Energy News Digest for February 26, 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 customers to get small credit
* Pacific Power says it will not accept agreement from BPA
* BPA Offer Could Lead to Lower Electric Bills
* Appointee Hays won't run for Jefferson County PUD post
* Grant helps pay heating bills for low-income family in Snohomish County
* Idaho – Companies in race to provide fuel for US 'nuclear renaissance'
* Dry weather causes hike in Tennessee Valley Authority rates
* Florida – Utility transmission plan rouses suspicion
* Great Plains Energy reaches agreement in principle in proposed Aquila purchase
* Tiny Arctic town hoping to power up after a week rationing electricity
* Pepco Lobbied on Energy Legislation $820,000 worth
* NERC cybersecurity standards to become mandatory in US
* Dam rules extended as Columbia River salmon plan written
* Oregon – State turns the tap on Umatilla basin water project
* Government planning to unleash flood through Grand Canyon in March
* Cantwell seeks tax breaks for wind power
* Boom and Bust for Renewable Energy?
* Oregon – How will utilities green up portfolios?
* Lack of lines for transmission trips up wind energy
* B.C. firm turns to green power
* Photovoltaic Cells Are Still Very Green, Comparative Test Shows
* Urban decay, redefined
* Energy-Saving Bulbs Raise Safety Questions
* Washington’s Legislative environment grows heated
* Farms May Be Exempted From Emission Rules
* PG&E to fund forest projects
* Carbon report says tax could save Canadians money
* British official: Rich countries must pay for carbon reduction
* Possible Wi-Fi In Downtown Centralia
* F.C.C. to Act on Delaying of Broadband Traffic
* Google joins consortium to build bandwidth
* Keep the internal hacker from turning the lights out in 2008
* Some GOP senators want Eastern Washington as a state unto itself

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Benefic • \buh-NEFF-ik\ • adjective – Of, having, or exerting a favorable influence

Dagwood leaned back and sighed in pleasure. It never ceased to amaze him about how his mountainous sandwiches provided a benefic turning point in his evening gastronomic activity.

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 customers to get small credit – Beginning in April, Avista Corp.’s residential customers could see a bit of relief on their monthly electric bills. (Spokesman Review, Spokane)
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=13829

Pacific Power says it will not accept agreement from BPA (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-23/120397045448570.xml&storylist=orlocal

BPA Offer Could Lead to Lower Electric Bills (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3619

Appointee Hays won't run for Jefferson County PUD post – Saying he is ready to retire again, M. Kelly Hays has announced he will not seek election (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080225/NEWS/802250304

Grant helps pay heating bills for low-income family in Snohomish County (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080226/NEWS01/753113564/-1/RSS01

Idaho – Companies in race to provide fuel for US 'nuclear renaissance' (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1240921~Companies_in_race_to_provide_fuel_for_US__nuclear_renaissance_.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines

Dry weather causes hike in Tennessee Valley Authority rates (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CinpkmsrUUkgy30qbfen%5Fv

Florida – Utility plan rouses suspicion. Environmentalists says they'll fight Progress Energy on its transmission line project to expand its power transmission capability through 10 counties (St Petersburg Times)
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/24/Pasco/Utility_plan_rouses_s.shtml

Great Plains Energy reaches agreement in principle in proposed Aquila purchase (Consolidate---Consolidate – Forbes)
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/02/25/afx4694818.html

Tiny Arctic town hoping to power up after a week rationing electricity (The Canadian Press)
http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5g3sw70X6kTDDymKK8jxrdhDh8cuA

Pepco Lobbied on Energy Legislation – Pepco Holdings Spent $820,000 in 2007 to Lobby on Energy Legislation (CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/fb79c6a6b68abc6bc828b04e2d921661.htm

Newsmaker: Meet the king of coal – You may not love coal, but you use a lot of it. Peabody Energy's Greg Boyce says the company will even participate in cleaning the stuff up (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/Meet-the-king-of-coal/2008-13840_3-6231768.html

NERC cybersecurity standards to become mandatory in US – The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved eight cyber security and critical infrastructure protection standards proposed by NERC. (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=321050&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Dam rules extended as salmon plan written – To avoid more legal battles until a May 5 deadline for a new salmon-recovery plan for the Northwest, a federal judge has ordered that Columbia River dams be operated under last year's guidelines. (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004203245_salmondams26m.html?syndication=rss

Oregon – State turns the tap on Umatilla basin water project (The Oregonian)
http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen/2008/02/state_turns_the_tap_on_umatill.html

Government planning to unleash flood through Grand Canyon in March (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8359467?source=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Cantwell seeks tax breaks for wind power – But Big Oil fights shift in proposed energy bill (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/352600_energy26.html?source=rss

Boom and Bust for Renewable Energy? Tax credits central to renewable-energy development (Epoch Times)
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-2-25/66550.html

Oregon – How will utilities green up portfolios? Power providers take first steps toward meeting state renewable energy mandate (Bend Bulletin)
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080225/BIZ0102/802250335

Lack of lines for transmission trips up wind energy (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2008-02-25-wind-power-transmission_N.htm

B.C. firm turns to green power – Canfor Pulp is planning to become an electricity producer using wood waste to answer BC Hydro's call for green power.(Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=ad7bee15-e2af-494a-8a1b-37cf726e95ce

Power Struggle – The people of Iceland awaken to a stark choice: exploit a wealth of clean energy or keep their landscape pristine. (National Geographic)
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/03/iceland/del-giudice-text

Photovoltaic Cells Are Still Very Green, Comparative Test Shows (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/science/26obsola.html?ex=1361682000&en=b032bdd210ea8e75&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Urban decay, redefined – City hopes to turn yard clippings and food scraps into heat, electricity (Boston Globe)
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/26/urban_decay_redefined/

CONSERVATION

Energy-Saving Bulbs Raise Safety Questions (News Channel 5, Cleveland)
http://www.weathernet5.com/money/15381938/detail.html?rss=nn5wx&psp=news

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Legislative environment grows heated – Washington’s rural-versus-urban divide was in full view last week as the Legislature took up two bills that might someday reduce the state’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/02/02252008_Legislative-environment-grows-heated.cfm/

Farms May Be Exempted From Emission Rules – Under pressure…the Environmental Protection Agency wants to drop requirements that factory farms report their emissions of toxic gases, despite findings by the agency's scientists that the gases pose a health threat (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/25/AR2008022502472.html?nav=rss_email/components

PG&E to fund forest projects – Last year, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. gave its customers the option of going carbon neutral, voluntarily paying a little extra on their monthly bills to fund projects that reduce greenhouse gas levels. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/26/BUFTV8HC8.DTL&feed=rss.business

Carbon report says tax could save Canadians money (Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=cbd1f741-70e7-4e10-be1d-a994b9c4efc4&k=34529

Canada – How Will You Spend Your $100? We'll each get a cheque to offset the carbon tax. Tell us your plans for the money. (The Tyee)
http://thetyee.ca/Views/2008/02/25/100GreenDollars/

British official: Rich countries must pay for carbon reductions (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/environment/2008-02-26-china-britain_N.htm?csp=34

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

POSSIBLE WI-FI IN DOWNTOWN CENTRALIA – Wireless Internet access could be coming for downtown Chehalis computer users. It’s under a program being considered by city hall. Centralia also launched a limited program that offers WiFi access in parts of Centralia’s downtown. (KELA Radio, Centralia)

F.C.C. to Act on Delaying of Broadband Traffic (New York Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/technology/25cnd-fcc.html?_r=1&ex=1361682000&en=400675c21d9dc50b&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

FCC Unimpressed by Comcast’s “Network Management” (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/02/25/fcc-unimpressed-by-comcasts-network-managment/

UPDATE:NY Attorney General Quizzes Comcast Over Network Mgmt (Ameritrade)
http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/tdameritrade-com/html-story.asp?guid={29f8eaf0-7dcf-4fb6-8653-6f0525906a40}

Net Neutrality Hearing: When Is an Internet Traffic Delay O.K.? (New York Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/net-neutrality-hearing-when-is-an-internet-traffic-delay-ok/index.html?ex=1361682000&en=71a6b321c952ea8d&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Google joins consortium to build bandwidth – Will invest in trans-Pacific fiber-optic cable (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8360521?source=rss&nclick_check=1

Keep the internal hacker from turning the lights out in 2008 (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=321070&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Some GOP senators want Eastern Washington as a state unto itself (Seattle Times – The annual Cascade-Curtain Call)
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=webeasternwash23&date=20050223

DIVERSIONS

A price to pay for saying "I don't" – Mexican brides and grooms who get cold feet before walking down the aisle will have to pay their significant other for the inconvenience
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2255471720080225?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

777 pilot fired for buzzing airport
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004203734_cathay26.html?syndication=rss

German cleans up glacier graffiti
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080226/ap_on_fe_st/odd_glacier_graffiti;_ylt=Ajis3NX7GqSVLUvqJvuq.ybtiBIF

GPS leading driving astray in N.J. city
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080225/ap_on_fe_st/odd_gps_goof;_ylt=AiD.U1OdcVf.oacyyea_dqPtiBIF