Energy News Digest for September 2, 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)

- Objections aired over Puget Sound Energy takeover plan
- Puget Sound Energy and Whidbey PUD advocates butt heads at community forum
- Whidbey PUD supporters regroup following split
- Shades of Port Townsend – Puget Sound Energy to open Freeland office on Whidbey Island
- MONTANA – Grant County PUD nixes power purchase from proposed Great Falls coal plant
- Governor says Oregon can't count on feds for energy answers
- Thurston County Cable, electric bills set to rise
- CounterPunch Commentary – Power, Profits and the Future of the Columbia River
- Idaho Power: Equipment failure led to wildfire
- Northwest Natural Gas seeks 31% rate hike
- Plentiful natural gas predicted for winter
- Meanwhile… Prepare Now For Higher Heating Bills
- UTAH – Surge in Natural Gas Has Utah Driving Cheaply
- TEXAS – Energy companies: Relief from high electricity prices may be on the way
- UNITED KINGDOM – More suppliers raise energy bills
- Snake River dams enter political picture
- OREGON – Fish biologist paints different salmon view
- Union Bulletin Editorial – Judge's actions on salmon case show need to find new judge
- CANADA – Wolves 'prefer salmon to deer'
- State to fine Taylor Shellfish for using public aquatic lands
- At Hanford Reach, nuclear plant preserved nature
- Nearly 100 suspected illegal dams discovered in North Central Washington
- E. coli detected in Sequim-area water system
- Hold the soda: Wapato Lake loses acidity
- Cowlitz PUD moves ahead with Harvest Wind plan
- PenLight: $50 million for wind
- Grays Harbor County PUD wants more information before riding wave bandwagon
- Wind farm plans clash with pristine site in eastern Oregon
- OREGON – State asks whether wind farm projects are separate
- Low Air Pressure from Wind Turbines Killing Bats
- Olympian Editorial – Offshore wind turbines are a good idea
- Port of Longview shifts from logs to wind turbines
- Will the solar boom's glow dim?
- MICHIGAN – Residents may pay more green power costs
- Wind, solar energy built on temporary tax breaks
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Wind Credit Blown Off Course
- Experts wary of Pickens' clean-energy plan
- Wind power stored in underground caverns
- Longview man's wind turbine project on hold as county irons out zoning issues
- Gasification: Toledo Man Generates Power With Wood Scraps
- A Futuristic Energy Plan, 100 Years in the Making
- Developer building homes with solar panels
- Freezers sell like hot cakes as penny pinchers buy bulk
- 10 easy steps to energy conservation
- Congressional Research Reports – Capturing CO2 from Coal-Fired Power Plants
- Oil Group Joins Alaska in Suing To Overturn Polar Bear Protection
- UN Says Glaciers Under Threat
- Seattle Times Columnist – Go green one bite at a time
- CANADA – Victoria's 'green' footprint praised
- Google takes aim at Microsoft with new Web browser
- Microsoft releases beta version of Internet Explorer 8
- News Release – Fiber-Optic Access Now Available to 25,000 in Chelan County
- No PUD fiber-optic cable in Concrete
- 10 Things to Know and Hate About Metered Broadband
- 5 Devices That Spell Trouble For Your Comcast Bandwidth Cap
- West Richland police to get new wireless network
- Lack of interest means an end to Wi-Fi at state rest areas
- NEW YORK – Violations cited in Verizon fiber installations
- Why Run FTTH When You Can Pretend You Do?
- Internet Traffic Begins to Bypass the U.S. – The era of the American Internet is ending
- Top 10 rules for combating cyber attacks
- Washington State woman charged in Kansas State highway worker deaths goes on trial

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Insouciance • \in SUE-see-unts\ • noun – lighthearted unconcern: nonchalance

The horror unseen: Abercrombie’s insouciance was bound to be his undoing. Gaily walking through the Grizzly bear infested forest, his light coating of clover honey was intended to add freshness to his daily routine (and cover his chronic trouble with body odor). Unfortunately, his apparent unconcern about his surroundings and fragrance turned him into a tasty snack that afternoon.

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

Objections aired over Puget Sound Energy takeover plan (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/business/story/561862.html

Puget Sound Energy and Whidbey PUD advocates butt heads at community forum (Whidbey News Time Reporter, Oak Harbor, WA)
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/news/27676554.html

Whidbey PUD supporters regroup following split (The Whidbey Examiner, Coupeville, WA)
http://www.whidbeyexaminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=1670&TM=62019.98

Shades of Port Townsend – Puget Sound Energy to open Freeland office on Whidbey Island (Whidbey Examiner)
http://www.stpns.net/view_article.html?articleId=109510843654164910456

MONTANA – Grant County PUD nixes power purchase from proposed Great Falls coal plant (Great Falls Tribune, MT)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080829/NEWS01/808290323

Governor says Oregon can't count on feds for energy answers “…renewable energy will not be able to satisfy Oregon's demand for energy…we may have to accept solutions that are not to everyone's liking…” (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/08/kulongoski_says_oregon_cant_co.html

Thurston County Cable, electric bills set to rise (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/566597.html

CounterPunch Commentary – Power, Profits and the Future of the Columbia River: Killing Salmon With Paul O'Neill
http://www.counterpunch.org/stclair08232008.html

Idaho Power: Equipment failure led to wildfire (The Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1559899~Idaho_Power__Equipment_failure_led_to_wildfire.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines

Northwest Natural Gas seeks 31% rate hike (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/08/08302008_Northwest-Natural-seeks-31-rate-hike.cfm/

Plentiful natural gas predicted for winter: Low summer demand pushes price down (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5ClkhowqiRUokt%3EEvbfen%5Fv

Meanwhile… Prepare Now For Higher Heating Bills “…even with the recent drop in natural gas prices, this winter’s heating costs may still be higher than last year’s…” (KFOR, Lincoln, NE)
http://www.kfor1240.com/news/index.html?id=14121

UTAH – Surge in Natural Gas Has Utah Driving Cheaply (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/business/30gascars.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

TEXAS – Energy companies: Relief from high electricity prices may be on the way “…if your bill was $200 in Houston, you’d have paid just $92 in Austin. Austin’s electricity is still regulated…” (KHOU-TV, Houston, TX)
http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/khou082808_tnt_electricity_prices_houston.1f7fcd28.html?npc

UNITED KINGDOM – More suppliers raise energy bills (Financial Times of London)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6ea35b6c-7621-11dd-99ce-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1

FISH & WILDLIFE

Snake River dams enter political picture (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wst_dam_politics.html

OREGON – Fish biologist paints different salmon view – Northern Wasco County PUD hears why salmon recovery is divisive issue (The Dalles Chronicle, OR)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2008/08/news08-29-08-08.shtml

Union Bulletin Editorial – Judge's actions on salmon case show need to find new judge (Walla Walla, WA, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008145405_guestedits29.html?syndication=rss

CANADA – Wolves 'prefer salmon to deer' (Ottawa Citizen)
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=55ad755d-bdde-4b22-bbe3-572a3897ef69

State to fine Taylor Shellfish for using public aquatic lands (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/377129_geoduck30.html?source=rss

At Hanford Reach, nuclear plant preserved nature (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2008133554_onlywa23reach.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Nearly 100 suspected illegal dams discovered in North Central Washington – Property owners have until Sunday to report structures (The Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080829/NEWS04/708299933/1001/rss1001

E. coli detected in Sequim-area water system (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080901/NEWS/809010304

Hold the soda: Wapato Lake loses acidity – Antacids won’t be needed to neutralize the waters of Tacoma’s Wapato Lake (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/465849.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Cowlitz PUD moves ahead with Harvest Wind plan (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/08/27/area_news/doc48b4ba383f8a3898590276.txt

PenLight: $50 million for wind – Cooperative utility to generate joint power with farm near Goldendale (The Peninsula Gateway, Gig Harbor, WA)
http://www.gateline.com/104/story/2200.html

Grays Harbor County PUD wants more information before riding wave bandwagon (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/08/28/local_news/05news.txt

Wind farm plans clash with pristine site in eastern Oregon (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/08/wind_farm_plans_clash_with_pri.html

OREGON – State asks whether wind farm projects are separate – Critics say the proposals were divided to avoid scrutiny “…Any project with a capacity of 105 megawatts or more triggers review by the state…” (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1220232313187480.xml&coll=7

Low Air Pressure from Wind Turbines Killing Bats (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/environment/July-August-08/Low-Air-Pressure-From-Wind-Turbines-Killing-Bats.html

Olympian Editorial – Offshore wind turbines are a good idea (Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/562794.html

Port of Longview shifts from logs to wind turbines (The Associated Press, via the Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP09012008news359617.cfm

Will the solar boom's glow dim? A Dutch analyst says global panel manufacturing capacity is well ahead of demand “…Some solar companies are laying off workers as government incentives approach expiration…” (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1219969533233630.xml&coll=7

MICHIGAN – Residents may pay more green power costs (The Associated Press Writer)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g2e5AQD7ML_eqdbngkE2_6EiyZPAD92TEQ080

Wind, solar energy built on temporary tax breaks (The Associated Press Writer, via the Las Cruces Sun-News, CA)
http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_10356195

Energy Pulse Commentary – Wind Credit Blown Off Course
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1815

Experts wary of Pickens' clean-energy plan (The San Francisco Chronicle, CA)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/01/MNO512K43O.DTL

Wind power stored in underground caverns (The San Francisco Chronicle, CA)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/31/BULF12IKMU.DTL&feed=rss.business

Longview man's wind turbine project on hold as county irons out zoning issues (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/08/28/top_story/doc48b4aaa80b9a3376013349.txt

Old Technology, Reborn – Gasification: Toledo Man Generates Power With Wood Scraps (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/storylife.php?subaction=showfull&id=1220080954&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2&

A Futuristic Energy Plan, 100 Years in the Making (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/nyregion/23about.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Developer building homes with solar panels (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_082208WAB_solar_panel_program_LJ.214ace0a.html

CONSERVATION

Freezers sell like hot cakes as penny pinchers buy bulk “...shoppers bought more than 1.1 million freezers during the first six months of the year…” (The Associated Press, via the News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/464538.html

10 easy steps to energy conservation (The Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=c2dad8ec-9c22-4d19-8c4f-0bb90ff98049

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Congressional Research Reports – Capturing CO2 from Coal-Fired Power Plants: Challenges for a Comprehensive Strategy
http://opencrs.cdt.org/document/RL34621

Oil Group Joins Alaska in Suing To Overturn Polar Bear Protection (The Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/30/AR2008083001538.html?nav=rss_nation

UN Says Glaciers Under Threat (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/environment/July-August-08/UN-Says-Glaciers-Under-Threat.html

Seattle Times Columnist – Go green one bite at a time “…There's a lot of green fatigue…people are tired of it..."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nicolebrodeur/2008152456_brodeur02m.html

CANADA – Victoria's 'green' footprint praised (The Victoria Times-Colonist) http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=7aa1a4d8-2986-429c-b8a6-ae40f2476892

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Google takes aim at Microsoft with new Web browser (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1565379~Google_takes_aim_at_Microsoft_with_new_Web_browser.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Microsoft releases beta version of Internet Explorer 8 (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008150882_internetexplorer01.html?syndication=rss

News Release – Fiber-Optic Access Now Available to 25,000 in Chelan County (Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20080827/pl_usnw/fiber_optic_access_now_available_to25000_in_chelan_county__wash

No PUD fiber-optic cable in Concrete (KAPS Radio, Mount Vernon, WA)
http://www.kapsradio.com/2008/08/27/no-fiber-optic-cable-in-concrete/

10 Things to Know and Hate About Metered Broadband (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/08/29/10-things-to-know-and-hate-about-metered-broadband/

5 Devices That Spell Trouble For Your Comcast Bandwidth Cap (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/08/29/5-devices-that-spell-trouble-for-your-comcast-bandwidth-cap/

West Richland police to get new wireless network thanks to Lockheed Martin (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/301201.html

Lack of interest means an end to Wi-Fi at state rest areas (The Associated Press, via the News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/467500.html

NEW YORK – Violations cited in Verizon fiber installations – The state found that more than half of Verizon installations inspected on Long Island violated national electric standards (Newsday, NY)
http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/friday/business/ny-bzfios295821058aug29,0,1934813.story

Why Run FTTH When You Can Pretend You Do? “…cable operators have been running ads that confuse customers into thinking network fiber is the same thing as fiber to the home…” (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Why-Run-FTTH-When-You-Can-Pretend-You-Do-97296?nocomment=1

Internet Traffic Begins to Bypass the U.S. – The era of the American Internet is ending (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/business/30pipes.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Top 10 rules for combating cyber attacks (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=337707&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State woman charged in Kansas State highway worker deaths goes on trial (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008152973_apksroadcrewfatals1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS-ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER

Human-powered gym relies on sweat, willpower
http://www.komonews.com/news/27754084.html

Don't take "holy" water from Lourdes onto pope’s plane
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080828/od_nm/water_odd_dc;_ylt=AmXRiX2ZB46i5aTusgSlD7rtiBIF

Dutch say Pisa no longer Europe's most leaning tower
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080828/od_nm/tower_odd_dc;_ylt=AlJYAIrjwaT.TYUdej6b883tiBIF

Disposable diaper breaks fall, saves child's life
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080829/ap_on_fe_st/odd_saved_by_diaper;_ylt=Al5xWsxF5vDU4hORM7opTgztiBIF