Energy News Digest for October 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)

- BPA proposes long-term deal for Intalco “…review and comment period is more than a formality…”
- BPA seeks public comment on proposed agreement with Alcoa
- Some in Jefferson County think PUD takeover of electricity service too costly
- Port Angeles – Cross-Strait power transmission cable almost ready to go
- Lawmakers (Rep. Doc Hastings and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers) say dams producing renewable
- Heating bills: Will yours get bigger?
- NW Natural will ask for 14 percent residential rate rise
- Texas – TXU Energy parent puts Hurricane Ike losses at about $25M
- United Kingdom – Coal demand revives Welsh mines
- Fisheries ruling to protect salmon, steelhead, Orcas also affects builders
- Salmon Spawning Above White Salmon’s Condit Dam First Time In 100 Years
- Agencies Seek Lake Pend Oreille Drawdown Scenarios To Aid Kokanee, Bull Trout
- Outlook, Washington – Hidden Wells, dirty water
- Some Dungeness River users to get more water than others in the future
- Olympic National Park seeking comment on third treatment plant; proposal linked to Elwha Dam removal plan
- Managing with wind and water – BPA
- Olympia’s regional wastewater utility to reuse gas for heating
- Sewage Is Flush With Hidden Energy Potential, Speaker Says
- Wind power purchase to help Benton Public Utilities (sic) District meet renewable energy mandate
- Oregon's green-collar work force prepares to switch on SolarWorld factory
- Garbage will soon stop going to waste at Eastside landfill
- Renewable energy added to WSU class list
- Biodiesel Producer Seeks More Investment – Imperium restructuring with new investment
- Gadgets use a lot of power, but here are tips to save on energy costs
- Whatcom County couple has lived green for 26 years
- Climate change may usher in different scene on Mount Rainier
- Calfiornia – City of Lompoc looks to cut costs on broadband
- FCC report negates free Internet interference claims
- City of London gets blanket Wi-Fi
- Municipal Bonds Hurt By Credit Crisis
- Unwanted subdivisions are our modern-day ghost towns
- The Olympian to print in Tacoma
- Residents turn to stashes of jewelry to raise quick cash

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Hypocorism • \high-POCK-kuh-rizz-zum\ • noun – 1: a pet name 2: the use of pet names

George Bush is well known for his tendency for hypocorism when dealing with friends and foes alike. Much to the displeasure (I would assume) of his close friend and confidant, Karl Rove. (You’re gonna have to look this one up on your own…)

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?textField1=47.213805&textField2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=Shelton%2C%20WA%2C%20USA

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

BPA proposes long-term deal for Intalco “…review and comment period is more than a formality: BPA administrator Steve Wright will have to weigh…comments seriously before making a final decision on the matter…” (The Bellingham Herald, WA)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/latestheadlines/story/599970.html

News Release – BPA seeks public comment on proposed agreement with Alcoa (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/232076/

Static in the power line: Some in Jefferson County think PUD takeover of electricity service too costly (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20081012/NEWS/810129995

Port Angeles – Cross-Strait power transmission cable almost ready to go (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20081013/news/310139996

Lawmakers (Rep. Doc Hastings and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers) say dams producing renewable energy (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/346595.html

Heating bills: Will yours get bigger? Natural gas costs are expected to rise, while electricity bills will likely remain about the same (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20081012/NEWS01/710129867&news01ad=1

Oregon – NW Natural will ask for 14 percent residential rate rise: Home heating costs in central Oregon could see a 5 percent jump while rates may drop in the south (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1223697313194100.xml&coll=7

Texas – TXU Energy parent puts Hurricane Ike losses at about $25M (Quick.com)
http://www.quickdfw.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/101008dnbusefh.f6e5fac6.html

United Kingdom – Coal demand revives Welsh mines: Deep under a pine-covered mountain, men clamber into red overalls and heavy boots, strap on lamps and attach sensors that check gas levels (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008259905_coal13.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fisheries ruling to protect salmon, steelhead, Orcas also affects builders (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/616737.html

Salmon Spawning Above White Salmon’s Condit Dam First Time In 100 Years (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
http://www.cbbulletin.com/299084.aspx

Agencies Seek Lake Pend Oreille Drawdown Scenarios To Aid Kokanee, Bull Trout (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
http://www.cbbulletin.com/299081.aspx

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Outlook, Washington – Hidden Wells, dirty water (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/2008/10/11/hidden-wells-dirty-water

Some Dungeness River users to get more water than others in the future (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20081012/NEWS/810129989

Olympic National Park seeking comment on third treatment plant; proposal linked to Elwha Dam removal plan (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20081012/news/310129998

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Managing with wind and water – BPA - Elliot Mainzer takes the key role in developing energy agency policy on climate change, planning and renewables (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/122361992047050.xml&coll=7

Olympia’s regional wastewater utility to reuse gas for heating – Methane produced by plant will be converted to energy for new building (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/616604.html

Sewage Is Flush With Hidden Energy Potential, Speaker Says (Ha…Ha…Ha! Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/oct/11/speaker-sewage-holds-hidden-energy-potential/

Wind power purchase to help Benton Public Utilities (sic) District meet renewable energy mandate (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/345715.html

Oregon's green-collar work force prepares to switch on SolarWorld factory in Hillsboro –
The 480,000-square-foot plant stood idle for years until German company renovated it (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1223700909307470.xml&coll=7

Garbage will soon stop going to waste at Eastside landfill – Waste Management plans to turn methane gas from the East Wenatchee landfill into electricity starting in 2010 (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081011/NEWS04/710119858

Renewable energy added to WSU class list (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/348096.html

Biodiesel Producer Seeks More Investment – Imperium restructuring with new investment;
Key contract still waiting for official approval (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/382978_imperium13.html

CONSERVATION

Gadgets use a lot of power, but here are tips to save on energy costs (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_10709400?source=rss

Whatcom County couple has lived green for 26 years (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/507000.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate change may usher in different scene on Mount Rainier (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/348098.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Calfiornia – City of Lompoc looks to cut costs on broadband (The Lompoc Record, CA)
http://www.lompocrecord.com/articles/2006/02/21/news/news01.txt

FCC report negates free Internet interference claims (C/NET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10063866-94.html?tag=nl.e703

City of London gets blanket Wi-Fi (ZD-Net)
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/City-of-London-gets-blanket-Wi-Fi/0,130061791,139239370,00.htm?omnRef=http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/72205

GENERAL NEWS

Municipal Bonds Hurt By Credit Crisis (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95664754

Unwanted subdivisions are our modern-day ghost towns – Skamania County builder David Bennett figured developing a subdivision along the Columbia Gorge was a can't-miss opportunity… (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2008254629_danny11m.html

The Olympian to print in Tacoma (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/business/story/615567.html

Residents turn to stashes of jewelry to raise quick cash – Average payout about $140 for precious metals at event (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/business/story/615554.html

DIVERSIONS

Santas coming early to Indiana town to sign oath
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081012/ap_on_fe_st/odd_santa_claus_oath;_ylt=AmuxY00SLUI6HOagyClA5v3tiBIF

Woman accused of serving pot-laced cake to guest
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081011/ap_on_fe_st/odd_marijuana_cake;_ylt=Akn2eiJO8KKYSRyfpfKyzo7tiBIF

Cambodian couple saw house in half in divorce
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_odd_cambodia_unique_divorce;_ylt=Aios6tXELJ5sYKDZMvrcYEjtiBIF

Thieves make off with Austrian church organ pipes – To be sold as scrap
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081013/od_afp/austriametaltheftoffbeat_081013161457;_ylt=AtKrpm2TfxGKGDxOQgMW5U2gOrgF