Energy News Digest for March 19, 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)

- Effective May 1: Mason County PUD No. 3 Commission Adopts Average 5% Rate Increase
- Port Townsend City Council to explore means of electricity other than Puget Sound Energy
- Clark Public Utilities to pull plug on appliance repairs
- Chelan PUD meter reading may go high-tech
- Insulators damaged by firearms in Prineville area
- Maryland – State, Constellation Energy in talks to settle lawsuits
- FERC, NRC Commissioners to discuss grid reliability April 8
- Wisconsin – One cold fact: Heating bills rise
- Does Michigan need more electricity?
- Kitsap County PUD plans for future growth
- Oregon – Study finds pesticides common in lower Clackamas River, tributaries
- Toxic Mud Is Being Removed from behind Milltown Dam on Montana’s Clark Fork River
- Salmon fins snipped at a good clip by automated machines
- Windfall -- Existing Transmission Lines Help Make Power Feasible
- PPM Energy wins award for Klamath Cogeneration Plant
- Rhode Island – Renewable energy bills could green the state
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Saving Private Renewables
- Iowa lawmakers encouraged to take more steps to save energy
- Montana Governor: State fuel efficiency standards won't work
- Arctic sea ice builds, but remains vulnerable
- The Mystery of Global Warming's Missing Heat
- California had big hike in carbon-dioxide emissions
- Students take one small step to make a big difference against climate change
- Why the Mortgage Crisis Is a Carbon Crisis, Too
- United Kingdom – How Green Is Your Green Tariff?
- Business Of Green – Poor are sidelined on climate change solutions
- Why carbon capture is an illusion
- Google sees surge in Web use on mobile phones
- Wireless Spectrum Auction Raises $19 Billion
- FCC Denies, Then Announces Second Neutrality Hearing
- Competition Fuels Broadband Use in Europe
- Grant to help expand rural telemedicine
- Other Shelton City Employees Join No Confidence Vote
- De-icer damaging thousands of trees on mountain passes

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Titanic • \tye-TAN-ik\ • adjective – Having great magnitude, force, or power: colossal

Amber was horrified by her blind date’s performance on the cross-sound ferry. After blathering on about the comparative writings of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, he jumped up and down on the bow of the ferry, flapping his arms and shouting “I’m King of the World!” It took a titanic effort by Amber not to slap him silly.

From Merriam-Webster – Before becoming the name of one of the most famous ships in history, "titanic" referred to the Titans, a family of giants in Greek mythology who were believed to have once ruled the earth. They were subsequently overpowered and replaced by the younger Olympian gods under the leadership of Zeus. The size and power of the Titans is memorialized in the adjective "titanic" and in the noun "titanium," a metallic element of exceptional strength that is used in the production of steel.

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

News Release – Effective May 1: Mason County PUD No. 3 Commission Adopts Average 5% Rate Increase (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=418

Port Townsend City Council to explore means of electricity other than Puget Sound Energy (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080318/NEWS/803180305

Clark Public Utilities to pull plug on appliance repairs (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/03/03192008_Utility-to-pull-plug-on-appliance-repairs.cfm/

Chelan PUD meter reading may go high-tech – Automated system could cost $15 million (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/NEWS04/44517948

News Release – Insulators damaged by firearms in Prineville area (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/195570/

Maryland – State, Constellation Energy in talks to settle lawsuits (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/03/17/daily25.html?ana=from_rss

News Release – FERC, NRC Commissioners to discuss grid reliability April 8, 2008 in Washington, DC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-1/02-29-08.asp

Wisconsin – One cold fact: Heating bills rise – Tough winter boosts costs, but it could have been worse (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=728763

Does Michigan need more electricity? Predicting usage is tricky (The Associated Press, via the Battle Creek Enquirer)
http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/NEWS01/303180034

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Kitsap County PUD plans for future growth (North Kitsap Herald)
http://www.northkitsapherald.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=95&cat=23&id=1176454&more=0

Oregon – Study finds pesticides common in lower Clackamas River, tributaries (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/120581070620230.xml&coll=7

Toxic Mud Is Being Removed from behind Milltown Dam on Montana’s Clark Fork River (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1286019~Toxic_Mud_Is_Being_Removed_in_Montana.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines

Salmon fins snipped at a good clip by automated machines (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/03/03182008_Salmon-fins-snipped-at-a-good-clip-by-automated-machines.cfm?newsletter=2

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Windfall -- Existing Transmission Lines Help Make Power Feasible (Yakima Herald-Republic, via RedOrbit)
http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1302178/windfall__existing_transmission_lines_help_make_power_feasible/

PPM Energy wins award for Klamath Cogeneration Plant (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/03/17/daily15.html?ana=from_rss

Rhode Island – Renewable energy bills could green the state (Block Island Times)
http://www.blockislandtimes.com/articles/2008/03/17/news/news8.txt

Energy Pulse Commentary – Saving Private Renewables
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1698

CONSERVATION

Iowa lawmakers encouraged to take more steps to save energy (Radio Iowa)
http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=C7CE557C-C4C4-6E97-5AB0C6F5B4DBBEC9

Students compete to conserve energy and water in 'IU Energy Challenge' (Indiana University)
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/7754.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Montana Governor: State fuel efficiency standards won't work (Helena Independent Record)
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2008/03/19/top/65st_080319_warming.txt

Arctic sea ice builds, but remains vulnerable (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-03-18-arctic-ice-builds_N.htm?csp=34

The Mystery of Global Warming's Missing Heat (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88520025&ft=1&f=3

California had big hike in carbon-dioxide emissions – State ranks in top 10 for one-year increases in 2007 (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8622629?source=rss

For the news release on which the above report is based, use the link below to the Environmental Integrity Project
http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/pub494.cfm

Students take one small step to make a big difference against climate change (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/16798696.html

Why The Mortgage Crisis Is a Carbon Crisis, Too (The Daily Green)
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/blogs/shapley/mortgage-crisis-carbon-47031903

United Kingdom – How Green Is Your Green Tariff? (Motley Fool)
http://www.fool.co.uk/news/money-saving-tips/household-bills/2008/03/19/how-green-is-your-green-tariff.aspx

Business Of Green – Poor are sidelined on climate change solutions (International Herald Tribune)
http://iht.com/articles/2008/03/18/business/greencol19.php

Why carbon capture is an illusion (Canada Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080318.wcomment0319/BNStory/Front/home

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google sees surge in Web use on mobile phones (Reuters, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080319/tc_nm/google_mobile_dc_3

Wireless Spectrum Auction Raises $19 Billion (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/technology/19fcc.html?_r=1&ex=1363665600&en=73387c3fc831db6a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

FCC Denies, Then Announces Second Neutrality Hearing (Broadband Reports – Comment section may include PG-13 language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Denies-Then-Announces-Second-Neutrality-Hearing-92780

Competition Fuels Broadband Use in Europe (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/technology/19wireless-web.html?ex=1363665600&en=e530849e47605723&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Grant to help expand rural telemedicine (Associated Press, via the Tri City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/991/story/121727.html

GENERAL NEWS

OTHER SHELTON CITY EMPLOYEES JOIN NO CONFIDENCE VOTE – A reported 80% of other City of Shelton employees have voted "no confidence" in City Administrator Dave O'Leary. Joining the Shelton Police Officers Guild are the Public Works membership, the Customer Service membership, and the Financial Services membership of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO, Woodworkers Local Lodge W38, and the Mason County Communications Officers Association. Although these groups did not speak during Monday night's Shelton City Commission meeting, they did submit written correspondence to the Commission stating their concerns that "the City has suffered greatly through mismanagement. Going from a Budget Surplus to Shortfall in such a short period of time shows a pattern of inability or unwillingness to look out for the best interest of the Community and Employees of the City of Shelton." This information was NOT provided to 1030 KMAS News until Tuesday morning. In a written statement, the employees of the City noted that those voting the "no confidence" are "dedicated City residents and employees who have risked much to give a voice and let the citizens know that there are serious issues within the City administration."

De-icer damaging thousands of trees on mountain passes (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004291523_treekill19m.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

Man Sues, Says Stripper Injured Him With Shoe During Lap Dance
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15631399/detail.html

Joining Office Pool? You're Not Alone – NCAA Tournament Pools Hurt Businesses' Bottom Lines
http://www.kirotv.com/money/15621026/detail.html

Man auctions his life
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSSYD30599020080319?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Lloyd's insures winemaker's nose for $8 million
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1882618620080318?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

A Secret Love for Meetings – Most people say they hate meetings. Hiding beneath the disdain, there may be some love for a productive roundtable
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88483007&ft=1&f=17