Energy News Digest for April 30, 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)

- Man charged in Seattle with cutting power line to avenge orca
- Tri-City Electricity Rates Go Down While Americans Across the Country See Increases
- Montana – Public Service Commission approves NorthWestern Bonneville Power Administration rate rebate
- Alaska – Sudden energy crunch forces Juneau to conserve electricity
- Grandview residents asked to OK utility tax increase, including tax on electricity
- Baltimore Gas & Electric bills to jump 8% this summer
- Maryland – Constellation profit falls as energy worries hit home
- Florida Power & Light earnings up on wind, nuclear projects
- News Advisory – Tribes and federal agencies POSTPONE signing Columbia River Basin agreements
- Trapping protests rise after sea lion dies
- Salmon shortage raises prices
- Costly catch – Fishing restrictions, fuel prices make wild salmon a luxury to save up for, savor
- Native Canadians To Cut Consumption Of Sockeye Salmon Due To Expected Poor Harvest
- Feds say bull trout to remain a threatened species
- Approved fishing opportunities – Here is a rundown on Columbia River salmon and other fishing opportunities
- Tacoma’s Titlow Park lagoons could be used to restore salmon
- Congress Approves New Wild Sky Wilderness
- Oregon – Study will look at availability of Army Corps water
- Though awash in water, Vermont set to protect springs
- Idaho – Improving air quality won't be easy
- Grays Harbor County PUD funding for Cosmopolis pulp mill power plant comes into focus
- Ocean Shores residents hear Grays Harbor County wind turbine plan
- Alaska Wind Power – Wind power is no stranger in Alaska, but Anchorage hasn't been in on the harvest
- Is Desert Solar Power the Solution to Europe's Energy Crisis?
- Federal tax break stalemate slows green movement
- Energy Pulse Commentary – States Remain Renewables Policy Laboratory
- Siphoning Off Corn to Fuel Our Cars
- Canada – Second thoughts surface over biofuel
- Methane to power vehicles, not pollute air
- BPA, Pacific Power, and Northwest Power and Conservation Council team up for conservation
- To green the Capitol, lawmakers follow tech titans
- Grant County fears fiber 'rate shock'
- Montana – Qwest offers $16 million bill reduction
- Google's big stake in Yahoo drama
- Click! to add 16 new channels
- FCC Boss May Be In Hot Water
- As Broadband Growth Slows, Expect Speed Boosts
- Comcast increases Internet speeds for business customers
- Should Cable Companies Just Run Fiber?
- Toddler Critical After Being Found In A Pool
- Washington gas prices hit another record
- This is FASCINATING analysis – Why Are Gas Prices Soaring, and What Can U.S. Do?
- Weyerhaeuser vows appeal of alder case
- Vermont brewery buying Pyramid Breweries

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Propagate • \PROP-puh-gate\ • verb – 1: to reproduce or cause to reproduce biologically: multiply 2: to cause to spread: extend *3: to foster growing knowledge of, familiarity with, or acceptance of (as an idea or belief): publicize

Humming absently to himself, Seymour paid no attention to the little tag on his new plant that warned him that under no circumstances was he was to propagate the little fella. It wasn’t until he had coated the last of thirty cuttings with rooting hormone that his blood froze upon hearing the voice of the Four Tops’ Levi Stubbs crooning, “feed me Seymour.”

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

Man charged in Seattle with cutting power line to avenge orca – was found March 15th inside an Orcas Power and Light substation with electrical burns on his arms and legs (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1367728~Man_charged_in_Seattle_with_cutting_power_line_to_avenge_orca.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

Tri-City Electricity Rates Go Down While Americans Across the Country See Increases (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8247660

Montana – Public Service Commission approves NorthWestern Bonneville Power Administration rate rebate (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/04/29/bnews//br21.txt

Alaska – Sudden energy crunch forces Juneau to conserve electricity (The Associated Press)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gXRLVia5n3ktRrLRs3lKZ2PtopHgD90BMDC80

Grandview residents asked to OK utility tax increase, including tax on electricity (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/169727.html

Baltimore Gas & Electric bills to jump 8% this summer – Fuel prices boost electric rates, PSC reports (Baltimore Sun)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.power30apr30,0,3042300.story

Maryland – Constellation profit falls as energy worries hit home (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/04/28/daily24.html?ana=from_rss

Florida Power & Light earnings up on wind, nuclear projects (South Florida Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2008/04/28/daily27.html?ana=from_rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

News Advisory – Tribes and federal agencies POSTPONE signing Columbia River Basin agreements (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/200519/

Trapping protests rise after sea lion dies (The Associated Press, via Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004382161_sealion30m.html

Salmon shortage raises prices (Dallas Morning News)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/lifetravel/stories/DN-nf_inseason_0430liv.ART.State.Edition1.464d2d0.html

Costly catch – Fishing restrictions, fuel prices make wild salmon a luxury to save up for, savor (The Columbus Dispatch)
http://dispatch.com/live/content/food/stories/2008/04/30/5_SALMON_ART_04-30-08_E1_78A1HAM.html?sid=101

Native Canadians To Cut Consumption Of Sockeye Salmon Due To Expected Poor Harvest (AHN Media)
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010806819

Feds say bull trout to remain a threatened species (The Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04292008news311070.cfm

Approved fishing opportunities – Here is a rundown on Columbia River salmon and other fishing opportunities approved recently by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission (Statesman Journal, Salem)
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080430/OUTDOORS/804300448

Tacoma’s Titlow Park lagoons could be used to restore salmon (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/347151.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Congress Approves New Wild Sky Wilderness. (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3814

Oregon – Study will look at availability of Army Corps water – A $10,000 state grant could nudge the Eugene Water & Electric Board and several Lane County cities closer to a new, coveted water source: the melted snowpack stored in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs. (Eugene Register-Guard)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=97069&sid=4&fid=2

Though awash in water, Vermont set to protect springs – With Lake Champlain, snowy peaks, and 40 inches of rain a year, the Green Mountain State isn't exactly parched. But don't tell that to Annette Smith (Christian Science Monitor)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20080429/ts_csm/avtwater

Idaho – Improving air quality won't be easy – DEQ officials are calling on Valley residents to take steps to help reduce air pollution (Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/364951.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Grays Harbor County PUD funding for Cosmopolis pulp mill power plant comes into focus (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/04/29/local_news/02news.txt

Ocean Shores residents hear Grays Harbor County wind turbine plan (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/04/29/local_news/09news.txt

Alaska Wind Power – Wind power is no stranger in Alaska, but Anchorage hasn't been in on the harvest. That could change very soon if Gov. Sarah Palin backs a plan to catch the wind just off the city's shores (Anchorage Daily News)
http://www.adn.com/opinion/story/389827.html

Is Desert Solar Power the Solution to Europe's Energy Crisis? (Der Spiegel Online)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,550544,00.html

Federal tax break stalemate slows green movement – Continued congressional delays over extending tax breaks to solar, wind and other renewable-energy companies could threaten the clean-technology industry's growth and the jobs it creates (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9092452?source=rss

Energy Pulse Commentary – States Remain Renewables Policy Laboratory
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1724

Siphoning Off Corn to Fuel Our Cars – As farmers feed ethanol plants, a costly link is forged between food and oil (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/29/AR2008042903092.html?nav=rss_email/components

Canada – Second thoughts surface over biofuel – Is there enough agricultural capacity to grow food and fuel economically and environmentally? (The National Post)
http://www.nationalpost.com/newsletter/story.html?id=480495

Methane to power vehicles, not pollute air – Methane percolating out of the Altamont Landfill near Livermore could soon fuel the garbage trucks that dump trash at the site (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/30/BUTS10DSNP.DTL&feed=rss.business

CONSERVATION

News Release – BPA, Pacific Power, and Northwest Power and Conservation Council team up for conservation effort (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/200619/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

To green the Capitol, lawmakers follow tech titans (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9930779-54.html?tag=nl.e433

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Grant County fears fiber 'rate shock' – With proposed fiber rate increases, Grant County's monthly Internet bill could skyrocket from $770 per month to $12,200 per month (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/04/29/news/news02.txt

Montana – Qwest offers $16 million bill reduction – Qwest Communications is offering a $16 million reduction in customers' bills to settle a complaint that it was overcharging Montana consumers (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1366612~Qwest_offers__16_million_bill_reduction.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines

Google's big stake in Yahoo drama – One of the biggest players behind Microsoft's drive to buy Yahoo has never been at the bargaining table – Google (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9103943?source=rss

Click! to add 16 new channels – The municipal cable service is adding 16 new channels to its lineup Wednesday – including 13 high-definition channels (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/business/2008/04/29/iron_chef_in_hd_click_to_add_16_new_chan

FCC Boss May Be In Hot Water – Leaked memo suggests looming hearing for Martin (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Boss-May-Be-In-Hot-Water-94017

As Broadband Growth Slows, Expect Speed Boosts (GigaOM)http://gigaom.com/2008/04/29/as-broadband-growth-slows-expect-speed-boosts/

Comcast increases Internet speeds for business customers (Philadelphia Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2008/04/28/daily15.html?ana=from_rss

Should Cable Companies Just Run Fiber? Cable engineers argue they've got enough bandwidth tricks up their sleeve to compete. Hardware vendors are trying to convince cable operators to run fiber deeper into their networks (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Should-Cable-Companies-Just-Run-Fiber-93988

GENERAL NEWS

TODDLER CRITICAL AFTER BEING FOUND IN A POOL – A 16-month-old boy is in critical condition at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle after being found floating face down in a pool at a home in the 800 block of South Sommers Drive. According to the Mason County Sheriff's Office, the toddler was reported missing about 4 PM Tuesday. He was outside with family members when he wandered off. When deputies arrived, family members had discovered the boy in the pool and were performing C-P-R. A board that blocked the staircase leading to the above-ground pool had been removed and was going to be replaced. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

Washington gas prices hit another record (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/18407584.html

This is FASCINATING analysis – Why Are Gas Prices Soaring, and What Can U.S. Do? (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90060901&ft=1&f=3

Weyerhaeuser vows appeal of alder case – A Portland jury on Monday ordered Weyerhaeuser to pay almost $28 million for unlawfully monopolizing the market for finished alder lumber (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004381925_weyco30.html

Vermont brewery buying Pyramid Breweries (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/04/28/daily12.html?ana=from_rss

DIVERSIONS

Pink Floyd Connections NO! Inflatable pig lost during Coachella music festival is found
http://www.examiner.com/a-1367644~Inflatable_pig_lost_during_Coachella_music_festival_is_found.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

VolcanoCam Gnome In Over His Head – St. Helens Gnome now asking for hot chocolate
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/04302008news311491.cfm?newsletter=2

Police Puzzled By Deafening Blasts Of Noise, Flashing Lights
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16059336/detail.html

Newlyweds Jailed After Brawl At Hotel (we got pictures!)
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080429/newlyweds_brawl_080429/20080429?hub=World

Opponents carry injured hitter around the bases to ensure her first-ever home run – Central Washington players help a Western Oregon rival, hurt rounding the bases, to touch 'em all
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1209525916199200.xml&coll=7