Energy News Digest for August 13, 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)

- Puget Energy defends its takeover bid
- Puget Sound Energy takeover by Whidbey Island PUD seen as costly
- Port Townsend Leader Editorial: Public power?
- Substation Saboteur – Orca avenger to plead guilty to misdemeanor
- U.S. power grid in better shape 5 years after blackout
- Five years after blackout, promises made to conserve energy mostly forgotten
- UTAH – Officials trying to stop ballot initiative for a coal plant simply was written wrong incorrectly
- 6 tips to keep utility e-mails from damaging customer relationships
- Northwest conservationists bristle over U.S. move on species act
- 3 pesticides singled out in report as threat to salmon
- Oregon Senate Republicans Adjust Columbia Water Plans
- OREGON – Senate Republicans and Democrats spar on selling Pacific Northwest water
- Dream on: Exporting Columbia River water to the Southwest is a pipe dream
- Idaho sewage could affect Spokane water source
- Clark Public Utilities borrows $13.1 million for water projects
- Oregon to suspend action on Rogue River public/private ownership claim
- Lake Tahoe clearer, but report mostly bleak
- NEW ZEALAND – Backyard turbines in energy proposal
- WYOMING – Candidates focus on alternative energy
- Grist Online Commentary – Solar discord: The New York Times blows the solar PV story
- CANADA – Sparking electricity savings Youngsters attend first energy camp
- Candidates Call Climate Change An 'Urgent' Priority
- Global Warming Will Do Little To Change Hurricane Activity
- Why We Need Fat Pipes: The Top 5 Bandwidth-Hungry Apps
- Average U.S. Upload Speed: 435kbps – CWA Union test site suggests things could be much better
- Time Warner Cable Blamed For Gamers’ Internet Interference
- OREGON – Testimony tells of planning flaws for Oregon’s data headquarters
- Lawmakers Urge F.C.C. to Move forward With ‘Free’ Plan
- America's biggest nannies – You're on the list, Seattle
- Auditor: State agencies should improve debt collection efforts

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Giddy • \GID-dee\ • adjective – 1a: dizzy b: causing dizziness c: whirling rapidly 2a: lightheartedly silly: frivolous b: joyfully elated: euphoric

The nattily-clad CEO skipped to the stage to give his presentation to the shareholders. Tossing predictions of future peace and love within the organization like so many bouquets of flowers, the giddy presenter didn’t realize until it was too late that he had failed to read the cross-legged, arms-folded, head-bowed body language of his audience.

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

Puget Energy defends its takeover bid (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008109904_pugetenergy13.html

Puget Sound Energy takeover by Whidbey Island PUD seen as costly (PNW Local News)
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/news/26886769.html

Port Townsend Leader Editorial: Public power?
http://www.ptleader.com/Main.asp?SectionID=5&SubSectionID=35&ArticleID=21563

Substation Saboteur – Orca avenger to plead guilty to misdemeanor (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/26901379.html

U.S. power grid in better shape 5 years after blackout (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2008-08-12-blackout-power-outage_N.htm

Five years after blackout, promises made to conserve energy mostly forgotten (Oilweek, Canada)
http://www.oilweek.com/news.asp?ID=18037

UTAH – Officials trying to stop ballot initiative for a coal plant simply was written wrong incorrectly (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10183978?source=rss

6 tips to keep utility e-mails from damaging customer relationships (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=336903&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Northwest conservationists bristle over U.S. move on species act – Federal streamlining could harm salmon, critics say (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1218513316163110.xml&coll=7

3 pesticides singled out in report as threat to salmon (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/374719_salmon13.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Oregon Senate Republicans Adjust Columbia Water Plans (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/2801-senate-republicans-adjust-columbia-water-plans/

OREGON – Senate Republicans and Democrats spar on selling Pacific Northwest water (PolitickerOR)
http://www.politickeror.com/brittenchase/2321/senate-republicans-and-democrats-spar-selling-oregon-water

Daily Astorian Editorial – Dream on: Exporting Columbia River water to the Southwest is a pipe dream
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=392&ArticleID=53455&TM=26639.71

Idaho sewage could affect Spokane water source (The Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1534877~Idaho_sewage_could_affect_Spokane_water_source.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines

Clark Public Utilities borrows $13.1 million for water projects (The Columbian, Vancouver, OR)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2008/08/08132008_Utility-borrows-131-million-for-water-projects.cfm/

Oregon to suspend action on Rogue River public/private ownership claim (The Mail Tribune, Medford, OR via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1535057~Oregon_to_suspend_action_on_Rogue_ownership_claim.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

Lake Tahoe clearer, but report mostly bleak (The San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/12/BARD129KFF.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

NEW ZEALAND – Backyard turbines in energy proposal (New Zealand Herald)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10526933

WYOMING – Candidates focus on alternative energy (Casper Star Tribune, WY)
http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2008/08/13/news/wyoming/doc48a31490eea76092528870.txt

Grist Online Commentary – Solar discord: The New York Times blows the solar PV story
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/8/12/161045/075

CONSERVATION

CANADA – Sparking electricity savings Youngsters attend first energy camp (The Hamilton Spectator, Ontario)
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/417669

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Candidates Call Climate Change An 'Urgent' Priority (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93562705

Global Warming Will Do Little To Change Hurricane Activity, According To New Model (Science Daily)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812160615.htm

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Why We Need Fat Pipes: The Top 5 Bandwidth-Hungry Apps (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/08/12/why-we-need-fat-pipes-the-top-5-bandwidth-hungry-apps/

Average U.S. Upload Speed: 435kbps – CWA Union test site suggests things could be much better (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Average-US-Upload-Speed-435kbps-96949

Time Warner Cable Blamed For Internet Interference – Rabid players of the "World of Warcraft" videogame are fighting mad over mysterious lags in their Roadrunner Internet connections, which they claim, are messing with their ability to play the wildly popular online game (The New York Post)
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08102008/business/twc_blamed_for_internet_interference_123880.htm

OREGON – Testimony tells of planning flaws for Oregon’s data headquarters – In a hearing, Oregon lawmakers learn lessons from the state's flawed $64 million computer center (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1218601565133970.xml&coll=7

Lawmakers Urge F.C.C. to Move forward With ‘Free’ Plan “…wirelss auction required the winner to use a specified amount of spectrum for free wireless Internet access…” (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_852573C400693880882574A20063E358.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

GENERAL NEWS

America's biggest nannies – You're on the list, Seattle (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008109118_harrop13.html

Auditor: State agencies should improve debt collection efforts (The Associated Press, via the Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP08132008news352170.cfm?newsletter=10

DIVERSIONS-ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER

Health Department on Notice – Employee Takes Bath in Burger King Utensil Sink
http://www.whiotv.com/news/17161955/detail.html

Olympic opening uses girl's voice, not face “…The real singer wasn't good looking enough for the ceremony…”
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/540576.html

What's That Smell? Fair Ride Runs On Manure – Powering Ride 'Celebration' Of Dairy Farmers' Efforts
http://www.kirotv.com/family/17176722/detail.html

Man Pays For Most Of Truck With Coins – Ohio Man Says He Doesn't Trust Banks, Paper Money
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/17179798/detail.html