Energy News Digest for June 19, 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)

- Avista Dams Relicensed - Avista plan reflects new emphasis on recreation, environment
- Hastings Leads Efforts for Yucca Mountain Money
- Portland General Electric Expands Board
- California State Senator Asks for Probe of Blackouts in San Francisco
- Janitor Gets Six Years in Tennessee Nuclear Parts Theft
- Sick California Sea Lions Present a Mystery
- Crapo Warns He'll Filibuster Clean Water Bill
- Plankton Bloom Colors Hood Canal
- Olympian Editorial - Sound Cleanup Will Go Better With Victoria On Board
- Water Quality Institute Invites Students
- Cowlitz PUD Shares National Wind Power Award for White Creek Development
- California State Regulators Approve Rooftop Solar Panel Plan
- A Move to Put the Union Label on Solar Power Plants
- California - Pacific Gas & Electric Opposes Two Solar-Power Bills
- Feds: Wind Farms Trick Radar
- City of Seattle Halts Biodiesel Purchases, Looks For Greener Fuel
- Oil Giants Filling Up On Troubled Ethanol Plants
- New Windows Can Lower Your Energy Bill, but Might Not Boost Your Bottom Line
- Reps. Waxman, Peterson Inch Closer to Consensus on Climate Bill
- House Republicans Courted On Climate Change Bill
- Rural Electric Co-ops Threaten Climate Deal
- Eastern U.S. States Raise $104.2 Million in Carbon Auction
- Global Warming: Want To See Northwest Impacts? Just Look Around
- Central Idaho Town to Keep Free Wireless Internet
- New York - Yahoo Data Center Deal Tied To Verizon Line
- China Disables Some Google Functions
- Microsoft Readies Free PC Security Software
- Microsoft CEO Says Bing Off To Good Start
- First Sign of Return Fire from Google
- Search-Engine Rankings Released for May
- Overnight Western Washington Rain Ends Record-Tying 29-Day Streak
- On The Watch for El Niño - Drier-than-normal days lead up to summer in South Sound
- Gregoire Orders Deeper Cutting - State revenue forecast shrinks by $500 million
- Shelton-Mason County Chamber Selects Next Executive Director
- State Senator Parlette headed to Canada
- Oklahoma Senator Cries Pork Over Washington State's Stimulus Funds
- North Carolina Safety Violation - Inquiry into Fatal Slim-Jim Factory Blast
- Montana - City Of Bozeman Asks Applicants for Personal Internet Passwords
- Supreme Court Decision Endangers Ruling on L&I Public Records Request and Penalty

WORD OF THE DAY

Trine • \TRĪNE\ • noun – 1: a group of three: triad 2: the trine astrological aspect of two celestial bodies

Alex was at a loss. He was wrapping up his soon to be book about a trio of French musketeers and their adventures. Mrs. Dumas was stuck on making it simple, “Just call it the ‘Three Musketeers’,” she shrieked from the kitchen, “It’s the simplest solution.” But Alex still wasn’t sure. He’d been toying with something different. “Her suggestion makes it sound like some futuristic candy-bar,” he grumped. “The Trine Musketeers just sounds so much more magical.”

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

Power Play: Avista Dams Relicensed - Avista plan reflects new emphasis on recreation, environment (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/jun/19/power-play/

Hastings Leads Efforts for Yucca Mountain Money (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/618413.html

Portland General Electric Expands Board (Portland Business Journal “…it goes to eleven…”)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/06/15/daily48.html?ana=from_rss

California State Senator Asks for Probe of Blackouts in San Francisco (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/19/BA38189U3D.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

Janitor Gets Six Years in Tennessee Nuclear Parts Theft (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/18/national/a122956D07.DTL&feed=rss.business

FISH & WILDLIFE

Sick California Sea Lions Present a Mystery (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/19/MNV81886FR.DTL&feed=rss.news

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Crapo Warns He'll Filibuster Clean Water Bill (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/885768.html

Plankton Bloom Colors Hood Canal (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jun/17/plankton-bloom-colors-hood-canal/

Olympian Editorial - Sound Cleanup Will Go Better With Victoria On Board
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/886059.html

Water Quality Institute Invites Students (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/06/18/news/doc4a3ac2b5326f3811916183.txt

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Cowlitz PUD Shares National Wind Power Award for White Creek Development (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/06/19/area_news/doc4a3b216295581147166672.txt

California State Regulators Approve Rooftop Solar Panel Plan (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2076525~State_regulators_approve_rooftop_solar_panel_plan.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

A Move to Put the Union Label on Solar Power Plants (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/business/energy-environment/19unions.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

California - Pacific Gas & Electric Opposes Two Solar-Power Bills (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12620166

Feds: Wind Farms Trick Radar (The Sun Journal, Lewistown, ME)
http://www.sunjournal.com/story/322630-3/RiverValley/Feds_Wind_farms_trick_radar/

City Of Seattle Halts Biodiesel Purchases, Looks For Greener Fuel - 'Not all biodiesels are the same' (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/407384_fuel19.html?source=rss

Oil Giants Filling Up On Troubled Ethanol Plants (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009357460_ethanolplants190.html?syndication=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

New Windows Can Lower Your Energy Bill, but Might Not Boost Your Bottom Line (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/19/AR2009061901424.html?wprss=rss_business

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Reps. Waxman, Peterson Inch Closer to Consensus on Climate Bill (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/06/19/19climatewire-reps-waxman-peterson-inch-closer-to-consensu-32658.html

House Republicans Courted On Climate Change Bill (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE55H6EV20090618

Rural Electric Co-ops Threaten Climate Deal (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/06/19/19climatewire-rural-electric-co-ops-threaten-climate-deal-98492.html

Eastern U.S. States Raise $104.2 Million in Carbon Auction (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-BusinessofGreen/idUSTRE55I3EN20090619

Seattle P-I Columnist - Global Warming: Want To See Northwest Impacts? Just Look Around
http://www.seattlepi.com/connelly/407375_joel19.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Central Idaho Town to Keep Free Wireless Internet (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/885535.html

New York - Yahoo Data Center Deal Tied To Verizon Line (Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal)
http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/06/15/daily56.html?ana=yfcpc

China Disables Some Google Functions (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/20/world/asia/20beijing.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Microsoft Readies Free PC Security Software (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/18/financial/f132244D72.DTL&feed=rss.business

Microsoft CEO Says Bing Off To Good Start (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/171540.asp?source=pimail

First Sign of Return Fire from Google (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/171553.asp?source=pimail

Search-Engine Rankings Released for May (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/171541.asp?source=pimail

GENERAL NEWS

Overnight Western Washington Rain Ends Record-Tying 29-Day Streak (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009358728_webdryspell19m.html?syndication=rss

On The Watch for El Niño - Drier-than-normal days lead up to summer in South Sound (The Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/886017.html

Gregoire Orders Deeper Cutting - State revenue forecast shrinks by $500 million (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/jun/19/gregoire-orders-deeper-cutting/

Shelton-Mason County Chamber Selects Next Executive Director (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7562/reftab/1632/t/CHAMBER-SELECTS-NEXT-EXECUTIVE-DIRECTOR-/Default.aspx

State Senator Parlette headed to Canada (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090618/NEWS04/706189946/1001/NEWS04

Oklahoma Senator Cries Pork Over Washington State's Stimulus Funds (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/48571947.html

North Carolina Safety Violation - Inquiry Into Fatal Slim-Jim Factory Blast (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/us/19brfs-INQUIRYINTOF_BRF.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Montana - City Of Bozeman Asks Applicants for Personal Internet Passwords (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2077097~City_asks_applicants_for_Internet_passwords.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines

Supreme Court Decision Endangers Ruling on L&I Public Records Request and Penalty (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/783721.html

DIVERSIONS

Unveiling the Blinking Phone Dress
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE55H47I20090618?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Man Dressing as Dead Mother Is Latest Twist on Collecting Deceased Relatives’ Benefits
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/Americas/2009/June/Man-Dresses-as-Dead-Mother-in-Six-Year-Fraud-Scheme.html

Man Surprised By Python on Toilet
http://www.kirotv.com/news/19776863/detail.html

GPS Makers to Use Homer Simpson's Voice
http://www.kirotv.com/technology/19777078/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

John Fred and His Playboy Band – Judy in Disguise (Trippy Fantasia Mash-Up)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JCmKIXF7Fg