Energy News Digest for June 19, 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)

- Petition for Jefferson County PUD electrical authority vote almost ready, organizer says
- Puget Sound Energy cuts ribbon on new downtown Port Townsend office
- Puget Energy buyout rejection recommended
- Puget Sound Energy sale gets two strikes
- Chelan County PUD extends sale date for Cashmere power system
- Seattle City Council members back keeping City Light chief
- McCain Sets Goal of 45 New Nuclear Reactors by 2030
- 'Smart meters' May Soon be Outdated
- Pickens: Gas, wind power key to nation's energy future
- Natural gas price is nearing record
- CANADA – Vancouver air quality officials will do what they can to stop power plant boost
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial – Salmon: Right this time?
- Federal bills would expand Oregon wilderness and salmon protection
- Greenpeace gives grocery chains failing grades on seafood buying practices
- History Be Damned: wild West bounties won’t save the Snake River runs
- Sturgeon fishing steps up to fill gap left by steelhead
- Brewery water in hands of panel
- City of Port Angeles looking into copper levels in water
- King County's Brightwater costs up; sewer rates to rise, too
- GE Study Finds Tax Revenues from Wind Farms Offset Tax Incentive
- CALIFORNIA – News Release – REC Solar to Host Walnut Creek Solar Challenge
- Trash-fed generator deployed in Iraq
- TEXAS – Spike in electricity demand prompts conservation alert
- NEW ZEALAND – Lights out for old style bulb
- Canadian Carbon tax won't raise gas prices, sources say
- NORTH CAROLINA – Mighty, mighty broadband
- Yahoo launches 2 new e-mail domains
- "Today's 'Bandwidth Hog' is Tomorrow's Average User"
- MASSACHUSETTS – Selectmen quiz Verizon reps on boxes on poles
- Building a Better Browser: Firefox Keeps Innovating
- Electronics Trafficking Ring Revealed
- Midwest Flooding Could Be Act of Man

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Recurring • \rih-KURR-ring\ • verb – 1: To happen, come up, or show up again or repeatedly 2: to return to one's attention or memory 3: to return in thought or discourse.

Willie the wildebeest awoke with a start. The recurring dream that had haunted his dark nights had returned. In his nocturne wanderings, he had been transformed into a humanoid biped, wandering aimlessly in packs of hundreds through concrete jungles…going hither and thither…not knowing the destination, or the reason for his travels. “The horror, the horror,” he muttered.

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

Petition for Jefferson County PUD electrical authority vote almost ready, organizer says (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080619/NEWS/806190308

Puget Sound Energy cuts ribbon on new downtown Port Townsend office (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080619/NEWS/806190303

Puget Energy buyout rejection recommended – Staff at two state agencies recommend buyout rejection (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/367479_puget19.html?source=rss

Puget Sound Energy sale gets two strikes – Utilities and Transportation Commission staff, consumer agent recommend against deal (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/482981.html

Chelan County PUD extends sale date for Cashmere power system (Wenatchee World, WA)http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080618/NEWS04/658698908

Seattle City Council members back keeping City Light chief – Despite “communications, appreciation issues” (Seattle Times, WA)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008005690_citylight19m.html?syndication=rss

McCain Sets Goal of 45 New Nuclear Reactors by 2030 (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/19/us/politics/19nuke.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

'Smart meters' May Soon be Outdated (LA Times): Screw-up Illustrates PR Challenge (Energy Strategies Blog – Seattle Times)
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/energy/archives/141432.asp?from=blog_last3

Pickens: Gas, wind power key to nation's energy future (Houston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2008/06/16/daily33.html?ana=from_rss

Natural gas price is nearing record (Augusta Chronicle, ME)
http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/061508/met_462257.shtml

CANADA – Vancouver air quality officials will do what they can to stop power plant boost (Macroworld Investor)
http://www.mworld.com/m/m.w?lp=GetStory&id=310692671

FISH & WILDLIFE

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial – Salmon: Right this time? It sounds unlikely, but maybe the answer will be yes
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/367495_rivered.html?source=rss

Federal bills would expand Oregon wilderness and salmon protection (The Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1448288~Bills_would_expand_Oregon_wilderness_and_salmon_protection.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Greenpeace gives grocery chains failing grades on seafood buying practices (The Seattle Times, WA)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008005520_seafood19.html

History Be Damned: Wild west bounties won’t save the Snake River runs (The Source Weekly, Bend OR)
http://www.tsweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2946&Itemid=75

Sturgeon fishing steps up to fill gap left by steelhead (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/482955.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Brewery water in hands of panel – A little-known volunteer board will determine how much of the water that was once the main ingredient in Olympia Beer will one day flow through the faucets of utility customers in the county's three largest cities (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/483023.html

City of Port Angeles looking into copper levels in water (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.konp.com/local/3738

Brightwater costs up; sewer rates to rise, too – King County's $1.8 billion cost estimate for the Brightwater sewage-treatment plant understates the likely cost by at least $41 million (The Seattle Times, WA)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008005688_brightwater19m.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

GE Study Finds Tax Revenues from Wind Farms Offset Tax Incentive (Renewable Energy World Online)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52825&src=rss

CALIFORNIA – News Release – REC Solar to Host Walnut Creek Solar Challenge (REC Solar)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/story?id=52818&src=rss

Trash-fed generator deployed in Iraq (CNET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9972359-54.html

CONSERVATION

TEXAS – Spike in electricity demand prompts conservation alert (The Houston Chronicle, TX)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5845375.html

NEW ZEALAND – Lights out for old style bulb – Old fashioned light bulbs are set to be switched off in a new initiative aimed at cutting New Zealand's power bills (TV New Zealand)
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411368/1850650

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Canadian Carbon tax won't raise gas prices, sources say (The Globe and Mail – and it will make you taller, better looking, and a better dancer!)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080618.CARBON18//TPStory/Environment

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

NORTH CAROLINA – Mighty, mighty broadband – The small city of Wilson is leading the way in providing faster, cheaper Internet service (Independent Weekly, Durham, NC)
http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A259848

Yahoo launches 2 new e-mail domains (Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/06/16/daily53.html?ana=from_rss

"Today's 'Bandwidth Hog' is Tomorrow's Average User" (Apprising, via Baller/Herbst)
http://app-rising.com/2008/06/todays_bandwidth_hog_is_tomorr.html

MASSACHUSETTS – Selectmen quiz Verizon reps on boxes on poles (Marblehead Reporter, MA)
http://www.wickedlocal.com/marblehead/news/x19918962/Selectmen-quiz-Verizon-reps-on-boxes-on-poles

Building a Better Browser: Firefox Keeps Innovating (Washington Post, DC)http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/18/AR2008061802731.html?nav=rss_technology

GENERAL NEWS

Electronics Trafficking Ring Revealed – The last of four men suspected to be part of a ring that stole thousands of dollars turned himself in yesterday (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/rss/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1213811130&archive=

Flooding Could Be Act of Man – As the Midwest landscape is altered, the ability of ground to absorb water is diminished, experts say (Washington Post, DC)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/18/AR2008061803371.html?nav=rss_email/components

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Woman Sues Victoria's Secret For Thong Injury – Says Metal Piece Flew Off, Struck Eye
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16644963/detail.html

Skunks Cause $75,000 In Damage To Home – Skunks Chew Through Utility Room
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16643918/detail.html

"Curse of the Fuwa" fulfilled by Chinese floods – Floods sweeping southern China seem to have fulfilled the final stanza of an Internet curse involving Beijing's Olympic mascots
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080619/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_china_curse;_ylt=AqHSY4rEbftGE_NqlWnJbartiBIF

German court rules fear of letters is no excuse – Phobia of official letters
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080618/ap_on_fe_st/odd_germany_letter_phobia;_ylt=AkRuJnMmVMk4d5hQ7e6s1LDtiBIF