Energy News Digest for April 6, 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)

- Regional Comments on BPA Rate Hike Are Few, So Far
- The Observer Editorial: BPA Rate Hike Too Much For This Economy
- East Coast Ruling May Help LNG Project on Columbia
- Future Energy Is Topic of First Tuesday Event
- California Electricity Supply Faces Strain in Drier Future
- Tennessee Valley Authority Sees Growing 'Pressure' For Higher Rates
- Utilities Challenged To Justify Nuke Work
- New York Consortium Drops Its Plan to Build New Power Lines
- Ohio Power Company Says More People Stealing Electricity amid Recession
- Earnings Preview: Alcoa expected to post 1Q loss
- North Carolina - Alcoa Fires Back In Feud over Control of Yadkin River
- Washington Post - Will Obama's Revolution Deliver Energy Independence?
- Interactive Energy Bill: Just Around the Corner?
- Tech Firms Eager to Gobble Energy Stimulus Funds
- Feds Partner with Washington to Accelerate Habitat Projects in Columbia
- Tribes, State Will Return to Court over Salmon
- Other Regions’ Low Salmon Supplies Could Benefit Alaska Fisheries
- Cecil Andrus: A Workable Salmon Policy for the Northwest
- All-Male Run of Fish in Woodland Creek Won’t Find Mates
- Legislation Could Soften Blow of Closing Hatcheries
- Join the Club - Orting Hatchery in Danger of Closure
- Study of Water Storage Options in Yakima Basin Gets $2 Million
- Snow Surveys Important For Determining Summer Water Supplies
- Reservoir Project to Create 1,500 Jobs in Portland
- 8 homes struck, none injured in Beaver Dam mudslides on Whidbey Island
- U.S. Navy and the Snohomish PUD to Test Tidal Power off Whidbey
- E. Idaho Ordinance Could Bolster Wind Turbines
- Canadian Protesters Lash Out At River Hydro Project Plans in Nanaimo
- Wood: The Hot New Renewable Energy Source
- More States Want Solar Power to Be Option on New Homes
- Senator Shelby Speaks on Renewable Standard: One Size Does Not Fit All
- Free At Last - How to Achieve Genuine Energy Independence
- Government Should Mandate More Wind Power
- Environmentalists delay S.F. biodiesel plans
- Father-son Team Repair Wind Turbines
- Canadian Energy Rebate Not So Bright, Critics Argue
- Texas - Mandate for Energy Audits Creates Buzz
- B.C.'S Carbon-Offset Plan Doesn’t Sit Well with Environmentalists
- New Site Calculates Carbon Footprints
- Study: Cool Spells Normal in Warming World
- China’s Grand Plans for Eco-Cities Now Lie Abandoned
- Web Sites Disrupted By Attack on Register.com
- Data centers brace for Obama's 'cap and trade' energy pricing plan
- Twitter Unveils Redesign - Move over Google
- Graham, WA - Dad Murdered Kids Because Wife Was Leaving Him
- Mason County Sheriff's Department Facing Budget Cuts
- Nobody Bidding At State Timber Auctions
- Harrison Memorial Hospital in Bremerton to Trim Staff
- $265K 'Bubble' art prompts Olympia meeting

WORD OF THE DAY

Epistemic • \ep-uh-STEE-mik\ • adjective - Of or relating to knowledge or knowing:

The razor sharp mind of Abercrombie cut in only one direction. His epistemic skills in “Trivial Pursuit” were just that, trivial. Ask him about the main food of the Tibetan Pika, and he would have a ready answer (‘Little tiny haypiles of grass!’). But ask him directions to the grocery store and you could wind up many miles away from where you wanted to go.

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

Regional Comments on BPA Rate Hike Are Few, So Far (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/04/03/local_news/04news.txt

The Observer Editorial: BPA Rate Hike Too Much For This Economy (La Grande, OR)
http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3176473

East Coast Ruling May Help LNG Project on Columbia (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/04/05/area_news/doc49d81aae27499815156565.txt

Future Energy Is Topic of First Tuesday Event (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090404/NEWS02/704049977/

California Electricity Supply Faces Strain in Drier Future (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/02/MNH216R7O5.DTL&feed=rss.news

Tennessee Valley Authority Sees Growing 'Pressure' For Higher Rates (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jgkVTROMGlTT1PK6ZhQjLR-X0V_QD97B9C480

Utilities Challenged To Justify Nuke Work (Arizona Republic)
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2009/04/04/20090404biz-nukereport0404.html

New York Consortium Drops Its Plan to Build New Power Lines (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/business/energy-environment/04power.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Ohio Power Company Says More People Stealing Electricity amid Recession (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008984560_apstealingelectricity.html?syndication=rss

Earnings Preview: Alcoa expected to post 1Q loss “…analysts noted soaring aluminum inventories worldwide, and said the industry needed to cut production further…” (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/04/03/financial/f090647D84.DTL&feed=rss.business

North Carolina - Alcoa Fires Back In Feud over Control of Yadkin River (Charlotte Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2009/04/06/newscolumn1.html?ana=from_rss

Washington Post Opinion - Will Obama's Revolution Deliver Energy Independence?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/03/AR2009040302794.html

Interactive Energy Bill: Just Around the Corner? (BusinessWeek)
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2009/tc2009045_701898.htm

Tech Firms Eager to Gobble Energy Stimulus Funds (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-04-05-stimulus-infrastructure-technology_N.htm

FISH & WILDLIFE

Feds Partner with Washington to Accelerate Habitat Projects in Columbia Estuary (The Astorian, OR)
http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=59803&TM=80764.54

Tribes, State Will Return to Court over Salmon - The two sides were unable to agree on how quickly the state must repair culverts that impede salmon runs (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090406/NEWS01/704069910/-1/RSS02

Other Regions’ Low Salmon Supplies Could Benefit Alaska Fisheries (Alaska Journal of Commerce)
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/040309/fis_fisheries001.shtml

Oregonian Op/Ed – Cecil Andrus: A Workable Salmon Policy for the Northwest
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/04/a_workable_salmon_policy_for_t.html

A Fishy Mystery Solved - All-Male Run of Fish in Woodland Creek Won’t Find Mates (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/808880.html

Legislation Could Soften Blow of Closing Hatcheries (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.outdoorslc.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1238777978&archive=&start_from=&ucat=5&

Join the Club - Orting Hatchery in Danger Of Closure (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2008987201_outn05.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Study of Water Storage Options in Yakima Basin Gets $2 Million (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/2009/04/02/04-03-09-water-storage-money

Snow Surveys Important For Determining Summer Water Supplies (Oregon Publci Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/4693-snow-surveys-important-determining-summer-water-supplies/

Reservoir Project to Create 1,500 Jobs in Portland (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008991456_webportland06m.html?syndication=rss

8 homes struck, none injured in Beaver Dam mudslides on Whidbey Island (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008983204_mudslide04m.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

U.S. Navy and the Snohomish PUD to Test Tidal Power off Whidbey (Whidbey News-Times)
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/wnt/news/42450332.html

E. Idaho Ordinance Could Bolster Wind Turbines (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/809437.html

Canadian Protesters Lash Out At River Hydro Project Plans in Nanaimo (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
http://www.timescolonist.com/Technology/Protesters+lash+river+hydro+project+plans+Nanaimo/1466973/story.html

Wood: The Hot New Renewable Energy Source (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/4675-wood-hot-new-renewable-energy-source/

More States Want Solar Power to Be Option on New Homes (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2009-04-06-solar-ready_N.htm?csp=34

WAAY-TV Op/Ed - Senator Shelby Speaks Out on Proposed Renewable Energy Standard: One Size Does Not Fit All
http://www.waaytv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10127777

Free At Last - How to Achieve Genuine Energy Independence (Newsweek)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/192479?from=rss

Government Should Mandate More Wind Power (Kansas City Star, MO)
http://www.kansascity.com/340/story/1124583.html

Environmentalists delay S.F. biodiesel plans - Argue that the city failed to consider hazards associated with converting fat into fuel (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/03/BAQ516RSCV.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

Father-son Team Repair Wind Turbines (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/04/father-son-team-repair-wind-turbines?src=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Canadian Energy Rebate Not So Bright, Critics Argue (Calgary Herald, Alberta)
http://www.calgaryherald.com/business/Energy+rebate+bright+critics+argue/1468163/story.html

Texas - Mandate for Energy Audits Creates Buzz (Austin Business Journal, TX)
http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/04/06/story4.html?ana=from_rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

B.C.'S Carbon-Offset Plan Doesn’t Sit Well with Environmentalists (CBC News)
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/04/05/bc-carbon-offsets.html?ref=rss

New Site Calculates Carbon Footprints (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/03/30/daily51.html?ana=from_rss

Study: Cool Spells Normal in Warming World (NY Times)
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/cool-spells-in-a-warming-world/?partner=rss&emc=rss

China’s Grand Plans for Eco-Cities Now Lie Abandoned (Yale Environment 360) http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2138

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Web Sites Disrupted By Attack on Register.com (Washington Post)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/04/web_sites_disrupted_by_attack.html

Data centers brace for Obama's 'cap and trade' energy pricing plan (ComputerWorld)
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=336620&intsrc=news_ts_head

Twitter Unveils Redesign - Move over Google. Twitter wants some search mojo (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12057285?nclick_check=1

GENERAL NEWS

Graham, WA - Dad Murdered Kids Because Wife Was Leaving Him (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/42499832.html

Mason County Sheriff's Department Facing Budget Cuts (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/6906/reftab/1632/t/SHERIFF-S-OFFICE-FACING-BUDGET-CUTS/Default.aspx

Nobody Bidding At State Timber Auctions (Associated Press)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_040509WAB-AP-timber-auctions-SW.a731d98f.html?rss

Harrison Memorial Hospital in Bremerton to Trim Staff (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/808868.html

$265K 'Bubble' art prompts Olympia meeting - Arts Commission to hold special session open to the public (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/808923.html

DIVERSIONS

Spokane Man Finds Message in a Bottle From 1913
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/809334.html

Volunteers Help Salamanders Avoid Roadway Massacre
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008988738_apsalamanderescorts.html?syndication=rss

Woman Divorces Husband For Cleaning Too Much
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090402/od_nm/us_divorce_odd;_ylt=Av7jV6uCzxQolSt12c_aehjtiBIF

California Woman Gets 6 Years for Fatal Texting Crash
http://www.examiner.com/a-1943563~Calif_woman_gets_6_years_for_fatal_texting_crash.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

SONG OF THE DAY

I Just Want to Celebrate - Rare Earth (1971)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZsppOw2Mxk