Energy News Digest for May 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)

- Third Open House on Mason County PUD No. 3 John's Prairie Facility Thursday
- Little Leisure For Retirees Fighting Proposed Power Plant
- Minnesota - Plans for Prairie Island Nuclear Plant Face Opposition
- US Department of Energy Budget Doubles With Stimulus Funds
- Texas - Now's the Time to Lock In “Low” Electricity Rates,
- Pepco Wants to Raise Rates in D.C.
- Obama Officials Come To NW to Learn Salmon Issues
- Chinook Run Prediction Updated, But Still No Steelhead Season
- Northwest Scientists Work to Track Tiny Salmon down Columbia River to Ocean
- Deadline Looms over Stocking Fish in North Cascades National Park
- Victoria’s Raw Sewage to Flow When It Rains, Despite Treatment
- Clotheslines, Rainwater, Vs. The Law
- San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed - Time for The Governor to Wade Into the Delta
- Montana – Cascade County Will Test Wind-Energy Storage
- Wyoming - $6 Billion Wind Farm Proposed Near Rawlins
- Consumers Energy to Add Surcharges to Monthly Bills for Renewable Energy Plan
- Wind Farm Opponents Want European Moratorium
- Zero Down Solar Panels
- Feds Announce Money for Green Jobs and Training
- Historic Architecture vs. Clean Energy
- Free Energy Audit Can Uncover Problems
- Carbon Pollution to Grow By 40 Percent
- Electric Co-Ops Concerned With Climate Bill
- Carbon Allowances -- The Glue In House Energy Package
- Global Warming: a Controversial Bill, And a Game of Roulette
- Forest Offsets Give EPA Regulators Some Tough Nuts to Crack
- Germany Abandons Cap and Trade for Major Industries
- Qwest Struggling To Sell Long Haul Network
- Appeals Court Upholds No Exclusive Cable Rights In Apartments
- FaceBook Sells Nearly Two Percent Stake for $200 Million
- Obama Set to Create A Cybersecurity Czar With Broad Mandate
- Texting May Be Taking a Toll
- Will Bridge Reopen June 5? State Says . . . Maybe
- Mason County Needs To Make More Budget Cuts
- Once Considered Unthinkable, U.S. Sales Tax Gets Fresh Look
- Evergreen State College Police Say They Need Rifles
- City of Shelton to Exempt Some Development from Street Frontage Requirement

WORD OF THE DAY

Carrefour • \ kair-uh-FOOR \ • noun - 1: crossroads *2: square, plaza

Fredo was in heaven, the shaded carrefour in the aged city of Sienna was devoid of all activity, save the large flock of pigeons that were making cooing and clucking sounds around the bread crumbs at his feet. His desire to lure the birds ever closer was at odds with the consequences: what most birds do when they take flight.

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

Third Open House on Mason County PUD No. 3 John's Prairie Facility Thursday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7366/reftab/1632/Default.aspx

Little Leisure For Retirees Fighting Proposed Power Plant: Coal country community split by eight year battle (The Salt Lake Tribune, UT)
http://www.scoop.com/remote/article/include/92989569/53616c7465645f5fbc00fa1e22be88150e1c10944a591aef92a6e38a54b2a90c

Minnesota - Plans for Prairie Island Nuclear Plant Face Opposition (Minnesota Public Radio)
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/05/22/prairie_island_nuclear_plant/

US Department of Energy Budget Doubles With Stimulus Funds (Associated Press)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/05/26/ap6467236.html

Texas - Now's the Time to Lock In “Low” Electricity Rates, Experts Advise (Dallas Morning News, TX – median rate is 13.45 cents per kWh: what deregulation hath wroght))
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-electricity_26bus.State.Edition1.98a886.html

Pepco Wants to Raise Rates in D.C. “…average homeowner who uses 750 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month would increase…to $112.69 a month…” (Washington Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/05/25/daily18.html?ana=from_rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Obama Officials Come To NW to Learn Salmon Issues (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/05/obama_officials_come_to_nw_to.html

Chinook Run Prediction Updated, But Still No Steelhead Season (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/bill_monroe/index.ssf/2009/05/chinook_run_prediction_updated.html

Northwest Scientists Work to Track Tiny Salmon down Columbia River to Ocean (KUOW Radio, Seattle)
http://kuow.org/program.php?id=17630

Deadline Looms over Stocking Fish in North Cascades National Park (The Bellingham Herald, WA)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/920848.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Victoria’s Raw Sewage to Flow When It Rains, Despite Treatment - CRD says it can save money by delaying wet-weather plant (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/sewage+flow+when+rains+despite+treatment/1627610/story.html

Clotheslines, Rainwater, Vs. The Law (Whidbey News Times, WA)
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/wnt/lifestyle/46114097.html

San Francisco Chronicle Op/Ed - Time for The Governor to Wade Into the Delta: Clean, abundant water is something most people take for granted
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/27/EDCP17R69A.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Montana – Cascade County Will Test Wind-Energy Storage (Great Falls Tribune, MT)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090527/NEWS01/905270304

Wyoming - $6 Billion Wind Farm Proposed Near Rawlins (Gillette News Record, WY)
http://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/articles/2009/05/26/news/today/news04.txt

Michigan - Consumers Energy to Add Surcharges to Monthly Bills for Renewable Energy Plan (Jackson Citizen Patriot, MI)
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2009/05/consumers_energy_to_add_surcha.html

Wind Farm Opponents Want European Moratorium (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE54P53Q20090526

Zero Down Solar Panels (Cool Tools)
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/003737.php

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Feds Announce Money for Green Jobs and Training (Associated Press)
http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1110ap_us_obama_middle_class.html?source=rss

Historic Architecture vs. Clean Energy (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/historic-architecture-vs-clean-energy/

Free Energy Audit Can Uncover Problems (NW Arkansas News)
http://www.nwanews.com/bvwv/Business/8828/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Carbon Pollution to Grow By 40 Percent (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009267453_apusenergyforecast.html?syndication=rss

Electric Co-Ops Concerned With Climate Bill - How much is regulating climate change worth to you? (The Ledger Independent, Maysville, KY)
http://www.maysville-online.com/articles/2009/05/27/local_news/doc4a1cc43aa6309954067216.txt

Carbon Allowances -- The Glue In House Energy Package (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/05/26/26greenwire-carbon-allowances----the-glue-in-house-energy-10416.html

Global Warming: a Controversial Bill, And a Game of Roulette (Popular Science)
http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-05/greenhouse-gamble

Forest Offsets Give EPA Regulators Some Tough Nuts to Crack (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/05/27/27climatewire-forest-offsets-give-epa-regulators-some-toug-91999.html

Germany Abandons Cap and Trade for Major Industries (Weekly Standard)
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/05/germany_abandons_cap_and_trade.asp

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Qwest Struggling To Sell Long Haul Network - Probably won't get over $2 billion, say analysts (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Qwest-Struggling-To-Sell-Long-Haul-Network-102613

Appeals Court Upholds No Exclusive Cable Rights In Apartments (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12450859

FaceBook Sells Nearly Two Percent Stake for $200 Million (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/05/26/technology/tech-us-facebook.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Obama Set to Create A Cybersecurity Czar With Broad Mandate - Shielding Public, Private Networks Is Goal (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/25/AR2009052502104.html?wprss=rss_technology

Texting May Be Taking a Toll (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/health/26teen.html?_r=1&8dpc

GENERAL NEWS

Will Bridge Reopen June 5? State Says . . . Maybe (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090527/NEWS/305279994

Mason County Needs To Make More Budget Cuts (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7371/reftab/1632/t/COUNTY-NEEDS-TO-MAKE-MORE-BUDGET-CUTS/Default.aspx

Once Considered Unthinkable, U.S. Sales Tax Gets Fresh Look - Levy Viewed as Way to Reduce Deficits, Fund Health Reform (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/26/AR2009052602909.html?wprss=rss_politics

Evergreen State College Police Say They Need Rifles (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/19573271/detail.html?treets=sea&tid=2653595907813&tml=sea_7am&tmi=sea_7am_1_09000105272009&ts=H

City of Shelton to Exempt Rebuilds, Remodels, Additions from Street Frontage Requirement (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7370/reftab/1632/t/CITY-TO-EXEMPT-REBUILDS-REMODELS-ADDITIONS-FROM-STREET-FRONTAGE-REQUIREMENT/Default.aspx

DIVERSIONS

'I bought my daughter Botox jabs for her 18th birthday'... says mother who has spent £45,000 on plastic surgery
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1187380/I-bought-daughter-Botox-jabs-18th-birthday--says-mother-spent-45-000-plastic-surgery.html

Nebraska Cigarette Bandit Wore Beer Carton as Disguise
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12450821

Chef Bourdain talks about Seattle's magical food scene, Batali envy and more
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/restaurants/2009265119_zres27bourdain.html

First Thieves, Then Cops Take Man's Medical Pot
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/46183347.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Barry McGuire - Eve of Destruction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8SfiCnwF28