Energy News Digest for February 22, 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)

* Avista Corp. appeals Residential Exchange case to US Supreme Court
* BPA – Squeezing juice from aging infrastructure
* Special Series: Coal development in Montana
* FERC enters tinkering time: Power market changes sought
* Montana – BP drops Flathead coal-bed plan
* Lower Columbia River closes to salmon, steelhead fishing Feb. 25
* Grant County PUD looks to raise fish in Lake Wenatchee pens
* Farm program helps environment – 67,000 trees have been planted
* Castle Rock residents simmering over water bills
* Controversial Jefferson County septic program
* Water Wars – Georgia Claims a Sliver of the Tennessee River
* California – Governor, Feinstein to try to get water deal done
* Governors try to advance clean energy
* A Solar Grand Plan
* Oregon nonprofit lands funding for solar electric system
* Wind Power Development Surging in US
* Qualms Over Clean Energy That Would Come From 12 Stories Up
* California neighbors wage battle over trees that shade solar panels
* Solar heater puts the power of the sun in the suds
* Oregon’s Climate Service Head and Global Warming Critic Retires
* China's carbon dragon
* Riding With Ed (Begley Jr.): An Actor Devoted to the Green Life
* Server-farm subsidies uncertain in WA Legislature
* Internet-TV connection still far off, experts say
* San Jose Mercury News Editorial: Congress should act to preserve Net neutrality
* AOL Really Kills Netscape This Time
* FCC Relaxes Digital-TV Transition Order
* Computer Piracy – What To Do About the Zombie Lord Next Door?
* Gas prices spike overnight
* High gas prices drive down revenues – Washington Gas Tax Projects Still Underfunded
* King County could lose millions from poor investments
* Idaho officials blame software flaw for tax revenue shortfall

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Logy • \LOE-ghee\ • adjective – Marked by sluggishness and lack of vitality: groggy

“Ahhh…now that’s a turkey dinner to write home about,” exhaled the Professor after the annual “Zither Society” dinner. “I know that I’ve been paid a $50,000 honorarium for a speech, but my mind is a bit logy tonight. Therefore, in place of a speech, I will allow you to watch me sleep for the next 45 minutes.” “Enjoy,” he exclaimed as his breathing gave way to chainsaw-like snoring.

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

Avista Corp. appeals case to US Supreme Court – Three investor-owned utilities seek review of ruling on BPA payments (Journal of Business)
http://www.spokanejournal.com/spokane_id=article&sub=3489

Squeezing juice from aging infrastructure – Bonneville Power Administration says upgrades are needed to meet area's growing appetite for electricity. Central Oregon’s power network, pushed to the limit by a decade of growth, needs about $140 million worth of investment in the next (Bend Bulletin)
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/BIZ0102/802220425

Special Series: Coal development in Montana (KVTQ-TV, Billings)
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/global/story.asp?s=7894944

FERC enters tinkering time: Power market changes sought – Federal commission's plan might improve wholesale competition after report of fast-rising electricity costs (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/5561138.html

Montana – BP drops Flathead coal-bed plan. A controversial plan to extract coal-bed methane from the Canadian wilds north of Glacier National Park was scuttled Thursday, a surprise turnaround that drew praise from many downstream Montanans. (The Missoulian)
http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/02/22/news/local/news03.txt

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Lower Columbia River closes to salmon, steelhead fishing Feb. 25 (Bend Weekly News)
http://www.bendweekly.com/Public-Notices/13796.html

Grant County PUD looks to raise fish in Lake Wenatchee pens (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080221/NEWS04/559558111/1001/rss1001

Farm program helps environment – 67,000 trees have been planted to help streams, fish (Bellingham Herald)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/business/story/328593.html

Castle Rock residents simmering over water bills – The city's revamped water and sewer rates have some residents boiling mad - and they're asking city leaders for relief. (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/02/22/area_news/10122363.txt

Controversial Jefferson County septic program -- including higher fees -- delayed for year or more (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080222/NEWS/802220302

Water Wars – Georgia Claims a Sliver of the Tennessee River (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/us/22water.html?ex=1361336400&en=264ca4787ebf5c71&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

California – Governor, Feinstein to try to get water deal done – Schwarzenegger, senator attempt to persuade state lawmakers to reach a compromise on a bond (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8334166?source=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Governors try to advance clean energy – Governors who want clean energy to be a national priority are trying to bring together states with wildly different ways of producing power (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080221/ap_on_re_us/governors_global_warming_3

A Solar Grand Plan – By 2050 solar power could end U.S. dependence on foreign oil and slash greenhouse gas emissions (Scientific American)
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-grand-plan

Oregon nonprofit lands funding for solar electric system (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/02/18/daily31.html?ana=from_rss

Wind Power Development Surging in US (Voice of America)
http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-02-21-voa23.cfm

Xcel Energy wants wind farms – Xcel Energy Inc. on Thursday issued a request for proposals for companies to build wind farms capable of generating up to 150 megawatts of power. (Denver Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2008/02/18/daily49.html?ana=from_rss

Qualms Over Clean Energy That Would Come From 12 Stories Up (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/nyregion/22turbine.html?_r=1&ex=1361422800&en=e6a531467f91ead2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

California neighbors wage battle over trees that shade solar panels (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/352131_greendispute21.html

Solar heater puts the power of the sun in the suds – Lucky Labrador's new Solar Flare ale glows as golden as sunbeams in a glass, but a new solar water-heating system makes it Portland's greenest beer. (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1203648901175020.xml&coll=7

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Oregon’s Climate Service Head and Global Warming Critic Retires (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/climate-service-head-and-global-warming-critic-retires/

China's carbon dragon (Christian Science Monitor, via Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/987/story/97163.html

Riding With Ed (Begley Jr.): An Actor Devoted to the Green Life (NY Times)
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/riding-with-ed-an-actor-devoted-to-the-green-life/index.html?ex=1361422800&en=3af8220088247bd2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Server-farm subsidies uncertain in WA Legislature – Major tech companies' campaign for a server-farm tax break appears stalled in Washington's Legislature, just a day after hometown favorite Microsoft Corp. won an incentive package from Iowa lawmakers. (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/366554.html

Internet-TV connection still far off, experts say – New sets allow users to watch Web videos from the couch, but many say technology isn't there yet (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8334161?source=rss&nclick_check=1

Microsoft to share some software secrets (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/02/18/daily23.html?ana=from_rss

San Jose Mercury News Editorial: Congress should act to preserve Net neutrality
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8332927?source=rss&nclick_check=1

AOL Really Kills Netscape This Time (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_002570DE00740E18002573F60061A2A2.html?ex=1361422800&en=887b320760708dd6&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

FCC Relaxes Digital-TV Transition Order (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/21/AR2008022102605.html?nav=rss_technology

Computer Piracy – What To Do About the Zombie Lord Next Door? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/02/21/what-to-do-about-the-zombie-lord-next-door/

GENERAL NEWS

Gas prices spike overnight – If you're waking up this morning and getting ready to go on a weekend drive, bad news: Gas prices have shot up again overnight. (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_022208WAB_gas_prices_rise_LJ.1933faaa.html

High gas prices drive down revenues – Washington Gas Tax Projects Still Underfunded (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3608

King County could lose millions from investments – Local budgets may be hurt by sub-prime mortgage woes (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/352135_bonds21.html

Idaho officials blame software flaw for tax revenue shortfall – Kootenai County officials are blaming a software glitch for a shortfall in tax revenue collected last year from property owners. (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/366507.html

Remember the Seattle Mayor’s parking flap in Olympia? Seattle's free parking spots not free for long (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/15868327.html

DIVERSIONS

Government Still Declares Living Woman Dead – Laura Todd has been dead off and on for eight years
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15365524/detail.html

Elvis Impersonator Acknowledged Fraud, Police Say (pretender pretends his pretend house burned down…)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23225901/

Mother Tries Stealing 90 DVDs — With Four Children in Tow
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2008/feb/21/mother-tries-stealing-90-dvds-8212-with-four-in/

Police: Fake $100 Bills Had Lincoln's Image – Watermark Contained Abe Lincoln's Portrait (I know Ben Franklin, he is a friend of mine…and you sir are no Ben Franklin)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/15340698/detail.html?treets=sea&tid=2653595907813&tml=sea_nots&tmi=sea_nots_1_01000202212008&ts=H