Energy News Digest for May 9, 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)

- Western states rebuff plan for Italian nuclear waste in Utah
- Alaska – Borough declares an energy emergency
- Michigan – Energy bills could jump $200 next year
- North Carolina – Alcoa withdraws, then resubmits, water-quality application for hydroelectric operations
- North Carolina – FERC again says no to Dillsboro dam bid
- News Release – Pilot Project Offers Insight into Impact of Electricity Deregulation
- Columbia River sea lion death probe not pointing at poison
- Sea lion carcass found under I-5 Bridge yields few clues
- Search suspended for 3 tribal fishermen in Columbia River
- Salmon Gone, Fishermen Try to Adapt on a Changing Coast
- Unlike last year, Lake Tapps is already full again
- California – Bill reviving the San Joaquin River gets an OK
- California – Auburn dam may be dealt death blow
- Kittitas County Wind Project Approved
- King County to study biodiesel – Want to see if it's doing more harm than good to the environment.
- WA Invests $25 Million in Biofuels WSU Lab
- Construction set to begin on 'giant cow's stomach' near Monroe
- Vestas to build towers for wind turbines in Colorado
- Boise, Inc. Testing Garbage Recycling in Plant's Boiler
- Truckee PUD tries to go greener
- Reducing electricity bills – Electricity costs have risen to shocking heights
- Utility efficiency programs could cut energy consumption up to 11 percent
- The Clean Energy Scam
- Petrify, liquefy: new ways to bury greenhouse gas
- Canada – Liberals say carbon tax will be revenue-neutral
- Democrats revive another Net neutrality proposal
- Seattle Times Columnist – Don't let them pinch the Internet
- Clearwire Merger May Change the World of Wireless
- Google talks with Yahoo about alliance
- FCC Seeks to Calm Nerves over Digital TV
- Woman Who Died In Hood Canal Boating Accident Identified
- Speed cut on I-5 corridor South of Olympia
- Stamp price going up Monday
- Copper thieves leave Little League teams in the dark
- Coeur d’Alene’s Last Mill Saws Final Log

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Grandiloquent • \grand-DILL-oh-kwint\ • adjective – Lofty, extravagantly colorful, pompous, or bombastic style, manner, or quality especially in language

Barty had been selected to emcee the “vegetable pageant” at the local pre-school. As the children started trooping onto the stage, he blared out their names in a bombastic style, reminiscent of a bad sideshow barker. It wasn’t until the fifth child (a cauliflower, but the way) that he noticed that all the children were crying and shrinking away from him…afraid of his next herbivorous outburst.

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

Western states rebuff plan for Italian nuclear waste in Utah (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1382228~Western_states_rebuff_plan_for_Italian_nuclear_waste_in_Utah.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines

Alaska – Borough declares an energy emergency – The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly on Thursday declared skyrocketing energy costs a public emergency and prepared to put state aid, aimed at boosting energy efficiency in homes, on the fast track. (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner)
http://newsminer.com/news/2008/may/09/borough-declares-energy-emergency/

Michigan – Energy bills could jump $200 next year – The bills would require power companies to sell more green energy, while at the same time limiting the competition they face. Residential customers also would have to pay the actual cost of the electricity they use. (Jackson Citizen Patriot)
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/05/energy_bills_could_jump_200_ne.html

North Carolina – Alcoa withdraws, then resubmits, water-quality application for its hydroelectric operations on the Yadkin River (Charlotte Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2008/05/05/daily43.html?ana=from_rss

North Carolina – FERC again says no to Dillsboro dam bid – Jackson County lost another round last month in the fight to save the Dillsboro dam (Smoky Mountain News)
http://www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/05_08/05_07_08/fr_ferc_no.html

News Release – Pilot Project Offers Insight into Impact of Electricity Deregulation – People’s Electricity Program Finds Flaws in Texas Market (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=89589

FISH & WILDLIFE

Columbia River sea lion death probe not pointing at poison (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004401685_websealions08m.html

Sea lion carcass found under I-5 Bridge yields few clues (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/05/05092008_Sea-lion-carcass-found-under-I5-Bridge-yields-few-clues.cfm/

Search suspended for 3 tribal fishermen in Columbia River (The Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP05092008news315031.cfm?newsletter=10

Salmon Gone, Fishermen Try to Adapt on a Changing Coast (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/us/09salmon.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1210352673-zHwsU4E1n+okITcr/DzatQ

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Unlike last year, Lake Tapps is already full again – Puget Sound Energy, which has owned the lake since 1911, started filling it the first week in January (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/356046.html

California – Bill reviving the San Joaquin River gets an OK – Long-stalled legislation to bring life back to the dried-up San Joaquin River and restore its historic salmon run cleared a significant hurdle Wednesday when a U.S. Senate committee gave its approval (Sacramento Bee)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/08/BA5D10IFPU.DTL

California – Auburn dam may be dealt death blow – A long-stalled Auburn dam on the American River has suffered many defeats. But the next could be truly fatal (Sacramento Bee)
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/925168.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

KITTITAS COUNTY WIND PROJECT – Kittitas County commissioners have approved a 69 turbine wind farm. Commissioners gave the go-ahead for the 250 million dollar project this week. It's the first project approved in the county's 500 square mile wind energy overlay zone, an area on the county's east side that has been identified as being compatible for wind farms. (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee)

King County to study biodiesel – King County Council member Reagan Dunn is calling for a biofuel analysis to see if it's doing more harm than good to the environment. Metro reconsidering biodiesel (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_050908WAB_biodiesel_analysis_LJ.e300b92b.html

WA Invests $25 Million in Biofuels WSU Lab (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3846

Construction set to begin on 'giant cow's stomach' near Monroe – Partnership plans to burn methane gas that seeps from decomposing cow manure and turn it into electricity (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080509/NEWS01/268088672&news01ad=1

Vestas to build towers for wind turbines in Colorado (Denver Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2008/05/05/daily61.html?ana=from_rss

Boise, Inc. Testing Garbage Recycling in Plant's Boiler (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8293191

Truckee PUD tries to go more green – Wind, geothermal may be added to power portfolio (Nevada Appeal)
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/SS/20080509/NEWS/89199018/-1/REGION

CONSERVATION

Reducing electricity bills – Electricity costs have risen to shocking heights. Here's how to keep your bills under control. (CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/08/pf/saving/toptips/index.htm?section=money_latest

Utility efficiency programs could cut energy consumption up to 11 percent (Utility Automation and Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=327361&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

The Clean Energy Scam (Time Magazine)
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1725975,00.html

Petrify, liquefy: new ways to bury greenhouse gas (Environmental News Network)
http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/35968

Canada – Liberals say carbon tax will be revenue-neutral (Canwest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=cd78b8b6-40a7-4cb1-a6ab-18a7c72a31ea

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Democrats revive another Net neutrality proposal (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9939443-7.html?tag=nl.e703

Seattle Times Columnist – Don't let them pinch the Internet
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004401419_ryan09.html

Clearwire Merger May Change the World of Wireless (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/business/May-June-08/Clearwire-Merger-May-Change-the-World-of-Wireless.html#1

Google talks with Yahoo about alliance (The Associated Press, via the News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/356142.html

FCC Seeks to Calm Nerves over Digital TV (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90289456&ft=1&f=2

GENERAL NEWS

WOMAN WHO DIED IN HOOD CANAL BOATING ACCIDENT IDENTIFIED – The woman who died Wednesday in a boating accident on Hood Canal has been identified as 75-year-old Lois Trueblood of Hoodsport. Her husband, 79-year-old James Trueblood, remains in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The couple was shrimping with two other people Wednesday when their 20-foot boat flipped about 12:30 PM. The Trueblood's were trapped under the boat while the others were thrown clear and reached shore safely. Lois Trueblood drowned before rescuers could get to her and efforts to resuscitate her failed. The accident occurred near the 24,000 block of U.S. Highway 101 which is between Potlatch and Hoodsport. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)

Speed cut on I-5 corridor – The 25-mile drive from Tumwater to Chehalis will take longer starting Monday. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/443672.html

Stamp price going up Monday (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/443665.html

Copper thieves leave Little League teams in the dark (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1382955~Copper_thieves_leave_Little_League_teams_in_the_dark.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Coeur d’Alene’s Last Mill Saws Final Log (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3847

DIVERSIONS

Police: Victims' Own Photo Helped Cops Nail Robber
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/16201096/detail.html

Gas Price Protest Singer Arrested At Convenience Store – A man with a guitar and a megaphone climbed atop a convenience store roof to serenade commuters with his musical protest of high gasoline prices
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/16201135/detail.html

Mom whose son dialed 911 pleads guilty – he was scared by her driving
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/05/05092008_Mom-whose-son-dialed-911-pleads-guilty.cfm/

Woman Pregnant With 18th Child – Family Lives In 7,000-Square-Foot Home
http://www.kirotv.com/family/16212851/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible