Energy News Digest for December 16, 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)

- Dec 16 Update – Electricity Restored to Area North of Shelton
- Cushman Dam Deal Close after Most Of A Century
- With High Winds Be Prepared for Power Outages
- Energy secretary nominee boon to PNNL
- Obama Announces Energy And Environment Team
- No Agreement On Spring Chinook Allocation
- California - Chinook Count Falls In Russian River: Fewer Fish Returning To Spawn
- California - Feds Advise Water Cutbacks To Save Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Fish
- High court rejects appeal by Hanford contractors
- Environmental Group Seeks Clarity on Stock Watering Issue
- Siemens to Pay $1.34 Billion in Fines
- Puget Sound Energy In Deal To Develop New Wind Facilities
- Florida - High Cost, Inconsistent Permitting Processes Slow Solar Energy Use
- Alabama - TVA working to meet Obama's energy goals
- La Nina Cools World, Making 2008 10th-Warmest Year
- Global-warming study shows grim future for ski resorts
- Global warming outlook dire for Rogue Valley
- Goose Eggs Could Get Polar Bears Through Global Warming
- Alaska’s Internet Speed Ranks Among Lowest In Nation
- NY Times Editorial - Mr. Obama’s Internet Agenda
- 'Clear' Officially Hits Portland January 6
- Startup banks on making money from free broadband
- Free Broadband Plan Stirs Debate on Filtering
- Dell offers call center service based in North America - for a price
- More Snow Expected Across W. Wash. Midweek
- Cold weather brings potential dangers
- Several Admit To Cheating Manke Lumber Mill in Tacoma
- 27 People Suffer CO Poisoning In Bellingham

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

WORD OF THE DAY

prelapsarian • \pree-lap-SAIR-ee-un\ • adjective - Characteristic of or belonging to the time or state before the biblical fall of humankind

Amber and Bert walked hand in hand through the green and fragrant tunnel of vines and creepers in the verdant rain forest. Each was lost in thought. Amber in particular thought that the environment could have been like a prelapsarian Eden, heavy in romance and primitive love. Bert could only think of one thing, “Did I leave the iron on?”

From Merriam Webster Online Dictionary - "Prelapsarian" is the latest creation in the "lapsarian" family, which is etymologically related to Latin "lapsus," meaning "slip" or "fall." "Supralapsarian" is the firstborn, appearing in 1633 as a word for someone who held the belief that people were predestined to either eternal life or eternal death before the Creation and the Fall (the event in the Bible when Adam and Eve were forced to leave the Garden of Eden because they had sinned against God). Next in line is "sublapsarian," which refers to a person who adhered to the view that God foresaw and permitted the Fall and after the Fall decreed predestination to eternal life as a means of saving some of the human race. That word first appears in 1656 and was followed by its synonym, "infralapsarian," in distant 1731. "Postlapsarian," meaning "of, relating to, or characteristic of the time or state after the Fall," appeared two years later, and "prelapsarian" was delayed until 1879.

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

Dec 16 Update – Electricity Restored to Area North of Shelton (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=487

Cushman Dam Deal Close after Most Of A Century - Skokomish, Tacoma Power Might Settle (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/568844.html

With High Winds Be Prepared for Power Outages (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=9527751

Energy secretary nominee boon to PNNL (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/417831.html

Obama Announces Energy And Environment Team (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h776EhBm9MT8AWmnULEB5jp6pxCgD953FUA82

FISH & WILDLIFE

No Agreement On Spring Chinook Allocation (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_or_fish_allocation.html

California - Chinook Count Falls In Russian River: Fewer Fish Returning To Spawn; 2005 Spring Storms May Be To Blame (Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, CA)
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20081213/news/812130316

California - Feds Advise Water Cutbacks To Save Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Fish (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1746214~Feds_advise_water_cutbacks_to_save_delta_fish.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

High court rejects appeal by Hanford contractors (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008524053_webhanford15.html?syndication=rss

Environmental Group Seeks Clarity on Stock Watering Issue (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/12/15/news/doc4946dfa36d509680590717.txt

RENEWABLE ENERGY & CONSERVATION

Siemens to Pay $1.34 Billion in Fines - The company, which makes products ranging from wind turbines to trams, has been embroiled in a far-reaching corruption scandal (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008494911_apeugermanysiemens.html?syndication=rss

Puget Sound Energy In Deal To Develop New Wind Facilities (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/392246_pse16.html?source=rss

Florida - High Cost, Inconsistent Permitting Processes Slow Solar Energy Use (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2008/12/15/focus7.html?ana=from_rss

Alabama - TVA working to meet Obama's energy goals (The Times-Daily, Florence, AL)
http://www.timesdaily.com/article/20081215/ARTICLES/812150322/1011/NEWS?Title=TVA_working_to_meet_Obama_s_energy_goals

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

La Nina Cools World, Making 2008 10th-Warmest Year (Bloomberg News)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=aBhjvcCuoRzw&refer=canada

Global-warming study shows grim future for ski resorts (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2008526555_webskiresorts15.html

Global warming outlook dire for Rogue Valley (The Oregonian, Portland, OR)
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-28/1229437146217710.xml&storylist=orlocal

Goose Eggs Could Get Polar Bears Through Global Warming (Fox News)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,467246,00.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Alaska’s Internet Speed Ranks Among Lowest In Nation (Anchorage News Miner, AK)
http://newsminer.com/news/2008/dec/15/alaskas-internet-speed-ranks-among-lowest-nation/

NY Times Editorial - Mr. Obama’s Internet Agenda
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/opinion/16tue3.html?th&emc=th

'Clear' Officially Hits Portland January 6 - Though the company has been promoting the service for weeks (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Clear-Officially-Hits-Portland-January-6-99695

Startup banks on making money from free broadband (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11235960?source=rss

Free Broadband Plan Stirs Debate on Filtering (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/14/AR2008121401354.html?wprss=rss_technology

Dell offers call center service based in North America - for a price (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11233498?source=rss

GENERAL NEWS

More Snow Expected Across W. Wash. Midweek (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_121508WXB_snow_monday_LJ.65aafd02.html

Cold weather brings potential dangers (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_121508WAB_cold_weather_dangers_SW.680a010b.html?npc

Several Admit To Cheating Manke Lumber Mill in Tacoma (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18284550/detail.html

27 People Suffer CO Poisoning In Bellingham (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18291497/detail.html

DIVERSIONS

Man Decked The Halls With Stolen Santas, Cops Say
http://www.kirotv.com/news/18291394/detail.html

Woman goes to the pound and brings home 27 dogs
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081216/ap_on_fe_st/odd_too_many_dogs;_ylt=AgXEfAYTuCeT7SC.FVzle_TtiBIF

Gambler sues casino over $900 million binge
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081212/od_nm/us_crown;_ylt=AnZ3ErnCvaLoo3TPZHNUHhvtiBIF

Man accused of stealing fridge with urine samples “…gimme the fridge, or I’ll throw the samples at ya…” (Headline should have read: Fridge filled with urine samples stolen)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081216/ap_on_fe_st/odd_stolen_urine_sample;_ylt=AgllGerCJ5zGtUihlIvIwvvtiBIF