Energy News Digest for March 12, 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)

- Grays Harbor County PUD votes to join lawsuit over BPA payment offer
- Clark Public Utilities: Utility considers BPA plan
- State panel gives Port of Kalama petcoke plant planners an extension
- Grant County PUD Reaches Settlement With Former Gm
- PUDs to host talks by pro-nuclear environmentalist
- Moses Lake overhead power lines may go underground
- Consumer groups push Maryland lawmakers to rein in electricity costs
- Baltimore Sun Blog – Why aren't we raising heck about Pepco electric rates?
- Proposal favors ratepayers in failed Nevada energy plant case
- News Release WOW! – PJM Market Monitor Finds Wholesale Electricity Markets Remain Competitive
- California GPS tracking could be salmon salvation
- U.S. Department of Energy speeds up Hanford water cleanup
- Drugs in water causing troubling problems to fish, wildlife
- Oakville Water Tops in State
- Review of federal Tieton River operations could mean changes for fish and kayakers
- Oregon – Questions Raised About Selling Solar Tax Credits
- U.S. Geothermal Announces Power Agreement for Raft River Unit with Eugene Water and Electric Board
- Tulsa electricity company trying to save power
- Biofuel Rush Makes Drought a Bigger Economic Risk
- Green energy is making big money
- Clean Edge report: Clean energy growing rapidly
- A Light Bulb Went Off: Print the Lights
- The fight over what "green" means
- Studies: Climate Change Threatens U.S. Roadways
- 'Green' storage in forests may be going up in smoke
- Canada’s federal climate plan compliments British Columbia carbon tax
- Google wraps up $3.1B DoubleClick deal
- Key House Democrat opposes network neutrality law
- Families of victims in White Pass plane crash sue Cessna over wreck of Shelton-based plane

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Natty • \NAT-tee\ • adjective – Trimly neat and tidy

“You have to admit, Belvedere is a natty dresser,” exclaimed Betty to her walking partner. “Yeah,” her companion agreed. “But shouldn’t he be a natty dresser in men’s clothes; not his wife’s sun dress?”

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

Grays Harbor County PUD votes to join lawsuit over BPA payment offer (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/03/11/local_news/04news.txt

Clark Public Utilities: Utility considers BPA plan – Who should Clark County’s electricity provider side with – other utilities that want millions of dollars now, or those that want to sue for possibly more? (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2008/03/03122008_Utility-considers-BPA-plan.cfm/

State panel gives Port of Kalama petcoke plant planners an extension (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/12//area_news/10153105.txt

GRANT COUNTY PUD REACHES SETTLEMENT WITH FORMER GM – A mediated settlement was reached last week in Grant County PUD's litigation case against former general manager Don Godard. In the settlement, PUD officials say Godard will pay the utility 50 thousand dollars. The PUD filed its amended complaint against Godard in 2005, asserting that actions directed by Godard resulted in the improper payment of funds as reported in a 2003 State Auditor's report. Godard served as the district's GM for 12 years, and resigned effective February 29th, 2004. (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee)

PUDs to host talks by pro-nuclear environmentalist – The Chelan, Douglas and Grant County PUDs will host two public talks, likely in June, by Greenpeace founder and pro-nuclear-power environmentalist Patrick Moore. (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080311/NEWS04/233561073

Moses Lake overhead power lines may go underground – who pays? (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/03/11/news/news04.txt

Consumer groups push Maryland lawmakers to rein in electricity costs (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/03/10/daily16.html?ana=from_rss

Baltimore Sun Blog – Why aren't we raising heck about Pepco electric rates?
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/hancock/blog/2008/03/why_arent_we_raising_heck_abou.html

Proposal favors ratepayers in failed Nevada energy plant case (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/03/11/state/n145258D48.DTL&feed=rss.business

News Release WOW! – PJM Market Monitor Finds Wholesale Electricity Markets Remain Competitive (PR NewsWire)
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/03-11-2008/0004771987&EDATE=

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

California GPS tracking could be salmon salvation (Press Democrat, Santa Rosa)
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/EarlyEdition/article_view.cfm?recordID=8849&publishdate=03/12/2008

U.S. Department of Energy speeds up Hanford water cleanup (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2004276338_hanford12m.html?syndication=rss

Drugs in water causing troubling problems to fish, wildlife (CNN)
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/03/11/pharma.waterfish.ap/index.html?eref=ib_topstories

Oakville Water Tops in State – H2Oakville: City’s Supply Takes Evergreen Rural Water Award (Daily Chronicle, Centralia)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1205344121&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&

Review of federal Tieton River operations could mean changes for fish and kayakers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_tieton_river.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon – Questions Raised About Selling Solar Tax Credits (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/questions-raised-about-selling-solar-tax-credits/

News Release – U.S. Geothermal Announces Power Purchase Agreement for Planned Raft River Unit Two with Eugene Water and Electric Board (Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/iw/080311/0373755.html

Tulsa electricity company trying to save power (KJRH-TV, Tulsa)
http://www.kjrh.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=aad92b3d-6892-4dc7-9554-13cff122a0c9&rss=701

Biofuel Rush Makes Drought a Bigger Economic Risk – As grain prices rise and ethanol makes up an increasing portion of the nation's fuel supply, a major drought in the Plains states could pose a significant threat to the U.S. economy. (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88116154&ft=1&f=2

Green energy is making big money – The alternative energy business is starting to make real money. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/11/MNVBVHVSN.DTL

Clean Edge report: Clean energy growing rapidly – Worldwide markets for clean energy are expanding rapidly, and slated for strong growth over the next decade (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/03/10/daily13.html?ana=from_rss

CONSERVATION

A Light Bulb Went Off: Print the Lights (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/a-light-bulb-went-off-print-the-lights/index.html?ex=1363060800&en=416d7c63e4ee728c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

The fight over what "green" means (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004276447_green12m.html?syndication=rss

Studies: Climate Change Threatens U.S. Roadways – Scientists on Tuesday issued a warning of almost Biblical proportions to the nation's transportation planners. (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88116192&ft=1&f=2

'Green' storage in forests may be going up in smoke – Study: Wildfires emit more global warming gases than thought (Sacramento Bee)
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/778649.html

Canada’s federal climate plan compliments British Columbia carbon tax (Canada.com)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=cdad8050-e167-4d0a-b9e2-bb7a3214dc58&k=11560

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google wraps up $3.1B DoubleClick deal (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080311/ap_on_hi_te/google_doubleclick_16

Key House Democrat opposes network neutrality law (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8535517?source=rss&nclick_check=1

GENERAL NEWS

Families of victims in White Pass plane crash sue Cessna over wreck of Shelton-based plane (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP03122008news290814.cfm

DIVERSIONS

100 years later: Yes, I'd like to renew this, please
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1156954620080311?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

'Gilligan's' Mary Ann Caught With Pot
http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=304846&GT1=7703

Underpass Collision Cancels 800-Pound Man's Date
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15565575/detail.html

Woman Faces $1,000 Fine For Pink Poodle – Dog Dyed To Help Raise Awareness For Breast Cancer
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15562174/detail.html

Americans May Be Getting Enough Sleep After All, Report Says
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/11/AR2008031102537.html?nav=rss_email/components