Energy News Digest for December 30, 2009

The Energy News Digest will be taking Thursday, December 31 off as it prepares for a raucous celebration on New Year’s Eve. It will return, sans hangover, on January 4. Best regards and well wishes to all for the new year.

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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

•  Update - All Electricity Restored in Highway 106 Outage West of Belfair

•  Grays Harbor PUD Power rates may rise 8%

•  Nearly Three Cents per Kwh - Kentucky Power Asks for Nearly 35 Pct Rate Hike

•  Idaho Power Plan to Sell Facilities to Cooperative Gets Hearing

•  Pacific Gas & Electric Customer Revolt May Threaten Rollout of Obama’s Smart Grid

•  Motion seeks to withdraw Va. power line request

•  Michigan Regulators OK Air Permit for Coal-Fired Power Plant

•  France-Based Areva Plans California Nuclear Plant

•  Australia Debates Plan to Build 10 Nuclear Reactors

•  Record Coho Returns Boost Columbia River Restoration

•  Washington State Closes Elk Archery Season after ‘Out of Hand’ Hunt

•  $10 Million for Coastal Wetlands in Washington & Oregon

•  Washington State Proposes Lifting Groundwater Rule

•  Snowpack Thin Across Idaho So Far

•  It’s Legal to Collect Your Own Rain

•  The Lake Effect - What new research about how dams affect rainfall says about man-made climate change

•  Supporters Tout Unified US Renewable Energy Standard

•  Wal-Mart, Others Make Money on Oregon’s Energy Tax Credits

•  Solar Power’s Popularity Spikes in Washington State

•  California’s Renewable Pipeline Hits Nearly 70 GW

•  Ice Risk for London’s Olympic Wind Turbine

•  Nebraska Ethanol Plant Draws $30M at Bankruptcy Sale

•  Glowing Walls Could Kill Off the Light Bulb

•  North Dakota Lawsuit Likely Over Minnesota Carbon Dioxide Tax

•  Eco-Officers Are Moving Into Executive Suites

•  Would-be copper thief disrupts cable service for Issaquah customers

•  Additional Guilty Plea by Hacker in Thefts

•  Google’s 2009: A Glimpse of the Web’s Next Decade

•  Shelton Man to Be Sentenced on Voyeurism Charges

•  Travelers Should Brace for Mountain Snow

•  Dogs Rescued from Illegal Taiwanese Meat Factory, Were Being Fattened Up to Be Eaten

•  Climate Control Matters Heat Up in Offices; Agreements Ease Friction

WORD OF THE DAY

Epilogue • \EPP-uh-logg\ • noun – 1: a concluding section that rounds out the design of a literary work 2a: a speech often in verse addressed to the audience by an actor at the end of a play; also: the actor speaking such an epilogue b: the final scene of a play that comments on or summarizes the main action 3: the concluding section of a musical composition: coda

As an epilogue to 2009, I will be sending out the pantingly anticipated 2009 words of the day compendium the first week of January. Once it has arrived in your trembling little paws, enjoy its oddness.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & 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

Update - All Electricity Restored in Highway 106 Outage West of Belfair (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=654

Grays Harbor PUD Power rates may rise 8% (Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/12/30/local_news/doc4b3ba39e43d94764667775.txt

Nearly Three Cents per Kwh - Kentucky Power Asks for Nearly 35 Pct Rate Hike (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010626471_apusrateincreasekentucky.html?syndication=rss

Idaho Power Plan to Sell Facilities to Cooperative Gets Hearing (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010634040_apusutilitysaleidahopower.html?syndication=rss

Pacific Gas & Electric Customer Revolt May Threaten Rollout of Obama’s Smart Grid (Bloomberg News)

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aR9dlqyk._NI

Motion seeks to withdraw Va. power line request (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010630643_apvamultistatepowerline.html

Michigan Regulators OK Air Permit for Coal-Fired Power Plant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010623988_apmicoalfiredplants.html?syndication=rss

France-Based Areva Plans California Nuclear Plant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010623930_apeufrancecaliforniaareva.html?syndication=rss

Australia Debates Plan to Build 10 Nuclear Reactors (The National, Australia)

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091230/FOREIGN/712299930/1135

FISH & WILDLIFE

Record Coho Returns Boost Columbia River Restoration - Pioneering strategy restores upper Columbia species from near extinction (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/437255/

Washington State Closes Elk Archery Season after ‘Out of Hand’ Hunt (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/80298137.html

$10 Million for Coastal Wetlands in Washington & Oregon (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010627149_aporwetlandsgrants.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Proposes Lifting Groundwater Rule (Associated Press)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/845829.html

Snowpack Thin Across Idaho So Far (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/1085120.html

It’s Legal to Collect Your Own Rain (Whidbey News-Times, Oak Harbor, WA)

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/wnt/lifestyle/80292867.html

The Lake Effect - What new research about how dams affect rainfall says about man-made climate change (Newsweek Magazine)

http://www.newsweek.com/id/228574

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Supporters Tout Unified US Renewable Energy Standard (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010638047_apuswindenergysouthdakota.html

Wal-Mart, Others Make Money on Oregon’s Energy Tax Credits (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/12/walmart_others_make_money_on_o.html

Solar Power’s Popularity Spikes in Washington State (Cooler Planet)

http://solar.coolerplanet.com/News/19532994-solar-power%27s-popularity-spikes-in-washington-state.aspx

California’s Renewable Pipeline Hits Nearly 70 GW - Proposed projects must clear regulatory hurdles (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2920194020091230?type=marketsNews

Ice Risk for London’s Olympic Wind Turbine - Engineers are trying to minimize the risk of the proposed wind turbine showering lumps of ice onto members of the public (New Civil Engineer)

http://www.nce.co.uk/ice-risk-for-olympic-turbine/5200156.article

Nebraska Ethanol Plant Draws $30M at Bankruptcy Sale (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010638361_apusethanolauctionnebraska.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Glowing Walls Could Kill Off the Light Bulb (The Times of London, UK)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article6970927.ece

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

North Dakota Lawsuit Likely Over Minnesota Carbon Dioxide Tax (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010627080_apndcarbonsuit.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Eco-Officers Are Moving Into Executive Suites (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-green-officers30-2009dec30,0,3283781.story?track=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Would-be copper thief disrupts cable service for Issaquah customers (Issaquah Press, WA)

http://www.issaquahpress.com/2009/12/29/would-be-copper-vandal-disrupts-cable-service-for-issaquah-customers/

Additional Guilty Plea by Hacker in Thefts (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/30/technology/internet/30hack.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Google’s 2009: A Glimpse of the Web’s Next Decade (Mashable.com)

http://mashable.com/2009/12/29/google-2009/

GENERAL NEWS

Shelton Man to Be Sentenced on Voyeurism Charges (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/80341897.html

Travelers Should Brace for Mountain Snow (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/weather/22089228/detail.html

Dogs Rescued from Illegal Taiwanese Meat Factory, Being Fattened Up to Be Eaten, Brought to Vancouver Island (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/life/Dogs+illegal+meat+factory+being+fattend+eaten+rescued+brought+Vancouver+Island/2387973/story.html

Climate Control Matters Heat Up in Offices; Agreements Ease Friction (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010627047_officehotcold30.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

State Patrol: Truck thief calls 911 when vehicle breaks down

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theblotter/2010626729_state_patrol_truck_thief_calls.html

Pot-Stuffed Teddy Bear Found at California Toy Store

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/12/28/national/a212408S35.DTL&feed=rss.news

HP Ink Costs More Than Human Blood

http://consumerist.com/2009/12/hp-ink-costs-more-than-human-blood.html

‘Thriller,’ Muppets among 25 in US film registry

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2010628701_apusclassicfilms.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Bette Midler with Jake Shimabukuro - In My Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i72bN_Pk5bM

Energy News Digest for December 29, 2009

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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Douglas County PUD - Wells Dam Relicensing Up to Feds

• Police Target Stolen Electricity to Cut Off Drug Suppliers

• New Substation - Power to McMinnville

• Mason PUD 3 Commission to Hold Pre-Conference Hearing on SEPA Appeal

• New Hampshire - Extended Outage at Seabrook Plant & Poor Wind Resource Will Affect FPL Group’s 2009 Adjusted Earnings

• Massachusetts, California Lose Challenge to Nuclear Pool Risk Report

• Heating-Oil Angels Hate to Ask, But ...

• More Talk than Progress in US Energy Policy

• Mason PUD 3 - January 6 Planned Power Outage for Oak Park/Hickory Ct Area

• Fishermen Don’t Like New Bar Rule

• Controversial Plan to Keep Sport Fishers from Cape Flattery Area Might Be Put on Hold

• California Man Pleads Not Guilty in Sea Lion Shooting

• San Francisco’s Famous Sea Lions Have Swum Away

• Idaho City’s Drinking Water Benefits from Stimulus

• County Commissioners Approve of Yakima Basin Water Plan

• Decaying Levees Magnify Green River Flood Risk

• New York - Turbine Collapse Draws Concern from Other Proposed Project Areas

• Watertown Daily Times Op/Ed - Rethinking Wind Tower Safety

• Rise of Wind Turbines Is a Boon for Rope Workers

• Puget Sound Energy Customers Make Solar Power Shine in Cloudy Economy

• $200B Expected for Smart-Grid Technology

• Democrats to White House: Drop Cap & Trade

• Carbon Capture Challenges Still Abound

• Climate Cover-Up - James Hoggan Talks About Global Warming

• Turning Emissions Disclosure into Business Virtue

• Down on the Farm, an Endless Cycle of Waste

• More Carbon Dioxide May Create a Racket in the Seas

• The Five Best Cities to Land a Green Job

• Utah Fiber Network - Yet Another Campaign to Crush Utopia

• Wyoming - Anatomy of a Rural Wireless ISP

• 2010 Bandwidth Explosion Expected, Demand for Fiber Will Skyrocket

• ISPs Trying to Scare You into Buying More Internets

• Will Microsoft Drive Cloud Revenues in 2010?

• Internet Use Growing Quickly Among Latinos, Survey Finds

• Search Switcheroo - Verizon’s New Motto: Why Not Be Evil?

• Broadcasters Battling for Cable Fees

• Bing, MSN Have Worst Two New Logos, Experts Say

• Ask.com: ‘What’s the Meaning of Life?’ (42)

• Wet Snow Possible in Some Areas of Western Washington This Afternoon

• Pierce County Deputy Kent Mundell Dies

• Public’s Help Requested to Identify Attempted Luring Suspect in Belfair

• Fort Lewis Soldier Accused in Home-Invasion Robbery

• New Oregon Law Attempts to Curb Metal Theft

• Cantwell Named Rising Political Star for 2010

• City of Shelton to Bill for Parking Spaces despite Not Knowing if Enforcement will continue

• Qwest Ending Death Benefits for Retirees in ‘10

• Low Bids Trimming Price Tag on Ryderwood Sewer Project

WORD OF THE DAY

Comity • \KOMM-uh-tee\ • noun –1a: friendly social atmosphere: social harmony b: a loose widespread community based on common social institutions c: comity of nations d: the informal and voluntary recognition by courts of one jurisdiction of the laws and judicial decisions of another 2: avoidance of proselytizing members of another religious denomination

For some, New Year’s Eve becomes a matter of diminishing marginal returns. Imbibing in adult beverages can free inhibitions and lead to comity at some parties. Unfortunately, when that “one drink too many” hits, some party-goers can become the feared “friendly drunk,” known for their close talking and the repeated “I LOVE you man!”

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & 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

Douglas County PUD - Wells Dam Relicensing Up to Feds (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/dec/28/wells-dam-relicensing-up-to-feds-douglas-puds/

Police Target Stolen Electricity to Cut Off Drug Suppliers (Dallas Morning News, TX)

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-drughouses_29met.ART.State.Edition2.4ba5391.html

New Substation - Power to McMinnville (Yamhill Valley News Register, OR)

http://www.newsregister.com/article/42725-power+mcminnville

Mason PUD 3 Commission to Hold Pre-Conference Hearing on SEPA Appeal (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=651

New Hampshire - Extended Outage at Seabrook Plant & Poor Wind Resource Will Affect FPL Group’s 2009 Adjusted Earnings (Your Renewable Energy News)

http://www.yourrenewablenews.com/extended+outage+at+seabrook+plant+and+poor+wind+resource+will+affect+fpl+group%27s+2009+adjusted+earnings_43932.html

Massachusetts, California Lose Challenge to Nuclear Pool Risk Report (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/12/28/23168.htm

Heating-Oil Angels Hate to Ask, But ... (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010618504_nicole29m.html?syndication=rss

More talk than progress in U.S. energy policy

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2009%2F12%2F29%2FBUP21B6I2N.DTL

Mason PUD 3 - January 6 Planned Power Outage for Oak Park/Hickory Ct Area (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=652

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fishermen Don’t Like New Bar Rule (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/12/28/local_news/doc4b3900586370a451256131.txt

Controversial Plan to Keep Sport Fishers from Cape Flattery Area Might Be Put on Hold (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091229/NEWS/312299995

California Man Pleads Not Guilty in Sea Lion Shooting (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010615853_apussealionshooting.html?syndication=rss

San Francisco’s Famous Sea Lions Have Swum Away (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2393417~San_Francisco_s_famous_sea_lions_have_swum_away.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Idaho City’s Drinking Water Benefits from Stimulus (NW Cable News)

http://www.nwcn.com/news/80260347.html

County Commissioners Approve of Yakima Basin Water Plan (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/12/28/county-commissioners-approve-of-yakima-basin-water-plan

Decaying Levees Magnify Green River Flood Risk (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010618727_levees29m.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

New York - Turbine Collapse Draws Concern from Other Proposed Project Areas (WKTV-TV, Utica, NY)

http://www.wktv.com/news/local/80212417.html

Watertown Daily Times Op/Ed - Rethinking Wind Tower Safety

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/section/blogs10

Rise of Wind Turbines Is a Boon for Rope Workers (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010618477_windworkers29.html

Puget Sound Energy Customers Make Solar Power Shine in Cloudy Economy (Earth-Times)

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/pse-customers-make-solar-power-shine-in-cloudy-economy,1102501.shtml

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

$200B Expected for Smart-Grid Technology (The Business Journal of Milwaukee)

http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/12/28/daily8.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Democrats to White House: Drop Cap & Trade (Politico)

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/national/80216752.html

Carbon Capture Challenges Still Abound (Power Engineering)

http://pepei.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=6&ARTICLE_ID=372099&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

Climate Cover-Up - James Hoggan Talks About Global Warming (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Bright-Green/2009/1228/James-Hoggan-talks-about-global-warming

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Turning Emissions Disclosure into Business Virtue (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/business/energy-environment/29degrees.html

Down on the Farm, an Endless Cycle of Waste (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/science/29manure.html

More Carbon Dioxide May Create a Racket in the Seas (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/science/earth/29obsound.html

The Five Best Cities to Land a Green Job (The Daily Green)

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/best-cities-green-jobs-461209

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Utah Fiber Network - Yet Another Campaign to Crush Utopia: Struggling operation faces criticism for ‘own your own fiber’ effort (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Yet-Another-Campaign-To-Crush-Utopia-106150

Wyoming - Anatomy of a Rural Wireless ISP

http://gigaom.com/2009/12/29/anatomy-of-a-rural-wireless-isp/

2010 Bandwidth Explosion Expected, Demand for Fiber Will Skyrocket (WebWire)

http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=110139

ISPs Trying to Scare You into Buying More Internets (Consumerist – Note the high likelihood of PG-13 language in comment section)

http://consumerist.com/2009/12/isps-trying-to-scare-you-into-buying-more-internets.html

Will Microsoft Drive Cloud Revenues in 2010? (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2009/12/28/will-microsoft-drive-cloud-revenues-in-2010/

Internet Use Growing Quickly Among Latinos, Survey Finds (Associated Press)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/business/story/843655.html

Search Switcheroo - Verizon’s New Motto: Why Not Be Evil? (NY Times)

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/verizons-new-motto-why-not-be-evil/

Broadcasters Battling for Cable Fees - The nearly billion-dollar battle between broadcasters & cable operators over programming fees has gone public (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/29/business/media/29cable.html

Bing, MSN Have Worst Two New Logos, Experts Say (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/189367.asp?source=pimail

Ask.com: ‘What’s the Meaning of Life?’ (42) - Search engine wants to unite everyday experts to answer that & other queries (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/1009417.html

GENERAL NEWS

Wet Snow Possible in Some Areas of Western Washington This Afternoon (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Wet-snow-possible-in-some-areas-of-W-Wash-this-afternoon-80280247.html

Pierce County Deputy Kent Mundell Dies (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/1009114.html

Public’s Help Requested to Identify Attempted Luring Suspect in Belfair (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=961:publics-help-requested-to-identify-luring-suspect-in-belfair&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Fort Lewis Soldier Accused in Home-Invasion Robbery (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/80269782.html

New Oregon Law Attempts to Curb Metal Theft (Associated Press)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/dec/28/new-oregon-law-attempts-to-curb-metal-theft/

Cantwell Named Rising Political Star for 2010 (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/189357.asp?source=pimail

City of Shelton to Bill for Parking Spaces despite Not Knowing if Enforcement will continue (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=954:city-to-bill-for-parking-spaces-despite-not-knowing-if-enforcement-will-continue&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Qwest Ending Death Benefits for Retirees in ‘10 - survivors currently receive an amount equivalent to the last year’s salary (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11742102

Low Bids Trimming Price Tag on Ryderwood Sewer Project (The Daily News, Longview, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/article_74fae972-f423-11de-ac0e-001cc4c03286.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Couple Stranded 3 Days After GPS Leads Them Astray

http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/22072904/detail.html

Mix-Up at Doggie Hotel Leaves Two Black Labs Confused

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Mix-up-at-doggie-hotel-leaves-two-black-labs-confused-80236912.html

Don’t Try This at Home…Or Anywhere - Tree Surfer Slams Into Car, Injures Head

http://www.examiner.com/a-2393407~Tree_surfer_in_Calif_slams_into_car__injures_head.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

SONG OF THE DAY

Steve Winwood - Back in the High Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=308ypoKd4Dg

Warren Zevon - Back in the High Life Again (Just for Contrast)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo3lxKrjABE

Energy News Digest for December 28, 2009

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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Whatcom County Officials Say Loss of Intalco Would Have Been Hit to Taxpayers, Governments
• California - Bill would halt high-voltage lines in Chino Hills
• Power Surges Spark Frustration
• Editorial - When it’s Cold Inside: Heating Assistance
• Snake River Region Sees Record Steelhead Run
• 2009 Salmon Fishing Gets Above-Average Grade
• Oregon - Conservation Group Wants Gill-Net Salmon Fishing Ban on Ballot
• State Considers Handing Hood Canal Salmon Hatchery to Private Operator
• Fate of Idaho Salmon Plays Out in Tiny Marsh Creek
• Earth Talk: West Coast Salmon Threatened
• Bald Eagles Arriving Home for the Holidays along Washington’s Skagit River
• Pacific Northwest Enjoying Spectacular Crab Harvest
• Op/Ed - Enjoy Puget Sound Oysters? Consumers Should Support Environmental Action
• 125 Pilot Whales Die on New Zealand Beaches, 43 Saved
• Dam Mess? Fluctuating Water Levels Cause Concern at Pend Oreille
• Filters Show Promise in Spokane River Cleanup
• As Lewis County Awaits New Flood Insurance Maps, FEMA Starts Over in Skagit County
• Grays Harbor - Environmental Groups Sue over Critical Areas Ordinance
• California - Regional Lake Study Points to Faster Warming
• New York - 187-Ton Windmill Topples in Madison County
• Small-Scale Turbines Get Praise in Alaska Villages
• Big Plans for Small Wind
• Harnessing the Sun to Store the Wind
• Energy Company to Revive California Geothermal Project
• Indiana Lawmakers Hopeful about Renewable Energy Bill
• Nevada: Renewable Energy Industry Will See Explosive Growth
• The Deal: A Novel Pre-pay Approach for a Wind Power Project
• Building More with Less - Energy Use, That Is
• Smart-Grid Rollout Fueling Revenue for Chip Makers
• Editorial - Environmental, economic concerns do not have to be mutually exclusive
• California Air Quality Guidelines Face Unexpected Critics
• Earth-Friendly Elements, Mined Destructively
• Washington State Data Center Work Has Far-Reaching Effects
• Tacoma’s Click: It’s the envy of ... Seattle?
• Washington State UTC Staff Reverses Position on Frontier’s Bid for Verizon Phone Lines
• ISPs Won’t Give You Broadband, Won’t Let Anyone Else, Either
• Can Usage-based Broadband Billing Be Done Fairly?
• Cell Phone Mania Forces Scramble for More Airwaves
• New Fords Are Wi-Fi Hot Spots
• Man Found Dead in Salt Pile at Longview Chemical Plant
• Lumber Market Shows Signs of Rebound
• Congress - District 3’s Politics Promise Doozy of a Race

WORD OF THE DAY

Ergogenic • \ur-guh-JEN-ik\ • adjective - Enhancing physical performance

Dilton stared wistfully into the dimming light of the distant sunset, his jogging partners silhouetted against the orange rays of the dying sunlight. It was at that very moment that his ergogenic New Year’s resolution crystallized. “I will beat them over the horizon next year,” he muttered to himself between wheezing gasps.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & 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

Whatcom County Officials Say Loss of Intalco Would Have Been Hit to Taxpayers, Governments (The Bellingham Herald, WA)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/1218141.html

California - Bill would halt high-voltage lines in Chino Hills (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Ontario, CA)
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_14079149

Power Surges Spark Frustration (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11735757

NY Times Editorial - When it’s Cold Inside: Heating Assistance
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/opinion/28mon2.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Snake River Region Sees Record Steelhead Run - Anglers reel in thousands; local economy gets boost (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/dec/27/region-sees-record-steelhead-run/

2009 Salmon Fishing Gets Above-Average Grade (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2010604237_outn27.html

Oregon - Conservation Group Wants Gill-Net Salmon Fishing Ban on Ballot (Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/12/conservation_group_wants_gill.html

State Considers Handing Hood Canal Salmon Hatchery to Private Operator (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/dec/25/state-considering-turning-over-hatchery-to/

Fate of Idaho Salmon Plays Out in Tiny Marsh Creek - The fish that spawn here are among the most vulnerable in the region. Will Obama’s plan help if the population plummets? (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/1022016.html

Earth Talk: West Coast Salmon Threatened (Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/home-garden/ci_14050487

Bald Eagles Arriving Home for the Holidays along Washington’s Skagit River
http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2009/12/bald_eagles_arriving_home_for.html

Pacific Northwest Enjoying Spectacular Crab Harvest (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=6589

Seattle Times Op/Ed - Enjoy Puget Sound Oysters? Consumers Should Support Environmental Action
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2010587705_guest26huang.html

125 Pilot Whales Die on New Zealand Beaches, 43 Saved (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010611321_whale28.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Dam Mess? Fluctuating Water Levels Cause Concern at Pend Oreille (Idaho Business Review)
http://www.idahobusiness.net/archive.htm/2009/12/28/Dam-Mess-Fluctuating-water-levels-cause-concern-at-Pend-Oreille

Filters Show Promise in Spokane River Cleanup (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/dec/27/filters-show-promise-in-river-cleanup/

As Lewis County Awaits New Flood Insurance Maps, FEMA Starts Over in Skagit County (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?As-Lewis-County-Awaits-New-Flood-Insuran=1&blockID=107567&feedID=410

Grays Harbor - Environmental Groups Sue over Critical Areas Ordinance (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/12/27/local_news/doc4b35b81a7eb76197681007.txt

California - Regional lake study points to faster warming (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2422319.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

New York - 187-Ton Windmill Topples in Madison County: Incident mystifies officials; no one injured (Utica Observer-Dispatch, NY)
http://www.uticaod.com/business/x1136814227/187-ton-windmill-falls-over-in-Madison-County

Small-Scale Turbines Get Praise in Alaska Villages (Anchorage Daily News Miner, AK)
http://newsminer.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Small-scale+turbines+get+praise+in+Alaska+villages%20&id=5317650-Small-scale+turbines+get+praise+in+Alaska+villages&instance=home_news_window_left_top_3

Big Plans for Small Wind (Bismarck Tribune, ND)
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/business/article_219d78e6-f039-11de-b23f-001cc4c03286.html

Harnessing the Sun to Store the Wind (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/harnessing-the-sun-to-store-the-wind/

Energy Company to Revive California Geothermal Project (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/12/26/state/n110854S14.DTL&feed=rss.business

Indiana Lawmakers Hopeful about Renewable Energy Bill (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010613792_apusrenewableenergyindiana.html

Nevada Energy Office Director: Renewable Energy Industry Will See Explosive Growth (Las Vegas Sun, NV)
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/dec/27/renewable-energy-industry-will-undergo-explosive-g/

The Deal: A Novel Pre-pay Approach for a Wind Power Project (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/12/the-deal-a-novel-pre-pay-approach-for-a-wind-power-project

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Building More with Less - Energy Use, That Is (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/28/AR2009122800745.html

Smart-Grid Rollout Fueling Revenue for Chip Makers (Boston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/12/28/story2.html?ana=from_rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Columbian Editorial - Two Shades of Green: Environmental, economic concerns do not have to be mutually exclusive
http://www.columbian.com/news/2009/dec/28/2-shades-of-green/

California Air Quality Guidelines Face Unexpected Critics (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/27/us/27sfpolitics.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Earth-Friendly Elements, Mined Destructively (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/26/business/global/26rare.html

TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECNHOLOGY

Washington State Data Center Work Has Far-Reaching Effects (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1083204.html

Tacoma’s Click: It’s the envy of ... Seattle? - Next mayor of Seattle gets advice on publicly owned local network (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/government/story/1007702.html

Washington State UTC Staff Reverses Position on Frontier’s Bid for Verizon Phone Lines (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010591033_wutc25.html

ISPs Won’t Give You Broadband, Won’t Let Anyone Else, Either (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ISPs-Wont-Give-You-Broadband-Wont-let-Anyone-Else-Either-106148

Can Usage-based Broadband Billing Be Done Fairly? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/12/27/can-usage-based-broadband-billing-be-done-fairly/

Cell Phone Mania Forces Scramble for More Airwaves (Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091227/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_spectrum_shortage

New Fords Are Wi-Fi Hot Spots (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/dec/26/new-fords-are-wi-fi-hot-spots/

GENERAL NEWS

Man Found Dead in Salt Pile at Longview Chemical Plant (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/news/local/Man-found-dead-in-salt-pile-at-Longview-chemical-plant-80165702.html

Lumber Market Shows Signs of Rebound (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010613951_apwalumbermarket.html

Congress - District 3’s Politics Promise Doozy of a Race (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1083802.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Once in a Blue Moon to Happen Thursday
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14077781

Providence St. Vincent’s ‘Pink Glove’ Dancers Go Viral for Breast Cancer Awareness
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/margie_boule/index.ssf/2009/12/providence_st_vincents_pink_gl.html

Saying Potholes Caused Crash, Spokane Man Sues Idaho
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/dec/27/saying-potholes-caused-crash-man-sues-idaho/

Snoopy Named Top Dog in Pop Culture
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091223/od_nm/us_dogs

SONG OF THE DAY

Billie Holiday - Blue Moon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYjn4JNbHWM

Chris Isaak - Blue Moon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuCZDanw3aE

The Marcels - Blue Moon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-avJPsuArgs