Energy News Digest for July 28, 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.

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TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Chelan PUD - Hydropower Boom May Not Be a Bust for Salmon
• Yakima River Fishery Goes On
• Canada - Fraser River Salmon Run Is Low for Summer
• Despite Warnings of Wild Salmon's Extinction B.C. Stocks Appear Abundant
• Sockeye Salmon Numbers Crash As Bust Replaces Anticipated Bounty on B.C. Coast
• California - Steelhead Trout's Comeback Will Be Upstream Battle
• New Rules Proposed for Vessel Traffic near Orcas
• Jefferson County PUD Could 'End the Water Wars' With Desalinization
• Pend Oreille - Federal Funds Paying For Metaline Water Plant
• If A Bear Poops In The Woods, Does Portland Have To Filter Its Water?
• Including Portland - Averting 22 Water-Electricity Crises in the United States
• Dead Zone in Gulf of Mexico Is Smaller Than Forecast
• Proposed Wind Project Could Imperil Murrelet
• Offshore Wind Could Be Next Wave for U.S.
• Australia - Turbine proposal sunk over skydiver safety fears
• Australia - Microwaves May Nuke Turbines
• Oregon Wave Energy Trusts Awards Contract
• United Kingdom - Threatened Wind Turbine Firm Offered Research Grant
• Op/Ed - Will America Lose The Clean-Energy Race?
• Plugging Into the Future - Electric smart-grid technology may transform how the country powers up
• Innovation Taps Low Geothermal Heat
• Australian Aluminum Council Urges Smelters to Lobby Renewable Energy Targets
• A Quest for Batteries to Alter the Energy Equation
• BPA & Ferry County PUD Use Lights Out for “Light Bulb Moment”
• Powerful Sides face off over Florida's Power-Saving Plan
• Florida Power & Light ‘Smart Meters’ Target of Patent Infringement Lawsuit
• Does The House Energy Bill Subject Owners Of Existing Homes To An Energy Efficiency Audit Before They Can Sell?
• Op/Ed - Global Warming Worriers Need To Go Nuclear
• Greenpeace: China Power Companies Hurting Climate
• Is Verizon FiOS Putting the Hurt on Cable?
• Verizon to cut 8,000 jobs nationwide
• Wi-Fi Like, Totally Messes With My Chakras
• Will Wednesday Be Seattle's Hottest Day Ever?
• Hot Weather Could Cause Fires across Northwest
• Heat & Air Stagnation Advisories in Effect
• Though Conflict Continues Over Old-Growth Forests, Cutting Rarely Occurs
• Quadrant Homes Ramps up New-Home Production

WORD OF THE DAY

Illustrative • \ill-LUST-ruh-tiv\ • Adjective – serving, tending, or designed to illustrate

Sam’s twirling dance was illustrative of the reason not to stuff wild ferrets into your knickers.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & 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

Heat Puts Stress on Power System (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=193415

Stay Cool, but Try To Use less Power (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5496-stay-cool-try-use-less-power/

Seattle City Light Radio Mess Costs Taxpayers Millions (KIRO-TV, Seatte)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/20195610/detail.html

'Smart Grid' Raises Security Concerns “…Electric utilities vying for…federal "smart grid" grants will need to prove that they are taking steps to prevent cyberattacks…” (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072702988.html?wprss=rss_technology

California - Fog-Shrouded Power Lines Caused Copter Crash (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/27/BADA18VM1P.DTL&feed=rss.news

FISH & WILDLIFE

Chelan PUD - Hydropower Boom May Not Be a Bust for Salmon (LA Times)
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2009/07/hydropower-boom-may-not-be-a-bust-for-salmon.html

Yakima River Fishery Goes On (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1358/story/658767.html

Canada - Fraser River Salmon Run Is Low for Summer (United Press International)
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/07/27/Fraser-River-salmon-run-is-low-for-summer/UPI-11491248748522/

Despite Warnings of Wild Salmon's Extinction B.C. Stocks Appear Abundant (Canadian Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5j_MGAFlg9yX08UsvXu-7tDU1LplQ

Sockeye Salmon Numbers Crash As Bust Replaces Anticipated Bounty on B.C. Coast (Vancouver Sun, UK)
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Sockeye+salmon+numbers+crash+bust+replaces+anticipated+bounty+coast/1832698/story.html

California - Steelhead Trout's Comeback Will Be Upstream Battle: Recovery could take decades, cost millions (Ed Note: Um, try billions…trust me. Ventura County Star)
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/jul/27/steelhead-recovery-could-take-decades-cost/

New Rules Proposed for Vessel Traffic near Orcas (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009552831_apwaorcasvesselrules.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Jefferson County PUD Could 'End the Water Wars' With Desalinization (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090727/news/307279994

Pend Oreille - Federal Funds Paying For Metaline Water Plant (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009552522_apwametalinewaterplant.html?syndication=rss

If A Bear Poops In The Woods, Does Portland Have To Filter Its Water? (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5488-if-bear-poops-woods-does-portland-have-filter-its-water/

Including Portland - Averting 22 Water-Electricity Crises in the United States (Scitizen)
http://scitizen.com/screens/blogPage/viewBlog/sw_viewBlog.php?idTheme=14&idContribution=2887

Dead Zone in Gulf of Mexico Is Smaller Than Forecast but More Concentrated in Parts (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/science/earth/28zone.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Proposed Wind Project Could Imperil Murrelet (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA – The BANANA Republic: Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything)
http://columbian.com/article/20090728/NEWS02/707289966/

Offshore Wind Could Be Next Wave for U.S. (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-BusinessofGreen/idUSTRE56Q5VO20090727

Australia - Turbine proposal sunk over skydiver safety fears
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25847068-29277,00.html

Australia - Microwaves May Nuke Turbines - Wind turbines could interfere with the communications system that runs Tasmania's power supply (The Mercury, Tasmania)
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/07/27/86981_tasmania-news.html

Oregon Wave Energy Trusts Awards Contract (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/07/oregon-wave-energy-trusts-awards-contract?cmpid=rss

United Kingdom - Threatened Wind Turbine Firm Offered Research Grant (Birmingham Post, UK)
http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/birmingham-business-news/other-uk-business/2009/07/28/threatened-wind-turbine-firm-offered-research-grant-65233-24252641/

SF Chronicle Op/Ed - Will America Lose The Clean-Energy Race?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/26/EDKH18UBUP.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

Plugging Into the Future - Electric smart-grid technology may transform how the country powers up. First, it has to overcome costs & competing interests (Newsweek Magazine)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/208701?from=rss

Innovation Taps Low Geothermal Heat (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/mnEnergy/idUS404302714320090727

Australian Aluminum Council Urges Smelters to Lobby Renewable Energy Targets (Steel Guru)
http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/07/27/MTA0MDE2/Australian_Aluminium_Council_urges_smelters_to_lobby_renewable_energy_targets.html

A Quest for Batteries to Alter the Energy Equation (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/28/science/28batt.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

BPA & Ferry County PUD Use Lights Out For “Light Bulb Moment” - Residents invited to learn about electric power (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/294929/

Powerful Sides face off over Florida's Power-Saving Plan - Activists to push for more conservation by JEA & other utility companies (Florida Times Union, Jacksonville, FL)
http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-07-27/story/powerful_sides_face_off_over_floridas_power_saving_plan

Florida Power & Light ‘Smart Meters’ Target of Patent Infringement Lawsuit (South Florida Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2009/07/27/daily15.html?ana=from_rss

Does The House Energy Bill Subject Owners Of Existing Homes To An Energy Efficiency Audit Before They Can Sell? (Fact Check.org)
http://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/does_the_house_energy_bill_subject_owners.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Denver Post Op/Ed - Global Warming Worriers Need To Go Nuclear
http://www.denverpost.com/commented/ci_12919321?source=commented-

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Greenpeace: China Power Companies Hurting Climate (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/28/international/i044403D62.DTL&feed=rss.business

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Is Verizon FiOS Putting the Hurt on Cable? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/07/27/is-verizon-fios-putting-the-hurt-on-cable/

Verizon to cut 8,000 jobs nationwide - In the Northwest region, company officials expect minimal employee layoffs (Everett herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090728/BIZ/707289955/-1/RSS03

Wi-Fi Like, Totally Messes With My Chakras - Wireless health hysteria continues, UK leads the weird way (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/WiFi-Like-Totally-Messes-With-My-Chakras-103628

GENERAL NEWS

Will Wednesday Be Seattle's Hottest Day Ever? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/archives/174724.asp?source=pimail

Hot Weather Could Cause Fires across Northwest (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5495-hot-weather-could-cause-fires-across-northwest/

Heat & Air Stagnation Advisories in Effect (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7884/reftab/1632/t/HEAT-AND-AIR-STAGNATION-ADVISORIES-IN-EFFECT/Default.aspx

Though Conflict Continues Over Old-Growth Forests, Cutting Rarely Occurs (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/07/though_conflict_continues_over.html

Quadrant Homes Ramps Up New-Home Production (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009548598_quadrant28.html?syndication=rss

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Ewww - Rendering Truck Scatters Load On I-5 Near Tacoma
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009548614_apwarenderingtruck.html?syndication=rss

Wedding May Have Stranded Doves in Park - Homing Pigeons Should Be Used, Expert Says
http://www.kirotv.com/news/20200785/detail.html

Consultants Help Inmates Get Good Digs - White-Collar Cons Turn To Brokers
http://www.kirotv.com/news/20199374/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Creedence Clearwater Revival- Midnight Special
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DksGi7B5BdM