puts out cigarette with fire extinguisher – A virulent anti-smoker in Germany was so angry when his girlfriend lit up he emptied a fire extinguisher to put out the cigarette, caking her and their apartment in powder.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080219/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_germany_smoker;_ylt=AvjBUhSXsugi30BtgQ1pS7PtiBIF

New Zealand record charts go to the dogs – a song audible only to dogs has topped New Zealand record charts, and is looking to go global.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080218/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_newzealand;_ylt=AhNoWKlQE5sVK84n4ktuaWvtiBIF