Energy News Digest for March 27, 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)

- Bill Revives Idea of Shifting Portland General Electric to Public Ownership
- Enron's Skilling Resentencing Hearing Set For July
- Idaho Power Ready to Make Oregon Transmission Case
- Ohio’s Consumer Counsel Seeks Freeze on AEP’s Retroactive Rate Hike
- Support for Nuclear Energy Remains High, New Survey Finds
- Tucson Citizen Op/Ed - The Nuclear Option
- Grants Help Restore Fish Habitat in Oregon, Washington
- Proposal Would Curb Columbia River Gillnetters
- Salmon Oddity Rears Its Heads Once Again in Central Kitsap Classroom
- A Win-Win Idaho Water Deal - Settlement of 2 long Idaho Power disputes
- Oregon’s Legislative "Odd Couple" Tackles Water Issues
- Idaho Governor, Tribe Sign Lake Coeur d'Alene Plan
- Seattle Times Guest Columnist - Beyond Puget Sound
- 60 Die as Dam Breaks Near Jakarta
- Northwest Utilities Warn Green Energy May Raise Rates
- Oregon Wind Farms Whip up Noise, Health Concerns
- Los Angeles Times Editorial - Feinstein's Desert Protection Plan
- Tidal Energy Company Withdraws Permit Request
- Water Worries Shape Local Energy Decisions
- Montana Bill Seeks to Turn Slash into ‘Renewable Biomass'
- A U.S. Federal Renewable Portfolio Standard: Potentials and Pitfalls
- Does D.C. Get Energy Independence? Pickens Is Of Two Minds
- Vestas Breaks Ground in Colorado for Manufacturing Plant
- Renewable Energy Will Boost Software Demand, Says Greenpeace
- Mason County Tribes Getting Stimulus Money for Energy Projects
- Wash Cities, Counties to Get $56 Million for Energy
- STIMULUS: Tri-Cities to receive $1.3 million for energy conservation
- Kitsap County Eligible for Stimulus Money for Energy Efficiency
- NY Times Editorial - The First Green Step
- Ethanol Investors Try To Derail California's Carbon-Emissions Proposal
- Lights Out in 84 Countries for Earth Hour 2009
- Charter Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
- Verizon Leases Fiber For Wireless Backhaul
- Ad Watchdog: Cablevision Internet Not 'Fastest'
- Twitter To Seek Revenue from Businesses
- Google to Lay Off 200 in Latest Round of Cuts
- Spring Storm Headed This Way
- Police: Man Adds Meth to Wife's Water to Give Her Energy
- Seven Indicted In State's Biggest Mortgage-Fraud Scheme
- Thurston Deputies' Union Plans to Sue County

WORD OF THE DAY

Jaunty • \JON-tee\ • noun – Sprightly in manner or appearance: lively

“You are an absolute peacock!” exclaimed Antoine to his friend Archie. “With that jaunty pirate hat all the girls at the party will be asking for your phone number!”

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

Bill Revives Idea of Shifting Portland General Electric to Public Ownership (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/4616-bill-revives-idea-shifting-pge-public-ownership/

Enron's Skilling Resentencing Hearing Set For July (Associated Press)http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/03/26/national/a213606D01.DTL&feed=rss.business

Idaho Power Ready to Make Oregon Transmission Case (Baker City Herald. OR)
http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Idaho-Power-ready-to-make-case-to-PUC

Ohio’s Consumer Counsel Seeks Freeze on AEP’s Retroactive Rate Hike (Dayton Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2009/03/23/daily73.html?ana=from_rss

Support for Nuclear Energy Remains High, New Survey Finds (Utility Automation and Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=357361&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

Tucson Citizen Op/Ed - The Nuclear Option
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/opinion/113017.php

FISH & WILDLIFE

Grants Help Restore Fish Habitat in Oregon, Washington (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/03/a_45000_grant_will_help.html

Proposal Would Curb Columbia River Gillnetters (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-30/123810927833930.xml&storylist=orlocal

Salmon Oddity Rears Its Heads Once Again in Central Kitsap Classroom (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/mar/26/salmon-oddity-rears-its-heads-again-in-central/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

A Win-Win Idaho Water Deal - The settlement of 2 long Idaho Power Co. disputes will help the utility, electricity users, Eastern Idaho farmers and salmon (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/environment/story/711932.html

Swan Falls Dam – “…JD Strike & Swan Falls dams combined to become the first artificial barrier to anadromous fish migration up the Snake River…” (Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Falls_Dam

Oregon’s Legislative "Odd Couple" Tackles Water Issues (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/4614-legislative-odd-couple-tackles-water-issues/

Idaho Governor, Tribe Sign Lake Coeur d'Alene Plan (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1926725~Otter__tribe_sign_Lake_Coeur_d_Alene_plan.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines

Seattle Times Guest Columnist - Beyond Puget Sound: Ten ideas for saving the Salish Sea
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2008930827_opinc27gaydos.html

60 Die as Dam Breaks Near Jakarta (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/28/world/asia/28indo.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Northwest Utilities Warn Green Energy May Raise Rates (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/4611-northwest-utilities-warn-green-energy-may-raise-rates/

Oregon Wind Farms Whip up Noise, Health Concerns (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/oregon_wind_farms_whip_up_nois.html

Los Angeles Times Editorial - Feinstein's Desert Protection Plan: A proposal by Sen. Dianne Feinstein could pit those who want to preserve desert land against those who want to use it for solar and wind energy projects.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-desert27-2009mar27,0,3252665.story

Tidal Energy Company Withdraws Permit Request (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/tidal-energy-company-withdraws-permit-request/

Water Worries Shape Local Energy Decisions - Scarcity Forces Electricity Companies to Rethink Power-Plant Plans, Providing an Opening for Renewable Sources (Wall Street Journal)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123802383042842123.html

Montana Bill Seeks to Turn Slash into ‘Renewable Biomass' (The Missoulian, MT)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/03/27/news/local/news05.txt

A U.S. Federal Renewable Portfolio Standard: Potentials and Pitfalls (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/03/a-federal-renewable-portfolio-standard-potentials-and-pitfalls?src=rss

Does D.C. Get Energy Independence? Pickens Is Of Two Minds (C/NET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10787_3-10205110-60.html?tag=nl.e433

Vestas Breaks Ground in Colorado for Manufacturing Plant (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/03/vestas-breaks-ground-in-colorado-sells-tower-facility-in-scotland?src=rss

Renewable Energy Will Boost Software Demand, Says Greenpeace (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/idgGreenComputing/idUS389974836820090327

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Mason County Tribes Getting Stimulus Money for Energy Projects (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6809/reftab/1632/t/TRIBES-GETTING-STIMULUS-MONEY-FOR-ENERGY-PROJECTS/Default.aspx

Wash Cities, Counties to Get $56 Million for Energy (KIRO Radio, Seattle, WA)
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/41954877.html

STIMULUS: Tri-Cities to receive $1.3 million for energy conservation (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/523084.html

Kitsap County Eligible for Stimulus Money for Energy Efficiency (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/mar/26/county-eligible-for-stimulus-money-for-energy/?partner=RSS

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

NY Times Editorial - The First Green Step: Fighting global warming starts with a greenhouse gas registry.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/26/AR2009032603469.html?nav=rss_opinions

Ethanol Investors Try To Derail California's Carbon-Emissions Proposal (Los Angeles Times, CA)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ethanol27-2009mar27,0,6273025.story

Lights Out in 84 Countries for Earth Hour 2009 (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2008933256_apearthhour.html?syndication=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Charter Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Charter CEO: Good news, everybody! (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Charter-Files-Chapter-11-Bankruptcy-101592

Verizon Leases Fiber For Wireless Backhaul - Looks to recoup multi-billion FiOS and core network investment (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Verizon-Leases-Fiber-For-Wireless-Backhaul-101591

Ad Watchdog: Cablevision Internet Not 'Fastest' - Cablevision should stop saying it's the 'fastest' Internet provider “…should also stop saying it has ‘America's most advanced fiber optic network’…” (Associated Press)
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Ad-watchdog-Cablevision-apf-14765443.html

Twitter To Seek Revenue from Businesses (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE52P0BP20090326?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology

Google to Lay Off 200 in Latest Round of Cuts (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12003406?nclick_check=1

GENERAL NEWS

Spring Storm Headed This Way (KIRO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=149714

Police: Man Adds Meth to Wife's Water to Give Her Energy (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_032609WAB-water-spiked-with-meth-TP.72af820d.html?rss?npc

Seven Indicted In State's Biggest Mortgage-Fraud Scheme (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008932579_mortgage27m.html

Thurston Deputies' Union Plans to Sue County (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_032609WAB-thurston-sheriff-staffing-lawsuit-TP.72e57ca3.html?rss?npc

DIVERSIONS

Ariz. Man Accused of Performing Illegal Weddings
http://www.kirotv.com/family/19020324/detail.html

Clallam Bay Prison Smoke Traced To Inmate Cooking In Toilet
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008929266_webtoiletcooking26m.html?syndication=rss

Federal Way Police Chief in Fender Bender While Surfing Web
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/41931762.html

Woman Arrested 3 Times in 3 Days for Drunk Driving
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090327/ap_on_fe_st/odd3_owis_3_days;_ylt=Ak9Nq7Ysmqq8GW7VFz6Z_kHtiBIF

SONG OF THE DAY (The quarter for Bob Zimmerman Edition)

Bob Dylan - Blowing in the Wind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4nPJ-YYHBc

Sam Cooke-Blowing in the Wind (This is my pick)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYWDgeVqP2U