Energy News Digest for June 15, 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)

- BPA, Columbia Falls Aluminum Talk about Electric Rates
- Union-Bulletin Op/Ed - Hydropower Should Be Considered Renewable
- TransAlta coal power plant faces heat from Sierra Club
- Here’s the Sierra Club Letter for Action on TransAlta
- TransAlta Releases Its 12th Annual Report on Sustainability
- Locations of High-Risk Coal Ash Sites Kept Secret
- Nuclear Power May Sprout
- Monday is moment of truth for nuclear power plant near Mountain Home
- Investors Pour Cash into Columbia River LNG Project
- Study: U.S. Public Power Was Financially Sound In 2008
- Seattle City Light Rolling Out Hybrid Repair Trucks
- Renton - Overloaded Outlet Sparked Five-Alarm Blaze
- Northern Wasco County PUD Gives Away $30K
- Utilities Profit from Lower Electricity Sales
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District Rolls Out a Smart Electrical Grid
- $1.3 Billion FPL Rate Increase Raises Ire of Florida Attorney General
- Ohio - Foes Help Sink Gorge Hydro Project
- Massachusetts - Highest-In-Nation Power Bills Poised To Surge In 2010
- Austin Energy - Finding Energy for Future Is a Worry for Utility Chief
- South Carolina - Utilities to Tweet If Hurricane Hits
- Electricity Woes A Way of Life in Afghanistan
- Lake Washington Sockeye Fishing Season Unlikely
- Northern Pikeminnow Fishing Is Off To a Good Start
- Upper Klickitat River Opens For Hatchery Spring Chinook Fishing
- Progress at Condit: Removal of White River Dam Set for Next Year
- Klamath Dam Removal Moves a Step Forward In Salem
- Water Management in California Deemed Critical to Orcas
- Peninsula Daily News Op/Ed - Lower Elwha Klallam Nurture River Steelhead
- Oysters In Deep Trouble
- NY Times Editorial - Of Fish and Flexibility
- Biologists Study Decline In Eastern Washington Geese
- Climate Change & Renewables: Bills to Protect Environment Derailed By Finances
- Nestle Eyes Columbia Gorge Spring to Bottle Water
- Bainbridge Sewage Pipe Leaked More Than Thought
- Bainbridge Leak Highlights Island's Decaying Sewer System
- Castle Rock and Cowlitz County to Meet About Water System
- Portland Building Will Be Sewage-Recycling Standard
- Columbian Op/Ed - Company Confronts Maze in Effort to Develop Wind Energy
- Idaho Statesman Editorial - Idaho Must Act to Keep Clean Energy Growing
- California Sees Big Costs To Renewable Power Plan
- The Switch: Oregon Well Situated For Ocean Energy
- Seeking Growth Market, Chip Maker Eyes Solar Cells
- Idaho - Hoku polysilicon plant faces delay
- Oregon - Green and On Top
- Biodiesel Refiners See Red, Not Green
- How to Get Solar Power on Your Farm or Ranch for Cheap
- Irish Investor Blows Into Illinois with $1 Billion to Buy Wind Farms
- Today is Global Wind Day
- Solar Airplane Aims for 36-Hour Flight
- ‘Built Green” Homes Grew In Value in Last Two Years
- Energy Audit Company in Mountain View Hits Potential Stimulus Hot Spot
- Water, Energy, Climate Top Western Govs' Agenda
- Gov. Gregoire Has Overstepped Her Authority with Climate Policy
- Daily Astorian Op/Ed - Thoughts on Energy
- Democrats Struggling for Consensus on Climate Bills
- U.S. Emissions Bill Is Criticized Abroad
- Washington Post Op/Ed - Could We Engineer a Cooler Planet?
- Boxlight Trades In Poulsbo for New, Smaller Belfair Home
- Quincy, WA - Data Centers Keep Economy Humming
- Arizona - Data Center Breaking Ground in Phoenix
- IBM Ready to Help Business Users Step into Cloud Computing
- Widespread Broadband Internet Access Moving Closer to Reality
- The Tweet Smell of Success
- WA Gov Prepares For Further Budget Cuts
- Port Orchard Remains Likely From Young Man
- Russia Faces Collapse of 'Monotowns'
- Radar Money for Washington Coast Passes Committee
- Oregon Gets Tough on Metal Thieves
- Neighbors to Sue Sea-Tac Airport over Noise from New Runway

WORD OF THE DAY

Avuncular • \uh-VUNK-you-lerr\ • adjective - 1: of or relating to an uncle 2: suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality

“Here ya go sonny,” croaked Francis to the small boy, patting him gently on the head and dropping a hard candy into the tiny, begrimed child’s hand. Francis was known throughout the neighborhood as a benign, avuncular porch-sitter. What had most of his neighbors scratching their heads is that it appeared that a kindly 75-year old man resided in Francis’ 15-year old body.

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

BPA, Columbia Falls Aluminum Talk about Electric Rates “…it's not just electrical rates that are affecting the companies bottom line, but also a sharply depressed aluminum world market…” (KPAX, Missoula, MT)
http://www.kpax.com/global/story.asp?s=10487855

Union-Bulletin Op/Ed - Hydropower Should Be Considered A Renewable Energy Source (Walla Walla)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/06/13/opinion/daily_editorial/090614editorialhydro.txt

TransAlta coal power plant faces heat from Sierra Club (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/06/15/story8.html?ana=from_rss

Here’s the Sierra Club Letter for Action on TransAlta (Seattle Dirt)
http://seattledirt.com/2009/04/09/stop-the-coal-industrys-sweetheart-deal-write-gov-gregoire-today/

TransAlta Releases Its 12th Annual Report on Sustainability (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=113715

Locations of High-Risk Coal Ash Sites Kept Secret (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009331951_apuscoalashdisclosure.html?syndication=rss

Nuclear Power May Sprout - Energy supply system seeks to study construction of small reactors at Hanford reservation (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/778125.html

Idaho Statesman Columnist - Monday is moment of truth for nuclear power plant near Mountain Home (Boise)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/802660.html

Investors Pour Cash into Columbia River LNG Project (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/06/14//area_news/doc4a349a24d99af601688295.txt

Study: U.S. Public Power Was Financially Sound In 2008 (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=364431&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

Seattle City Light Rolling Out Hybrid Repair Trucks (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/06/08/daily50.html?ana=from_rss

Renton - Overloaded Outlet Sparked Five-Alarm Blaze (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/47963861.html

Northern Wasco County PUD Gives Away $30K - Gymnastics, fort win biggest grants (Dalles Chronicle, OR)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2009/06/news06-12-09-02.shtml

Utilities Profit from Lower Electricity Sales (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009332801_apusskewedutilitiesglance.html?syndication=rss

California - Sacramento Municipal Utility District Rolls Out a Smart Electrical Grid (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/business/story/1942943.html

$1.3 Billion FPL Rate Increase Raises Ire of Florida Attorney General - Average increase would be 30% for typical customer (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2009/06/08/daily72.html?ana=from_rss

Ohio - Foes Help Sink Gorge Hydro Project: A long and heated battle over adding hydroelectric facilities to a Cuyahoga River dam between Akron and Cuyahoga Falls appears over (Akron Beacon, OH)
http://www.ohio.com/news/48007187.html

Massachusetts - Highest-In-Nation Power Bills Poised To Surge In 2010 (Boston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/06/15/story8.html?ana=from_rss

Austin Energy - Finding Energy for Future Is a Worry for Utility Chief (American Statesman, Austin, TX)
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/06/14/0614duncan.html

South Carolina - Utilities to Tweet If Hurricane Hits: Twitter will be used to help give S.C. residents updates on storms (The State, Columbia, SC)
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/827242.html

Electricity Woes A Way of Life in Afghanistan (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=105249682&ft=1&f=7

FISH & WILDLIFE

Lake Washington Sockeye Fishing Season Unlikely (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_061209WAB-no-salmon-KS.747e5faf.html?rss

Northern Pikeminnow Fishing Is Off To a Good Start (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2009336118_outn14.html

Upper Klickitat River Opens For Hatchery Spring Chinook Fishing (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2009332708_upper_klickitat_river_opens_fo.html

Columbian Editorial - Progress at Condit: Removal of White River dam set for next year after Department of Ecology ruling (Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090615/OPINION02/706159988/-1/OPINION

Klamath Dam Removal Moves a Step Forward In Salem (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5208-klamath-dam-removal-moves-step-forward-salem/

Water Management in California Deemed Critical to Orcas (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2009/06/11/water-management-in-california-deemed-critical-to-orcas/

Peninsula Daily News Op/Ed - Lower Elwha Klallam Nurture River Steelhead (Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090615/NEWS/306159989

Oysters In Deep Trouble: Is Pacific Ocean's Chemistry Killing Sea Life? (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009336458_oysters14m.html?syndication=rss

NY Times Editorial - Of Fish and Flexibility: New bill would poke holes in the Magnuson-Stevens Act that imposes ambitious timetables for rebuilding fish stocks and gives scientists a say in setting limits.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/opinion/13sat3.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Biologists Study Decline In Eastern Washington Geese (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/881973.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Oregon – Climate Change & Renewables: Bills to Protect Environment Derailed By Finances (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090615/LEGISLATURE/906150328/1042/STATE

Nestle Eyes Columbia Gorge Spring to Bottle Water (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/06/nestle_eyes_columbia_gorge_spr.html

Bainbridge Sewage Pipe Leaked More Than Thought (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/WN_061309WAB-AP-sewage-leak-KS.793dae43.html?rss

Bainbridge Leak Highlights Island's Decaying Sewer System (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jun/12/bainbridge-leak-highlights-islands-decaying/?partner=RSS

Castle Rock and Cowlitz County to Meet About Water System (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/06/14//area_news/doc4a34974f418ca959114308.txt

Portland Building Will Be Sewage-Recycling Standard (Associated Press)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/778172.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Columbian Op/Ed - Company Confronts Maze in Effort to Develop Wind Energy (Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090614/OPINION03/706149992/-1/OPINION

Idaho Statesman Editorial - Idaho Must Act to Keep Clean Energy Growing (and where, pray tell, is your inclusion of hydropower?)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/Opinion/story/801971.html

California Sees Big Costs To Renewable Power Plan “…28 percent rise in electricity rates and $115 billion in construction if the state wants to get a third of its electricity from renewable sources…” (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE55B5KN20090612

The Switch: Oregon Well Situated For Ocean Energy (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5206-switch-oregon-well-situated-wave-and-tidal-power/

Seeking Growth Market, Chip Maker Eyes Solar Cells (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/business/energy-environment/13chip.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Idaho - Hoku polysilicon plant faces delay (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/881483.html

Oregon - Green and On Top: Solar. Wind. Water. Geothermal, biomass and even garbage. With all these opportunities, it’s no wondering Oregon leads the nation in clean energy (The Bend Bulletin, OR)
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090614/BIZ0102/906140325/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01

Biodiesel Refiners See Red, Not Green - Combination of factors closes at least a third of U.S. plants (The Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/jun/14/biodiesel-refiners-see-red-not-green/

How to Get Solar Power on Your Farm or Ranch for Cheap (Business Insider)
http://www.businessinsider.com/solar-power-for-the-farm-or-ranch-2009-6

Irish Investor Blows Into Illinois with $1 Billion to Buy Wind Farms (Chicago Tribune, IL)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-biz-windfarm-june15,0,6549179.story

Today is Global Wind Day - In U.S. organizers hope to alert country to risk of losing jobs in this sector to China (Industry Week)
http://www.industryweek.com/articles/today_is_global_wind_day_19356.aspx

Solar Airplane Aims for 36-Hour Flight (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/solar-plane-aims-for-36-hour-flight/?partner=rss&emc=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

‘Built Green” Homes Grew In Value in Last Two Years (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2009333428_builtgreen140.html

California - Energy Audit Company in Mountain View Hits Potential Stimulus Hot Spot (Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/06/15/story7.html?ana=from_rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Water, Energy, Climate Top Western Govs' Agenda (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_ut_western_governors.html

Olympian Op/Ed - Gov. Gregoire Has Overstepped Her Authority with Climate Policy
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/880966.html

Daily Astorian Op/Ed - Thoughts on Energy
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=393&ArticleID=61748&TM=56845.91

Democrats Struggling for Consensus on Climate Bills (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/14/AR2009061402266.html?wprss=rss_politics

U.S. Emissions Bill Is Criticized Abroad: Inadequate for the climate and unfair to poor countries. (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/12/AR2009061202072.html?wprss=rss_business

Washington Post Op/Ed - Could We Engineer a Cooler Planet?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/12/AR2009061203453.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Boxlight Trades In Poulsbo for New, Smaller Belfair Home “…Another draw is the availability of fiber optics. PUD 3's massive system provides faster service than in Seattle…” (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jun/14/boxlight-uproots-from-poulsbo-for-new-belfair/

Quincy, WA - Data Centers Keep Economy Humming (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090613/NEWS04/706139972?Data-centers-keep-economy-humming

Arizona - Data Center Breaking Ground in Phoenix - A 160,000-square-foot retrofit dubbed Phoenix NAP (Phoenix Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/06/08/daily64.html?ana=from_rss

IBM Ready to Help Business Users Step into Cloud Computing (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009338808_ibmcloud15.html

Widespread Broadband Internet Access Moving Closer to Reality (Pittsburgh Business Times)
http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2009/06/15/story11.html?ana=from_rss

The Tweet Smell of Success (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/weekinreview/14cohen.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

GENERAL NEWS

WA Gov Prepares For Further Budget Cuts (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5202-wa-gov-prepares-further-budget-cuts/

Port Orchard Remains Likely From Young Man (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10529514

Russia Faces Collapse of 'Monotowns' - As small cities centered around one industry feel economic strain, popular unrest grows (Forbes Magazine)
http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/11/russia-putin-monotowns-business-oxford.html

Radar Money for Washington Coast Passes Committee (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/06/14/local_news/doc4a3344993c0d2366025061.txt

Oregon Gets Tough on Metal Thieves - If it passes, law could be a boon for Clark County (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090615/NEWS02/706159967/Oregon+gets+tough+on+metal+thieves+

Neighbors to Sue Sea-Tac Airport over Noise from New Runway (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009338948_webseatacsue15.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

PETA Complaints Won't Stop Fish Toss
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_061309WAB-AP-peta-fish-KS.78c8697d.html?rss

Mother Secretly Lives In Home for Sale - Woman, 2 Children Stay In House Unbeknownst To Homeowner
http://www.kirotv.com/money/19735014/detail.html

Parking Space in Boston Sells For $300,000
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/19722079/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Take Me to the River - Talking Heads
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anjT71N4PGM&feature=related