Energy News Digest for June 16, 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)

- Chelan PUD - More Rehab Work Approved For Rock Island Dam
- Chronicle Op/Ed – Lewis County PUD Supports Keeping Our Hydroelectric Dams
- Nearly 8 Percent - Lower Avista Rate Hike Proposed In Idaho
- California - Pacific Gas and Electric Blackouts Last Longer Than Elsewhere
- Alaska Village Electric Cooperative to Selawik: Pay $250,000 or Lose Power
- Alaska - Man Proposes Nuclear Power Plant near Fairbanks
- Drilled Through Electrical Service - House Fire Started By Cable Worker
- "Smart" Power Grids May Be Rife With Dumb Security Bugs
- IR Thermography in the Smart Grid Initiative
- A Proactive Approach to Detecting Energy Theft, Now
- Idaho Officials Unhappy With Neighbor States
- Eco Wars: Battle between Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation
- Tribes Want Protection for Mystery Bay Shellfish
- Stillaguamish Tribe Renews Salmon Ceremony
- Condition of Shelton’s Aging Sewer Plant Leads to Building Moratorium
- Olympia’s Capitol Lake Option Costlier than Estuary
- Rock Snot - Unsightly Algae Extends Its Grip to a Crucial New York Stream
- The Damming of the Mekong: Major Blow to an Epic River
- Water Risks Ripple through the Beverage Industry
- Federal Officials Vow Support for Renewable Energy in West
- WA To Get $4.2 Million for Biomass and Wood-To-Energy Projects
- Oregon - Council Learns About Helix Wind Project
- If You Hug the Trees, Can You Have More Renewable Energy?
- Renewable Power Requirement Could Jump Start Manufacturing
- Honolulu Advertiser Op/Ed - Solar-Energy Plants Use Too Much Water
- High-Altitude Wind Machines Could Power New York City
- “Grass Roots” Anti-Wind Farm Campaign Adopts Corporate PR Tactics
- Intel Aims To Capture Wild Electricity
- Cities Spend Stimulus Funds to Retrofit Lighting
- One More Day to Finish Climate Talks with Farm State Democrats
- NY Times Editorial - Climate Trap
- The Next 'Moon Landing?' Norway Plans Deep-Sea CO2 Storage
- Undersea cable links Alaska to Lower 48
- Google: The Data Center Is the Computer
- Data Centers in the Desert
- AT&T Wants 100% Broadband Coverage By 2014
- U.K. Plans Universal Access To High-Speed Internet
- Survey: Family Time Eroding As Internet Use Soars
- Day 28 of Seattle Dry Spell
- Hard Times Means Low Bids on Washington Contracts
- Restrictions Tweak Oregon's Century-Old Initiative System
- Why Washington and Oregon Could End Up With Garbage from Canada
- City Of Shelton Delays Decision On Development Regulations in Urban Growth Area
- ACS Hiring 200 for Puget Sound Call Centers
- Seattle Times Completes Sale of Maine News Properties
- No Powerball Tickets Will Be Sold In Washington
- World War II Bombers Welcomed Back to Bremerton

WORD OF THE DAY

Regnant • \REGG-nunt\ • adjective – 1: exercising rule: reigning 2a: having the chief power: dominant b: of common or widespread occurrence

Dilton’s harsh, cackling laugh echoed throughout the throne room. His minions, shaking with fear, waited in ignorance for his next, cruel order that would once again mark the regnant stamp of his iron rule. “You, Tin Man,” he thundered. “You will be the next karaoke contestant tonight, and I will choose your music: ‘Afternoon Delight’.” A horrified gasp rolled through the room.

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

Chelan PUD - More Rehab Work Approved For Rock Island Dam (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090616/NEWS04/706169964/-1/SPORTS?More-rehab-work-approved-for-Rock-Island-Dam

Chronicle Op/Ed – Lewis County PUD Supports Keeping Our Hydroelectric Dams (Centralia, WA) http://www.chronline.com/articles/2009/06/15/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/doc4a3685407595d837957954.txt

Nearly 8 Percent - Lower Avista Rate Hike Proposed In Idaho (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/jun/15/lower-avista-rate-hike-proposed-idaho/

California - Pacific Gas and Electric Blackouts Last Longer Than Elsewhere (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/15/MNRG184E5B.DTL&feed=rss.news

Alaska Village Electric Cooperative to Selawik: Pay $250,000 or Lose Power (The Arctic Sounder, Anchorage, AK)
http://www.thearcticsounder.com/news/story/6266

Alaska - Man Proposes Nuclear Power Plant near Fairbanks (The News-Miner, Fairbanks, AK)
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/jun/15/man-proposes-nuclear-power-plant-near-fairbanks/

Drilled Through Electrical Service - House Fire Started By Cable Worker (The Mercury, Pottstown, PA)
http://pottsmerc.com/articles/2009/06/16/news/srv0000005599811.txt

"Smart" Power Grids May Be Rife with Dumb Security Bugs - New technology that controls our electrical grids is hackable without proper security measures, one expert shows (Popular Science)
http://www.popsci.com/gear-amp-gadgets/article/2009-06/smart-power-grids-may-be-rife-dumb-security-bugs

IR Thermography in the Smart Grid Initiative (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=364597&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

A Proactive Approach to Detecting Energy Theft, Now (Energy Pulse)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=2069

FISH & WILDLIFE

Idaho Officials Unhappy With Neighbor States (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1358/story/613667.html

Eco Wars: Battle between Renewable Energy and Wildlife Conservation (Mother Nature Network)
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/stories/eco-wars-battle-between-renewable-energy-and-wildlife-conservation

Tribes Want Protection for Mystery Bay Shellfish (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/882182.html

Stillaguamish Tribe Renews Salmon Ceremony (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090616/NEWS01/706169934/-1/RSS02

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Condition of Shelton’s Aging Sewer Plant Leads to Building Moratorium (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7539/reftab/1632/t/AGING-SEWER-PLANT-LEADS-TO-BUILDING-MORATORIUM/Default.aspx

Olympia’s Capitol Lake Option Costlier than Estuary (The Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/882634.html

Rock Snot - Unsightly Algae Extends Its Grip to a Crucial New York Stream (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/science/16invasive.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

The Damming of the Mekong: Major Blow to an Epic River (Yale Environment 360)
http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2162

Water Risks Ripple through the Beverage Industry (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSTRE55F05420090616?feedType=nl&feedName=usbeforethebell

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Federal Officials Vow Support for Renewable Energy in West (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009341038_aputwesterngovernorsenergy.html?syndication=rss

WA To Get $4.2 Million for Biomass and Wood-To-Energy Projects (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/energy/archives/171308.asp?source=rss

Oregon - Council Learns About Helix Wind Project (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR)
http://eastoregonian.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=93965&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48

Biomass Conundrum - If You Hug the Trees, Can You Have More Renewable Energy and Protect the Forest? (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/06/16/16climatewire-if-you-hug-the-trees-can-you-have-more-renew-20190.html

Renewable Power Requirement Could Jump Start Manufacturing (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/mnEnergy/idUS422433101520090616

Honolulu Advertiser Op/Ed - Solar-Energy Plants Use Too Much Water
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20090615/OPINION03/906150305/Solar-energy+plants+use+too+much+water

High-Altitude Wind Machines Could Power New York City (Wired Magazine – Good Grief! They look like siege balloons from WWII!)
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/06/highaltitudewindpower/

United Kingdom – “Grass Roots” Anti-Wind Farm Campaign Adopts Corporate PR Tactics: New nationwide group launches campaign to lobby politicians and demonize wind farm developers (Business Green)
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2244207/grass-roots-anti-wind-farm

Intel Aims To Capture Wild Electricity - Free high-def TV is just one benefit of Friday's shift to digital broadcasting. A bonus may be free electricity for everyone (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009340228_brier15.html?syndication=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Cities Spend Stimulus Funds to Retrofit Lighting - Seattle plans to replace all 40,000 residential streetlights with energy- and cost-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) technology (Environmental Leader)
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/06/16/cities-spend-stimulus-funds-to-retrofit-lighting/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Rep. Waxman Gives Himself another Day to Finish Climate Talks With Farm State Democrats (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/06/16/16climatewire-rep-waxman-gives-himself-another-day-to-fini-56404.html

NY Times Editorial - Climate Trap: Officials from the Obama administration have been beating a steady path to China’s door to talk about climate change.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/opinion/16tue2.html

The Next 'Moon Landing?' Norway Plans Deep-Sea CO2 Storage (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0615/p06s01-woeu.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Undersea cable links Alaska to Lower 48 (KTUU-TV, Anchorage, AK)
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10538372

Google: The Data Center Is the Computer (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/06/15/google-the-data-center-is-the-computer/

Data Centers in the Desert - Why some of the largest companies in North America have chosen Arizona for their data centers (Forbes Magazine)
http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/12/data-centers-desert-technology-cio-network-data-centers.html

AT&T Wants 100% Broadband Coverage By 2014 - Though critics take opportunity to highlight past AT&T promises (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ATT-Wants-100-Broadband-Coverage-By-2014-102953

U.K. Plans Universal Access To High-Speed Internet (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12600076

Survey: Family Time Eroding As Internet Use Soars (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12594356

GENERAL NEWS

Day 28 of Seattle Dry Spell (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/882912.html

Hard Times Means Low Bids on Washington Contracts - The economic hard times have a small silver lining for some Washington communities. (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009344611_apwabidbonanza.html?syndication=rss

Restrictions Tweak Oregon's Century-Old Initiative System (Associated Press)
http://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stories/NW_061609ORN-initiative-ballot-LJ.879c9b79.html

Why Washington and Oregon Could End Up With Garbage from Canada (Associated Press)
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/48116142.html

City Of Shelton Delays Decision On Development Regulations in Urban Growth Area (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7538/reftab/1632/t/CITY-CONTINUES-HEARING-ON-U-G-A-AGREEMENT/Default.aspx

ACS Hiring 200 for Puget Sound Call Centers (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/06/15/daily20.html?ana=from_rss

Seattle Times Completes Sale of Maine News Properties (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009341889_apusmainenewspaperssold1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

No Powerball Tickets Will Be Sold In Washington (Associated Press)
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/48153417.html

World War II Bombers Welcomed Back to Bremerton, WA
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jun/15/world-war-ii-bombers-welcomed-back-to-bremerton/?partner=RSS

DIVERSIONS

Bob Bogle of Rock Band the Ventures Dies At 75
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009344343_apobitbogle1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Pennsylvania Windfall: Cop Finds $100 Bills Blowing In Wind
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12599870

Atlanta among Worst for Road Rage
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/06/15/daily26.html?ana=from_rss

California Woman Dies after Lightning Strike
http://www.examiner.com/a-2070067~Plumas_County_woman_dies_after_lightning_strike.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

New York City Correction Official Resigns Over Bar Mitzvah Held in Jail
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/nyregion/16jail.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

SONGS OF THE DAY

The Ventures - Walk Don't Run
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJ11y7pYl-8

The Ventures - Wipe Out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjiOtouyBOg&feature=PlayList&p=5086C858FAD2D2A1&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=41

The Ventures Hawaii - Five O
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSKL8dz-Qjk&feature=related