Energy News Digest for May 6, 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)

- Areva plans to build $2 billion uranium plant in Idaho
- Puget Energy 1Q profit rises on higher retail sales volume
- Portland General Electric earnings drop
- Idaho approves increase for Rocky Mountain Power
- Illinois – Ameren riders aren't true rate hikes, but proposals cost just the same
- South Carolina – Nuclear plant plan causes concern
- Despite Alert, Flawed Wiring Still Kills G.I.’s
- Australian electricity workers to strike next week
- The New Zealand experiment that keeps on giving
- Raccoon causes power outage in Ballard
- Agencies issue plan to run Columbia dams, preserve salmon
- Latest dam plan already under fire from groups
- The feds' latest plan to restore Columbia salmon leaves dam operations largely intact
- Six sea lions shot to death on salmon-rich US river
- Sea lions' killers used boat, opened cages, authorities say
- Columbian Opinion – Complex (sea lion) mystery
- Northern Pikeminnow Scam Uncovered
- Klamath Tribes, Environmentalists Protest At Buffet's Meeting
- Canadian MP bracing for 'absolutely devastating' fishing season
- Runoff late, but flood conditions not expected
- Mountain snow on tap
- Grease bandits strike as biofuel demand rises
- Going off grid?
- New York – Energy reduction plan would hike bills
- New Grass Cuts Methane Gas From Cattle, May Help Reduce Global Warming
- Global Warming May Contribute to Rising Incidence of Shark Attacks
- Utah – Ten of eleven cities OK $181 million UTOPIA refinance
- Yahoo investors seek Microsoft return
- Rattlesnake Mountain tenants to keep leases for now
- Man Sought In Mason County Drive-By Shooting
- City Of Shelton Peacock Ridge Annexation Hearing May 19th
- Sequim fires 8-year city manager
- Price of stamps to rise May 12
- Manhole covers latest target of metal thieves

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Veritable • \VAIR-uh-tuh-bull\ • adjective – Being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary

Gertrude had her doubts about her ten year old son’s ability to keep up at Trivial Pursuit. But after the first round, she was convinced that he was a veritable font of useless knowledge.

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

Areva plans to build $2 billion uranium plant in Idaho (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/440575.html

Puget Energy 1Q profit rises on higher retail sales volume (CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/ee4394cf71addb08306ec41b16afd736.htm

Portland General Electric earnings drop – An increase in retail energy deliveries for PGE wasn't enough to offset high natural gas costs (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/05/05/daily3.html?ana=from_rss

Idaho approves increase for Rocky Mountain Power (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/440587.html

Illinois – Ameren riders aren't true rate hikes, but proposals cost just the same (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CjpvnkmmVSig%216C%29bfen%5Fv

South Carolina – Nuclear plant plan causes concern: Proposal for facility would draw water from Broad River (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CjpvnmpoWSig%216C%29bfen%5Fv

Despite Alert, Flawed Wiring Still Kills G.I.’s – Because of flawed electrical work by contractors, the bulletin stated, soldiers at American bases in Iraq had received severe electrical shocks, and some had even been electrocuted (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/world/middleeast/04electrocute.html?_r=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

Australian electricity workers to strike next week (The Age)
http://news.theage.com.au/electricity-workers-to-strike-next-week/20080506-2bde.html

The New Zealand experiment that keeps on giving – Electricity retailers deny sector uncompetitive – Retail electricity companies are disputing a new report calling for more aggressive competition in the sector (Fairfax New Zealand News Service)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4511478a13.html

Raccoon causes power outage in Ballard (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004395273_weboutage06m.html?syndication=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Agencies issue plan to run Columbia dams, preserve salmon (The Associated Press)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ipjYpPd8lX55FO5Iz0UPfCSdVlpwD90FTA480

Latest dam plan already under fire from groups (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/05/05062008_Latest-dam-plan-already-under-fire-from-groups.cfm/

The feds' latest plan to restore Columbia salmon leaves dam operations largely intact – The third try for a blueprint on restoring fish runs will go before a federal judge who has threatened severe limits (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1210042509293850.xml&coll=7

Six sea lions shot to death on salmon-rich US river (Reuters – Ed. Note: Old story, but I had to get this headline out there)
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSN0541800020080505?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

Sea lions' killers used boat, opened cages, authorities say (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004394563_sealions06m.html

Columbian Opinion – Complex (sea lion) mystery
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2008/05/05062008_In-our-view-Complex-mystery.cfm/

Northern Pikeminnow Scam Uncovered – Ore. men accused of holding fish without permit (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1376519~Ore__men_accused_of_holding_fish_without_permit.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Klamath Tribes, Environmentalists Protest At Buffet's Meeting (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/1995/klamath-tribes-environmentalists-protest-buffets-meeting/

Canadian MP bracing for 'absolutely devastating' fishing season (The Daily News)
http://www.canada.com/cityguides/princerupert/story.html?id=5f99c601-a4a8-4c92-8a71-0875205d437c

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Runoff late, but flood conditions not expected (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/176183.html

Mountain snow on tap (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080505/NEWS04/57831152/1001/rss1001

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Grease bandits strike as biofuel demand rises (Christian Science Monitor)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20080506/ts_csm/agrease

Going off grid? Inverter maker Xantrex on Monday announced an overhaul to its inverters that let people combine a renewable energy source with some back-up power (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9935897-54.html?tag=nl.e433

CONSERVATION

New York – Energy reduction plan would hike bills – National Grid has proposed new environmentally-friendly programs for its Upstate New York service area designed to save energy (Business First of Buffalo)
http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2008/05/05/daily12.html?ana=from_rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

New Grass Cuts Methane Gas From Cattle, May Help Reduce Global Warming (Science Daily)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506120859.htm

Global Warming May Contribute to Rising Incidence of Shark Attacks (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/science/May-June-08/Global-Warming-May-Contribute-to-Rising-Incidence-of-Shark-Attacks.html

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Utah – Ten of eleven cities OK $181 million UTOPIA refinance (Deseret News)
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,695276803,00.html

Yahoo investors seek Microsoft return (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN0228397020080505?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology

Rattlesnake Mountain tenants to keep leases for now – The dozen agencies that operate communication towers and other facilities on Rattlesnake Mountain won't be evicted anytime soon (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/176219.html

GENERAL NEWS

Man Sought In Mason County Drive-By Shooting (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16166663/detail.html

CITY OF SHELTON PEACOCK RIDGE ANNEXATION HEARING MAY 19TH – The City of Shelton could grow by nearly 280 acres as part of a proposed annexation of property near Alpine Way off North 13th Street. A hearing on the proposal has been scheduled for May 19 at 6 PM before the City Commission. The so-called Peacock Ridge development would include 650 houses, 150 multi-family units, an elementary school, retirement housing and some commercial development. Most of the property is owned by Green Diamond Resource Company, with a small portion owned by Mell Mason County LLC. Boston Harbor Land Company would develop the land. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

Sequim fires 8-year city manager – In a move that came off like a bombshell in the Transit Center, the Sequim City Council voted on Monday to fire City Manager Bill Elliott after almost eight years of service (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080506/NEWS/805060307

Price of stamps to rise May 12 (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/bizbeat/story/173398.html

Manhole covers latest target of metal thieves (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1377170~Manhole_covers_latest_target_of_metal_thieves.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

DIVERSIONS

Police Officer Arrested For Stealing Gas from City
http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=8263968&nav=menu50_11_5

Man Orders Custom Beer Can Coffin
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/16164110/detail.html

Will A Trip To Movies Ruin Your Waistline? Nachos May Not Pack As Many Calories As Popcorn
http://www.kirotv.com/health/15965275/detail.html

Driving With Dogs on Your Lap Faces Ban in California
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/16174145/detail.html