Energy News Digest for April 8, 2008 - the 180,000 fin edition

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)

- Rising prices affect power distributors, heavy energy users
- Alcoa’s Profit Drops 54% on Energy Costs and a Soft Dollar
- Montana – Gregori believes Highwood Station will get funding
- NY Times Op-Ed Contributor – How Big Sky Went Dark
- U.S. Senators Introduce Bill To Allow States Final Say on LNG
- Tribes seal $900 million deal – Yakama, Colville, Umatilla and Warm Springs tribes agree to back federal dam-operation plans for 10 years
- Feds, tribes strike deal on dams, fish
- Deal Gives Money to Tribes to Drop Role in Fish Lawsuits
- 4 tribes agree to settlement on restoring salmon runs
- Deal Reached over Protection of Salmon
- Effort to Save Salmon Silenced For A Billion Dollars – Tribal Commission Agrees To Back Off Dam Operators
- Tri-City Herald Opinion – Proposed deal in lawsuit best for salmon recovery
- Scientists, Anglers Anxiously Await Columbia Salmon
- Gillnet scheduled for Tuesday – State officials have adopted a 16-hour commercial fishing period
- Washington State issues Spokane River dam guidelines
- Two Makah tribal members convicted in rogue whale hunt
- Expert foresees 10 more years of R&D to make solar energy competitive
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District & Woodside Homes to Build 1,400 Solar Homes
- The Growth in 'Green-Collar' Jobs
- NY Times Editorial – California Feuding
- Streetlight upgrade could produce savings
- Oregon governor says cap-and-trade draft by next month
- The Role of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap-and-Trade Program
- Tacoma committee ready to show ideas for greener city
- How to Apologize to Your Girlfriend…Without destroying the Earth
- We Want Broadband -- Provided It's Aesthetically Pleasing – And if you could make it so nothing explodes?
- Utility box clamor – AT&T, Comcast upgrades causing disruption, leaving eyesores
- Tech firms eye unused airwaves for Internet, face static from broadcasters over interference
- What Cloud Computing Really Means
- IBM uses plumbing, water coolers to chill supercomputer
- Thieves of identity data offering sales discounts
- City Of Shelton Moving Forward With Budget Cuts
- City Of Shelton to Ask Voters For Max Tax For Streets
- Tennessee – Copper theft from phone lines spurs $2,500 reward
- In U.S., Metal Theft Plagues Troubled Neighborhoods
- As Price of Lead Soars, British Churches Find Holes in Roof
- Green recycling offered in post office
- Will protests snuff out torch relay?

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Arcadia • \ar-KAY-dee-uh\ • noun – A region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet

Halfway through the news conference, Abercrombie leaned back in his chair, took a deep sigh and escaped to his “happy place.” Veracious journalists continued to pepper him with pointed questions, but all he heard was the buzzing of big, fluffy bumblebees, flitting from flower to flower in his Arcadian retreat. Five hours later he snapped out of his reverie, in an empty, darkened conference room.

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

Rising prices affect power distributors, heavy energy users (Chattanooga Times/Free Press, via Utility Products)
http://www.utilityproducts.com/display_news/160086/129/none/Rising_prices_affect_power_distributors,_heavy_energy_users

Alcoa’s Profit Drops 54% on Energy Costs and a Soft Dollar (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/business/08alcoa.html?ex=1365393600&en=efa9eba643ba383c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Montana – Gregori believes Highwood Station will get funding – Rising costs and attempts to obtain financing are challenges for the proposed coal-fired Highwood Generating Station (Great Falls Tribune)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080408/NEWS01/804080316/1002

NY Times Op-Ed Contributor – How Big Sky Went Dark (deregulation and its impacts in Montana)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/opinion/06mcnamer.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

U.S. Senators Introduce Bill To Allow States Final Say on LNG (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/us-senators-introduce-bill-allow-states-final-say-lng/

WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT

Tribes seal $900 million deal – Yakama, Colville, Umatilla and Warm Springs tribes agree to back federal dam-operation plans for 10 years (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/12076269247530.xml&coll=7

Feds, tribes strike deal on dams, fish (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/149955.html

Deal Gives Money to Tribes to Drop Role in Fish Lawsuits (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/us/08dams.html?ex=1208318400&en=14f4603d7f69a67c&ei=5070&emc=eta1

4 tribes agree to settlement on restoring salmon runs (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004334007_columbia08m.html?syndication=rss

Deal Reached over Protection of Salmon (Seattle Post Intelligencer’s Reporter Blog, includes discussion of SOWS backpedaling over “buy off” comment)
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/environment/archives/135973.asp

Effort to Save Salmon Silenced For A Billion Dollars – Tribal Commission Agrees To Back Off Dam Operators (The New West)
http://www.newwest.net/city/article/effort_to_save_salmon_silenced_for_a_billion_dollars/C509/L509/

Tri-City Herald Opinion – Proposed deal in lawsuit best for salmon recovery
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/149956.html

Scientists, Anglers Anxiously Await Columbia Salmon (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3756

Gillnet scheduled for Tuesday – State officials have adopted a 16-hour commercial fishing period on Tuesday for spring Chinook salmon in the Columbia River (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/sports/localNews/2008/04/04072008_Gillnet-scheduled-for-Tuesday.cfm

Washington State issues Spokane River dam guidelines (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04082008news301809.cfm

Two Makah tribal members convicted in rogue whale hunt (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_040708WAB_makah_whale_hunt_guilty_TP.40337542.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Expert foresees 10 more years of R&D to make solar energy competitive (Environmental News Network)
http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/34318

Sacramento Municipal Utility District & Woodside Homes to Build 1,400 Solar Homes (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52109&src=rss

The Growth in 'Green-Collar' Jobs – Even in a shaky economy, there are expanding opportunities in environmentally friendly industries (Newsweek)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/131038?from=rss

NY Times Editorial – California Feuding
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/opinion/08tue3.html?ex=1365393600&en=ee664f4be26a3c91&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

CONSERVATION

Streetlight upgrade could produce savings (Washington Times)
http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080406/NATION/596574304/1004

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Oregon governor says cap-and-trade draft by next month (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1326521~Oregon_governor_says_cap_and_trade_draft_by_next_month.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Congressional Research Reports – The Role of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap-and-Trade Program: Potential Benefits and Concerns
http://opencrs.cdt.org/document/RL34436

Tacoma committee ready to show ideas for greener city (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/329439.html

How to Apologize to Your Girlfriend…Without destroying the Earth (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2188428/?from=rss

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

We Want Broadband -- Provided It's Aesthetically Pleasing – And if you could make it so nothing explodes? That would be nice also (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/We-Want-Broadband-Provided-Its-Aesthetically-Pleasing-93381

Utility box clamor – AT&T, Comcast upgrades causing disruption, leaving eyesores (Santa Rose Press-Democrat)
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080403/NEWS/804030328/1036/BUSINESS01

Tech firms eye unused airwaves for Internet, face static from broadcasters over interference (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8841651?source=rss

What Cloud Computing Really Means (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_002570DE00740E180025742400363509.html?ex=1365393600&en=9076c93ed5911518&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

IBM uses plumbing, water coolers to chill supercomputer (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9911760-7.html?tag=nl.e703

Thieves of identity data offering sales discounts – Cutthroat competition among crooks forces new tactics, Symantec reports (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/08/BURJ101BUI.DTL&feed=rss.business

GENERAL NEWS

CITY OF SHELTON MOVING FORWARD WITH BUDGET CUTS – The City of Shelton is moving forward with cuts to its 2008 budget. The plan is to cut $196,635 in order to maintain a $650,000 General Fund balance at the end of the year. The cuts include $39,000 from the Department of Community and Economic Development, $30,000 from the Fire Department, $15,000 from Financial Services and $20,000 from Information Technology among other cuts. This will result in a reduction in force of two fulltime employees - the clerical position in the Fire Department and the City's Building Inspector - and a halftime employee in the Administration and a quarter time employee in the finance department. A police officer is being transferred to the West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team which will result in $60,000 in revenue for the City. Official action on this budget modification will be taken next Monday. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

CITY OF SHELTON TO ASK VOTERS FOR MAX TAX FOR STREETS – The Shelton City Commission has approved a resolution asking voters to approve the maximum property tax levy lid lift to fix and maintain residential streets. On August 19th, the City will ask for approval to increase the property tax rate to $3.60 per thousand of assessed value and dedicate those new funds to streets. This tax would be collected next year and be a permanent tax. Earlier this year, the Commission decided to seek a $500,000 "Show Me" tax for streets but decided to change to the "Max Tax" after receiving requests from the Mason Association of Realtors and the Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce. Those requests included the formation of a citizen advisory group to help the City decide which streets to fix first. The resolution approved Monday night reserves a place on the Primary Election Ballot and includes the measure's language: "The Shelton City Commission adopted Resolution No. 951-0408 concerning an increase in the City's regular property tax levy, for the purpose of obtaining funds to repair and maintain City residential streets. This Proposition would allow the City of Shelton to increase its regular property tax levy to $3.60 per thousand of assessed value for collection in 2009 and increase the levy each year thereafter as allowed by chapter 84.55 RCW." (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

Tennessee – Copper theft from phone lines spurs $2,500 reward (WBIR, Knoxville)
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=56457&provider=rss

In U.S., Metal Theft Plagues Troubled Neighborhoods (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/business/08copper.html?ex=1365393600&en=71708b85916b3358&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

As Price of Lead Soars, British Churches Find Holes in Roof (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/business/worldbusiness/08metal.html?ex=1365393600&en=c94a91e5992e2038&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Green recycling offered in post office (The Associated Press, via Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/991/story/149338.html

Will protests snuff out torch relay? (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004334070_torch08.html

DIVERSIONS

Quiz: Are You Smarter Than a 12th Grader?
http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/your-money/2008/04/02/quiz-are-you-smarter-than-a-12th-grader.html

Man Accused Of Using Hedgehog As Weapon
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15815153/detail.html

Hair salon scalps customers – A Chinese hair salon has been shut down and fined 500,000 yuan ($71,280) for holding two customers hostage and charging wildly excessive fees for haircuts
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0740162520080407?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Watch the birdie: Cameraman fired for fake pigeon in award-winning photo
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0720423320080407?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Absolut vodka pulls ad showing California in Mexico
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080408/us_nm/mexico_absolut_dc