Energy News Digest for May 29, 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)

- TransAlta Crane Accident Case Winds Down
- Hearing Set for Chehalis Power Plant Sale
- Chelan PUD ratepayers to have say in setting rates
- Liquefied Natural Gas supporters state their case to Oregon
- Global Demand Squeezing Natural Gas Supply
- Blame the birds for Northern Wasco PUD power outage
- National Power pulls plug, drops customers – Some 15,000 former National Power Co. customers affected
- Hartford Courant Editorial – Politicians Let Electricity Bills Short-Circuit
- Kansas – Westar seeks 15 percent hike in electric rates
- North Carolina commissioners oppose Alcoa 50-year license for Yadkin River project
- Tennessee Woman Dies in Iron Lung After Power Failure
- Call Before You Dig – Pacific Gas & Electric crew accidentally causes nitrogen gas leak
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Keep Your Utility Customers on the Line
- Wenatchee World Opinion – Good work for salmon at sea
- Chinook fishery opens Sunday
- Anglers find steelhead run has been picking up for summer
- Draft EIS for Makah whaling unveiled
- Humpback whale delights Tacoma spectators
- New study links aquifer warming to Columbia River
- Spring cleaning – Awash with mountain snowmelt, area rivers have swept tons of debris downstream
- Centralia to Hike Utility Rates – Consultants: Increase Water Rates by 20 Percent, Wastewater by 14 Percent
- Geothermal prospector hopes to tap central Oregon's Newberry Crater
- Montana – Views on wind farm sought
- US Department of Energy to invest $2.3 million to Idaho renewable energy zones
- The Sacramento Municipal Utility District gives Sacramento County more than $300,000 in solar incentives
- Winery goes solar with 'Floatovoltaics'
- Home economics 101 – …you have a lot of control over how much gas, electricity and water you consume
- Carbon footprint: Seattle is 6th-best in U.S. – Hydropower gives us an edge in disputed study
- Puget Sound area among the greenest in the nation
- Chelan, Douglas and Grant County PUDs host controversial Greenpeace founder
- Pressure On Senators To Support Climate Change Bill Grows
- Climate Change Could Negatively Impact U.S. Crops
- How Fast Is Your State's Broadband? Who knew that Delaware was a broadband juggernaut?
- Centurytel Finally Tells Users Their Browsing History's For Sale
- Small Wyoming Town To Be Better Connected Than Many Cities
- Yahoo: We’re not ‘under siege’ – But CEO acknowledges partnership with Microsoft being discussed
- The Real Fight Over Fake News – “The Daily Show” is a bellwether for the evolution of Internet video
- 7 Tower Deaths in 5 Weeks – Three of which were on AT&T projects
- NW Businesses Look For Ways To Save On Fuel
- Idaho Primary Picks Candidates To Replace US Senator Larry Craig
- Copper Wire Stolen From East Bremerton Business
- Wood theft means jail time

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Arriviste • \a-rih-VEEST\ • noun – One that is a new and uncertain arrival (as in social position or artistic endeavor)

The stockholders’ meeting dropped into stunned silence. The former public power executive, the energy company’s designated arriviste, had casually remarked that perhaps the well-being of customers should come before profits. After the deathly silence, hearty laughter ensued.

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

TransAlta Crane Accident Case Winds Down – Centralia Plant: Attorney Hopes Jury Will Award $21 Million For Lost Revenue (The Chronicle, Centralia)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1211998239&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&

Hearing Set for Chehalis Power Plant Sale – Natural Gas Facility: State Board to Discuss Permit Transfer from Suez-Tractebel to PacifiCorp (The Chronicle, Centralia)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1211998118&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&

Chelan PUD ratepayers to have say in setting rates (The Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080528/NEWS04/716488754/1001

Liquefied Natural Gas supporters state their case to Oregon (The Examiner)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1413617~LNG_supporters_state_their_case_to_Ore_.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Global Demand Squeezing Natural Gas Supply (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/business/29gas.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

Blame the birds for Northern Wasco PUD power outage – Persistent nesting pair creates power tangle downtown heading into Memorial Day weekend (The Dalles Chronicle)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2008/05/news05-28-08-02.shtml

National Power pulls plug, drops customers – Some 15,000 former National Power Co. customers are in the process of being switched to two other Houston electricity providers (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2008/05/26/daily19.html?ana=from_rss

Hartford Courant Editorial – Politicians Let Electricity Bills Short-Circuit
http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-panzarella0529.artmay29,0,671804.story

Kansas – Westar seeks 15 percent hike in electric rates – It will cost an additional $10 a month to cover the costs of new power plants and wind farms and to help the company recover from winter storms (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080528/ks_westar_rate_hike.html?.v=1

North Carolina commissioners oppose Alcoa 50-year license for Yadkin River project (Pittsburgh Business Times)
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2008/05/26/daily16.html?ana=from_rss

Tennessee Woman Dies in Iron Lung After Power Failure (Fox News)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,359304,00.html

Call Before You Dig – Pacific Gas & Electric crew accidentally causes nitrogen gas leak in north San Jose (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9413969?source=rss

Energy Pulse Commentary – Keep Your Utility Customers on the Line
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1747

FISH & WILDLIFE

Wenatchee World Opinion – Good work for salmon at sea “…there are three possibilities for their ultimate fate: They can simply disappear, which happens to a great many for reasons not understood. They can survive all these travails and tortures and return to their native stream to spawn. Or, they can be caught, sold and eaten….”
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080528/OP03/473390065/1025/rss1025

Chinook fishery opens Sunday (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2004444600_fish29.html

Anglers find steelhead run has been picking up for summer (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/462639.html

Draft EIS for Makah whaling unveiled (KONP Radio, Port Angeles)
http://www.konp.com/local/3666

Humpback whale delights Tacoma spectators (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_052808ENB_humpback_whale_tacoma_KC.3c867d1e.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

New study links aquifer warming to Columbia River (The Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080528/NEWS04/410875836

Spring cleaning – Awash with mountain snowmelt, area rivers have swept tons of debris downstream, making for hazardous boating and lots of scooping at Columbia River dams (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080528/NEWS04/349275065/1001

Centralia to Hike Utility Rates – Consultants: Increase Water Rates by 20 Percent, Wastewater by 14 Percent (The Chronicle, Centralia)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1211998640&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Geothermal prospector hopes to tap central Oregon's Newberry Crater – Increased demand and higher electricity costs energize Davenport Power's plans, but past environmental concerns remain (The Oregonian – will supporters send opponents a case of BANANAS “Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything”)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1212035131177450.xml&coll=7

Montana – Views on wind farm sought – Travelers driving Interstate 90 west of Big Timber may one day glimpse wind turbines at the Coyote Wind project (The Billings Gazette)
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/05/28/news/state/37-windfarms.txt

US Department of Energy to invest $2.3 million to Idaho renewable energy zones (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=330010&C=ENVIR&dcmp=rss

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District gives Sacramento County more than $300,000 in solar incentives (Sacramento Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2008/05/26/daily18.html?ana=from_rss

Winery goes solar with 'Floatovoltaics' (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/29/MNFS10VCNQ.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

CONSERVATION

Home economics 101 – Fixed costs aside, you have a lot of control over how much gas, electricity and water you consume every month (Colorado Springs Gazette)
http://www.gazette.com/articles/economics_36784___article.html/home_.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Carbon footprint: Seattle is 6th-best in U.S. – Hydropower gives us an edge in disputed study “…Oregon, Washington and Idaho also have relatively cheap energy, but have ‘a conservation ethic’ that means they waste less of it…” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/364940_footprint29.html?source=rss

Puget Sound area among the greenest in the nation (KIRO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=59364

Here’s a link to the Brookings Institute Study (Links to PDF File)
http://media.kentucky.com/smedia/2008/05/29/08/carbonfootprint_brief.source.prod_affiliate.79.pdf

Chelan, Douglas and Grant County PUDs host controversial Greenpeace founder (The Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080528/NEWS04/831056337/1005

Pressure On Senators To Support Climate Change Bill Grows – Six days before a major bill to address climate change is expected to hit the floor of the U.S. Senate (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/2199-pressure-senators-support-climate-change-bill-grows/

Climate Change Could Negatively Impact U.S. Crops (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/environment/May-June-08/Climate-Change-Could-Negatively-Impact-U-S--Crops.html

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

How Fast Is Your State's Broadband? Who knew that Delaware was a broadband juggernaut (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/How-Fast-Is-Your-States-Broadband-94832

Centurytel Finally Tells Users Their Browsing History's For Sale – Trial may move into full NebuAD launch starting in July (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Centurytel-Finally-Tells-Users-Their-Browsing-Historys-For-Sale-94829

Small Wyoming Town To Be Better Connected Than Many Cities – Powell, Wyoming, Population 5,500, breaks ground on fiber project (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Small-Wyoming-Town-To-Be-Better-Connected-Than-Many-Cities-94814

Yahoo: We’re not ‘under siege’ – But CEO acknowledges partnership with Microsoft being discussed (The Associated Press, via the News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/375339.html

The Real Fight Over Fake News – “The Daily Show” is a bellwether for the evolution of Internet video (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/the-real-fight-over-fake-news/index.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

7 Tower Deaths in 5 Weeks – Three of which were on AT&T projects (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/7-Tower-Deaths-In-5-Weeks-94803

GENERAL NEWS

NW Businesses Look For Ways To Save On Fuel – We might be at a “tipping point.” Gas has gotten so expensive that companies are changing how they do business – to save on fuel (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/2197-nw-businesses-look-ways-save-fuel/

Idaho Primary Picks Candidates To Replace US Senator Larry Craig (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/2195-idaho-primary-picks-candidates-replace-sen-craig/

Copper Wire Stolen From East Bremerton Business (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/may/28/copper-wire-stolen-from-east-bremerton-business/

Wood theft means jail time – A 37-year-old Amanda Park man was sentenced to more than a year in prison Monday for trying to sell timber stolen from Rayonier property (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/05/28/local_news/03news.txt

DIVERSIONS

Mars Weather Report from the Phoenix Space Probe
http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/exploration/phoenix_weather1.asp

Potty-Mouths On Job Get Thumbs-Down In Poll – More than 80 percent of executives are averse to working with a foul-mouthed colleague, an online poll finds
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16414016/detail.html

Magazine Names Unhealthiest Drinks – Healthy-Seeming Liquids Can Pack Calories
http://www.kirotv.com/health/16413443/detail.html

Twin, separated at birth, sues for mix-up
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080528/od_nm/twin_dc;_ylt=AhJCMEdWKNDf_316hwCo.e3tiBIF

Japanese scientists create microscopic noodle bowl (Insert diet food portion joke here…)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080529/ap_on_sc/odd_japan_smallest_ramen_bowl;_ylt=AkPS4orZDyjpG7s38bURW0DtiBIF