Energy News Digest for February 29, 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)

Puget Sound Energy rates could go up
Questions Linger in Florida Blackout
News Release – Assessing the electric energy supply of the Pacific Northwest
Idaho – House committee backs tax breaks for Idaho uranium plant
Duke Energy's Lee Nuclear License Application Accepted by U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
News release – COMPETE Coalition Cites Proven Economic and Environmental Benefits for Consumers Provided by Competitive Electricity Markets
Brussels bungles energy unbundling
California – Stockton weighs power play: Mayor to unveil city's electricity market plan
Hearings find little opposition to reservoir at Black Rock
Idaho Senate committee backs Governor’s $20 million aquifer proposal
Leaders Talk Environmental Future of Mid-Columbia
Canada – Optimism renewed for pink salmon run
Tacoma Power holding off on tidal power, says not viable for at least eight years
Nevada – Geothermal energy, Power from the underground
Irony Alert – Want to Know Why Seattle’s “Tree Canopy” Is Disappearing?
New green Web site launched
Arctic debate could result in armed conflict
FCC Considering Another Neutrality Hearing?
Google Sites Now Live To Collaborate
Shareholders sue Yahoo over its response to Microsoft purchase bid
Another candidate announces for 35th District – Randy Neatherlin
California sues U.S. over management plan for national forests

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Whelm • \hw-ELM\ • verb – 1: to turn (as a dish or vessel) upside down usually to cover something: cover or engulf completely with usually disastrous effect 2: to overcome in thought or feeling: overwhelm: to pass or go over something so as to bury or submerge it

Some news digest readers may have been underwhelmed by the lack of creativity in the example sentences this week. Fortunately, the upcoming weekend will allow the digest to recharge and have whiz-bang prose that may whelm...and might I add, overwhelm the senses. or not.

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

Puget Sound Energy rates could go up – Puget Sound Energy is expected to file an electric and natural-gas rate increase with state regulators today, combined with an already pending request would be a nearly 12 percent overall electricity increase (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/374370.html

Questions Linger in Florida Blackout – Utility company investigators will likely look beyond a substation fire to determine the cause of a recent blackout that left as many as 3 million Floridians without power, energy experts say. Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004230086_apfloridaoutages.html?syndication=rss

News Release – Assessing the electric energy supply of the Pacific Northwest (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/193483/

Idaho – House committee backs tax breaks for Idaho uranium plant (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/373699.html

Duke Energy's Lee Nuclear License Application Accepted by U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Fox Business News)
http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/industries/energy/article/duke-energys-lee-nuclear-license-application-accepted-nuclear-regulatory_497989_11.html

News release – COMPETE Coalition Cites Proven Economic and Environmental Benefits for Consumers Provided by Competitive Electricity Markets – Upsetting Established Markets Threatens Demonstrated Consumer Benefits And Continued Investment Necessary to Meet Growing Demand (Electric Energy Online – Doesn’t a working, competitive market have to be in place first?)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=84498

Brussels bungles energy unbundling (The Financial Times of London)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/37c75f34-e635-11dc-8398-0000779fd2ac.html

California – Stockton weighs power play: Mayor to unveil city's electricity market plan – City Hall is considering a bid to involve itself in Stockton's electricity market, a measure Mayor Ed Chavez said could cut rates and generate revenue (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CinssrlhRUnjy30qbfen%5Fv

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Hearings find little opposition to reservoir at Black Rock – Wednesday was a good day for proponents who want to build a reservoir in Black Rock Valley east of Yakima. (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/103711.html

Idaho Senate committee backs Governor’s $20 million aquifer proposal – plan to study, monitor and develop plans for future management of 10 aquifers scattered across the state cleared another legislative hurdle Wednesday. (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/531/story/308454.html

Leaders Talk Environmental Future of Mid-Columbia (KNDO, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=7941200

Canada – Optimism renewed for pink salmon run (Victoria Times-Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/sports/story.html?id=85394969-6b1f-4baf-bdbe-c0b6ca2a7c8c

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Tacoma Power holding off on tidal power, says not viable for at least eight years (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/02/25/daily23.html?ana=from_rss

Nevada – Geothermal energy, Power from the underground (Summit Daily News, Frisco, CO)
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20080225/NEWS/443354159/0/FRONTPAGE

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Irony Alert – Want to Know Why Seattle’s “Tree Canopy” Is Disappearing? – Take a look at what’s happening in North Seattle. (Seattle Weekly)
http://seattleweekly.com/2008-02-27/news/want-to-know-why-seattle-s-tree-canopy-is-disappearing.php

New green Web site launched (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/02/25/daily26.html?ana=from_rss

Arctic debate could result in armed conflict, says former American coast guard official (Canwest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=73cec1a6-334a-4bcd-a9fa-dd79d4c0b8ed&k=68531

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Considering Another Neutrality Hearing? This time in Stanford after the controversy at Harvard (Broadband Reports Note: comment section may include PG-13 language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Considering-Another-Neutrality-Hearing-92227

Google Sites Now Live To Collaborate (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/02/27/google-sites-launched/

Shareholders sue Yahoo over its response to Microsoft purchase bid (Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/02/25/daily66.html?ana=from_rss

GENERAL NEWS

Another candidate announces for 35th District – Randy Neatherlin (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/373980.html

California sues U.S. over management plan for national forests (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1248265~California_sues_U_S__over_management_plan_for_national_forests.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

DIVERSIONS

Misunderstood Banners In Yakima Coming Down (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/misunderstood-banners-yakima-coming-down/

Armed Robber Hog-Tied By Biker Gang
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15438913/detail.html?treets=sea&tid=2653595907813&tml=sea_nots&tmi=sea_nots_1_01000302282008&ts=H