Energy News Digest for December 18, 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)

- DSI Ruling from Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (Links to PDF File – 65 Pages)
- News Tribune Editorial – Cushman Power: Skokomish Tribe and Tacoma Power Users Both Win With This Deal
- Dam Relicensing Getting More Expensive
- Federal Power System Performing Well With Record Electricity Use in the Northwest
- A Lot of Juice Flowing to Keep Lewis County Homes and Buildings Warm
- During Cold Spell, Check In On Elderly Neighbors
- Energy Northwest Brightens Christmas for Head Start Children
- Utah Power Company Wants a Vote from Commission on Proposed Coal Plant
- California Regulators to Vote on San Diego Power Line
- French Utility to Buy 49.9% of Constellation Energy
- Palo Verde Nuke Worker Sentenced for Taking Software to Iran
- Boston Residents Warned About Power Outage Scam
- Banner Year Forecast For 2009 Columbia Basin Salmon
- Idaho Statesman Op/Ed – Terry Flores: Study On Salmon Survival Is Moving In The Right Direction
- Bellingham Herald Op/Ed - Science And Opportunity For Columbia/Snake Salmon
- Puget Sound's Future Still Murky
- $7.1 million awarded to protect wetlands – Includes Lynch Cove near Belfair and McMicken Island off Harstine
- Olympian Editorial - Environmental Lobby Sets Good Priorities
- News Tribune Editorial - Helping Grid Go Green Is Essential To Energy Future
- Wenatchee World Columnist - Green jobs? We know about it
- Chasing The Wind - Wind power amasses support, despite some controversy
- Tucson Electric Power Renewable-Energy Charge Going Up
- Imports Help Boost One State's Renewable Energy By 70%
- Renewable Energy Doing Well In Spain, Portugal
- Habits Help save Energy
- Scientists Call AP Report on Global Warming 'Hysteria'
- NY Times Op/Ed - Climate Policy: View from the ‘Murky Middle’
- Montana Regulators Approve Settlement with Qwest
- For the Web, Change All Sides Can Believe In
- Consumer Group Wants $44 Billion For U.S. Broadband
- S.F. Chronicle Editorial - Congress Should Preserve Net Neutrality
- Cable Companies Giving Free Equipment for Digital Move
- Rinse, Repeat, Wait: Bigger Storm Expected This Weekend
- Mason County Eliminates Jobs, Slashes Salaries to Balance Budget
- AP: Gov's Budget Suspends Kids' Health Plan
- Kittitas Mayor Resigns Due To Budget Stress
- How Port of Seattle Moved the Goalposts to Make A Contract Work For Lone Bidder
- LEGISLATURE: Mid-Columbia senators get committee assignments
- Obama Names Salazar as Secretary of Interior
- Praise and Criticism for Proposed Interior Secretary
- Interior Secretary Nominee Brings Western Experience
- Tacoma Man's Accounting System Mandated By the SEC for All Public Companies

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

WORD OF THE DAY

Nonplussed • \NON-plust\ • verb - To cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do: perplex

Barty’s aggressive questioning during trial left the hapless defense witness nonplussed. Although the man had been called as a character witness for the “Burger King”, Barty relentlessly peppered him with questions about “Ronald McDonald”, “Jack in the Box” and the “Taco Time Cactus”. “I don’t know any of those guys,” whined the harried witness.

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

DSI Ruling from Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (Links to PDF File – 65 Pages) “…We GRANT the Cooperative’s and Industrial Customers’ petitions as to the challenges they bring regarding BPA’s statutory authority to offer the aluminum DSIs and Port Townsend (through Clallam) energy at rates below both the IP rate and the market rate, and REMAND to the agency for determination of the applicability of the agreements’ severability and damage waiver provisions in light of our holdings…”
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/DB08C71F21C79825882575220001264F/$file/0575638.pdf?openelement

News Tribune Editorial – Cushman Power: Skokomish Tribe And Tacoma Power Users Both Win With This Deal
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/569887.html

Dam Relicensing Getting More Expensive (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=4737

Federal Power System Performing Well With Record Electricity Use in the Northwest (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/245598/

A Lot of Juice Flowing to Keep Lewis County Homes and Buildings Warm (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews/?A-Lot-of-Juice-Flowing-to-Keep-Homes-and=1&blockID=33554&feedID=410

During Cold Spell, Check In On Elderly Neighbors (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_121708WAB_cold_weather_seniors_SW.726d47e6.html

Energy Northwest Brightens Christmas for Head Start Children (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=9539413

Utah Power Company Wants a Vote from Commission on Proposed Coal Plant (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11256833

California Regulators to Vote on San Diego Power Line (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008534722_apdesertpowerline.html?syndication=rss

French Utility to Buy 49.9% of Constellation Energy (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/business/worldbusiness/18nuke.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Palo Verde Nuke Worker Sentenced for Taking Software to Iran (Phoenix Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/12/15/daily32.html?ana=from_rss

Boston Residents Warned About Power Outage Scam - Crews Working To Restore Power After Ice Storm (WCVB-TV, Boston, MA)
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/18281335/detail.html?taf=bos

FISH & WILDLIFE

Banner Year Forecast For 2009 Columbia Basin Salmon (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/3815-banner-year-forecast-2009-columbia-basin-salmon/

Idaho Statesman Op/Ed – Terry Flores: Study On Salmon Survival Is Moving In The Right Direction
http://www.idahostatesman.com/128/story/599231.html

Bellingham Herald Op/Ed - Science And Opportunity For Columbia/Snake Salmon
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/615/story/717740.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Puget Sound's Future Still Murky - Development, growth, runoff threaten gains (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/392681_sound18.html

$7.1 million awarded to protect wetlands – Includes Lynch Cove near Belfair and McMicken Island off Harstine (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008534282_webwetlands18m.html?syndication=rss

Olympian Editorial - Environmental Lobby Sets Good Priorities
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/702329.html

RENEWABLE ENERGY & CONSERVATION

News Tribune Editorial - Helping Grid Go Green Is Essential To Energy Future
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/571027.html

Wenatchee World Columnist - Green jobs? We know about it
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20081217/OP02/712179893/-1/OP

Chasing The Wind - Wind power amasses support, despite some controversy (The Portland Tribune, OR)
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=122955478461859800

Tucson Electric Power Renewable-Energy Charge Going Up (Arizona Star)
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/biz-topheadlines/272215.php

Imports Help Boost One State's Renewable Energy By 70% (The Industry Standard)
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/12/17/massachusetts-renewal-energy-nearly-doubles-one-year

Renewable Energy Doing Well In Spain, Portugal (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98435458&ft=1&f=3

Habits Help save Energy (Straight.com, Vancouver, BC)
http://www.straight.com/article-176307/habits-help-save-energy

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Scientists Call AP Report on Global Warming 'Hysteria' (Fox News)
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,468084,00.html

NY Times Op/Ed - Climate Policy: View from the ‘Murky Middle’
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/climate-policy-view-from-the-murky-middle/?hp

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Montana Regulators Approve Settlement with Qwest (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1749467~Montana_regulators_approve_settlement_with_Qwest.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines

For the Web, Change All Sides Can Believe In - Groups Differ on How to Pull Off Obama's Goal of Access for All (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/16/AR2008121602930.html?wprss=rss_business

Consumer Group Wants $44 Billion For U.S. Broadband - But again, plan skirts around and over the primary problem (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Consumer-Group-Wants-44-Billion-For-US-Broadband-99738

S.F. Chronicle Editorial - Congress Should Preserve Net Neutrality
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/18/ED4414PASG.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

Cable Companies Giving Free Equipment for Digital Move (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE4BF7I420081217?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology

GENERAL NEWS

Rinse, Repeat, Wait: Bigger Storm Expected This Weekend - Today’s forecast calls for more of the same as light snow and cold nights stick around (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/570973.html

Mason County Eliminates Jobs, Slashes Salaries to Balance Budget (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/dec/17/mason-county-eliminates-37-jobs-to-balance/?partner=RSS

AP: Gov's Budget Suspends Kids' Health Plan (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/36359599.html

Kittitas Mayor Resigns Due To Budget Stress (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/politics/18300025/detail.html

How Port of Seattle Moved the Goalposts to Make A Contract Work For Lone Bidder (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008533590_port18m.html

LEGISLATURE: Mid-Columbia senators get committee assignments (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/419766.html

Obama Names Salazar as Secretary of Interior - Coloradan Is Described as Moderate (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/17/AR2008121701589.html?hpid=topnews

Praise and Criticism for Proposed Interior Secretary (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/us/politics/18salazar.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Interior Secretary Nominee Brings Western Experience (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/3807-interior-secretary-nominee-brings-western-experience/

Tacoma Man's Accounting System, XBRL, Is Mandated By the SEC for All Public Companies (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/business/2008/12/17/tacoma_man_s_acocunting_system_xbrl_is_m

DIVERSIONS

Desert Playground Stunned By Snow - 7,000 Without Power In Vegas Area
http://www.kirotv.com/weather/18305389/detail.html

Serial Crank Caller in Canada Ordered to Seek More Therapy
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/world/americas/18canada.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Cologne Gone Wild - If you'd like to smell like Burger King
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081218/ap_on_fe_st/burger_king;_ylt=At7Qs7xIRNHwlzXICGkVT_PtiBIF

A Cat Called Hope - Woman's 3-legged cat returns after 7-week search
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081218/ap_on_fe_st/odd_cat_quest;_ylt=AkauDDWwosvtPh88BrjojoXtiBIF

1,500 parakeets rescued from 2-room apartment
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081218/ap_on_fe_st/odd_germany_parakeets;_ylt=AtSRdda9PRtRVe6i8sTjM8ftiBIF