Energy News Digest for April 21, 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)

- Feds approve new license for Grant PUD dams – Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams get 44-year renewal
- Everett Herald Op/Ed – Energy challenges also create opportunities
- Police dog tracks down suspected wire thief near Vader
- NRECA Names WPUDA’s Connections ‘Best Magazine’
- Energy industry says more plant construction needed
- North Carolina – Final Environmental Impact Statement for Alcoa’s Hydroelectric Projects
- Ameren ironing out details for $10 million in incentives
- Waste heat: The next frontier for clean-tech companies
- New Chartwell report examines electric utility storm Web sites and online outage strategies
- Grant PUD Fish Passage @ Wanapum – Man-made Waterfall May Help Fish
- The mystery of Oregon's missing salmon
- Chinook sport-fishing season to end soon
- Willamette full of surprises for spring salmon anglers
- Oh No! Giant Salmon Eating our Young!
- Tribal charge dismissed against Makah whalers
- University of Idaho researchers create web site for Elwha Dam removal process
- Get down! Orcas on the attack
- Oregon State University offers new water conflict management degree
- Higher Water Rates May Be Ahead for PO Residents
- The Solar Debate – Will solar panels save you money? YES: Solar power costs will decline
- The Solar Debate – Will solar panels save you money? NO: Panels aren't a good investment
- Are Tax Credits the Best Way To Drive Renewable Energy Investments?
- Why tribes may be key players in eco-energy
- Tri-City builders going green
- Do monster homes use more energy?
- Bill Nye, the Science Guy – Greener Pastures – This old house
- United Kingdom – Scots fail to see the light over new bulbs
- St. Helens glacier apparently one of few in the world still growing
- Earth to us: Talking green isn't the same as living green
- Companies upset over likely Grant County PUD fiber costs
- From critic of Click! to business partner – Times do change
- Bend Internet Provider Changes Prices, Angers Heavy Users
- PocketiNet to help keep Tri-Citians online
- Utah – Should cities deploy fiber networks?
- Utah – Clash between Utopia and telecom giants rages on
- Utah – Head Hammer: Don't rush into fiber-optics debt
- Ashburn Firm to Build Portable WiFi Systems for Army
- Cynic Alert! Move to digital TV could cost some cable customers
- Jet stream found to be permanently drifting north
- Highway Three Fuel Tanks Near Shelton Take A Tumble – Fuel Tank Removal To Begin Today
- Squaxin Island Tribe to take possession of art
- Mail carrier accused of vandalizing trees on route
- 2005 Tumwater/Mason County missing person case may be solved
- Seattle Times Editorial – A gasoline conspiracy?

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Rescript • \REE-skript\ • noun – 1: a written answer of a Roman emperor or of a pope to a legal inquiry or petition 2: an official or authoritative order, decree, edict, or announcement *3: an act or instance of rewriting

“Bring me my sealing wax and signet ring,” thundered the regional potentate. “Your request for an extra helping of tofu from the cafeteria is worthy of my rescript,” the head of the community college’s kitchen staff intoned. “Power is measured in relative terms,” mused the hungry student.

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

Feds approve new license for Grant PUD dams – Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams get 44-year renewal (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080418/NEWS04/10231706

Everett Herald Op/Ed – Energy challenges also create opportunities, Eric Teegarden
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080419/OPINION03/149952913

Police dog tracks down suspected wire thief near Vader (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04182008news306403.cfm

NRECA NAMES WPUDA’s CONNECTIONS ‘BEST MAGAZINE’ – The Washington PUD Association’s quarterly magazine, Connections, has been named “Best Magazine” among statewide organizations by the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association. The Award of Excellence will be presented next month at Connect 2008, the annual NRECA communicator’s conference, which will be held in Portland. Second place in the Service Members category went to the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives for its Carolina Country magazine. (WPUDA Friday Fax)

Energy industry says more plant construction needed – Environmentalists argue more energy efficiency could greatly reduce the need for a huge new wave of power plants and transmission lines. In two studies out Monday, the power industry gives its terse response: Don't count on it. (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2008-04-20-energy-conservation-power-plants_N.htm?csp=34

North Carolina – Final Environmental Impact Statement for Alcoa’s Yadkin and Yadkin-Pee Dee River Hydroelectric Projects (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/enviro/eis/2008/04-18-08.asp

Ameren ironing out details for $10 million in incentives – The utility could hand out twice as much in 2009 (St. Louis Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2008/04/21/focus7.html?ana=from_rss

Waste heat: The next frontier for clean-tech companies (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9921561-54.html

New Chartwell report examines electric utility storm Web sites and online outage strategies (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=326274&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Grant PUD Fish Passage @ Wanapum – Man-made Waterfall May Help Fish (KPLU Radio, Tacoma)
http://publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1263713&sectionID=1

The mystery of Oregon's missing salmon – Ever fewer Sacramento River Chinook survive the journey from inland California to the Oregon coast (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/12084999086460.xml&coll=7

Chinook sport-fishing season to end soon (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/04/04172008_Chinook-sport-fishing-season-to-end-soon.cfm?newsletter=2

Willamette full of surprises for spring salmon anglers (KATU-TV, Portland)
http://www.katu.com/news/outdoors/17962714.html

Oh No! Giant Salmon Eating our Young! – This one didn't get away, but real ones might (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2008/04/21/BAON108VMD.DTL&o=0

Tribal charge dismissed against Makah whalers (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080420/NEWS/804200305

University of Idaho researchers create web site for Elwha Dam removal process (Associated Press, Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1350819~UI_researchers_create_dam_resource_Web_site.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines

Get down! Orcas on the attack (Victoria Times-Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=4db2f749-44d4-47bb-9cd5-6248c1475b06&k=45548

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Oregon State University offers new water conflict management degree (Associated Press, Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1351776~Oregon_State_offers_new_water_conflict_management_degree.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Higher Water Rates May Be Ahead for PO Residents (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/apr/20/higher-water-rates-ahead-for-po-residents/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

The Solar Debate – Will solar panels save you money? YES: Solar power costs will decline as PG&E power costs climb (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/21/ED8Q107P18.DTL

The Solar Debate – Will solar panels save you money? NO: Panels aren't a good investment at today's electric prices (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/20/ED8Q107P0T.DTL

Are Tax Credits the Best Way To Drive Renewable Energy Investments? (Renewable Energy World Online)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/reinsider/story?id=52181&src=rss

Why tribes may be key players in eco-energy – Native Green Energy sees vast potential in installing wind turbines on Indian reservations. (Everett Herald)
http://heraldnet.com/article/20080421/NEWS01/308670137

CONSERVATION

Tri-City builders going green (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/155099.html

Do monster homes use more energy? (The San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/18/BA7TVQR5O.DTL

Bill Nye, the Science Guy – Greener Pastures – This old house: It wasn’t green when I bought it two years ago. It had single-paned windows, a heat-pump-style air-conditioning and heating system and all incandescent lights. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/magazine/20wwln-domains-t.html?_r=1&ex=1366430400&en=aff1701c4b2576c1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

United Kingdom – Scots fail to see the light over new bulbs – Energy-saving light bulbs are being used far less in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK (The Scotsman)
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Scots--fail-to-see.4001440.jp

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

St. Helens glacier apparently one of few in the world still growing (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/04/04212008_St-Helens-glacier-apparently-one-of-few-in-the-world-still-growing.cfm/

Earth to us: Talking green isn't the same as living green (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1208381117231310.xml&coll=7

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Companies upset over likely Grant County PUD fiber costs (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/04/18/news/news02.txt

From critic of Click! to business partner – Times do change. Pierce County telecom entrepreneur Brian “Skip” Haynes once hated the very idea of Tacoma Power’s Click!Network. (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/340520.html

Bend Internet Provider Changes Prices, Angers Heavy Users (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/bend-internet-provider-changes-prices-angers-heavy-users/

PocketiNet to help keep Tri-Citians online – The Internet is the lifeline of Jane Winslow's graphic design and marketing business in Richland, and a new backup channel should ensure her business doesn't go off-line. “…reliability and provide an immediate back-up in case there's fiber outage in the Seattle region…” (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/915/story/160934.html

Utah – Should cities deploy fiber networks? (Provo Daily Herald)
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/263237/18/

Utah – Clash between Utopia and telecom giants rages on (Salt Lake Tribune)
http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_8984709?source=rss

Utah – Head Hammer: Don't rush into fiber-optics debt – Cities of the UTOPIA consortium -- the publicly owned fiber-optics network -- are considering this week whether to obligate taxpayers on a plan that would extend bond guarantees from 20 years to 33 years. (Provo Daily Herald)
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/263243/3/

Ashburn Firm to Build Portable WiFi Systems for Army “…network units that are sturdy enough to stand up to harsh field conditions, easy to transport and meet the military's stringent security requirements…” (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/20/AR2008042001788.html?nav=rss_technology

Cynic Alert! Move to digital TV could cost some cable customers – 28 million who receive analog service may have reason to watch their wallets (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/359828_digitaltv21.html?source=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Jet stream found to be permanently drifting north (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/17918694.html

HIGHWAY THREE FUEL TANKS NEAR SHELTON TAKE A TUMBLE – FUEL TANK REMOVAL TO BEGIN TODAY – The removal of the final fuel tank at Oakland Bay Marina is scheduled to start today. Motorists who drive Highway 3 will encounter flagger controlled single lane of traffic in front of the Shelton Yacht Club today and tomorrow as crews prepare the tank for removal. Work hours are 9am to 2pm. On Wednesday, that traffic will be routed to the gravel parking lot at the marina while a crane is moved into place. Traffic will be stopped at 10:30am as the tank will be moved from its current location on the north side of the Highway to the parking lot where it will be cut up. This traffic shutdown is only supposed to last 20 minutes. Motorist should expected delays and plan accordingly. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

Squaxin Island Tribe to take possession of art (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/424479.html

Mail carrier accused of vandalizing trees on route – Neighbors say their mail carrier maliciously damaged dozens of their flowering trees. The carrier said the tree branches scraped his delivery car and blocked his view. (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/04/04172008_Mail-carrier-accused-of-vandalizing-trees-on-route.cfm?newsletter=2

2005 Tumwater/Mason County missing person case may be solved – (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/423750.html

Seattle Times Editorial – A gasoline conspiracy?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004362539_gased21.html

DIVERSIONS

Lucy's Laugh Enlivens the Solar System – Lucy Goes to Jupiter: “…A few television signals bounced off the surface of our planet or shot straight up into the sky and continued onward…” (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89700174&ft=1&f=3

Adrift Pooch Is Plucked From Pacific Isle
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15933868/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible

Cops: Teen Arrested In Drug Sting Set Up By Rivals School's Principal
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15933892/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible

Jingle Hell – The diabolical geniuses behind Subway's "five-dollar foot-long" song.
http://www.slate.com/id/2189472/?from=rss