Energy News Digest for October 21, 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)

- PSE gets 50-year license for massive Baker River dam
- Exelon’s $6.2 Billion Bid for NRG Would Create Largest Power Utility in U.S.
- New Chelan PUD rates approved for April
- Tree limbs temporarily cut power for thousands of Cowlitz County PUD customers
- Auditor says Chelan County PUD Commission ballot error won’t affect election
- Candidates' energy plans like peas in a pod
- Lobbyist spending in Kansas doubles amid coal fight
- United Kingdom – Gordon Brown warns greedy energy suppliers to cut bills
- Federal judges hear salmon cases – Hatcheries, status of runs at issue
- Judges to decide if hatchery salmon should be part of EPA (sic) fish counts
- Deschutes water-pollution problems identified in study
- Washington Stormwater Issues Come Up for Review
- Weyco mulling its Cosmopolis mill options
- Alternative Energy Suddenly Faces Headwinds
- Economic Crisis Dims Alternative Energy Plans
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial – Clean energy: Impetus for action
- Canadian industry report cites wind power barriers
- Britain to miss wind energy targets without more money
- Run of River Power Advances 16 New British Columbia Hydroelectric Projects
- Siemens Helping City of Houston Save Energy in City Buildings
- Rivers Act as Transport for Huge Carbon Sinks
- Washington Post Editorial – Cap and Return: Fight the recession or fight global warming?
- Government report criticizes U.S. plans for carbon dioxide burial
- A Robot Network Seeks to Enlist Your Computer
- No Support for City Of Shelton Transportation Impact Fee
- Diploma mill questions hit State Patrol
- Robbers targeting grieving families
- Copper thefts leave youth sports scrambling for field time, answers

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Shunpike • \SHUN-pyke\ • noun – A side road used to avoid the toll on or the speed and traffic of a superhighway

“Well, sonny,” the wizened gas station attendant began. “If y’all wanna bypass Snoqualmie Pass to Seattle, you can take the scenic shunpike down 97 and cut over on 14 to I-5.” After shifting his quid of tobacco from one cheek to another, and expertly hitting a nearby cricket with spittle, he added, “of course, that’ll add about a half day’s drivin’, at least, to yer trip.”

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

PSE gets 50-year license for massive Baker River dam (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/10/20/daily2.html?ana=from_rss

Exelon’s $6.2 Billion Bid for NRG Would Create Largest Power Utility in U.S. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/business/21nuclear.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

New Chelan PUD rates approved for April (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081021/NEWS04/710219928

Tree limbs temporarily cuts power for thousands of Cowlitz County PUD customers (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/10/21/area_news/doc48fd38b45fd57294857349.txt

County Auditor says Chelan County PUD Commission ballot error won’t affect election (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081020/NEWS04/710219998

Candidates' energy plans like peas in a pod (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/21/MN6I13EAQ2.DTL&feed=rss.news

Lobbyist spending in Kansas doubles amid coal fight (Associated Press)
http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics/story/848062.html

United Kingdom – Gordon Brown warns greedy energy suppliers to cut bills (The Daily Mirror, UK)
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2008/10/21/gordon-brown-warns-greedy-energy-suppliers-to-cut-bills-115875-20823973/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Federal judges hear salmon cases – Hatcheries, status of runs at issue (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/384225_salmon21.html?source=rss

Judges to decide if hatchery salmon should be part of EPA (sic) fish counts (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008292096_websalmon21.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Deschutes water-pollution problems identified in study – Extensive report also offers suggestions to fix ailing watershed (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/628814.html

Washington Stormwater Issues Come Up for Review (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/oct/20/stormwater-issues-come-up-for-review/?partner=RSS

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Weyco mulling its Cosmopolis mill options – Evergreen Pulp missed a scheduled meeting Friday without explanation (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/10/20/local_news/02news.txt

Alternative Energy Suddenly Faces Headwinds (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/business/21energy.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

Economic Crisis Dims Alternative Energy Plans (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95924795&ft=1&f=3

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial – Clean energy: Impetus for action
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/384169_greened.html?source=rss

Canadian industry report cites wind power barriers (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=8f69aff0-9185-4eb6-b192-c58f92e17ac8&k=60824

Britain to miss wind energy targets without more money – Wind energy leaders will warn Gordon Brown that Britain will miss its renewable energy targets unless there is a huge increase in funding (The Telegraph, UK)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/3231059/Britain-to-miss-wind-energy-targets-without-more-money.html

Canada – Run of River Power Advances 16 New British Columbia Hydroelectric Projects (Canada Business)
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/cnw/article.jsp?content=20081020_080504_14_cnw_cnw

CONSERVATION

Siemens Helping City of Houston Save Energy in City Buildings (MarketWatch)
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/siemens-helping-city-houston-save/story.aspx?guid=%7B823CF70D-C056-4947-A464-B172F94F85B1%7D&dist=hppr

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Rivers Act as Transport for Huge Carbon Sinks – When it comes to carbon balance, some rivers are doing the world a favor (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/science/21obtyph.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Washington Post Editorial – Cap and Return: Fight the recession or fight global warming? Congress can do both
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/18/AR2008101801537.html?nav=rss_opinions

Government report criticizes U.S. plans for carbon dioxide burial (GristMill)
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/10/19/1237/7760

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

A Robot Network Seeks to Enlist Your Computer (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/21/technology/internet/21botnet.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

GENERAL NEWS

No Support for City Of Shelton Transportation Impact Fee (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/5343/reftab/1896/title/NO_SUPPORT_FOR_CITY_TRANSPORTATION_IMPACT_FEE__/Default.aspx

Diploma mill questions hit State Patrol – Nine troopers under investigation for possibly using fake diplomas to secure raises (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/628816.html

Robbers targeting grieving families (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_102008WAB_mourners_robbed_KC.132b6e871.html

Copper thefts leave youth sports scrambling for field time, answers (Cable News Network)
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/20/copper.theft/index.html

DIVERSIONS

Mom won't return 'Bunny Suicide' book
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/31662159.html

Snowmobile shopper finds his stolen rig on Craigslist
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20081021/NEWS01/710219860/-1/rss02

Mom Who Joined Cheerleading Squad Pleads Insanity
http://www.kirotv.com/news/17762617/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible

College Alums Miffed By 'Blah Blah' Fundraising Letter
http://www.kirotv.com/money/17769227/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible