Energy News Digest for February 21, 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)

* Bill Virgin, Seattle Post Intelligencer – Jefferson County citizens group sees need for own PUD
* Avista Corp. earnings drop – Increase in Washington resident rates expected to earn $30.2 million this year
* Mail Tribune, Oregon Opinion – If Liquefied Natural Gas is wrong, what's right?
* News Release – Thieves damage Chehalis substation and steal copper wire
* News Release – Thieves hit Cardwell Substation in Kalama twice in recent weeks
* News Release – Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher's statement on wholesale competition in regions with organized electric markets
* United Kingdom – Regulator To Probe Electricity, Gas Markets
* Oregon – ACLU sues to place salmon ads on TriMet buses
* News Tribune Opinion – Sound strategy needs stormwater solution
* Canada – Environmentalists hatch plan to ferry wild salmon past fish farms
* Saturday could prove fruitful for smelt dipping on Cowlitz
* Road salt and deicer disorienting state birds
* King County sewer construction project backs up
* Berkeley report: Solar panels a 'loser'
* Oregon – Community solar project gets council go-ahead
* Minnesota – Teen launches energy-saving mission
* Investors Demand Info on Carbon Footprints
* How did Reichert get so green?
* Congressman Baird wants to see green spent on environment
* Post Intelligencer Editorial – Seattle Mayor's Report: Emerald City still (green, that is)
* Canada – Laudable green initiatives come at expense of social needs
* Consumer group sues Comcast in D.C.
* New York – Chamber director: Data-processing firm interested in moving to Tupper — if there’s fiber-optic cable
* Justices say workers can sue over 401(k) losses
* Seattle inflation rate 4.6 percent exceeds national average

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Jaundiced • \JAWN-dist\ • adjective – 1: affected with or as if with a disease characterized by yellow pigmentation of the skin *2: exhibiting or influenced by envy, distaste, or hostility

“It’s not a good idea to ask me about the benefits of energy deregulation,” sighed the jaundiced public power leader. “Not after the energy crisis of 2001, enormous rate increases pending for customers whose state rate freezes expire soon, stories of gaming the system, on and on.”

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

Bill Virgin, Seattle Post Intelligencer – Jefferson County citizens group sees need for own PUD (Well, its existing PUD taking more authority, anyway…)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/352071_virgin21.html

Avista Corp. earnings drop – Increase in Washington resident rates expected to earn $30.2 million this year (Coeur d’Alene Press)
http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2008/02/21/news/news03.txt

Mail Tribune, Oregon Opinion – If Liquefied Natural Gas is wrong, what's right? Energy needs won't go away, and there is no perfect source
http://mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080217/OPINION/802170306/-1/OPINION02

News Release – Thieves damage Chehalis substation and steal copper wire; reward offered (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/192760/

News Release – Thieves hit Cardwell Substation in Kalama twice in recent weeks; reward offered (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/192759/

News Release – Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher's statement on wholesale competition in regions with organized electric markets (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/statements-speeches/kelliher/2008/02-21-08-kelliher-E-1.asp

United Kingdom – Regulator To Probe Electricity, Gas Markets (NASDAQ)
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20080221%5cACQDJON200802211000DOWJONESDJONLINE000733.htm&

Energy Pulse Commentary – Recurring Payments Revival: Answering Consumer Preferences for Cards
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1671

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Oregon – ACLU sues to place salmon ads on TriMet buses. Speech issue - The placards criticize dams' presence on the Klamath River (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/120356071220740.xml&coll=7

News Tribune Opinion – Sound strategy needs stormwater solution
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/288993.html

Canada – Environmentalists hatch plan to ferry wild salmon past fish farms. A group of ecotourism businesses, native organizations and environmentalists have a wild plan to save salmon on British Columbia's central coast. (The Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080221.BCSALMON21/TPStory/Environment

Saturday could prove fruitful for smelt dipping on Cowlitz (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/365842.html

Road salt and deicer disorienting state birds (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/15826117.html

King County sewer construction project backs up (Examiner.com – Ha! Ha! Nice headline…Hee! Hee!)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1233619~King_County_sewer_construction_project_backs_up.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Berkeley report: Solar panels a 'loser' (Pacific Business News)
http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2008/02/18/daily33.html?ana=from_rss

Oregon – Community solar project gets council go-ahead (Ashland Tidings)
http://www.dailytidings.com/2008/0220/stories/0220_council.php

CONSERVATION

Minnesota – Teen launches energy-saving mission (The Post-Bulletin, Rochester)
http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?a=329482&z=2

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Investors Demand Info on Carbon Footprints (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19226037&ft=1&f=3

How did Reichert get so green? (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004193126_reichert21m.html

Congressman Baird wants to see green spent on environment (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/02/02212008_Baird-wants-to-see-green-spent-on-environment.cfm/

Post Intelligencer Editorial – Seattle Mayor's Report: Emerald City still. Both Seattle and the state of Washington appear to recognize the need and opportunities in changing energy usage to create a healthier environment
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/352053_greened.html?source=rss

Canada – Laudable green initiatives come at expense of social needs (Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=014ec699-c3fd-41fb-9ce1-e7043cb870b4

Dream big when creating plan for going green (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/16/HOTRUA2PF.DTL

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Consumer group sues Comcast in D.C. (Washington Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2008/02/18/daily40.html?ana=from_rss

New York – Chamber director: Data-processing firm interested in moving to Tupper — if there’s fiber-optic cable (Adirondack Press)
http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=10496

GENERAL NEWS

Justices say workers can sue over 401(k) losses (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/289036.html

Seattle inflation rate 4.6 percent exceeds national average (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/366046.html

DIVERSIONS

Port of Olympia cancels chowder challenge due to lack of parking spaces
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/365228.html

Drunk driver parks at police station
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2139418520080221?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Pig farmers trot out Internet song to save bacon
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080221/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_bacon_song;_ylt=ApoJzFzif9j3OgTDeuEgiKTtiBIF

Meatloaf the cat heads home after trek
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080221/ap_on_fe_st/odd_meatloaf_the_cat;_ylt=AjawEaiNtRjvwKrzXL6c3MztiBIF

$8,000? That's our water bill? (Time for a check read)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080221/ap_on_fe_st/odd_big_water_bill;_ylt=AjQcrEt2YlietDWw9ICM.wntiBIF