Energy News Digest for May 12, 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)

- Grant PUD to get nearly $12 million in power sale lawsuit settlement
- Chehalis Area Natural Gas Plant Changes Hands – PacifiCorp to Take Over
- Climate bill could raise natural gas, power costs
- Department of Energy report says Oregon doesn't need liquefied natural gas
- As electricity rates go up, natural gas' high prices, deregulation blamed
- Activists plan end run around Puget Sound Energy sale, seek public utility district formation
- Raccoon causes power outage for nearly 3,000 in Wenatchee
- News Release – BPA announces more flexible banking arrangement with U.S. Treasury
- Tri City Herald Opinion – Governor, look inward for answers on Areva
- Tri City Herald Opinion – Slow resurrection of nuclear power
- Chilean Drought, Power Shortages Drive up World Metal Prices
- Thefts Rise With Copper Prices – States Boost Efforts To Catch Crooks
- New York – Consolidated Edison seeks rate hike of $654 million in NY
- North Carolina – Duke CEO grilled by shareholders
- New York – Astoria Residents Protest Power Plant
- Missouri – Kansas City Power & Light Company’s Weston power plant to cost 15 percent more
- Congress divided on energy plan
- Chinook run faltering on upriver Columbia
- Salmon fishing to close on parts of Snake, Columbia Rivers
- Oregon – Salmon closure hits Winchester Bay hard
- Steelhead head to new home on wheels
- Montana – Catch & release: Biologists radio-tag trout in effort to study effect of Milltown Dam removal
- Perch crowd trout from Eastern Oregon reservoir
- Montana fish kill plan on display
- First Copper River salmon arrives Friday in Seattle
- Whaling would have little effect on environment, U.S. says
- Maine – Salmon stocking boosts Pleasant River
- Delayed melting in Cascade Mountains leaves reservoirs low
- Wastewater Treatment – Lower bills could raise Brightwater costs by $1 billion
- Olympia looks for water source – City, Nisqually tribe seek agreement on well field
- Longview council delays water-supply decision
- How we're still failing our Sound – The painful cost of booming growth
- Daily News Editorial – Nation can't afford to neglect shipping channels
- City of Seattle wants going green to be easier on taxpayers
- Wallula paper mill powered by 'refuse derived fuel'
- Et Tu Grays Harbor PUD – Developers buy Berlin, N.H. paper mill for biomass power plant
- Solar industry needs workers
- Seattle Times Columnist – The Holy Grail of ethanol – This is a lesson for the civics books
- Washington PUD Association Building Receives Top Green Label
- L-E-Ds could light up our future – Bulbs cost more but use less energy
- News Release – Progress Energy Releases Climate Change Report to Shareholders
- Heartland Powers the Net – Server Farms Produce A New Cash Crop In Nation's Midsection
- UK Town Embraces Sewer Line Broadband
- 35th District Democrats Back Finn For Ike’s State Representative Position
- Gas Prices Set New Record
- Olympia resident – Surf fisherman dies near Ocean Shores
- News Tribune Editorial – Why is faulty wiring still killing U.S. soldiers?
- Ecology headquarters built in 1993 slated for $11 million repair
- Shelton-Area Ceremony Today For New Ramp From Sr3 To 101
- Hidden Hybrid Automobile Dangers
- Cell Phone Stores Preparing for Hands Free Cell Phone Law
- Seattle, Olympia, Bend, Coeur d’Alene Tabbed as 'Recession-Proof' Cities

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Treacle • \TREE-cull\ • noun – 1: a medicinal compound formerly in wide use as a remedy against poison 2a: chiefly British: molasses b: a blend of molasses, invert sugar, and corn syrup used as syrup *3: something (as a tone of voice) heavily sweet and cloying

“Oh dear, what a lovely smock,” oozed the honeyed tones of Abernathy Rockjaw to the beautiful Violet Fenwick-Jones. What the oily shyster did not realize that Ms Fenwick-Jones saw right through his treacle-loaded advances. The taser in her extended hand instantly cooled his amorous advances.

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

Grant PUD to get nearly $12 million in power sale lawsuit settlement – Grant County PUD will receive $11.8 million as part of a settlement agreed upon this week with three California utilities over unpaid power sales made during the 2000-2001 energy crisis (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/05/09/news/news03.txt

Chehalis Area Natural Gas Plant Changes Hands – PacifiCorp to Take Over, Pending Regulatory Approval (The Daily Chronicle, Centralia)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1210408961&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&

Climate bill could raise natural gas, power costs (Dallas Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2008/05/12/story6.html?ana=from_rss

Department of Energy report says Oregon doesn't need liquefied natural gas – NorthernStar says it still wants to build a liquefied natural gas terminal near Astoria, and Gov. Kulongoski asks federal regulators to redo their study (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1210391709160710.xml&coll=7

As electricity rates go up, natural gas' high prices, deregulation blamed – If you haven't locked in your electricity rate, expect to pay more for power this summer (The Dallas Morning News)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/industries/energy/stories/DN-electricity_12bus.ART0.State.Edition1.4608dec.html

Activists plan end run around Puget Sound Energy sale, seek public utility district formation –People for Yes on Whidbey PUD plans to gather signatures on an initiative petition to replace Puget Sound Energy with a local public utility district (The Whidbey Examiner)
http://www.whidbeyexaminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=1354&TM=41414.18

Raccoon causes power outage for nearly 3,000 in Wenatchee (The Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080510/NEWS04/499710582/1001/rss1001

News Release – BPA announces more flexible banking arrangement with U.S. Treasury (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/201767/

Tri City Herald Opinion – Governor, look inward for answers on Areva – The governor blew it. There is no other way to interpret Areva's decision to build its new uranium enrichment plant in Idaho Falls instead of Richland.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/180892.html

Tri City Herald Opinion – Slow resurrection of nuclear power
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/181412.html

Chilean Drought, Power Shortages Drive up World Metal Prices (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/10/AR2008051000151.html?nav=rss_business

Thefts Rise With Copper Prices – States Boost Efforts To Catch Crooks (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/10/AR2008051002239.html?nav=rss_business

New York – Consolidated Edison seeks rate hike of $654 million in NY (Associated Press)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080509/ny_con_ed_rate_hike.html?.v=2

North Carolina – Duke CEO grilled by shareholders: Questions, comments come for 90 minutes over plans to build 800-megawatt coal plant near Blue Ridge Mountains (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CkhekqrpUSmk%216C%29bfen%5Fv

New York – Astoria Residents Protest Power Plant (The Queens Chronicle)
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19672789&BRD=2731&PAG=461&dept_id=574903&rfi=6

Missouri – Kansas City Power & Light Company’s Weston power plant to cost 15 percent more (The Southeast Missourian)
http://www.semissourian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080508/NEWS03/888623291/-1/RSS

Congress divided on energy plan (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004407855_apcongressenergyfactcheck.html?syndication=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Chinook run faltering on upriver Columbia – The ballyhooed strong return of upriver Columbia River spring Chinook — that produced off-the-chart sport fishing in the lower river last month — isn't quite living up to expectations at this point. (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2004406124_outnweb12.html

Salmon fishing to close on parts of Snake, Columbia Rivers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wst_salmon_closures.html

Oregon – Salmon closure hits Winchester Bay hard – The whole Oregon coast will feel the pinch of the broadest shutdown ever, but the sport fishing town is particularly dependent on salmon (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121055733661450.xml&coll=7

Steelhead head to new home on wheels – under the care of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which manages the Eastbank Hatchery on a contract with the Chelan County PUD (The Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/NEWS04/62909470/1025/rss1025

Montana – Catch & release: Biologists radio-tag trout in effort to study effect of Milltown Dam removal on the Clark Fork River (The Missoulian)
http://missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/09/news/mtregional/news06.txt

Perch crowd trout from Eastern Oregon reservoir (Baker City Herald, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1386390~Perch_crowd_trout_from_Eastern_Ore__reservoir.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Montana fish kill plan on display – Biologists are putting on public display the initial results of a complex and controversial program that will kill thousands of fish in wilderness lakes over the coming decade. (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/05/12/news/local/news02.txt

First Copper River salmon arrives Friday in Seattle (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_051208FOB_copper_river_salmon_LJ.f2b7c246.html

Whaling would have little effect on environment, U.S. says – The Makah tribe's proposed return to legal whale hunting would have little effect on the environment — including on the targeted gray whales — according to a federal study. (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080511/NEWS/805110302

Maine – Salmon stocking boosts Pleasant River – There are about 50,000 more salmon in the Pleasant River this week thanks to the annual stocking effort of the Downeast Salmon Federation (Bangor Daily News)
http://bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=164222&zoneid=500

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Delayed melting in Cascade Mountains leaves reservoirs low (The News Tribune, Tacoma)http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/358046.html

Wastewater Treatment – Lower bills could raise Brightwater costs by $1 billion (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004407604_brightwater12m.html?syndication=rss

Olympia looks for water source – City, Nisqually tribe seek agreement on well field (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/444680.html

Longview council delays water-supply decision – The Cowlitz PUD, which owns 14 percent of Longview’s Regional Water Treatment Plant on Fisher’s Lane, told the council it strongly favors drilling six deep wells into a deep aquifer at the Mint Farm Industrial Park… (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/09/area_news/doc482487d68e1fc685326618.txt

How we're still failing our Sound – The painful cost of booming growth – If you want to see where Puget Sound's fate is being decided, turn your back to the water (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004406070_growth_prologue15m.html

Daily News Editorial – Nation can't afford to neglect shipping channels – The Columbia River channel deepening project could be finished at the end of fiscal 2009, a year ahead of schedule
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/05/12/editorial/doc4824cda22da06146424275.txt

City of Seattle wants going green to be easier on taxpayers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/362711_waste12.html?source=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wallula paper mill powered by 'refuse derived fuel' (You mean, garbage? Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/180897.html

Et Tu Grays Harbor PUD – Developers buy Berlin, N.H. paper mill for biomass power plant (Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology - Mass High Tech)
http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2008/05/12/daily1.html?ana=from_rss

Solar industry needs workers (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/10/BUGD10JVGP.DTL&feed=rss.business

Seattle Times Columnist – The Holy Grail of ethanol – This is a lesson for the civics books. Five months ago, ethanol derived from corn was the new miracle green fuel. If we learned anything from the 1970s, we apparently forgot it. Then it was synfuels. Now it's biofuels, equally expensive and impractical.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/362459_ethanolonline11.html?source=rss

CONSERVATION

WASHINGTON PUD ASSOCIATION BUILDING RECEIVES TOP GREEN LABEL – The Washington Public Utility Districts Association headquarters building in Olympia has received platinum certification under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Program. The two-story office building on Union Avenue features 160 solar panels. The solar-power system generates more than enough electricity to meet the building's daytime energy needs, even on overcast days, utility association officials say. The 11,000-square-foot building was built with an emphasis on water conservation, nontoxic building materials and Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood products. Platinum certification is the highest rating possible under the LEED program. (The Olympian, Environmental Briefs)

L-E-Ds could light up our future – Bulbs cost more but use less energy (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/362653_led12.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

News Release – Progress Energy Releases Climate Change Report to Shareholders – Company outlines efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and position on carbon regulation (Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080512/clm102.html?.v=60

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Heartland Powers the Net – Server Farms Produce A New Cash Crop In Nation's Midsection (Kansas City Star, via the San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9231303?source=rss

UK Town Embraces Sewer Line Broadband – 88,000 homes to get more fiber (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/UK-Town-Embraces-Sewer-Line-Broadband-94324

GENERAL NEWS

35TH DISTRICT DEMOCRATS BACK FINN FOR IKE’S STATE REPRESENTATIVE POSITION – 35th District Democrats nominated Fred Finn for Bill Eikmeyer’s State Representative seat. At a convention Saturday, Finn earned the backing from the Democrats for the August 19th Primary Election over Daryl Daugs. Out of a total 332 precinct votes, Finn received 224 for the seat being vacated by the retiring Eikmeyer. Two Republicans, Herb Baze and Randy Neatherlin are also seeking the seat. A two term Port of Olympia Commissioner and resident of the Steamboat Island area, Paul Telford, has also express interest in the seat. At this time, Telford does not have a political party affiliation and says he could run as either “a Tim Sheldon Democrat, an independent, or a Republican.” The official filing period for this fall’s election is the first week in June. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

Gas Prices Set New Record (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16238809/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news

Olympia resident – Surf fisherman dies near Ocean Shores (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8310011

News Tribune Editorial – Why is faulty wiring still killing U.S. soldiers?
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/357464.html

Ecology headquarters built in 1993 slated for $11 million repair – At 450 feet long and 45 feet tall, it's a big wall. And it's going to be expensive to replace, at $11 million of the public's money. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/444708.html

SHELTON-AREA CEREMONY TODAY FOR NEW RAMP FROM SR3 TO 101 – A ground breaking ceremony is set for 1:30 this afternoon to mark the beginning of the construction of an on-ramp south of Shelton from Highway 3 to northbound U.S. Highway 101. The new on-ramp is expected to significantly improve safety by eliminating the need to cross high-speed oncoming traffic when connecting to 101. Those scheduled to participate in the ground breaking are State Representative Kathy Haigh, State Senator and Mason County Commissioner Tim Sheldon, as well as Mason County Commissioners Lynda Ring Erickson and Ross Gallagher. The ceremony will take place at the approximate location of the ramp. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

Hidden Hybrid Automobile Dangers – According to the New York Times, strong electromagnetic fields (EMFs) emanating from high voltage power cables located near the driver can be hazardous to your health (The Consumerist)
http://consumerist.com/5008376/hidden-hybrid-automobile-dangers-what-you-should-know-about-emfs

Cell Phone Stores Preparing for Hands Free Cell Phone Law (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8292647

Seattle, Olympia, Bend, Coeur d’Alene Tabbed as 'Recession-Proof' Cities (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/2043/seattle-bend-coeur-dalene-tabbed-recession-proof-cities/

DIVERSIONS

Tacoma court deciding whether pet pig is a hog
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/446404.html

Men charged after skull dug up, used as bong (this brings a whole new meaning to the term “Head” Shop, Dude)
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0842573120080509?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

"Self-important and irritating" – England is an irritating and insular country full of overweight, binge-drinking, reality TV addicts, a new guide warns tourists
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL0941780120080509?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Mosquito-Eating Fish Help Clean Up Foreclosure Mess – Government officials are using hungry fish to stop an epidemic of mosquitoes breeding in swimming pools abandoned by their owners after mortgage foreclosures
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/business/May-June-08/Mosquito-Eating-Fish-Help-Clean-Up-Foreclosure-Mess.html

One Day: Driver Has Crash, Sees Home Catch Fire, Gets Ticket
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16233028/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible

Oops! Civil War Collector Killed by Antique Shell
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90344025&ft=1&f=7