Energy News Digest for December 15, 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)

- Dams, Wind, Power and Politics. Who should lead the Bonneville Power Administration
- Cowlitz PUD Approves Budget, Expects No Rate Increases for 2009
- Grays Harbor County PUD Votes Monday on Budge
- Whidbey PUD Proposal May Come Back Before Voters
- Snohomish County PUD Locks In Electricity Contract With Bonneville
- Oregon – 217-Mile Natural Gas Pipeline in Feds’ Hands
- Trees Endangering Power Poles High On His List
- Hundreds Attend Meeting on Uranium Enrichment in Idaho Falls
- Maryland - No Turning Back: Energy Re-Regulation Too Costly
- Texas - Report: Electric Deregulation Proves Costly
- S.F. Chronicle Editorial - Return of Energy Deregulation in California?
- Connecticut - Electricity Consultant Bilked Towns, Schools into Overpayments
- Obama Makes Promising Pick For Energy Secretary
- “Energy Czar” Makes Statement about Obama’s Future Energy Policy
- Forecast Suggests Huge Spring Chinook Run For Columbia River
- Washington Defers Action on Chinook Plan with Oregon
- Washington State Awards $19.8 Million to Protect Salmon
- Healthy Salmon Runs On Other Rivers Raise Questions About The Sacramento River
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Op/Ed - Salmon Recovery Comes Of Age
- Our Northwest Water Part Four: Salmon
- Salmon Won’t Be a Player in Bush’s Latest Endangered Species Rule Change
- Eat-More-Fish Plan Is Criticized By EPA
- Grand Mound Gets New Water Rights
- EPA Exempts Farms from Reporting Manure's Toxic Fumes
- With Some Work, Capitol Lake Dam to last 50 Years
- NW Power Grid Could Be Part of Job Growth
- Iowa – Transmission Poses Obstacle to Wind Power
- Clark County Adds 618 Solar Panels
- Oregon - Biodigester Will Make Fuel from Cow Pies
- Heat From Underneath - Klamath Falls plans to replace geothermal lines
- Up on the Roof, New Jobs in Solar Power
- Solar Heaters Make "Free" Energy
- Sacramento didn't check out group behind proposed energy plant
- The UK: The Next Great Bastion of Solar Policy?
- Despite All Their Promise, Green Companies Are Awash In Red Ink
- Bright Ideas to Lower Bills - Energy Efficiency
- More Businesses See Holiday Savings from LEDs
- Governor Favors Mostly Free Permits for Greenhouse Gas Polluters
- Concern for Climate Change Defines US Energy Dept. Nominee
- Obama to Name Climate, Environment Team
- Sabey buys land in Quincy for Data Center
- Buyers Should Research Prospective Neighborhoods' Internet Options
- FCC Cancels Vote on Nationwide Free Wireless
- Australia to Test National Web Filter to Block Banned Content
- Some Comcast Customers Will Get New Boxes
- Google Accused of Turning Its Back On Net Neutrality
- Frigid Temperatures Forecast All Week
- Congressman Hastings Says His New Post Could Benefit Washington


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

WORD OF THE DAY

Bohemian • \bo-HEE-mee-un\ • noun - 1a: a native or inhabitant of Bohemia b: the group of Czech dialects used in Bohemia 2a: vagabond, wanderer; especially: gypsy b: a person (as a writer or an artist) living an unconventional life usually in a colony with others

Barnabas thought he was living life to the Bohemian fullest: rooming with four guys; drinking Jagermeister each night with wild abandon; blogging incoherently about anything and everything that popped into his febrile mind; rolling out of bed, bleary-eyed the following morning to raise the dough for rent ant Top Ramen. His distraught mother put his it more succinctly: “My son? He’s living like a bum.”

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

Oregonian Editorial - Dams, Wind, Power and Politics. Who should lead the Bonneville Power Administration into a bold new era of green energy? Why not Steve Wright?
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2008/12/dams_wind_power_and_politics.html

Cowlitz PUD Approves Budget, Expects No Rate Increases for 2009 (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/12/13/area_news/doc4941e2efaabb3524572322.txt

Grays Harbor County PUD Votes Monday on Budget (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/12/14/local_news/10news.txt

Whidbey PUD Proposal May Come Back Before Voters (South Whidbey Record)
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/swr/news/36079549.html

Snohomish County PUD Locks In Electricity Contract With Bonneville - A utility commissioner figures the deal with Bonneville with save customers $3 billion over 17 years (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20081215/NEWS01/712159874

Oregon – 217-Mile Natural Gas Pipeline in Feds’ Hands: Pipeline would cross national forest and scenic rivers, including Deschutes (Bend Bulletin, OR)
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081213/NEWS0107/812130391/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01

Trees Endangering Power Poles High On His List - Change in notification for tree trimming proposed (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/12/13/local_news/09news.txt

Hundreds Attend Meeting on Uranium Enrichment in Idaho Falls (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/695786.html

Maryland - No Turning Back: Energy Re-Regulation Too Costly, Maryland Panel Says (Baltimore Sun, MD)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.psc12dec12,0,2320156.story

Texas - Report: Electric Deregulation Proves Costly (Dallas Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2008/12/08/daily46.html?ana=from_rss

S.F. Chronicle Editorial - Return of Energy Deregulation in California?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/12/ED6F14MF8T.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

Connecticut - Electricity Consultant Bilked Towns, Schools into Overpayments, AG Says (The Journal-Inquirer, Manchester, CT)
http://www.journalinquirer.com/articles/2008/12/13/business/doc49428943d8c6a979648088.txt

Obama Makes Promising Pick For Energy Secretary (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/414037.html

“Energy Czar” Makes Statement about Obama’s Future Energy Policy (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/politics/2008/December/Energy-Czar-Makes-Statement-About-Obama-s-Future-Energy-Policy.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Forecast Suggests Huge Spring Chinook Run For Columbia River (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/12/13/this_day/doc4941ad5ad6f97319173147.txt

Washington Defers Action on Chinook Plan with Oregon (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/36111439.html

Washington State Awards $19.8 Million To Protect Salmon (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/stategovernment/story/698846.html

Healthy Salmon Runs On Other Rivers Raise Questions About The Sacramento River “…fall Chinook runs on the Klamath and Columbia rivers - the next two major river systems north - appear to be healthy…”
http://www.redding.com/news/2008/dec/14/healthy-salmon-runs-on-other-rivers-raise-about/

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Op/Ed - Salmon Recovery Comes Of Age
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/391932_sundaysalmon14.html

Our Northwest Water Part Four: Salmon (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4702

Salmon Won’t Be a Player in Bush’s Latest Endangered Species Rule Change (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081212/NEWS03/712129957

Eat-More-Fish Plan Is Criticized By EPA (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2008512848_merc14.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Grand Mound Gets New Water Rights - A settlement agreement will allow Thurston County to move forward with major purchases of water (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/rss/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1229169975&archive=

EPA Exempts Farms from Reporting Manure's Toxic Fumes (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1229138714178320.xml&coll=7

With Some Work, Capitol Lake Dam to last 50 Years (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/696556.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & CONSERVATION

NW Power Grid Could Be Part of Job Growth (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/698863.html

Iowa – Transmission Poses Obstacle to Wind Power (Des Moines Register, IA)
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20081213/BUSINESS/812130328/-1/ENT06

Clark County Adds 618 Solar Panels - Energy-saving package costs taxpayers nothing up front (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20081212/NEWS02/712129943/-1/NEWS

Oregon - Biodigester Will Make Fuel from Cow Pies (Oregon public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/3772-biodigester-will-make-fuel-cow-pies/

Heat From Underneath - Klamath Falls plans to replace geothermal lines (Herald and News, Klamath Falls, OR)
http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2008/12/11/featured_story/doc4940c60f884e9777123744.txt

Up on the Roof, New Jobs in Solar Power (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/jobs/14starts.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Solar Heaters Make "Free" Energy (WMAZ, Macon, GA)
http://www.13wmaz.com/article/20081212/NEWS01/81212021/1005&referrer=NEWSFRONTCAROUSEL

Energy from Garbage - Sacramento didn't check out group behind proposed energy plant (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18280172/detail.html?treets=sea&tid=2653595907813&tml=sea_7am&tmi=sea_7am_-1_09000112152008&ts=H

The UK: The Next Great Bastion of Solar Policy? (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/reinsider/story?id=54168&src=rss

Enviro Economics - Despite All Their Promise, Green Companies Are Awash In Red Ink (Newsweek Magazine)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/174063?from=rss

Bright Ideas to Lower Bills - Energy Efficiency: Many Small Steps Can Make Big Differences (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/storylife.php?subaction=showfull&id=1229103147&archive=&start_from=&ucat=2&

More Businesses See Holiday Savings from LEDs (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/12/HO7C14CTSN.DTL

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Governor Favors Mostly Free Permits for Greenhouse Gas Polluters (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008507759_greenhouse13m.html

Concern for Climate Change Defines US Energy Dept. Nominee (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/12/12/ST2008121200098.html

Obama to Name Climate, Environment Team (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98255017&ft=1&f=3

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Sabey buys land in Quincy - Company moves ahead with its plan to build a data center near Quincy with a roughly $1.5 million land purchase (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/12/12/news/doc4942d04ce2e86522889323.txt

Nice View, but How's the WiFi? Buyers Should Research Prospective Neighborhoods' Internet Options (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/12/AR2008121201871.html?wprss=rss_technology

FCC Cancels Vote on Nationwide Free Wireless (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Cancels-Vote-On-Nationwide-Free-Wireless-99677

Australia to Test National Web Filter to Block Banned Content (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/world/asia/14australia.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Some Comcast Customers Will Get New Boxes - Expanded basic cable users affected (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/391989_cableswitch13.html?source=rss

Google Accused of Turning Its Back On Net Neutrality (C/NET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10122935-38.html?tag=nl.e703

GENERAL NEWS

Frigid Temperatures Forecast All Week (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18280172/detail.html?treets=sea&tid=2653595907813&tml=sea_7am&tmi=sea_7am_-1_09000112152008&ts=H

Congressman Hastings Says His New Post Could Benefit Washington (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081212/NEWS04/712129988

DIVERSIONS

Car Thief Found Guilty, Allegedly Leaves Courtroom In Stolen Truck
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/12/car_thief_found_guilty_alleged.html

Cat Envy? Neighbors' Custody Dispute Ends In Settlement
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2008/12/cat_reunion.html

KFC Workers Fired For Bathing in Sink - Photos Posted On Internet
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18248003/detail.html

Clean Your Plate or Pay Up At NYC Buffet - Manhattan Restaurant Implements Surcharge On Wasted Food
http://www.kirotv.com/money/18263530/detail.html