Energy News Digest for November 25, 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)

- Moody’s Investor Service Upgrades Mason County PUD No. 3 Bond Rating
- Tacoma Public Utility’s going to pay you for a change
- For WPUDA Building - Tacoma firms receive Design-Build award
- Texas - Many electric bills still a mess in the wake of Ike
- FERC issues four reliability orders to strengthen grid
- Conservation Groups Challenge Owl Recovery Plan
- Man's Plan Brings Salmon Back To Local Creeks
- Tougher State Law Means More Puget Sound Burn Bans
- Environmental Groups Target Former Alcoa Site’s Landfill
- Yesterday's Reynolds Metals pollution slows today's economy
- Allocating Water in North Idaho
- Tri-Cities in prime position to develop clean energy technologies
- Sun rising on California's power horizon
- Slump May Limit Moves on Clean Energy
- Six Electric cooperatives unite for Iowa wind farm
- Hot Home Wind Turbines You Can Actually Buy
- The Car of the Future - but at What Cost?
- Spain City Sets Up Solar Cemetery
- City Of Olympia Reduces Emissions
- Washington State Mussels Lose Out As Carbon Dioxide Changes Ocean
- Is it always greener to take public transportation?
- Internet access lags in rural areas in Montana
- Telcos Desperately Try To Keep Landlines Relevant
- 80% of Broadband Users Will Be Wireless By 2013
- Cause of Shelton Timber Bowl Fire Likely Electrical
- Operators of scorched Shelton bowling alley vow to rebuild

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Skullduggery • \skull-DUGG-ur-ree\ • noun - Underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; also: a devious device or trick

Unfortunately for the corporate leader, the skullduggery of his support staff had so undermined his credibility with the stockholders that everything he said at the annual meeting was met with loud peals of laughter. Initially he though that they were laughing along with him at some large, inside joke. That is, until his aide whispered in his ear, “Sir, they’re not laughing WITH you, they’re laughing BESIDE you. And that’s a BIG difference.”

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

Moody’s Investor Service Upgrades Mason County PUD No. 3 Bond Rating (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=482

Tacoma Public Utility’s going to pay you for a change - It will be Christmas in February for Tacoma Power customers (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/548416.html

For WPUDA Building - Tacoma firms receive National Design-Build award (Tacoma Daily Index)
http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1427663&more=0

Texas - Many electric bills still a mess in the wake of Ike (Houston Chronicle, TX)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6130962.html

FERC issues four reliability orders to strengthen grid (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=346294&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Conservation Groups Challenge Owl Recovery Plan (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/35062724.html

Man's Plan Brings Salmon Back To Local Creeks (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/35049784.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Tougher State Law Means More Puget Sound Burn Bans (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18051645/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news

Environmental Groups Target Former Alcoa Site’s Landfill (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20081125/NEWS02/711259958/-1/NEWS

Daily News Editorial - Yesterday's Reynolds Metals pollution slows today's economy (Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/11/25/editorial/doc492b3f7518cca274029096.txt

Allocating Water in North Idaho (NW Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4619

RENEWABLE ENERGY & CONSERVATION

Sen. Cantwell says Tri-Cities in prime position to develop clean energy technologies (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/395856.html

Sun rising on California's power horizon (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/25/BUVI14B645.DTL&feed=rss.business

Slump May Limit Moves on Clean Energy (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/world/25climate.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Six Electric cooperatives unite in historic support for Iowa wind farm (Lancaster Eagle Gazette)
http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20081124/UPDATES01/81124026

Hot Home Wind Turbines You Can Actually Buy - Plus One You Wish You Could (Treehugger.com)
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/11/five-home-wind-turbines-you-can-actually-buy.php

The Car of the Future - but at What Cost? Hybrid Vehicles Are Popular, but Making Them Profitable Is a Challenge (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/24/AR2008112403211.html?nav=rss_email/components

Spain City Sets Up Solar Cemetery - Solar panels are carefully angled to make them less obtrusive to families: A Spanish city has found an unusual place to generate renewable energy - the local cemetery (BBC)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7745673.stm

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

City Of Olympia Reduces Emissions (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/living/story/673761.html

Washington State Mussels Lose Out As Carbon Dioxide Changes Ocean (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97412198&ft=1&f=1001

Trains vs. Planes vs. Automobiles - Is it always greener to take public transportation? (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2205330/?from=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Internet access lags in rural areas in Montana (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/11/25/financial/f072147S44.DTL&feed=rss.business

Telcos Desperately Try To Keep Landlines Relevant (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Telcos-Desperately-Try-To-Keep-Landlines-Relevant-99299

Ericsson: 80% Of Broadband Users Will Be Wireless By 2013 (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Ericsson-80-Of-Broadband-Users-Will-Be-Wireless-By-2013-99286

GENERAL NEWS

Cause of Shelton Timber Bowl Fire Likely Electrical (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/5661/reftab/1632/title/CAUSE_OF_TIMBER_BOWL_FIRE_LIKELY_ELECTRICAL/Default.aspx

Operators of scorched Shelton bowling alley vow to rebuild (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/35030059.html

DIVERSIONS

NY Public Toilets Feature TVs, Tuxedoed Attendants
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18050724/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible

Caught Snapping - That Cell May Be a Steal, but Don't Shoot Yourself in the Face
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/21/AR2008112103612.html?nav=rss_technology

Seuss lawyers stop holiday Who-ville in Louisville
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2008433395_webwhoville25.html?syndication=rss

Man Wins Two Cars In 10 Days - Luck Includes NFL Tickets From Drawing
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/18143132/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible