Energy News Digest for November 5, 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)

- Jefferson PUD headed for authority to provide power
- Whidbey voters reject bid for public power – Skagit PUD proposal trailing slightly
- Jefferson County Election: Public power measure is passing
- Election Results
- Cowlitz County power outage delays release of county results
- In S.F., voters defeat Prop. H for city utility
- Clark Public Utilities Sees Slower Residential Customer Growth
- Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals – Snohomish County PUD, Et. Al vs. FERC
- Oregon – BPA proposes constructing line after 6-year delay
- Puget Energy Reports Third-Quarter 2008 Financial Results
- Jackson Prairie PSE Natural Gas Storage Expansion Complete
- TRAFFIC: BPA work to restrict I-82 south of Kennewick
- On the job with a Chelan PUD lineman
- Economic collapse puts salmon revival in jeopardy
- Search is on for Coho salmon-friendly streams
- Scotsman (UK) Op/Ed – Shun salmon to save seals
- Bathroom fixtures save water
- California is facing a water crisis
- SolarWorld union votes to strike
- Grays Harbor County PUD to spend $77 million on wind
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Offshore Wind Riding a Wave
- California’s Renewable power, alternative fuel measures fail
- Economy Shifts, and the Ethanol Industry Reels
- Pennsylvania – Customers of PPL Electric Utilities Taking Control of Electricity
- Canada to seek climate deal with Obama
- Not So Green: Voters Nix Most Environmental State Ballot Measures
- 100 Percent Rural Broadband Access, Study Finds
- Google Wins Big at FCC
- Cable companies, Verizon under investigation for pricing policies
- Gregoire triumphs as close race fails to materialize
- Tight race for Lands Commission, others win easily
- Heavy Rain Warning Prompts Flooding Concerns; Snow Also Expected

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Gauche • \GOE-SH\ • adjective – *1: lacking social experience or grace; also: not tactful: crude
2: crudely made or done

Alfredo was highly embarrassed by the gauche manners of his friend Frieda, whom he had invited to high mass at his church on Sunday. He could have ignored her secret snacking of raw garlic cloves during the service, but it was her lip smacking and burping that sent him over the edge.

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

Jefferson PUD headed for authority to provide power (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20081105/news/311059993

2-1 Margin – Whidbey voters reject bid for public power – Skagit PUD proposal trailing slightly (Whidbey Examiner, Coupeville, WA)
http://www.whidbeyexaminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=1877&TM=41849.73

Jefferson County Election: Public power measure is passing (Port Townsend Leader, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.ptleader.com/Main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=22287

In the race for John Whalen's seat on the Mason County PUD No. 3 Commission, Tom Farmer has a 590 vote lead on Doug Womack. Farmer has 51.43% of the vote or 8,139 votes while Womack has 47.7% or 7,549 votes.

For Mason County PUD No. 1 Commission, District Two, incumbent Ron Gold has just under 60% (59.94%) or 645 votes to challenger Tom Strong's 38.94% or 419 votes.

Peshastin Orchardist Carnan Bergren is outpacing Chelan County PUD commissioner Werner Janssen 52 to 48 percent.

It appears there will be a shift of power in the Grays Harbor PUD Board of Commissioners. Chairman Jim Eddy is trailing Russ Skolrood 56% to 43%.

Incumbent Hugh Haffner maintained a comfortable54.5% to 45.5% lead in the Clallam County Public Utility District District 2 against challenger, Bob Jensen of Port Angeles.

Ken McMillen had a small margin in the race against Jim Pivarnik for Jefferson County Public Utility District commissioner on Tuesday night. McMillen leads by 53% to Pivarnik’s 47%.

Benton County PUD Commissioner, District 2 – Jeff Hall: 16,613, Pat Tucker: 10,230

Grant County PUD Commissioner, District 3 – Don Long: 9,555, Randy Allred: 10,533

Grant County PUD Commissioner, At Large A – Tom Flint: 11,554, Sam A. Johnson: 7,656

Thurston County PUD, District 3 – Chris Stearns (60%) is leading Terence Artz (40%)

Clark Public Utilities Commissioner Byron Hanke has won a second six-year term on the electric and water utility board. He ran unopposed.

Jeffrey McClure (68%) will likely be the new member on the Whatcom County Public Utility District board. Defeats Robin Dexter (32%).

Snohomish County PUD Commissioner, Dist 1 – Dave Aldrich: 97,717, Bill Barnet: 34,426

Kitsap County PUD Commissioner, Dist 2 Lee F. Caldwell 39,276 Pete Favazza 19,412

Cowlitz County power outage delays release of county results (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/11/05//area_news/doc49111fbb481db901732561.txt

In S.F., voters defeat Prop. H for city utility (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/05/BATD13RC1Q.DTL&feed=rss.news

CLARK PUBLIC UTILITIES SEES SLOWER RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER GROWTH – Residential hook-ups with Clark Public Utilities grew to 166,298 in September, up from 164,008 in September 2007. The change represents a 1.39 percent annual increase in housing units in the county. Residential growth with the utility has slowed considerable from two years ago, when the hook-up rate was growing at an annual rate of more than 3 percent. (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals – Snohomish County PUD, Et. Al vs. FERC (Links to PDF File)
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/79A1ACCBBD3550E9882574F6005B1777/$file/0372511o.pdf?openelement

Oregon – BPA proposes constructing line after 6-year delay (East Oregonian, Hermiston, OR)
http://www.eastoregonian.info/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48&ArticleID=84754&TM=52367.77

Puget Energy Reports Third-Quarter 2008 Financial Results (MarketWatch)
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Puget-Energy-Reports-Third-Quarter/story.aspx?guid=%7B9A0DF4D1-878D-4178-80A6-1B795ECE2F4D%7D

Jackson Prairie PSE Natural Gas Storage Expansion Complete (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews/?Jackson-Prairie-PSE-Expansion-Complete=1&blockID=17155&feedID=410

TRAFFIC: BPA work to restrict I-82 south of Kennewick (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/372887.html?mi_email=Tri-City%20Herald_PM+%26+Breaking+News

On the job with a Chelan PUD lineman (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081105/NEIGHBORS/711059954

FISH & WILDLIFE

Economic collapse puts salmon revival in jeopardy (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/386402_salmon05.html

Search is on for Coho salmon-friendly streams (The World, Coos Bay, OR)
http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2008/11/04/news/doc4910a43c546e8856876114.txt

Scotsman (UK) Op/Ed – Shun salmon to save seals
http://news.scotsman.com/opinion/Shun-salmon-to-save-seals.4660790.jp

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Bathroom fixtures save water (Arizona Republic)
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2008/11/04/20081104tempegreen1103urinal.html

California is facing a water crisis (Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/opinion/ci_10896592

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

SolarWorld union votes to strike (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/article/20081105/BIZ01/711059954/-1/BIZ

Grays Harbor County PUD to spend $77 million on wind – Clallam, Mason and Pacific County PUDs may participate in the project (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/11/04/local_news/01news.txt

Energy Pulse Commentary – Offshore Wind Riding a Wave
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1860

California’s Renewable power, alternative fuel measures fail (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/04/MND813Q18V.DTL&tsp=1

Economy Shifts, and the Ethanol Industry Reels (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/business/05ethanol.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1225912087-CPq4Q0hlmERy5le5ZttOpQ

CONSERVATION

Pennsylvania – Customers of PPL Electric Utilities Taking Control of Electricity Use, Bills (Solanco News, PA)
http://www.solanconews.com/Features/2008/081105_PPL_customers.htm

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Canada to seek climate deal with Obama (The Toronto Star, Ontario)
http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/531128

Not So Green: Voters Nix Most Environmental State Ballot Measures (Wall Street Journal)
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/11/05/not-so-green-voters-nix-most-environmental-state-ballot-measures/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

100 Percent Rural Broadband Access, Study Finds (TMC-Net)
http://hosted-communications.tmcnet.com/topics/broadband-comm/articles/44483-100-percent-rural-broadband-access-study-finds.htm

Google Wins Big at FCC (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/11/04/google-wins-big-at-fcc-today/

Cable companies, Verizon under investigation for pricing policies (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/529081.html

GENERAL NEWS

Gregoire triumphs as close race fails to materialize (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/386451_governor05.html?source=rss

Tight race for Lands Commission, others win easily (Associated Press )
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_110408POB_results_wa_misc_KC.17fbc5a0e.html?npc

Heavy Rain Warning Prompts Flooding Concerns; Snow Also Expected (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/rss/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1225831296&archive=

DIVERSIONS

Teen compacted in Wis. garbage truck, survives
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081105/ap_on_fe_st/odd_teen_compacted;_ylt=ApZrt7QH1RtWOorBk1XlUajtiBIF

Illinois police take aggressive rooster into custody
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081104/ap_on_fe_st/odd_arrested_rooster;_ylt=AmAVwo_9HVff3_OUIp88l4ztiBIF

Woman arrested for calling Japanese police 7,177 times
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081105/od_afp/japancrimeoffbeat_081105135608

CNN 'beams up' virtual correspondent – “Help me Obi-Wan, you’re my only hope”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081105/od_afp/usvotemediatelevisioncnnoffbeat_081105011323;_ylt=AsJUHt4O7arY371nnfLwpkOgOrgF

Welsh road sign lost in translation
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081101/od_afp/britainwalestransportoffbeat_081101160708;_ylt=ApHZlNbu9o2uJ5Jp2YRHm3agOrgF