Energy News Digest for February 28, 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)

House Votes to End Big Oil's Tax Breaks – Despite Veto Threat
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial – Energy Taxes: Rocket launch
Montana – USDA pulls plug on Highwood power plant financing
NorthWestern Energy announces filing of Montana transmission rate settlement agreement
News Release – American Public Power Association Calls for Electricity Market Reforms to Address Growing Crisis
Maryland – PSC chief to Constellation Energy: Ratepayers misled on nuclear plant deal
America is Running Out of Electricity
New York – Niagara County printer receives NYPA boost
Trout bearing chemicals are even in our national parks
Belfair Sewer Cost Higher Than Budgeted
Company Fined for Oregon Wind Turbine Death
British Petroleum (BP) hints that it may offload green business
House Wants Oil Subsidies to Go to Green Energy
Cap and Caulk: How Smart Climate Policy Can Cut Our Energy Costs
Chelan PUD's clean credits pay for entry into exchange
Alaska town sues over global warming
Senate antiphishing bill outlaws...what's already illegal
Utah Internet providers could earn 'G-rating'
Wikileaks close backfires on bank trying to remove documents
Amazon Spent $1.6M Lobbying Government
500 jobs added at call center in Oregon; more might be needed
Swooning economy Fed chief's key worry

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Bonapartism • \BOH-nuh-par-tiz-um\ • noun – A policy supporting dictatorial rule usually by a military leader who has ostensibly received a popular mandate

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

House Votes to End Big Oil's Tax Breaks – Despite Veto Threat, Bill to Boost Renewable Energy Is Sent to Senate (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/27/AR2008022702635.html?nav=rss_business

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial – Energy Taxes: Rocket launch. The economy or the environment? How about both? Congress approved Wednesday $18 billion in new oil company taxes, money that will be used to spur investment in wind, solar and alternative sources.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/352940_gaspricesed.html?source=rss

Montana – USDA pulls plug on Highwood financing – USDA's Rural Utilities Service, citing a lack of funding, has informed Southern Montana Electric Generation & Transmission that it can't finance the cooperative's proposed coal-fired power plant east of Great Falls. (Great Falls Tribune)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080228/NEWS01/802280302/1002

NorthWestern Energy announces filing of Montana transmission rate settlement agreement (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=321377&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

News Release – American Public Power Association Calls for Electricity Market Reforms to Address Growing Crisis (APPA, via Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=84390

Maryland – PSC chief to Constellation Energy: Ratepayers misled on nuclear plant deal (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/02/25/daily15.html?ana=from_rss

America is Running Out of Electricity – The provision of electrical power nationwide has become the chosen battleground for environmental groups laboring night and day to insure there will not be enough of it to meet our needs. (Energy Pulse Commentary)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1683

New York – Niagara County printer receives NYPA boost – Shipman Printing Industries has been allocated to receive a block of electricity from the New York Power Authority as the Wheatfield printer undergoes an expansion. (Business First of Buffalo)
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/02/25/daily13.html?ana=from_rss

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Trout bearing chemicals are even in our national parks – Mercury, flame retardants ending up in pristine lakes (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/352814_parkpollute27.html

BELFAIR SEWER COST HIGHER THAN BUDGETED – The costs to construct sewers and a water reclamation facility to serve the core of the Belfair Urban Growth Area are higher than originally budgeted. According to Emmett Dobey, Director of Utilities and Waste Management for Mason County, there are three reasons for this $2 Million overage. One is that the original estimate was done in 2006 dollars and not adjusted into 2008 dollars. The second reason is that a second pump station is needed. And the third reason has to do with the spray field for the Water Reclamation Facility. A geologic survey found that the infiltrate in that area is not as great as originally thought so an infiltration gallery needs to be designed and added to the project. Dobey believes they have discovered these potential cost overages early enough in the project's design so that the project will still be brought in on budget and on time. The County is looking at moving the second pump station which will result in a savings of about $500,000. Design of the project continues and a ground breaking ceremony is expected this fall. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Company Fined for Oregon Wind Turbine Death (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3624

British Petroleum (BP) hints that it may offload green business (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8380030?source=rss

House Wants Oil Subsidies to Go to Green Energy (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=86973288&ft=1&f=3

CONSERVATION

Cap and Caulk: How Smart Climate Policy Can Cut Our Energy Costs (Sightline Institute)
http://www.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2008/02/27/cap-and-caulk-how-smart-climate-policy-can-cut-our-energy-costs

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Chelan PUD's clean credits pay for entry into exchange – Power generated at Rocky Reach Dam is now helping to reduce carbon pollution elsewhere in the country — at least in theory. (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080227/NEWS04/220117514

Alaska town sues over global warming (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/02/25/daily21.html?ana=from_rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Senate antiphishing bill outlaws...what's already illegal (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9879859-38.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Utah Internet providers could earn 'G-rating' (Deseret Morning News)
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695256344,00.html

Wikileaks close backfires on bank trying to remove documents – An effort at damage control has snowballed into a public relations disaster for a Swiss bank seeking to crack down on a renegade Web site for posting classified information about some of its wealthy clients. (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1246437~Wikileaks_close_backfires_on_bank_trying_to_remove_documents.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Amazon Spent $1.6M Lobbying Government (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/02/27/financial/f171657S12.DTL&feed=rss.business

500 jobs added at call center in Oregon; more might be needed (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1246773~500_jobs_added_at_call_center_in_Oregon__more_might_be_needed.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

GENERAL NEWS

Swooning economy Fed chief's key worry (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004247519_bernanke28.html

A banner year for new paychecks – Steve Ingrum, an apprentice lineman for the Snohomish County PUD, works at transfering lines to a new pole in Arlington. He says a job with the utility long had been a goal for him. (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/snohomishcountynews/2004238896_jobgrowth27n.html

DIVERSIONS

Kindergartner Suspended For Mohawk Haircut
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15426674/detail.html

After 33 Years, Man Recovers Lost Wallet – Item Recovered During Renovation
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15423281/detail.html

Stop thief, why are you wearing that hanger?
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSEIC77388120080227?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

Price of eternal salvation: $12.79
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/16067567.html