Energy News Digest for December 2, 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)

- Pacific Power Holding Meeting To Discuss Proposed Transmission Line
- High Court Case Tests Power Plants' Water Rules
- Iowa - Supporters: Nuclear Power Plant Has Bright Future
- New Jersey Nuclear Plant Shut Down After Electric Problem
- Benton PUD Offering Development Loans
- On This Day: Enron Files the Largest Corporate Bankruptcy in US History
- Washington State Fish and Wildlife Chief Calls It Quits
- Canada - Controversial Power Project Ventures into Salmon Habitat
- Puget Sound 'Action Agenda' Unveiled
- New Tax District Proposed To Save Puget Sound
- Groups Sue to Block Lake Roosevelt Drawdowns
- Bellevue Utility to Spike Rates
- Wind Power Projects Struggling In Down Economy
- Massachusetts - US Backing Of Cape Wind Farm Could Come This Week
- The Energy Debates: Small Wind Power
- Massive Solar Installation Completed In Southern California
- Carbon Detectives Are Tracking Gases in Colorado
- Activists blast US at climate change talks
- Ex-Bad Boy China Praised At Climate Talks
- FCC to Mull Free Internet Plan
- Intel Joins $3.2B Clearwire Investment
- Regulators Hang Up On Cell Tower Eight Hour Power Backup Rules
- Texas - Tiered Broadband Trials Torment Beaumont
- Google Earth's Blind Spots
- Tough Times, Desperate Data Theft Measures
- Mason County Budget Deficit Now $600,000
- Counterfeiters Working In Mason County
- 3,400 WaMu jobs will be slashed in Seattle
- Online Greeting Card Scam Puts Damper on Holiday Cheer

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Prolix • \proh-LICKS\ • adjective – 1: unduly prolonged or drawn out: too long *2: marked by or using an excess of words

Like King Canute commanding the tides to stop surging to the shore, the moderator knew that his admonition to the speaker about brevity was a fruitless effort to stem an expected torrent of prolix prose. “What more can be said about the importance of mineral oil to the health of baby bottoms?” droned the loquacious after-dinner speaker. “What more indeed,” murmured his wife, who surreptitiously glanced at her watch after two hours of oratorical obfuscation…..

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

Pacific Power Holding Meeting To Discuss Proposed Transmission Line (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/9719

High Court Case Tests Power Plants' Water Rules (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97651580&ft=1&f=1001

Iowa - Supporters: Nuclear Power Plant Has Bright Future (Associated Press)
http://www.timesrepublican.com/page/content.detail/id/512620.html?nav=5002

New Jersey Nuclear Plant Shut Down After Electric Problem (Newsday)
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--nuclearplantshutd1201dec01,0,5107372.story

Benton PUD Offering Development Loans (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndo.com/Global/story.asp?S=9443573&nav=menu484_2_9

On This Day: Enron Files the Largest Corporate Bankruptcy in US History (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/business/On-this-Day--Enron-Files-the-Largest-Corporate-Bankruptcy-in-U-S--History.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Washington State Fish and Wildlife Chief Calls It Quits “…Many anglers believe that Koenings was weak on salmon conservation…” (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/682574.html

Canada - Controversial Power Project Ventures into Salmon Habitat: Critics say province has abandoned its duty to protect environment (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=3b0e3880-2232-4a06-b9c4-1f6662e28ec7&k=11194

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Puget Sound 'Action Agenda' Unveiled - Backers hope cleanup can be part of federal economic stimulus package (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/390223_sound02.html?source=rss

New Tax District Proposed To Save Puget Sound (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008458047_pugetplan02m.html

Groups Sue to Block Lake Roosevelt Drawdowns (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081202/NEWS04/712029982

Bellevue Utility to Spike Rates (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/35344729.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & CONSERVATION

Wind Power Projects Struggling In Down Economy (Oregon Public Radio)
http://news.opb.org/article/3678-wind-power-projects-struggling-down-economy/

Massachusetts - US Backing Of Cape Wind Farm Could Come This Week (Boston Globe, MA)
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2008/12/02/us_backing_of_wind_farm_could_come_this_week/

The Energy Debates: Small Wind Power (Live Science)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20081202/sc_livescience/theenergydebatessmallwindpower

Massive Solar Installation Completed In Southern California (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11115402?source=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Carbon Detectives Are Tracking Gases in Colorado (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/science/earth/02carb.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Activists blast US at climate change talks (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/12/02/international/i080932S60.DTL&feed=rss.business

Ex-Bad Boy China Praised At Climate Talks (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008458712_apeupolandclimatechina.html?syndication=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC to Mull Free Internet Plan (Reuters)
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/nm/20081202/wr_nm/us_fcc_freeinternet_2

Intel Joins $3.2B Clearwire Investment (San Jose Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/12/01/daily23.html?ana=from_rss

Regulators Hang Up On Cell Tower Eight Hour Power Backup Rules (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11114393?source=rss

Texas - Tiered Broadband Trials Torment Beaumont (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/12/01/tiered-broadband-trials-torment-beaumont/

Google's Blind Spots - Can governments get Google Earth to obscure images of sensitive locations? (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2205755/?from=rss

Tough Times, Desperate Measures - According to a new security survey, 58% of workers in the US have already downloaded sensitive company data in anticipation of being fired (Boston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2008/12/01/daily16.html?ana=from_rss

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County Budget Deficit Now $600,000; Residents Urge No More Cuts From Sheriff (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/5706/reftab/1896/Default.aspx?title=COUNTY_BUDGET_DEFICIT_NOW_$600,000;_RESIDENTS_URGE_NO_MORE_CUTS_FROM_SHERIFF_

Counterfeiters Working In Mason County (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/5707/reftab/1896/title/COUNTERFEITERS_WORKING_IN_MASON_COUNTY/Default.aspx

3,400 WaMu jobs will be slashed in Seattle - No branches in state are being closed (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/390155_wamu02.html?source=rss

Online Greeting Card Scam Puts Damper on Holiday Cheer (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/18181541/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news

DIVERSIONS

Americans Hail a Postman's Junk-Mail Jihad
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20081202/ts_csm/adonotmail

Police car stolen when officer leaves it running
http://www.examiner.com/a-1721181~Police_car_stolen_when_officer_leaves_it_running.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines

They Got Hurt How? Bizarre Athlete Injuries
http://www.kirotv.com/sports/18179096/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible

Casino says offer was mistake, tries to cover potential $29 million loss
http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2008-12-02-casino-error_N.htm?csp=34