Energy News Digest for February 6, 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)

* Bush budget contains no BPA changes
* Chelan PUD breaks sales record for wholesale power
* WA gov names Wallace to Pacific Northwest Power and Conservation Planning Council
* Tri-City Herald Opinion – Hanford Cleanup: Secretary Bodman could use a time machine
* Maryland PSC chief. Chairman asks lawmakers for more tools to investigate Constellation Energy on '99 deal
* United Kingdom’s energy industry to face inquiry
* Connecticut Natural Gas’ Inflated Bills Likely To Be Illega
* Australia – Energy privatization will bring jobs
* Spokane tribe OKs drawdown
* Elwha dam removal project cost rising to $308 million
* One dam after another – The Black Rock reservoir project in arid Eastern Washington might be dead, but there are four more proposed dams where that came from.
* Salmon season setting process starting, key meetings held locally
* California's low salmon run spells troubles for fishermen
* California – Number of returning Coho salmon plummet in Marin watershed
* Grays Harbor County – Researcher to discuss biofuels, green energy alternatives
* Local lawmaker wants change in taxes for alternative energy
* United Kingdom – £1bn wind farm subsidies pump up power firm profits
* California Initiative Seeks to Replace Traditional Lighting with 'Green' CFLs
* Hargrove wants forest products industry to get ‘credit’ for carbon sequestration
* The Olympian Opinion – State looks to lead way on climate change
* ISPs create tangled Web of sneaky fees
* Kevin Martin's Contentious Turn at Helm of FCC
* Shelton plant fined in fatal October accident
* Bill to record closed-door meeting goes nowhere
* Dust Storms Overseas Carry Contaminants to U.S.

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Polyandry • \POLLY-and-ree\ • noun – The state or practice of having more than one husband or male mate at one time

The lack of eligible women in the remote Russian village had led over the years to practice of polyandry. After several generations, the shortage was revealed as a hoax, as a village one valley over was the seething hotbed for polygamy. The two leaders decided to end their respective practices during a summit session last week. Said one leader “my agreement to your terms is big of me.” “No,” replied his adversary, “what we were practicing was bigamy!”

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

Bush budget contains no BPA changes (The Oregonian)
http://blog.oregonlive.com/politics/2008/02/bush_budget_contains_no_bpa_pl.html

Chelan PUD breaks sales record for wholesale power – A strong market for electricity and better-than-expected mountain snowpack combined to make 2007 the best year ever for Chelan County PUD wholesale power sales, a utility official said Monday. (Wenatchee World)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080205/NEWS04/62489578/1025/rss1025

WA gov names Wallace to Pacific Northwest Power and Conservation Planning Council. (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP02062008news273687.cfm?newsletter=10

Tri-City Herald Opinion – Hanford Cleanup: Secretary Bodman could use a time machine
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/82684.html

Maryland – Greater power sought by PSC chief. Chairman asks lawmakers for more tools to investigate Constellation Energy on '99 deal (Baltimore Sun)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.psc06feb06001518,0,6874453.story

United Kingdom’s energy industry to face inquiry – The big four energy companies recently announced recent price hikes. The government is to investigate whether consumers are paying too much for gas and electricity. (BBC News)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7228953.stm

Connecticut – The Hartford Courant, Conn., Consumer Watchdog column: Connecticut Natural Gas’ Inflated Bills Likely To Be Illegal (Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CijjowtrXSigy30qbfen%5Fv

News Release – Largest Survey of U.S. Electrical Distribution System Reveals Reliability Problems May be Worse than Expected (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=82857

Australia – Energy privatization will bring jobs, Costa says. New South Wales Treasurer Michael Costa says he cannot understand why Unions New South Wales is opposed to the privatization of the state's electricity sector. (ABC)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/06/2156308.htm?section=business

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Spokane tribe OKs drawdown – The Spokane Tribe of Indians has signed an agreement to support a drawdown of Lake Roosevelt to provide water for fish, cities and irrigators. (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/82686.html

Elwha dam removal project cost rising to $308 million – The three-year Elwha River dams removal project will begin in 2012 and cost an estimated $308 million, plus or minus 15 percent, the National Park Service said. (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080206/NEWS/802060303

One dam after another – The Black Rock reservoir project in arid Eastern Washington might be dead, but there are four more proposed dams where that came from. (Crosscut)
http://crosscut.com/agriculture/11258/One+dam+after+another/

Salmon season setting process starting, key meetings held locally (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/02/05/local_news/09news.txt

California's low salmon run spells troubles for fishermen (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/120217290568260.xml&coll=7

California – Number of returning Coho salmon plummet in Marin watershed (Marin Independent Journal, via Examinder.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1204387~Number_of_returning_coho_salmon_plummet_in_Marin_watershed.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Grays Harbor County – Researcher to discuss biofuels, green energy alternatives (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/02/05/local_news/10news.txt

Local lawmaker wants change in taxes for alternative energy – A local lawmaker is pushing changes in the state's tax laws to help alternative energy makers. (KONP Radio, Port Angeles)
http://www.konp.com/local/3402

United Kingdom – £1bn wind farm subsidies pump up power firm profits (The Evening Standard)
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23435709-details/%C2%A31bn+wind+farm+subsidies+pump+up+power+firm+profits/article.do

CONSERVATION

California Initiative Seeks to Replace Traditional Lighting with 'Green' CFLs (TMC Net)
http://www.tmcnet.com/green/articles/20088-california-initiative-seeks-replace-traditional-lighting-with-green.htm

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Hargrove wants forest products industry to get ‘credit’ for carbon sequestration (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/02/05/local_news/05news.txt

The Olympian Opinion – State looks to lead way on climate change
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/349960.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

ISPs create tangled Web of sneaky fees – Companies use hidden charges to generate revenue in competitive industry (MSNBC)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22342063/

Kevin Martin's Contentious Turn at Helm of FCC (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18711487&ft=1&f=2

GENERAL NEWS

Shelton plant fined in fatal October accident (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/349752.html

Bill to record closed-door meeting goes nowhere (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/02/02062008_Bill-to-record-closed-door-meeting-goes-nowhere.cfm?newsletter=2

Dust Storms Overseas Carry Contaminants to U.S. – Scientists Study Whether Diseases Are Also Transported (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/05/AR2008020502950.html?nav=rss_nation

DIVERSIONS

Deputy: Driver Straps In Beer, Not Toddler – Woman Faces DUI, Other Charges
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15222121/detail.html

Bill Would Ban Restaurants From Serving Obese Customers
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15223273/detail.html

Man returns from the dead, suspected of fraud
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0565081020080205?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

You Can Judge a Crook by Paper's Cover
http://www.examiner.com/a-1202456~You_Can_Judge_a_Crook_by_Paper_s_Cover.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines