Energy News Digest for July 1, 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 County PUD – Valid petition signatures lead toward November election
- Oregon utility bills expected to jump
- P-I Columnist, Bill Virgin – Does foreign ownership matter?
- Tri-City Herald Opinion – Little wonder Areva didn't choose Washington for nuclear enrichment plant
- Western governors, utility heads seek energy solutions
- Auditors: Nuclear plants not following fire rules
- CALIFORNIA – More falsified documents investigated at San Onofre nuclear power plant
- NEW YORK – Con Ed leads workers off job sites after deal deadline, union says
- FERC Chairman comments on current and future state of regional wholesale electricity markets
- ALASKA – Weak runs of king salmon alarm, puzzle biologists
- Two Makah whalers sent to prison
- Chinook closed above Bonneville - Season had been scheduled to run through the end of the month
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game to close salmon fishing
- Hundreds of fish tunnels need to be unclogged
- IDAHO – US Supreme Court refuses to hear case of developer who violated water act
- Canary in a tux? Penguin woes signal sea problems
- Hood Canal Scientists Announce Oxygen Study Findings
- People helping to suffocate Hood Canal, scientists say
- Seattle Times Opinion – Boost Puget Sound to a higher profile
- Black Rock reservoir alternatives get closer look
- MONTANA – Flathead Lake weather at last: Melting snowpack bringing water levels near full pool
- Seattle Times Guest Columnist – Stories of the ocean go well beyond the beach
- Young couple caught skinny-dipping in Portland water reservoir
- Careers in wind flow into gorge
- Finding a Second Life for Retired Wind Turbines
- CALIFORNIA – Massive solar plan is linked to San Diego Gas & Electric
- Ausra's Las Vegas solar thermal plant comes online
- Weather Risks Cloud Promise of Biofuel
- San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed – Biofuels help meet U.S. energy goals
- PENNSYLVANIA – Green energy in, cost cutting out
- Shedding Light: Conservation program helps St. Vincent de Paul save money
- Energy-saving light bulbs have many perks
- ALABAMA – Birmingham Cuts Work Week To Save Energy Costs
- CANADA – Carbon tax boosts gas prices starting today
- Georgia Judge Cites Carbon Dioxide in Denying Coal Plant Permit
- Idaho Statesman Opinion – Our view: The greenhouse gas debate is over. It's time for action
- EBay Ordered to Pay $61 Million in Sale of Counterfeit Goods
- Yahoo takes its defense against Icahn to investors
- Hang up and drive: Ban on hand-held cell phones begins
- Man arrested for scrap metal theft
- Meeting On Parking In Downtown Shelton Set
- Moody's says personnel fail to follow guidelines
- State Senator Val Stevens' campaign signs burned
- Real Estate: How Gas Prices Are Affecting the Suburbs
- CALIFORNIA – Battle brews over raiders of recycling bins
- OREGON – Clatskanie hoopsters settle suit over player-coach spat

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Raconteur • \rack-on-TURR\ • noun – A person who excels in telling anecdotes

Never at a loss for words, Bertha was considered the company’s foremost raconteur. She could tell stories about her work with regional transmission organizations that would make people’s hair curl. Her downfall was chit-chat on everyday, mundane happenings. She just couldn’t talk about her children or social life without tying them into some anecdote about electricity and transmission capacity.

WEATHER

Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944

(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Jefferson County PUD – Valid petition signatures lead toward November election on East Jefferson electricity future (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080701/NEWS/807010305

Oregon utility bills expected to jump – consumers can expect to pay more for power as regional utilities buy expensive wholesale electricity to meet rising customer demand while investing heavily to meet renewable energy (The Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1467038~Oregon_utility_bills_expected_to_jump.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines

P-I Columnist, Bill Virgin – Does foreign ownership matter? The proposed purchase of Bellevue-based Puget Energy Inc. continues to prompt unhappiness among the utility's customers in Western Washington (Seattle WA)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/369020_virgin01.html?source=rss

Tri-City Herald Opinion – Little wonder Areva didn't choose Washington for nuclear enrichment plant
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/227143.html

Western governors, utility heads seek energy solutions – Say transmission key to meeting region's energy needs (The Associated Press)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080701/western_governors.html?.v=1

Auditors: Nuclear plants not following fire rules – Operators of nuclear power plants have yet to comply with some of the government's fire safety rules three decades after they were issued, a congressional report said Monday (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008025949_apreactorsfire.html?syndication=rss

CALIFORNIA – More falsified documents investigated at San Onofre nuclear power plant – Officials say there is no safety concern (North County Times, Escondido, CA)
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/06/28/news/coastal/oceanside/z479b66a2869a9481882574750060d7e3.txt

NEW YORK – Con Ed leads workers off job sites after deal deadline, union says (New York Daily News)
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/06/29/2008-06-29_con_ed_leads_workers_off_job_sites_after.html

News Release – FERC Chairman Joseph T. Kelliher comments on current and future state of regional wholesale electricity markets (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/statements-speeches/kelliher/2008/07-01-08-kelliher.asp

FISH & WILDLIFE

ALASKA – Weak runs of king salmon alarm, puzzle biologists – Fishery managers struggle to explain smaller runs on Yukon, elsewhere (Anchorage Daily News, AK)
http://www.adn.com/money/industries/fishing/story/449953.html

Two Makah whalers sent to prison (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080701/NEWS/807010308

Chinook closed above Bonneville - Season had been scheduled to run through the end of the month, but high angler numbers and success rates exhausted the allowed total catch (The Statesman Journal, Salem, OR)
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080701/OUTDOORS/807010321/1034/SPORTS

Idaho Department of Fish and Game to close salmon fishing on Little Salmon, sections of Clearwater by Tuesday (The Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/110/story/429587.html

Hundreds of fish tunnels need to be unclogged (The Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080629/NEWS01/790304974/-1/RSS02

IDAHO – US Supreme Court refuses to hear case of developer who violated water act (The Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/423585.html

Canary in a tux? Penguin woes signal sea problems (The Associated Press, via the Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP07012008news335280.cfm

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Hood Canal Scientists Announce Oxygen Study Findings (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/jun/30/hood-canal-scientists-announce-findings/

People helping to suffocate Hood Canal, scientists say – People drawn to the beauty of Hood Canal are helping suffocate the very waters that brought them here (The Seattle Times, WA)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008026792_hoodcanal01m.html?syndication=rss

Seattle Times Opinion – Boost Puget Sound to a higher profile – Raise Puget Sound's profile in Congress to match the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay and the Everglades (Seattle, WA)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2008026240_pugeted01.html?syndication=rss

Black Rock reservoir alternatives get closer look (The Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/5397

MONTANA – Flathead Lake weather at last: Melting snowpack bringing water levels near full pool (The Missoulian, MT)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/07/01/news/mtregional/news06.txt

Seattle Times Guest Columnist – Stories of the ocean go well beyond the beach (Seattle, WA)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008026242_oceanoped01.html?syndication=rss

Young couple caught skinny-dipping in Portland water reservoir (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/368972_skinnydipping01.html?source=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Careers in wind flow into gorge (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/06/07012008_Careers-in-wind-flow-into-gorge.cfm/

Finding a Second Life for Retired Wind Turbines (Renewable Energy World Online)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52888&src=rss

CALIFORNIA – Massive solar plan is linked to San Diego Gas & Electric – Proposed plant would power 500,000 homes in San Diego (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080701-9999-1b1solar.html

Ausra's Las Vegas solar thermal plant comes online (CNET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9980815-54.html

Weather Risks Cloud Promise of Biofuel (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/business/01weather.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed – Biofuels help meet U.S. energy goals
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/01/EDNR11F0AG.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

PENNSYLVANIA – Green energy in, cost cutting out (The Patriot News, Harrisburg, PA)
http://www.pennlive.com/news/patriotnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1214870117244180.xml&coll=1

CONSERVATION

Northern Wasco County PUD – Shedding Light: Conservation program helps St. Vincent de Paul save money, improve conditions (The Dalles Chronicle, OR)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2008/06/news06-30-08-01.shtml

Energy-saving light bulbs have many perks (KXAN-TV, Austin, TX)
http://www.kxan.com/Global/story.asp?S=8581774

ALABAMA – Birmingham Cuts Work Week To Save Energy Costs (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92060051&ft=1&f=3

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

CANADA – Carbon tax boosts gas prices starting today (The Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=7d43b7cf-cd2e-487e-b79a-0d5d81fcdb9c

Georgia Judge Cites Carbon Dioxide in Denying Coal Plant Permit (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/business/01coal.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1214926569-J2Cp24z+cI/da4S7NjezDw

Idaho Statesman Opinion – Our view: The greenhouse gas debate is over. It's time for action (Boise ID)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/story/428299.html

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

EBay Ordered to Pay $61 Million in Sale of Counterfeit Goods (The NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/technology/01ebay.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1214927160-KghBdcoGUSxg0HJrxOu1cQ

Yahoo takes its defense against Icahn to investors – Yahoo began pressing a case to major shareholders Monday that its board and management deserve a chance to prove they made the right move (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times, WA)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008026635_msyahoo01.html?syndication=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Hang up and drive: Ban on hand-held cell phones begins (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, WA)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/horsey/viewbydate.asp?ID=1783

Man arrested for scrap metal theft (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/06/30/news/news03.txt

Meeting On Parking In Downtown Shelton Set (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/selectmoduleid/3468/ArticleID/384/reftab/1896/Default.aspx

Moody's says personnel fail to follow guidelines – Credit ratings agency Moody's Investors Service said Tuesday it began disciplinary proceedings against workers involved in reviewing certain European debt ratings. (The Seattle Times, WA)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008027171_apmoodysreview.html?syndication=rss

State Senator Val Stevens' campaign signs burned (The Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080701/NEWS01/24217272/-1/RSS02

Real Estate: How Gas Prices Are Affecting the Suburbs – Will higher commuting costs kill the suburbs? (Newsweek Magazine)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/144114?from=rss

CALIFORNIA – Battle brews over raiders of recycling bins – Scavengers trolling for glass, metal and other resalable materials (San Francisco Chronicle, CA)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/30/MNVI11GE90.DTL&feed=rss.news

OREGON – Clatskanie hoopsters settle suit over player-coach spat (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/07/01//area_news/10307223.txt

ELEPHANTS ON ACID - DIVERSIONS

Canada Truck Crash Turns Honeybee Cargo into Sting Operation
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/June-08/Canada-Truck-Crash-Turns-Honeybee-Cargo-into-Sting-Operation.html

Some fear debut of powerful atom-smasher: Will it spawn a black hole that could swallow Earth?
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/06/30/doomsdaycollider.ap/index.html?eref=ib_topstories

Massive Catfish Chokes On Soccer Ball In German Canal
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/16760131/detail.html