Energy News Digest for February 25, 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)

* BPA's proposal won't lead to cuts in electric bills soon
* Cowlitz PUD to deliver $65 refunds
* Between Shelton and Olympia – Transmission upgrades aimed at reducing outages
* Idaho desert right for uranium plant, but firm wants tax goodies, too
* Metal thieves on I-5 Bridge find only fiber
* Governors: Coal must be part of energy debate
* A Victory Near for Utilities in Kansas Coal Battle
* Va. Utility Faces Biggest Fight In Plan for 65-Mile Power Line
* Congress expected to approve energy package; who will foot bill?
* Domenici speech highlights water, energy nexus
* Satisfaction of business customers with electric utilities continues to climb
* Idaho’s Dworshak Dam is Safe, Says Army Corps
* Bering Sea pollock fishery accidentally takes 130,000 prize Chinook
* Fishermen, feds debate sea lions' fate
* New York – In City Waters, Beds (and a Job) for Oysters
* State Ecology Department OKs Neah Bay wave power project
* Idaho utility companies, wind developers come to agreement
* Canada - Sidney company proposes giant wind farm in caribou habitat
* Move Over, Oil, There’s Money in Texas Wind
* Energy storage nears its day in the sun
* Jefferson County electrifies travel with no-gasoline car
* Niagra Falls For Wood Power – Move over Niagara hydropower
* 10 things the nation must do to avert an energy crunch and protect the planet
* Columbia River Bridge – Bridging the global warming gap
* Canada – Federal carbon tax proposed
* World switches on to Earth Hour switch-off
* Great expectations given at Grant County EDC banquet – Ask.com discusses move
* Qwest's broadband step may be a little one
* Soaring energy prices bad news for the economy
* Exxon Valdez case drags on; many claimants dead
* Windstorm's wrath forces emergency harvest
* North Mason County Hospital District Gets Loan to Get Off the Ground
* Are retreats working vacations or just work?

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Dodgery • \DAH-juh-ree\ • noun – Evasion, trickery

Alberto was quite impressed with the dodgery of the energy trader during his 2001 internship in Houston. “Now remember,” said the trader. “Although you think I’m selling you something of value, I’m really selling you a derivative of nothing.”

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

BPA's proposal won't lead to cuts in electric bills soon “…PacifiCorp…is unlikely to sign off on the BPA's proposal and will keep fighting for higher benefits….” (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1203737103318840.xml&coll=7

Cowlitz PUD to deliver $65 refunds “…thanks to an approximately $15 million settlement coming from the federal Bonneville Power Administration…” (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/02/23/area_news/10124044.txt

Between Shelton and Olympia – Transmission upgrades aimed at reducing outages. Bonneville Power Administration seeks comment on construction (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/367617.html

Idaho desert right for uranium plant, but firm wants tax goodies, too (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/368154.html

Metal thieves on I-5 Bridge find only fiber – The damage that took out traffic cameras on the Interstate 5 Bridge bears the markings of a metal thief. The only problem? No metal. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/02/02222008_Metal-thieves-on-I-5-Bridge-find-only-fiber.cfm?newsletter=1

Governors: Coal must be part of energy debate (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2008-02-23-energy-debate_N.htm?csp=34

A Victory Near for Utilities in Kansas Coal Battle (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/22/AR2008022202878.html?nav=rss_business

Va. Utility Faces Biggest Fight In Plan for 65-Mile Power Line (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/23/AR2008022301830.html?nav=rss_business

Congress expected to approve energy package; who will foot bill? (Memphis Commercial Appeal)
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/feb/25/oil-wind-battle-for-tax-breaks/

Domenici speech highlights water, energy nexus (New Mexico Business Weekly)
http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2008/02/18/daily37.html?ana=from_rss

Satisfaction of business customers with electric utilities continues to climb: J.D. Power and Associates (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=320927&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Idaho’s Dworshak Dam is Safe, Says Army Corps (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3611

Bering Sea pollock fishery accidentally takes 130,000 prize Chinook (The Canadian Press)
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5i6sTLycKdtFCnJ3GHHpPEvylRlZA

Fishermen, feds debate sea lions' fate (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/page/dis/291077705657541

New York – In City Waters, Beds (and a Job) for Oysters. New York City plans to plant oysters near the mouth of a creek that is wedged between two dormant landfills to establish oyster beds that will absorb waste materials. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/24/nyregion/24oysters.html?_r=1&ex=1361595600&en=e7c935e84b602832&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

State Ecology Department OKs Neah Bay wave power project (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1236083~State_Ecology_Department_OKs_Neah_Bay_wave_power_project.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

Idaho utility companies, wind developers come to agreement (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/368280.html

Canada - Sidney company proposes giant wind farm in caribou habitat (Victoria Times-Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=9371f38a-a293-47dd-ba86-047c0aed41f4&k=873

Move Over, Oil, There’s Money in Texas Wind (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/23/business/23wind.html?_r=1&ex=1361509200&en=3235d917da8aadba&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

Energy storage nears its day in the sun (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSL222164020080222?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

Jefferson County electrifies travel with no-gasoline car (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080224/NEWS/802240302

Niagra Falls For Wood Power – Move over Niagara hydropower – There’s a new generation of power in town. (Biomass Magazine: Slowly I turn….Step by step…)
http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=1400

CONSERVATION

10 things the nation must do to avert an energy crunch and protect the planet (Houston Chronicle)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/5565637.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Columbia River Bridge – Bridging the global warming gap. Planners of a new I-5 span juggle ideas on tolls and prices, looking for ways to slow the growth in trips (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1203753302183320.xml&coll=7

Canada – Federal carbon tax proposed (Victoria Times Columnist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=76a72fff-445f-4b60-8b06-8712c0e5e70a&k=58966

World switches on to Earth Hour switch-off (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSSP878820080219?sp=true

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Great expectations given at Grant County EDC banquet – Ask.com discusses move (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/02/22/news/news05.txt

Qwest's broadband step may be a little one (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004199035_brier25.html

GENERAL NEWS

Soaring energy prices bad news for the economy – The high cost of oil and gasoline could act as a tax on consumers and undercut the government's stimulus plan. (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0221/p03s01-usec.html

Exxon Valdez case drags on; many claimants dead (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004199250_exxxon25.html

Windstorm's wrath forces emergency harvest (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004199401_salvagelogging25m.html?syndication=rss

North Mason County Hospital District Gets Loan to Get Off the Ground (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://kitsapsun.com/news/2008/feb/24/nm-hospital-district-gets-loan-to-get-off-the/

Are retreats working vacations or just work? Puyallup’s City Council went to the downtown Bellevue Hyatt Regency and spent $17,000 over two days (Tacooma News Tribune)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/291425.html

DIVERSIONS

NFL Reverses Call On Church Parties
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/20/AR2008022002772.html

Man 'didn't intend' theft in bank error – A defense attorney in New York City says her client believed he was rightfully entitled to the $2 million he's accused of stealing from a bank account managed by someone with the same name.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080223/ap_on_fe_st/odd_bank_error_arrest;_ylt=Ah6rK94SAfx6kXaV9.cuSjrtiBIF

Famed bun-maker cleans up "doggy" name
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080225/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_china_buns;_ylt=AgA5l79ioBtxJX.8SYjn0E_tiBIF