Energy News Digest for March 27, 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’s $6 million claim for storm recovery denied
- Jefferson County PUD opens door to public power study
- Northern Wasco County PUD plans rate cut – Reduction of about 6 percent hinges on Bonneville money
- Canada – Discarded opinions: Back to the future on clean, cheap power
- Western Canada hydro-electric project dealt blow
- Two LA firefighters injured in manhole explosion on electrical Vault
- Snow geese knock out Stanwood power
- Scientists: Puget Sound species in decline as pollution increases
- Salmon Virus Indicts Chile’s Fishing Methods
- Salmon Prices to Skyrocket
- 15 million salmon go under the knife
- Where to find elusive Chinook
- Outdoors Report: Working anglers being rewarded
- Washington Says More Dams May Become Reality
- Feds sue Gorge resort over work on wetlands
- The Clackamas River basin benefits from stewardship of the forests
- Water content in Sierra snowpack on par, but won't fill reservoirs
- EPA selects 8 finalists for Puget Sound cleanup grants
- Four towers would measure wind for possible turbines on Rattlesnake Hills
- Cooperative in Clallam County aims to promote local biomass energy
- Portland General Electric hydro plant gets 'green' certification
- Utah Company Nearing Geothermal Plant Deal
- Proposed boost to Michigan's wind power faces hurdles
- California Utility to Install Solar Panels
- Trumpeting a Move to Put the Sun in SunChips
- News Release – City of Kelowna "Goes Green" with Solar-Powered Area Lighting
- Baird says use stimulus rebate check on 'green' appliances
- Sierra Club pushes energy conservation on politicos
- Global warming causing stronger allergies
- Merrill Lynch Introduces Carbon Emissions Indices
- West Virginia – Hampshire's lack of fiber optics, highway access seen as liabilities
- Bell Canada Hit For Slowing Traffic To Independent ISPs
- Digital TV switch a 'death sentence,' lawsuit alleges
- Sequim public radio station to get permit
- City Of Shelton Reducing Staff To Offset Budget Shortfall
- Are crops the new copper? Rising prices make crops tempting target for thieves
- Free Web version of Photoshop launches

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Fritter • \FRIT-ter\ • verb – 1: to spend or waste bit by bit, on trifles, or without commensurate return usually used with away 2: to break into small fragments

OR

Fritter • \FRIT-ter\ • noun – A small mass of fried or sautéed batter often containing fruit or meat

Olaf was content to fritter the day away by frying up pan after pan of clam fritters while a strong, westerly wind swirled around his beach cabin. Unfortunately, there was a hole in the roof, that kept his mind from wandering…where it will goooooooooo.

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’s $6 million claim for storm recovery denied (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/03/26/local_news/04news.txt

Jefferson County PUD opens door to public power study (Port Townsend Leader)
http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=20437&TM=83982.88

Northern Wasco County PUD plans rate cut – Reduction of about 6 percent hinges on Bonneville money (The Dalles Chronicle)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2008/03/news03-26-08-01.shtml

Canada – Discarded opinions: Back to the future on clean, cheap power – Former cabinet minister Pat McGeer wants B.C. to renew its commitment to big hydro dams and their legacy of "cheap, clean, renewable" electric power. (Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=7a821fbd-a4a4-4c5c-a40d-9fc08c3b8d40

Western Canada hydro-electric project dealt blow (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN2645180720080326

Two LA firefighters injured in manhole explosion on electrical Vault (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1303526~2_LA_firefighters_injured_in_manhole_explosion.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Snow geese knock out Stanwood power – Eagles chased the flock into power lines, a PUD official says (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080327/NEWS01/190070052

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Scientists: Puget Sound species in decline as pollution increases (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/400661.html

Salmon Virus Indicts Chile’s Fishing Methods – A virus called infectious salmon anemia, or I.S.A., is killing millions of salmon destined for export to Japan, Europe and the United States (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/world/americas/27salmon.html?ex=1364356800&en=4b2fce1db851825c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Salmon Prices to Skyrocket – Grocery shoppers who want to buy wild salmon this year are going to have pay some wild prices (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89114999&ft=1&f=17

15 million salmon go under the knife (Newhouse News Service, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004309219_markingfish27.html?syndication=rss

Where to find elusive Chinook (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080327/SPORTS/54243564/1004

Outdoors Report: Working anglers being rewarded – Action spotty amid damp chill of early spring (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/othersports/356550_out27.html

Washington Says More Dams May Become Reality (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3730

Feds sue Gorge resort over work on wetlands – A Columbia River Gorge resort and its owners were sued Wednesday by the federal government for grading and filling 2.25 acres of wetlands (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/03/03272008_Feds-sue-Gorge-resort-over-work-on-wetlands.cfm/

The Clackamas River basin benefits from stewardship of the forests – The Forest Service and environmental advocates earn kudos for teamwork (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1206498320101840.xml&coll=7

Water content in Sierra snowpack on par, but won't fill reservoirs (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/26/BAFPVQR48.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

EPA selects 8 finalists for Puget Sound cleanup grants – Includes Squasin Island Tribe (KNDO-TV, Tri-cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8073920

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Four towers would measure wind for possible turbines on Rattlesnake Hills (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/114188.html

Cooperative in Clallam County aims to promote local biomass energy (KONP Radio, Port Angeles)
http://www.konp.com/local/3506

Portland General Electric hydro plant gets 'green' certification (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/03/24/daily22.html?ana=from_rss

UTAH COMPANY NEARING GEOTHERMAL PLANT DEAL –A Utah-based energy company is closer to building one of the largest geothermal electrical plants in Oregon in southern Klamath County. The Klamath County Planning Commission unanimously approved Raser Technologies’ request to add a geothermal resource overlay to farmland owned by Liskey Farms along Lower Klamath Lake Road. The commission also approved a conditional use permit to build the $35 million10-megatwatt power plant. (Herald and News, Klamath Falls)

Proposed boost to Michigan's wind power faces hurdles (Oakland Business Review)
http://www.mlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/03/proposed_boost_to_michigans_wi.html

California Utility to Install Solar Panels – An electric company plans to install a huge patchwork of solar cells, 10 times bigger than any previous such installation (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/business/27solar.html?_r=1&ex=1364356800&en=63ee59e9c500c985&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

Trumpeting a Move to Put the Sun in SunChips – The initiative is centered on the addition of solar power to the Frito-Lay plant in Modesto, Calif., that makes SunChips. A 10-acre “farm” of solar collectors is being added, to provide up to 75 percent of the energy needed to produce the product (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/business/media/27adco.html?ex=1364356800&en=2fe6de7c645907a2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

News Release – City of Kelowna "Goes Green" with Solar-Powered Area Lighting (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/story?id=51964&src=rss

CONSERVATION

Baird says use stimulus rebate check on 'green' appliances (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/26//area_news/10173785.txt

Sierra Club pushes energy conservation on politicos – Sierra Club launches the Power2Change campaign over the next four weeks leading up to Earth Day (Wisconsin Radio Network)
http://www.wrn.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=ECAE2362-E245-8623-74EBBB5CFDBF5244

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Global warming causing stronger allergies – Farmers concerned about bigger weeds and increased pollen (Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=13cb2081-2291-4566-bb6b-19dd0ddcc38c

Merrill Lynch Introduces Carbon Emissions Indices (Renewable Energy World Online)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51967&src=rss

San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed – California air board should stand by zero-emission vehicle mandate
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/27/EDK9VQRS7.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

West Virginia – Hampshire's lack of fiber optics, highway access seen as liabilities (Cumberland Times News)
http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_086094707.html

Bell Canada Hit For Slowing Traffic To Independent ISPs (Information Week, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20080327/tc_cmp/206905979

Digital TV switch a 'death sentence,' lawsuit alleges (Associated Press, via the Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/915/story/139216.html

Sequim public radio station to get permit (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080327/NEWS/803270305

GENERAL NEWS

CITY OF SHELTON REDUCING STAFF TO OFFSET BUDGET SHORTFALL – The City of Shelton is reducing staff to offset budget shortfalls. Five people will be losing their jobs in the next year to help the City deal with a decrease in revenue. These jobs equate to 3.75 F-T-Es and are part of the City's plan to reduce costs while maintaining public safety. Among those losing their jobs is the clerical position in the Fire Department beginning July 1. That will save a total of $91,000 through 2009 ($30,000 this year and $61,000 next year). This move keeps all the firefighters as protecting life and property is a priority. In the Police Department, one officer will be transferred to the West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team (WestNET) effective next year, saving $87,850. The third full time job cut is in the Community Development Department where the Building Inspector, a longtime City employee, will be losing his job effective July 1, saving $132,000 through 2009 ($39,000 this year; $93,000 next year). This cut is necessary as the first priority was to retain planning support. In the Administration, a half time employee will be cut effective January 1. And in the Finance Department, the reduction is .25 F-T-E beginning April 1, saving $15,000. Each City Department also made miscellaneous cuts trimming what fat they could without impacting services. Examples of these cuts are canceling the City's information technology support contract and slowing down computer purchases, saving $45,000 through 2009. One of the departments to cut more than targeted was Administration where a total of $78,710 will be saved. This includes City Administrator Dave O'Leary reducing his compensation package. O'Leary voluntarily chose to change his car allowance to mileage and reduce his phone allowance. This saves the City over $21,000. O'Leary told 1030 KMAS News that this plan will help the City get through the next 21 months and assumes that several things will develop during that time to help the City's revenues. These things include the Peacock Ridge Development and the Shelton Hills Development beginning construction and more commercial development associated with those projects opening by late 2009. The City will be monitoring its budget and revenues throughout and may need to make further adjustments. The Shelton City Commission still must take official action on these reductions. That action will likely occur at their next business meeting. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

Are crops the new copper? Rising prices make crops tempting target for thieves (National Post, Canada)
http://www.nationalpost.com/newsletter/story.html?id=401673

Free Web version of Photoshop launches (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080327/ap_on_hi_te/adobe_photoshop_4

DIVERSIONS

Another reason to get rid of the belly fat: Dementia
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/26/BAJSVQR4T.DTL&feed=rss.news

Oops, wrong queen: Computer error blamed for Rhododendron Festival titlist for all of last year
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080327/NEWS/803270307

Russian farmer sues space agency for falling rocket
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2621415320080327?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Owner fails to back own horse in 33-1 win
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2546446520080326?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Glasses Not Geeky, Research Finds – Shortsighted People Not More Introverted
http://www.kirotv.com/health/15711366/detail.html