Energy News Digest for April 25, 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)

- Area Counties Broach Question: Who Should Provide Electricity?
- Chelan County PUD lays second power cable across Lake Chelan
- State works to stop Juneau energy crisis
- Air emissions spike in Juneau with increased diesel use
- Is Nuclear Energy Our Best Hope?
- Cost of nuclear plant fuels battle in the Carolinas
- Greenpeace founder now backs nuclear power
- Oregon – Liquefied Natural Gas pipeline officials, opponents debate natural gas development plan
- Maryland – Braving a Switch In Utility Service
- Maryland – Balancing energy needs
- ISO New England: Summer heat won't sap area power supply
- Australia – There's a price to pay for power sell-off
- Why national parks, coal-fired power plants may be neighbors
- Cutoffs and Pleas for Aid Rise With Heat Costs
- Pacific Gas and Electric’s attack on CCA
- Court of Appeal Unanimously Denies South San Joaquin Irrigation District's Bid to Takeover Pacific Gas & Electric without Approval
- Agents trap salmon-eating sea lions in the Columbia River
- Downer: Don't bank on finding salmon in the streams
- Ready, set, fish! This weekend (April 26-27) is one of the biggest of the year for local fisherman
- Snake River fishery set for April 26 – Strong Chinook returns in the Snake River
- California – Fishing limits or ban advised for 24 zones
- That Dam Bill – Ratepayers and regulators want Portland General Electric to explain a land donation
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Snowpack poised to refresh parched West
- Washington Dairy Sued For Air Pollution
- Canada – Vancouver Island sewage work halted amid war of words with province
- Taking the blame for eco-woes
- Tacoma News Tribune Editorial – A once-dirty pulp mill soon to sell clean power
- Puget Sound Energy inks deal for manure power
- Birds Got to Fly – but look out for those windmills
- Japan's Wind-Power Problem
- Can renewable energy make a dent in fossil fuels?
- The Tri-Cities – Earth Month: Alternative energy fair, other events this week
- Standby power cut a big saver
- Greenhouse gases growing faster than ever, report says
- Utah – Herald Poll: Time to sell the fiber?
- Qwest unveils DSL with speedier downloads
- Charges dropped in 2005 vehicular homicide case against Shelton man
- High gas prices outgrow analog gas pumps
- Washington State tree fruit frost damage worst in years
- Global rice squeeze hitting U.S. consumers
- Cowlitz County – Sheriff's office seeks help catching metal thieves

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Avatar • \AV-uh-tar\ • noun – 1: the incarnation of a Hindu deity (as Vishnu) 2a: an incarnation in human form b: an embodiment (as of a concept or philosophy) often in a person *3: an electronic image that represents and is manipulated by a computer user (as in a computer game)

In the poorest-selling video game of all time: “The Unawakening: Hibernating Mammals”, Fredo’s avatar was the unfortunate rodent, jerboa from the continent of Africa. Needless to say, the activity level of the game was less than riveting.

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

Area Counties Broach Question: Who Should Provide Electricity? Jefferson County voters may get the opportunity in November to decide whether their local government should go into the electricity business (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/apr/24/area-counties-broach-question-who-should-provide/

Chelan County PUD lays second power cable across Lake Chelan (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/NEWS04/920623623

State works to stop Juneau energy crisis – With avalanches having severed Juneau from its source of cheap hydro power, a high-level state disaster cabinet is looking for ways to help the town cope with a sudden spike in power costs. (The Associated Press, via the Daily News Miner, Fairbanks)
http://newsminer.com/news/2008/apr/24/state-works-stop-juneau-energy-crisis/

Air emissions spike in Juneau with increased diesel use (Juneau Empire)
http://juneauempire.com/stories/042408/loc_271769846.shtml

Is Nuclear Energy Our Best Hope? Despite its negative image, nuclear energy may be the most efficient and realistic means of meeting the rapidly-growing demand for power in the United States (Discover Magazine)
http://discovermagazine.com/2008/may/02-is-nuclear-energy-our-best-hope

Cost of nuclear plant fuels battle – Price of new plants in North and South Carolina would be ammunition for opponents -- if utilities didn't hold info close (News and Observer)
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1048035.html

Greenpeace founder now backs nuclear power – Patrick Moore tells the Boise chamber that the world must wean itself from fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gases. (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/360625.html

Oregon – Liquefied Natural Gas pipeline officials, opponents debate natural gas development plan (News Review, Roseburg)
http://www.newsreview.info/article/20080423/NEWS/449790758

Maryland – Braving a Switch In Utility Service – Energy Choice Offers Savings, Renewable Sources (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/24/AR2008042403567.html?nav=rss_business

Maryland – Balancing energy needs – Maryland regulators are considering exemptions for a proposed Calvert County power plant and other generators from a regional auction of carbon credits that is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (Baltimore Sun)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.environment25apr25,0,5951495.story

ISO New England: Summer heat won't sap area power supply (Boston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2008/04/21/daily49.html?ana=from_rss

Australia – There's a price to pay for power sell-off “…government is now considering whether to remove price caps on electricity and gas when they expire at the end of this year….customers could benefit further from cheaper prices and a wider range of energy products if the price caps were removed….” (Here comes the Easter Bunny! Sydney Morning Herald)
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/theres-a-price-to-pay-for-power-selloff/2008/04/25/1208743251912.html

Why national parks, coal-fired power plants may be neighbors – Air-quality experts worry that proposed changes to clean-air regulations may allow developers to build the plants near pristine areas (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0424/p13s02-sten.html

Cutoffs and Pleas for Aid Rise With Heat Costs – After struggling with soaring heating costs through the winter, millions of Americans are behind on electric and gas bills, and a record number of families could face energy shut-offs over the next two months, according to state energy officials and utilities around the country (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/25/us/25heating.html?_r=1&ex=1366862400&en=c5406b9b1c6725c3&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

Pacific Gas and Electric’s attack on CCA – It's a bit odd (if not terribly surprising) that the San Francisco Chronicle ran a front-page story April 16 on public power and alternatives to Pacific Gas and Electric Co. — and almost entirely ignored what's going on in the paper's hometown (San Francisco Bay Guardian)
http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=6204&catid=4&volume_id=317&issue_id=375&volume_num=42&issue_num=30

News Release – Court of Appeal Unanimously Denies South San Joaquin Irrigation District's Bid to Takeover Pacific Gas & Electric without Approval (Pacific Gas & Electric, via PR Newswire)
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/04-23-2008/0004799015&EDATE=

FISH & WILDLIFE

Agents trap salmon-eating sea lions in the Columbia River (The Associated Press)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iXwhDeGupcvrmnzHSeibNnBgeTpwD908SVVO0

Downer: Don't bank on finding salmon in the streams (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/04/25/this_day/doc481165777c975877670368.txt

Ready, set, fish! This weekend (April 26-27) is one of the biggest of the year for local fisherman -- the opening of Trout Season (My Northwest.com)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=49015

Snake River fishery set for April 26 – Strong returns in the Snake River have allowed the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to open a spring Chinook fishery below Hells Canyon Dam (The Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1359220~Snake_River_fishery_set_for_April_26.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

California – Fishing limits or ban advised for 24 zones (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9050737?source=rss

That Dam Bill – Ratepayers and regulators want Portland General Electric to explain a land donation – Blowing up a dam is fun. Figuring out who should pay and how much? Not so much fun (Willamette Weekly)
http://wweek.com/editorial/3424/10832/

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (Links to PDF File) – Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Oregon James A. Redden, District Judge, Presiding. Argued and Submitted June 1, 2006—San Francisco, California; Filed April 9, 2007; Amended April 24, 2008 – “…consolidated appeals bring us once more to the Pacific Northwest, for another round in the complex and long running battle over salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act…”
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/58B35E9D60BF9F5A8825743500007558/$file/0635011.pdf?openelement

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Snowpack poised to refresh parched West (Associated Press, via the Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/NEWS04/583653340/1025/rss1025

Washington Dairy Sued For Air Pollution (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/washington-dairy-sued-air-pollution/

Canada – Vancouver Island sewage work halted amid war of words with province – CRD accused of 'playing politics' after it demands treatment report (Victoria Times Colonist Ed Note: meanwhile, untreated sewage continues to flow into the Strait of Juan De Fuca)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=33e5f089-6875-4537-99fe-dd88ef65292e&k=25289

Taking the blame for eco-woes – During the 1980s, Canadians typically blamed corporations for many of the world's environmental ills. But today, they have another target as eco-villain: themselves (The Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080424.wpoll24/BNStory/National/home

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Tacoma News Tribune Editorial – A once-dirty pulp mill soon to sell clean power – There’s lots to like about Simpson’s decision to sink $100 million into a new “green” power plant at its Tideflats pulp mill
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/344164.html

Puget Sound Energy inks deal for manure power (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004371066_webpuget24.html?syndication=rss

Birds Got to Fly – the Fish and Wildlife Service's Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory Committee will get public comments and assist green businesses with avoiding and minimizing the turbines' effects on nature (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/23/AR2008042303447.html

Japan's Wind-Power Problem – In the country that hosted the Kyoto Protocol and wrote the book on solar policy, the wind-power industry has ground almost to a halt. Among the culprits: policy, cost and technology challenges. (Green Tech Media)
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/japans-wind-power-problem-828.html

Can renewable energy make a dent in fossil fuels? (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9928068-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

The Tri-Cities – Earth Month: Alternative energy fair, other events this week (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/163860.html

CONSERVATION

Standby power cut a big saver – Reducing power consumed by switched-off electronics or appliances in Canadian households could save enough energy to meet the annual electricity needs of every home in New Brunswick. (The Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=5f87bed9-02f2-4804-9a2e-3c3d1806a987

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Greenhouse gases growing faster than ever, report says – Increases in methane and carbon dioxide of particular concern (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/24/MNOU10AJ4N.DTL

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Utah – Herald Poll: Time to sell the fiber? The pressure is mounting on Provo city and the UTOPIA cities to think about putting a "for sale" sign on their broadband networks (The Daily Herald, Provo)
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/263917/3/

Qwest unveils DSL with speedier downloads (The Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2008/04/04252008_Qwest-unveils-DSL-with-speedier-downloads.cfm/

GENERAL NEWS

Charges dropped in 2005 vehicular homicide case against Shelton man (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/04/24/local_news/10news.txt

High gas prices outgrow analog gas pumps – Old style analog gas and fuel pumps are creating some new problems, thanks to the rapidly increasing prices for gas and diesel. If you are out of diesel in places like Dayton or Matlock, you are also out of luck. (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/18157479.html

Frost damage worst in years – Frost damage to Washington tree fruit buds in the last week was the worst in years, but crops were going to be so large that it will just reduce them to last year’s volumes, industry officials say. (The Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/NEWS04/816595669/1001/rss1001

Global rice squeeze hitting U.S. consumers – The climbing global price of rice and other staples shows no sign of leveling off, given caps placed on exports and various supply-side squeezes (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/25/BUUR10AOLH.DTL&feed=rss.business

Cowlitz County – Sheriff's office seeks help catching metal thieves (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/04/25//area_news/doc48115e1c8c786385243073.txt

DIVERSIONS

NASA's top 10 views of Earth
http://www.news.com/2300-11397_3-6237965-1.html?tag=nl.e434

Argument Over 'Top Model' TV Show Ends In Stabbing
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15983995/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news

Hemlines doing their part for the economy – Tough times call for short skirts
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/360526_shortskirts25.html?source=rss

Pittsburgh Subway Station Tile Mural Worth $15 Million
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15979221/detail.html

Iowa Shelter Dog Nurses 9 Kittens – Shelter Workers Say Lilly Lou Immediately Took To 'Pittens'
http://www.kirotv.com/family/15972844/detail.html