Energy News Digest for July 14, 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 to Issue Up To $71 Million for Dam Projects
• Meeting Set On Pacific Northwest Transmission Lines
• New England Electric Grid Operator Feels Congressional Heat
• Co-Ops on the Cutting Edge
• Power Outage Shuts Down New Jersey Nuke Plant
• Massachusetts - Critics Say Pre-Paid Utility Plan May Leave Some in Dark
• Pakistani Clerics condemn theft of electricity
• Oops! City of Richland Utility Bill Rises Steeply: $250 To $74,599
• State To Inventory Tidelands
• Feds Ban Krill Fishing To Save It for the Whales
• Plan for Green River Dam Won't Help Much This Season
• Green River Valley Residents Urged To Buy Flood Insurance
• Controversial Manchester Sewer Project Is Rejected
• Port Of Longview Strikes Deal To Handle Garbage from Hawaii
• Iraq Suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles
• King County Companies Band Together To Build Skills for Turbine Repair Work
• Debate on Clean Energy Leads to Regional Divide
• Quake Fears Stall California Energy Extraction Project
• A Solar Land Rush
• Renewable Energy Corp. Says Share Issue 60 Pct Oversubscribed
• Energy Firm “PV Powered” An Extension of HP's Legacy
• Texas - Austin’s Clean Energy Program Costing More, Selling Less
• Wind Company Downsizes, Ordered To Pay Back Wages
• Kansas among States Boasting a High Electrical Yield from Wind
• Wind Conference Shows How Hoosier Farms Can Grow Electricity
• Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative Agrees To Market Wind-Turbine Equipment
• Texas - With Wind Turbines, Saving Money Can Be a Breeze
• The Challenge for Green Energy: How to Store Excess Electricity
• Powering “the Cabin” - Pondering Energy Alternatives
• Low Gas Prices Hurt Sales of High-Ethanol E85 Fuel
• A Business Guide to Energy Conservation
• Montana - Schools Race Clock to Spend Energy Money
• Baltimore Gas & Electric Announces Plan for 'Smart' Meters
• Op/Ed - Cap and Trade Not Best Way To Reduce Greenhouse Gases
• Editorial - Palin Slams Obama on Energy Plan
• Carbon Accounting: Currency of the Future?
• The Summit of Green Futility
• Microsoft Takes on Google as Office Moves To Web
• Want Microsoft Office Web? Don’t Hold Your Breath
• Google Apps Add Features, Syncs with Lotus Notes
• Clearwire Hiring in Dallas, Seattle
• Facebook Gets $6.5 Billion Valuation with Share Sale
• Palo Alto Considers Going Wireless
• Internet Regulator Mulls Cybersquatting Block
• Travelers Should Be Wary Of Wireless Networks, BBB Warns
• States Seek To Jam Cell Phones in Prisons
• Man Charged with Theft of $18,000 in State Injury Benefits
• More Than $827 Million in Stimulus Money Spent In Washington
• State Official Gets Earful from Tri-City Biz Owners
• Bystanders Beat Man Who Tried To Grab Tacoma Girls

WORD OF THE DAY

Clinometer • \klie-NOM-itt-err\ • noun – Any of various instruments for measuring angles of elevation or inclination

Ambrose was considered an exacting person in all his habits. Regardless, all his climbing partners in his assault on Mount Rainer nearly pulled their eye muscles in an elaborate eye-rolling exercise when he pulled out his home-made clinometer. The Rube Golberg device was intended to measure the exact angle of the mountain slope and provide the exact caloric output necessary to overcome it. “Come on man,” ventured one, “just carb-up and do it.”

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 to Issue Up To $71 Million for Dam Projects (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090714/NEWS04/707149970?Chelan-PUD-to-issue-up-to-$71-million-for-dam-projects

Meeting Set On Pacific Northwest Transmission Lines (The Union Bulletin, Walla Walla)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/07/13/local_news/090713local04bpa.txt

New England Electric Grid Operator Feels Congressional Heat (Connecticut Post)
http://www.connpost.com/news/ci_12828053?source=rss

Co-Ops on the Cutting Edge: In Conduct of Their Operations, Generation and Transmission (EnergyBiz Insider)
http://www.scoop.com/remote/article/include/101718113/53616c7465645f5f6b77b999a8f4b53334b7fa31438ddcc9c0f576eacfc45cef

Power Outage Shuts Down New Jersey Nuke Plant (Associated Press)
http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/649570.html

Massachusetts - Critics Say Pre-Paid Utility Plan May Leave Some in Dark (Boston Globe, MA)
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/14/critics_say_utility_plan_may_leave_some_in_dark/

Pakistani Clerics condemn theft of electricity (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE56C4RL20090713?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Oops! City of Richland Utility Bill Rises Steeply: $250 To $74,599 (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009465679_webbill14.html?syndication=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

State To Inventory Tidelands - Taylor Shellfish: Second possible trespass triggers surveying effort (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/909853.html

Feds Ban Krill Fishing To Save It for the Whales (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jSUIMoDkJOGnQdlG1v3tFccRmYWwD99DQ38G1

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Plan for Green River Dam Won't Help Much This Season (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_071309WAB-howard-hanson-dam-grout-wall-TP.394d1d09.html?rss

Green River Valley Residents Urged To Buy Flood Insurance (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/50685072.html

Controversial Manchester Sewer Project Is Rejected (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jul/14/controversial-manchester-sewer-project-rejected/?partner=RSS

Port Of Longview Strikes Deal To Handle Garbage from Hawaii (Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/07/14//area_news/doc4a5bf0e2ec919029651291.txt

Iraq Suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/world/middleeast/14euphrates.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

King County Companies Band Together To Build Skills for Turbine Repair Work (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/07/13/story4.html?ana=from_rss

Debate on Clean Energy Leads to Regional Divide (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/science/earth/14grid.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Quake Fears Stall California Energy Extraction Project (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/business/energy-environment/14drill.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

A Solar Land Rush (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/a-solar-land-rush/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Renewable Energy Corp. Says Share Issue 60 Pct Oversubscribed (Reuters)
http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINLD71341920090714

Energy Firm “PV Powered” An Extension of HP's Legacy (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090712/BIZ01/707129992/-1/BIZ

Texas - Austin’s Clean Energy Program Costing More, Selling Less (Energy Tribune)
http://www.energytribune.com/articles.cfm?aid=2052

Wind Company Downsizes, Ordered To Pay Back Wages - Layoffs plague firm with Boulder ties, turbine manufacturers nationwide (Daily Camera, Boulder, CO)
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/jul/14/boulder-wind-company-downsizes-as-orders-dwindle/

Kansas among States Boasting a High Electrical Yield from Wind (Daily News, Hays, KS)
http://www.hdnews.net/Story/wind032009

Wind Conference Shows How Hoosier Farms Can Grow Electricity (Lafayette Online, IN)
http://www.lafayette-online.com/business/2009/07/wind-conference-farms-electricity/

Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative Agrees To Market Wind-Turbine Equipment (San Antonio Business Journal, TX)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2009/07/13/daily8.html?ana=from_rss

Texas - With Wind Turbines, Saving Money Can Be a Breeze: Area users of small wind turbines say they’re happy with return on their investment (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TX)
http://www.star-telegram.com/business/story/1478831.html

The Challenge for Green Energy: How to Store Excess Electricity (Yale Environment 360)
http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2170

Powering “the Cabin” - Pondering Energy Alternatives (NY Times)
http://topics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/pondering-energy-alternatives/

Low Gas Prices Hurt Sales of High-Ethanol E85 Fuel (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/14/national/a011114D15.DTL&feed=rss.business

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

A Business Guide to Energy Conservation - How to use less energy and lower your business's utility bills (Inc.)
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20090701/a-business-guide-to-energy-conservation.html

Montana - Schools Race Clock to Spend Energy Money (Daily InterLake, Kalispell, MT)
http://dailyinterlake.com/articles/2009/07/13/news/local_montana/news_8752543908_01.txt

Baltimore Gas & Electric Announces Plan for 'Smart' Meters - Consumer groups skeptical of savings consumers might achieve (Baltimore Sun, MD)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.bge14jul14,0,1356638.story

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Columbian Op/Ed - Cap and Trade Not Best Way To Reduce Greenhouse Gases
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090714/BIZ/707149984

Boston Globe Editorial - Palin Slams Obama on Energy Plan
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2009/07/palin_slams_oba.html

Carbon Accounting: Currency of the Future? (Energy Pulse)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=2089

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

The Summit of Green Futility (NY Times)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/13/AR2009071302587.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Microsoft Takes on Google as Office Moves To Web (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE56C34T20090713?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology

Want Microsoft Office Web? Don’t Hold Your Breath (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/07/13/want-microsoft-office-web-dont-hold-your-breath/

Google Apps Add Features, Syncs with Lotus Notes (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/07/14/google-rolls-out-new-apps-features-aimed-at-wooing-the-enterprise/

Clearwire Hiring in Dallas, Seattle - Company pushes toward 9 market launches in '09 (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Clearwire-Hiring-In-Dallas-Seattle-103446

Facebook Gets $6.5 Billion Valuation with Share Sale (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE56C4TH20090714?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

Palo Alto Considers Going Wireless (Palo Alto Online, CA)
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=13038

Internet Regulator Mulls Cybersquatting Block (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009464360_apustectechbitinternetoversight.html?syndication=rss

Travelers Should Be Wary Of Wireless Networks, BBB Warns (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/bizbeat/story/643232.html?mi_email=Tri-City%20Herald_PM+%26+Breaking+News

GENERAL NEWS

States Seek To Jam Cell Phones in Prisons (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009465940_prisonphones14m.html?syndication=rss

Man Charged with Theft of $18,000 in State Injury Benefits - Records show he worked while claiming he couldn’t (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/909852.html

More Than $827 Million in Stimulus Money Spent In Washington (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009465571_webstatestimulus13.html?syndication=rss

State Official Gets Earful from Tri-City Biz Owners (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/915/story/643499.html?mi_email=Tri-City%20Herald_PM+%26+Breaking+News

Bystanders Beat Man Who Tried To Grab Tacoma Girls (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/809847.html

DIVERSIONS

Swearing Can Make You Feel Better, Lessen Pain
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE56C1B320090713

Web Site Recreates Apollo 11 Mission in Real Time
http://www.kirotv.com/technology/20034140/detail.html

Vocal Minority Insists Moon Shot Was All Smoke and Mirrors
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/science/space/14hoax.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Port Angeles Woman Allegedly Pulls Gun on Wal-Mart Customers over Wrong Ammunition
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090712/news/307129995

U.S. Chicken Feet Are Being Booted Out Of China
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5674D420090708

SONG OF THE DAY

Annie Get Your Gun – Ethel Merman (Irving Berlin once said that you should never write a bad song for Ethel Merman…because you’ll hear it!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuGMKRewa0w&feature=related