Energy News Digest for June 4, 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)

- Grant PUD archaeologist found dead on Monday
- Power Restored in South Kitsap – A Puget Sound Energy substation had inadvertently been deenergized
- Idaho – Downed powerline blocks I-84, delays Idaho commuters
- Chehalis Power Plant Sale Progresses
- Are you up to speed on Puget Sound Energy's gas, electric rate increase proposals and its proposed sale?
- Cynic Alert – Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce Director Leaves Post to Join Puget Sound Energy
- Daily News Editorial – Time to quit stalling on Yucca Mountain repository
- Mason County Candidate Filings
- Grays Harbor County – PUD critic Brown challenges Jim Eddy for commission
- New laws kick in as candidates file for elective office
- Florida Power & Light to seek fuel charge increase
- Europe faces bulging energy bills because of oil
- News Release – Puget Sound Energy Recognizes Karen and Ralph Munro with 2008 Pioneer Award
- The Sea Lion and the Salmon – Should we murder one to save the other?
- Orcas Return to Sound From Winter Travels
- Tri-City Herald Opinion – Salmon plan makes sense
- British Columbia’s farmed fish lower in mercury than wild
- Area salmon aspirations stuck in the starting gate
- Columbia River lead levels back to normal
- Puget Sound Energy to pay $472,000 for 2006 oil spill
- Ecology director lauds Kennewick Irrigation District project
- Crews able to slow leaks at levee at Klamath Falls
- Oregon – Engineers Checking The Safety Of Scoggins Dam Near Forest Grove
- Nuclear Cleanup Could Derail an Experimental Cancer Treatment, Study Says
- Honolulu seeks to toss its trash in Northwest
- Tips on How to Conserve Family Water Usage and Cut Costs
- Port Townsend a hotbed for solar power
- British Columbia's wind-power industry looks to a bright future
- New York – Stalled Sale Seeks Power From Wind
- DOE Signs MOU with six major wind companies to promote wind energy in the U.S.
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Swept Up by Wind: Wind power is drawing some fancy suitors
- Rhode Island Senate OKs renewable energy bill
- 'Green' jobs could employ 14 million; report says
- Power bills soaring? Turn off the Playstation
- L.A. city controller takes dim view of wasteful light bulbs
- New report shows Utah agencies saving energy — but not enough to meet their goals
- New survey: 9 out of 10 Americans making lifestyle changes to cope with rising energy costs
- Seattle Times Editorial – Spread the burden of climate change
- No more free rides -- 'Spare the Air' program abandoned
- Oklahoma City Builds World's Largest Muni-Fi Network
- Time Warner bandwidth-cap trial tops out at 40GB/month
- Bill Gates Bids Adieu to Developers
- To Award Sewer Plant Bid – Shelton City Commission to Hold Special Meeting Thursday Morning
- Loved ones remember teen killed in Mason County crash on Harstine Island
- 2-year sentence handed to radical environmentalist
- No diploma for teen mom who chose sick baby over taking WASL
- Police: Mother Left Kids In Bathtub While Buying Beer
- Survey finds most businesses prepared for disasters
- Tacoma council plan would let members dial in to meetings
- Rating Firms Seem Near Legal Deal on Reforms

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Tawdry • \TAW-dree\ • adjective – Cheap and gaudy in appearance or quality; also: ignoble

The architect was extremely nervous about unveiling the public art piece in his new building. As if to metaphorically shield himself from the expected verbal onslaught, he stuttered, “Just remember what the artist Ben Shahn said ‘in art as in love we are constantly amazed at the choices of others’. And please, don’t hit.” The verbal gasp of the attendant media as the curtain was drawn back from the mural was like a slap to the face. The tawdry and childish scrawls that were supposed to depict historic figures looked like a poor man’s graphic novel.

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

Grant PUD archaeologist found dead on Monday (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/06/03/news/news03.txt

Power Restored in South Kitsap – A Puget Sound Energy substation had inadvertently been deenergized (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/jun/03/power-outage-strikes-south-kitsap/

Idaho – Downed powerline blocks I-84, delays Idaho commuters (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/468530.html

Chehalis Power Plant Sale Progresses – A public hearing on the transfer of the Chehalis natural gas power plant yielded no comments (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1212601847&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&

Are you up to speed on Puget Sound Energy's gas, electric rate increase proposals and its proposed sale? (Seattle Post Intelligencer, Boomer Consumer Blog)
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/boomerconsumer/archives/140379.asp?from=blog_last3

Cynic Alert – Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce Director Leaves Post to Join Puget Sound Energy – “…This isn't a reaction to the PSE merger or the PUD vote…” (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080604/NEWS/806040309

Daily News Editorial – Time to quit stalling on Yucca Mountain repository (Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/06/04/editorial/doc4845c309450e6103843205.txt

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

Grays Harbor County – PUD critic Brown challenges Jim Eddy for commission (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/06/03/local_news/02news.txt

New laws kick in as candidates file for elective office (Wenatchee World – Includes PUD filings)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080603/NEWS04/375817067

Florida Power & Light to seek fuel charge increase – The company says dramatic increases in the price of fuel could result in higher residential electric bills (Orlando Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2008/06/02/daily24.html?ana=from_rss

Europe faces bulging energy bills because of oil (Reuters, via the Guardian, United Kingdom)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/7561309

News Release – Puget Sound Energy Recognizes Karen and Ralph Munro with 2008 Pioneer Award (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=91591

FISH & WILDLIFE

The Sea Lion and the Salmon – Should we murder one to save the other? (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2192362/?GT1=38001

Orcas Return to Sound From Winter Travels (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/jun/03/orcas-return-to-sound-from-winter-travels/

Tri-City Herald Opinion – Salmon plan makes sense
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/202171.html

British Columbia’s farmed fish lower in mercury than wild (Seattle Post Intelligencer, Dateline Earth Blog)
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/environment/archives/140320.asp

Area salmon aspirations stuck in the starting gate – Salmon fishing in local waters and off the coast ranged from slow to fair over the weekend. (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/outdoors/story/380123.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Columbia River lead levels back to normal (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004456327_leadspill04m.html?syndication=rss

Puget Sound Energy to pay $472,000 for 2006 oil spill (Associated Press, via the Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP06042008news324722.cfm

Ecology director lauds project – Calls the Kennewick Irrigation District's pump exchange plan one of the best projects he's seen for Columbia River water management (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/202569.html

Crews able to slow leaks at levee at Klamath Falls (KFLS Radio, Klamath Falls, OR via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1423722~Crews_able_to_slow_leaks_at_levee_at_Klamath_Falls.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Oregon – Engineers Checking the Safety of Scoggins Dam Near Forest Grove (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/2250-engineers-checking-safety-scoggins-dam/

Nuclear Cleanup Could Derail an Experimental Cancer Treatment, Study Says (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/washington/04nuke.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

Honolulu seeks to toss its trash in Northwest (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121255894736580.xml&coll=7

Tips on How to Conserve Family Water Usage and Cut Costs (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8418687

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port Townsend a hotbed for solar power (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_060308WAB_solar_power_port_townsend_KS.5a458bc6.html

British Columbia's wind-power industry looks to a bright future – Two projects set to start up in the province's northeast this year, with more expected to follow (The Vancouver Sun, Canada)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=d9df083e-ee6b-4a91-aa91-45c7f9005647

New York – Stalled Sale Seeks Power from Wind – One of the world’s largest energy companies proposed on Tuesday to build hundreds of wind turbines in New York, significantly raising the stakes in a nine-month battle with state regulators over its intended purchase of a power company (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/nyregion/04wind.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

DOE Signs MOU with six major wind companies to promote wind energy in the U.S. through advanced research and siting strategy development (Renewable Energy World Online)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/nyregion/04wind.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Energy Pulse Commentary – Swept Up by Wind: Wind power is drawing some fancy suitors
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1749

Rhode Island Senate OKs renewable energy bill – Bill requires major electricity companies to buy renewable power (CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/9976f85a57df395f3ec786c784e30464.htm

'Green' jobs could employ 14 million; report says (CNET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9959147-54.html

CONSERVATION

Power bills soaring? Turn off the Playstation – an Australian consumer agency study has found that videogame consoles and plasma flat-screen TVs are major electricity guzzlers, even when left on stand-by (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSSP2015620080603?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology

L.A. city controller takes dim view of wasteful light bulbs – Audit finds that 12-year-old program to install fluorescent lights has been poorly implemented, but even so has saved $1.5 million on annual bill (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-lightbulbs4-2008jun04,0,4768192.story

New report shows Utah agencies saving energy — but not enough to meet their goals (Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT)
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,5143,700231520,00.html

New survey: 9 out of 10 Americans making lifestyle changes to cope with rising energy costs (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=330614&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Seattle Times Editorial – Spread the burden of climate change
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004455922_climated04.html

No more free rides -- 'Spare the Air' program abandoned – program offered a free transit passes during smoggy summer days has been canceled, the result of dwindling federal funds, its high cost, and record gas prices that are boosting transit ridership anyway (Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_9469512?source=rss

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Oklahoma City Builds World's Largest Muni-Fi Network – Though it will only be used for municipal functions (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Oklahoma-City-Builds-Worlds-Largest-MuniFi-Network-94991

Time Warner bandwidth-cap trial tops out at 40GB/month (Yahoo! Tech)
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/22211

Gates Bids Adieu to Developers – It's fitting that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates delivered his final publicly scheduled speech as a full-time Microsoft employee on Tuesday to a roomful of software developers (IDG News Service, via the NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_852573C4006938800025745D0044BF9C.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

GENERAL NEWS

To Award Sewer Plant Bid – Shelton City Commission to Hold Special Meeting Thursday Morning (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/133/reftab/1632/Default.aspx

Loved ones remember teen killed in Mason County crash on Harstine Island (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/380078.html

2-year sentence handed to radical environmentalist – Arrow said plea deal too good to refuse (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/365674_trearrow04.html?source=rss

No diploma for teen mom who chose sick baby over taking WASL (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/19512484.html

Police: Mother Left Kids In Bathtub While Buying Beer (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/16482915/detail.html?treets=sea&tid=2653595907813&tml=sea_7am&tmi=sea_7am_1_09000206042008&ts=H

Survey finds most businesses prepared for disasters (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/06/02/daily14.html?ana=from_rss

Tacoma council plan would let members dial in to meetings – Council members soon may be able to phone in their votes under some circumstances (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/380079.html

Rating Firms Seem Near Legal Deal on Reforms – Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings are under fire for the high ratings they awarded to subprime mortgage securities (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/business/04cuomo.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER – DIVERSIONS

Man, 71, and friend in wheelchair subdue robbery suspect
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080603/ap_on_fe_st/odd_elderly_crimestoppers;_ylt=AvbYeIHh8x4p09JNZ.m.yT9I2ocA

'Carbon Belch Day' promotes un-green actions –Smoke cigars, do a partial load of laundry, drink bottled water, and feel no shame. That's what a campaign against a carbon trading bill is urging (CNET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9957787-54.html

Researcher: Drought slowing down Old Faithful geyser
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9476238?source=rss

TV, guns, fridges - prisoner had it all
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0338431320080604?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Man orders father murdered to get his job
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0335766120080603?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews