Energy News Digest for June 3, 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)

- Mason County Candidate Filings (Includes Mason County PUD No. 1 and PUD No. 3 filings)
- Two File for Lewis County PUD Position
- ELECTIONS: Candidates sign up to appear on primary ballot
- Raising rates: Public speaks, Chelan PUD listens
- Montana – Montgomery Energy extols benefits of gas-fired plants
- Port Townsend chamber manager quits to join Puget Sound Energy
- These poles were made for climbing – High-voltage job turned competition June 21
- Energy Rules Enrich Power Companies, Bilk Customers, Regulators Say
- Maryland Public Service Commission going after $2 billion from electric grid operator
- Regulators: Duke Energy Can't Raise Rates Because Of Drought
- Nevada nuclear dump application filed Tuesday
- Pinched at pump, consumers warm to energy plants
- San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed – Power industry needs visionary leadership
- New report: Utilities increase Web-based offerings for customer self-service
- Where Have All the Fish Gone?
- West Coast fishermen offered 'pieces of silver'
- Black Rock Reservoir proponents outline plan details
- National Marine Fisheries Service completes environmental impact statement on Neah Bay whaling
- Pollution outflows to Sound routinely allowed
- At Fort Lewis – Glitch releases up to 180,000 gallons of partially-treated water into Puget Sound
- Kitsap County – Plans to Reuse Wastewater Move Forward
- In Spain, Water Is a New Battleground
- Abundant snowpack promises long Oregon, Washington white-water season
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Op/Ed – Bottled water important to health
- Texas wind farms choked off from grid due to insufficient power lines
- Arizona-New Mexico power corridor for renewable energy launches
- GE sees solar becoming $1 bln business
- Vestas chooses Houston over Portland
- McMinnville farmer plants turbine, power costs blow away
- Vertical-axis wind turbine spins into business
- Who’s Resuscitating the Electric Car?
- Biofuel Sends Cost of Beer Rising
- Pacific Gas & Electric pays to offset Democrats' carbon emissions
- Federal Carbon Bill's Hurdles: Price Tag, Stiff Opposition
- National Post Commentary – British Columbia’s carbon tax is anything but neutral
- NASA Downplayed Climate Studies, Monitor Says
- Good News From the South Pole? Does growing sea ice in Antarctica bode well for the future?
- Iowa Has The Most FTTH Providers? 40 Networks in various stages of development
- Time Warner Cable Broadband Tiers Lead to Fears
- Will Metered Broadband Make You Switch Your ISP?
- Bell Canada Fires Up The Spin Doctors – We're not anti-competitive, we're just plain awesome
- Experts Revive Debate over Cell Phones and Cance
- M-80 explodes in Washington girl's hand
- California – ATM card thieves have struck statewide – Using card skimmers
- California – Metal thieves take $190,000 worth of aluminum from grower

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Malaise • \muh-LAYZ\ • noun – 1: an indefinite feeling of debility or lack of health often indicative of or accompanying the onset of an illness *2: a vague sense of mental or moral ill-being

“MMMMMM, yummy mayonnaise on my ham and cheese sandwich,” gushed Danforth at his high school reunion picnic. In what was to become known as the “Riverdale Moldy Mayonnaise Malaise” Danny and his classmates would soon be elbowing for position at the one port-a-potty that the overwhelmed organizers had rented for the occasion.

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

Mason County Candidate Filings (Includes Mason County PUD No. 1 and PUD No. 3 filings)
http://wei.secstate.wa.gov/MASON/ELECTIONS/Pages/CandidateFilings.aspx

Two File for Lewis County PUD Position – Kennedy Challenges Kostick for Electrical Utility Post (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1212429488&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&

ELECTIONS: Candidates sign up to appear on primary ballot (Tri-City Herald, includes Benton, Franklin, Grant PUDs)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/201279.html

Raising rates: Public speaks, Chelan PUD listens (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080603/NEWS04/17610179/1001

Montana – Montgomery Energy extols benefits of gas-fired plants (Great Falls Tribune)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080603/NEWS01/806030310

Port Townsend chamber manager quits to join Puget Sound Energy – accepts position of community partnerships manager with Puget Sound Energy. PSE is facing a possible challenge to its expiring electricity franchise in East Jefferson County (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA – Any connection? Inquiring minds want to know!)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080603/NEWS/548844856

These poles were made for climbing – High-voltage job turned competition June 21: Linemen will climb, rescue, install (The Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080602/NEWS04/133407446/1005

Energy Rules Enrich Power Companies, Bilk Customers, Regulators Say – Electricity customers in Maryland and the District will overpay for power by more than $1.9 billion (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/02/AR2008060201996.html?nav=rss_email/components

Maryland Public Service Commission going after $2 billion from electric grid operator (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/06/02/daily7.html?ana=from_rss

Regulators: Duke Energy Can't Raise Rates Because Of Drought (The Associated Press, via WXII-TV, Winston-Salem, NC)
http://www.wxii12.com/news/16472493/detail.html?rss=gws&psp=news

Nevada nuclear dump application filed Tuesday (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004453295_apyuccamountain.html?syndication=rss

Pinched at pump, consumers warm to energy plants – Survey finds less opposition to nuclear, clean coal but refineries still loathed (Market Watch)
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/story.aspx?guid=%7BC08205F2%2D7426%2D4D7A%2DA140%2DBE2E87D1FB95%7D&siteid=rss

San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed – Power industry needs visionary leadership
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/03/EDEC111PKU.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

New report: Utilities increase Web-based offerings for customer self-service (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=330472&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Where Have All the Fish Gone? The collapse of America’s West Coast Salmon fishery has an eerily familiar ring to it. Are the oceans dying? (Trumpet.com)
http://www.thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=5197.3473.0.0

Fishermen offered 'pieces of silver' – The U.S. is offering local fishermen $30 million to get out of the lucrative west coast Chinook troll fishery (Richmond News, Canada)
http://www.canada.com/richmondnews/news/story.html?id=82413830-aadf-41d1-9d4e-c2f359de483d

Black Rock Reservoir proponents outline plan details – Backers try to garner interest among tribal members by showing fishing benefits (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/4615

National Marine Fisheries Service completes environmental impact statement on Neah Bay whaling (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004453961_whaling03m.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Pollution outflows to Sound routinely allowed – Offshore mixing zones dilute toxic substances (Seattle Post-Intelligencer – Et Tu, Victoria?)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/365545_pugetsound03.html?source=rss

At Fort Lewis – Glitch releases up to 180,000 gallons of partially-treated water into Puget Sound (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/466769.html

Kitsap County – Plans to Reuse Wastewater Move Forward (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/jun/02/plans-to-reuse-wastewater-move-forward/

In Spain, Water Is a New Battleground – Spurred on by global warming and poorly planned development, swaths of Spain are turning into desert (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/world/europe/03dry.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Abundant snowpack promises long Oregon, Washington white-water season (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121236998911330.xml&coll=7

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Op/Ed – Bottled water important to health
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/365501_bottledwater03.html?source=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Texas wind farms choked off from grid due to insufficient power lines – Thousands of wind turbines in the US are sitting idle or failing to meet their full generating capacity (The Independent, United Kingdom)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/texas-wind-farms-choked-off-from-grid-due-to-insufficient-power-lines-838979.html

Arizona-New Mexico power corridor for renewable energy launches with Salt River Project, other players (Phoenix Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/06/02/daily15.html?ana=from_rss

GE sees solar becoming $1 bln business (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/IndiaInvestment08/idUSN0227159320080602

Vestas chooses Houston over Portland – Wind energy firm announces it iss establishing a new research center in Houston (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/06/02/daily12.html?ana=from_rss

McMinnville farmer plants turbine, power costs blow away – A wind tower yields a bumper crop of energy for family farm (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1212375321161940.xml&coll=7

Vertical-axis wind turbine spins into business (CNET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9956965-54.html

Who’s Resuscitating the Electric Car? An electric car in Britain is making headway in the fight against fuel. Will it take off, and is the electric car really good for the environment? (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/technology/May-June-08/Who-s-Resuscitating-the-Electric-Car.html

Biofuel Sends Cost of Beer Rising (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/16463952/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Pacific Gas & Electric pays to offset Democrats' carbon emissions (Examiner.com – Insert bad political pun here)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1420448~PG_E_pays_to_offset_Democrats__carbon_emissions.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Federal Carbon Bill's Hurdles: Price Tag, Stiff Opposition (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91098289&ft=1&f=3

National Post Commentary – British Columbia’s carbon tax is anything but neutral
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2008/06/02/maureen-bader-b-c-s-carbon-tax-is-anything-but-neutral.aspx

NASA Downplayed Climate Studies, Monitor Says (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91087076&ft=1&f=2

Good News From the South Pole? Does growing sea ice in Antarctica bode well for the future? (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2192730/?from=rss

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Iowa Has The Most FTTH Providers? 40 Networks in various stages of development (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Iowa-Has-The-Most-FTTH-Providers-94954

Time Warner Cable Broadband Tiers Lead to Fears (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/06/02/time-warner-cable-broadband-tiers-lead-to-fears/

Will Metered Broadband Make You Switch Your ISP? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/06/03/metered-broadband-will-you-switch-your-carriers/

Bell Canada Fires Up The Spin Doctors – We're not anti-competitive, we're just plain awesome (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Bell-Canada-Fires-Up-The-Spin-Doctors-94924

Experts Revive Debate over Cell Phones and Cancer (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/health/03well.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

GENERAL NEWS

M-80 explodes in Washington girl's hand (The Associated Press, via the Columbian, Vancouver, WA)http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP06032008news324310.cfm

California – ATM card thieves have struck statewide – Using card skimmers, group may have stolen more than $45,000 in San Jose alone (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_9424966?nclick_check=1

California – Metal thieves take $190,000 worth of aluminum from grower (The Santa Cruz Sentinel, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1421739~Metal_thieves_take__190_000_worth_of_aluminum_from_grower.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

DIVERSIONS

Man jailed for faking his death
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSPAT26223520080602?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

The Claim: Drinking Flat Soda Can Ease an Upset Stomach
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/health/03real.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Spell-Check Run Amok Changes Names In School Yearbook
http://www.kirotv.com/education/16460101/detail.html

Colbert tells grads: Please don't change the world
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080603/ap_on_en_tv/people_colbert;_ylt=AkQjAFVanlUzPkwL3DjoZ_DtiBIF

London underground drinks party ends in mayhem – Thousands of revelers were marking the last day of drinking alcohol on the tube
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080602/od_nm/tube_odd_dc;_ylt=AgvtRfsMQ_ZC.sByTckOyIDtiBIF