Energy News Digest for June 17, 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)

- Olympian Editorial – Puget Sound Energy rate decision is important
- ENERGY: Regional task force meets Wednesday in Portland
- News Release – Climate and cost concerns reinvigorate NW energy efficiency efforts
- MONTANA – PPL Montana owes state rent for use of riverbeds
- Longview, WA marijuana operation's power theft difficult to estimate
- OREGON – Springfield utility chief gets raise, extension
- Gas Cost to Rise: Vectren Warns Price Could Increase 50 Percent By Winter
- National Electric Rate Comparisons
- Obama, McCain differ on energy policy
- Testing Politicians' Claims in the Energy Debate
- NEW YORK – Spanish Firm’s Bid for Maine-Based Electrical Utility Hits a Hurdle
- Groups to file suit over latest plan to balance imperiled salmon with the operation of hydroelectric dams
- CANADA – British Columbia wild salmon in short supply
- Project Succeeding to Relocate Caspian Terns to Help Protect Juvenile Salmon and Steelhead
- Two-ton salmon to beach on Capitol Hill
- Tiny, Clingy and Destructive, Mussel Makes Its Way West
- OREGON – Judge tells regulators to reconsider whether they have the power to regulate toxic algae
- OREGON – Rogue elements are imperiling our rivers
- MONTANA – Flathead Lake well below full pool
- Washington State Department of Ecology avoids layoffs by shuffling jobs
- Treatment plant to clean water, allow Lacey to restart well
- Intel team heads to Oregon for solar spin-off
- ALASKA – Juneau family has personal hydropower, lives off the grid
- NEW YORK – Solar energy future still bright in state
- KANSAS – Group explores issues with adding wind energy
- One megawatt of grid storage, 10 big flywheels
- Electric Hand Dryers vs. Paper Towels – How to keep your paws clean and green
- CANADA – Liberal carbon tax would hit home heating fuel, but not gas at the pumps
- San Jose Mercury News Editorial: Yahoo's drama ends in clear win - for Google
- PENNSYLVANIA – Philly Wi-Fi Network May Survive After All
- 2 years for Shelton, Washington couple in death of infant
- Weather Permitting – City of Shelton’s Northcliff Paving Set for Wednesday & Thursday
- Corn prices jump near $8 on fears of reduced crop
- Four Washington daily papers hit by McClatchy cuts – The Olympian; The Tacoma News Tribune; Tri-City Herald; and Bellingham Herald to be affected
- All charges dropped against suspect in LaCenter state lawmaker’ Spokane sex case

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Jaywalk • \JAY-walk\ • verb – To cross a street carelessly or in an illegal manner so as to be endangered by traffic

No example sentence today, but some fascinating history about the origin of the word:

Wikipedia – According to one historian, the earliest known use of the word jaywalker in print was in the Chicago Tribune in 1909. (The earliest citation in the Oxford English Dictionary is from 1917.) The term's dissemination was due in part to a deliberate effort by promoters of automobiles, such as local auto clubs and dealers, to redefine streets as places where pedestrians do not belong. It is a compound word of the words jay and walk; jay referring to a foolish rural person, a rube, unfamiliar with city ways. An alternative folk etymology refers the word to the letter "J", describing the line followed by the pedestrian - going parallel with the road when the other side is reached

Oxford English Dictionary Etymology (word origin) – What is the origin of the word 'jaywalking'? The complete Oxford English Dictionary traces the word jaywalker back to 1917 and labels it 'originally US'. There is a cross-reference to the word jay, which has a number of slang senses. The relevant one is 'a stupid or dull person, a simpleton. Also (as adjective) dull, unsophisticated; inferior, poor'. This is labeled 'US colloquial', and there is evidence of use from 1900. So persons who stupidly ignored traffic regulations were given (in Boston, it seems) this compact name.

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

Olympian Editorial – Puget Sound Energy rate decision is important (Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/478199.html

ENERGY: Regional task force meets Wednesday in Portland (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/214814.html

News Release – Climate and cost concerns reinvigorate NW energy efficiency efforts – Energy, business and government leaders join forces in forum tomorrow (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/212115/

MONTANA – PPL Montana owes state rent for use of riverbeds – Judge says PPL Montana must pay state more than $40 million in back rent for use of riverbeds (The Associated Press, via Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080617/mt_dams_lawsuit.html?.v=1

Longview, WA marijuana operation's power theft difficult to estimate (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/06/17/area_news/doc4857123a9f888989387752.txt

OREGON – Springfield utility chief gets raise, extension (Eugene Register Guard, OR)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=112027&sid=4&fid=1

Gas Cost to Rise: Vectren Warns Price Could Increase 50 Percent by Winter (the Evansville Courier and Press, IL via RedOrbit)
http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1421106/gas_cost_to_rise_vectren_warns_price_could_increase_50/index.html

National Electric Rate Comparisons (Renewable Energy World Online)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/ate/story?id=52761&src=rss

Obama, McCain differ on energy policy (CNN Money)
http://biz.yahoo.com/cnnm/080617/060908_candidates_energy.html?.v=3

Testing Politicians' Claims in the Energy Debate (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91573893&ft=1&f=3

NEW YORK – Spanish Firm’s Bid for Maine-Based Electrical Utility Hits a Hurdle (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/nyregion/17wind.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

FISH & WILDLIFE

Groups to file suit over latest plan to balance imperiled salmon with the operation of hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River basin (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/06/06172008_Groups-to-file-suit-over-latest-salmon-plan.cfm/

CANADA – British Columbia wild salmon in short supply (CTV News)
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20080616/BC_suzuki_salmon_080616/20080616/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

Project Succeeding to Relocate Caspian Terns to Help Protect Juvenile Salmon and Steelhead in the Columbia River “…terns and cormorants annually consume more than 10 million juvenile salmon…” (Science Daily)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080616133113.htm

Two-ton salmon to beach on Capitol Hill (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Will someone PLEASE get some photos of folks coming out of the other end of this thing?)
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2008/06/2ton_salmon_to_beach_on_capito.html

Tiny, Clingy and Destructive, Mussel Makes Its Way West (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/science/17muss.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

OREGON – Judge tells regulators to reconsider whether they have the power to regulate toxic algae coming from behind hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River (The Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1444605~Judge_tells_regulators_to_reconsider_Klamath_algae.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Rogue elements are imperiling our rivers – Rafting while afraid of being shot for trespassing is a terrible way to run a river. And setting public policy stream by stream is a terrible way to run a state (The Oregonian, Portland, OR – Insert cinematic cultural reference here…)
http://www.oregonlive.com/editorials/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1213392304202350.xml&coll=7

MONTANA – Flathead Lake well below full pool – PPL Montana's license to operate Kerr Dam calls for the lake to be at full pool by June 15, unless there are flood-control concerns (The Missoulian, Missoula, MT)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/06/17/news/mtregional/news07.txt

Washington State Department of Ecology avoids layoffs by shuffling jobs – Agency avoids threatened layoffs in its water-quality program, in part by moving some affected workers to other agency positions (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/stateworkers/story/479893.html

Treatment plant to clean water, allow Lacey to restart well (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/480821.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Intel team heads to Oregon for solar spin-off (San Francisco Chronicle, CA)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/17/BU6F11A5QF.DTL&feed=rss.business

ALASKA – Juneau family has personal hydropower, lives off the grid (Alaska Journal of Commerce)
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/061508/hom_20080615016.shtml

NEW YORK – Solar energy future still bright in state – Despite departure of DayStar, General Electric, TerraWatt and others work to capitalize on the growing demand for solar power (Albany Times-Union)
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=696279&category=BUSINESS

KANSAS – Group explores issues with adding wind energy – Proponents of wind energy say it can play an important -- and growing -- role in meeting Kansas' electricity needs. But others say wind's whims make it a bit player at best (Salina Journal, Salina KS)
http://www.saljournal.com/rdnews/story/wind-group-pre-6-16-08

One megawatt of grid storage, 10 big flywheels (CNET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9968539-54.html

CONSERVATION

Electric Hand Dryers vs. Paper Towels – How to keep your paws clean and green (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2193740/?from=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

CANADA – Liberal carbon tax would hit home heating fuel, but not gas at the pumps (Victoria Times-Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=5b14d75b-c44d-420c-bd68-e9b8da077817

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

San Jose Mercury News Editorial: Yahoo's drama ends in clear win - for Google (San Jose, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9609830?source=rss

PENNSYLVANIA – Philly Wi-Fi Network May Survive After All (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Philly-WiFi-Network-May-Survive-After-All-95341

GENERAL NEWS

2 years for Shelton, Washington couple in death of infant – Couple who gave their fussy infant son a deadly concoction of adult medications have pleaded guilty (San Diego Union-Tribune)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080617-9999-1m17plea.html

Weather Permitting – City of Shelton’s Northcliff Paving Set For Wednesday & Thursday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/244/reftab/1896/Default.aspx

Corn prices jump near $8 on fears of reduced crop (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008000372_apcommoditiesreview.html?syndication=rss

Four Washington daily papers hit by McClatchy cuts – The Olympian; The Tacoma News Tribune; Tri-City Herald; and Bellingham Herald to be affected (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/367256_mcclatchy17.html?source=rss

All charges dropped against suspect in LaCenter state lawmaker’ Spokane sex case (The Associated Press, via the Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP06172008news330145.cfm

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Ghost Hunters Want to Search Retired Washington State Ferries
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16621599/detail.html

Leona Helmsley's Well-Heeled Dog Loses $10M
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16619921/detail.html

Over half of Hawaiian McDonald’s Drive Throughs Have Remote Order Takers In Texas
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16618333/detail.html

Date Palm Seed From Masada Sprouts – Seed was about 2,000 years old
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/science/17obseed.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Romanian village re-elects dead mayor
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1626574720080616?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Fifth human foot washes up on Canada coast
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP06162008news330214.cfm