Energy News Digest for August 31, 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)

• Alcoa’s Energy Deal with Bonneville Quashed by Court
• Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. Still Striving For Power Deal
• DJ Ormet to Double Aluminum Cuts but Then Keep 09 Output Steady
• Tennessee - Life after Alcoa: Layoffs Lead To New Opportunity
• Okanogan PUD - Shanker’s Bend Dam Proposal Draws Opposition
• Clark Public Utilities Expansion Is In the Works
• Northern Wasco County PUD rates to rise
• PacifiCorp’s Customers Could See Lower Rate Increase
• Pennsylvania - Cooperative Plans to Buy Electricity as Rate Caps Expire
• Road Ruts Frustrates BPA, Costly To Customers
• North Dakota - Electric Coop Works to Meet Oil Patch Demand
• Will South Carolina Run Out of Energy?
• Utilities Seek Stimulus Money for Energy Projects
• Northwest Energy Test May Have National Impact
• NY Nuke Reactor Back Online After Shutdown
• Lawmakers Warn Of De Facto Nuclear Dumping
• Op/Ed - Energy reform must include nuclear
• Op/Ed - Region-Based Energy Solutions Make Sense
• Electricity Cooperatives' Record Weighed in Health-Care Debate
• Editorial - Dam McDermott
• Mess Left by Skokomish River Anglers Closes Shellfish Harvesting
• Pink Salmon Invasion Continues As Humpies Keep Biting
• Snake River Opens Sept. 1 for Fall Chinook Fishing
• DesChutes River Salmon Get A Traditional Hello
• The Sockeye Run in Kenai: 'For Us, It's Shopping'
• Canada - Hotter Water Linked To Poor Sockeye Returns
• Ask Eric: How Old Are Salmon When They Spawn?
• California - Fresno Fundraiser Offers Endangered Smelt on Menu
• Graceful Herons Plague Central Washington Backyards
• Pro-Wolf Group Urges Idaho Potato Boycott
• Clallam PUD Water Managers Ask For Conservation
• Bottled Water Price War Is Heating Up
• Company Plans Biomass Power Project in Longview
• Editorial - Biomass Plan Energizes Mint Farm, Region
• WoodPellets.com Stocks Coffers For Winter
• Public Meetings Set On Lower Snake River Wind Energy Project
• Wyoming - Duke Energy to Build Ninth U.S. Wind Farm
• California - Out-Of-State Power Projects Criticized
• California Condors, Wind Farms on Collision Course
• Winning Over the 'Nimby Blockade'
• Op/Ed - It's Time to Treat Wind Power Like A Grownup
• Cloud of Questions - Doubts Surround Proposed Cle Elum Solar Facility
• Brier Home's Roof Soaks Up Rays
• Flathead Electric Cooperative at Forefront of Renewable Energy
• From Poplar to Ethanol: Plant Could Help Save Northwest's Biofuels Industry
• Stimulus Package Aims To Aid Slumping Appliance Industry
• Some Buildings Not Living Up to Green Label
• Save the Light Bulb! Compact fluorescents don't produce quality light
• Editorial - Snake River Dams: Don’t Forget the Carbon
• Environmentalists Slow to Adjust in Climate Debate
• A High Cost to Deal with Climate Shift
• Carbon Cuts Won’t Work - It's Time We Considered Alternatives
• North Mason Chamber Leads the Way to Green Business
• Does Seattle Have Enough Spark For Electric Cars?
• Making Way for Electric Cars
• Obama’s Green Dream Team
• How Can I Tell When A Product Is Being Greenwashed?
• 2,200 Applied For Broadband Stimulus Funds
• Infinera Helps Bring Broadband to Grant County Residents
• As Net Turns 40, Barriers Threaten Open Growth
• Comcast Wins Appeal of FCC Ownership Cap
• Microsoft Office's Biggest Competitor is…Office
• Wash. Latest State to Be Sued For Full Support of School Dollars
• Yellow Jackets Get Aggressive During Fall Search for Food
• Ex-Shelton Prep Standout Signs Deal With S.F. Giants
• Washington State Governor Says 'No Thanks' To Mystery Laptop Order
• Fresh Air in the Muni Securities Market

WORD OF THE DAY

Empyreal • \em-pye-REE-ul\ • adjective - 1: of or relating to the firmament: celestial 2: sublime

With little or no light from towns and farms, the sparkling, empyral canopy of stars spanned the heavens from horizon to horizon. For the first time in his life, Dagwood was able to see why the “Milky Way” got its name.

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

Alcoa’s Energy Deal with Bonneville Quashed by Court “…amounted to a “gift” that demonstrated unsound business practice…” (Bloomberg)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aYU03D8RlWEY

Here is the 9th Circuit Ruling: Opinion For Pacific Northwest Generating C V. BPA
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/opinions/view_subpage.php?pk_id=0000009910

Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. Still Striving For Power Deal (The Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)
http://dailyinterlake.com/articles/2009/08/30/news/local_montana/news_8748391332_04.txt

DJ Ormet to Double Aluminum Cuts but Then Keep 09 Output Steady (Trading Markets)
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2488423/

Tennessee - Life after Alcoa: Layoffs Lead To New Opportunity For Owners of All American Clean Out (Blount Today, Marysville TN)
http://www.blounttoday.com/news/2009/aug/31/layoffs-lead-new-opportunity-owners-all-american-c/

Okanogan PUD - Shanker’s Bend Dam Proposal Draws Opposition (Omak Chronicle, WA)
http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n090828a.shtml

Clark Public Utilities Expansion Is In the Works - New space set to open this year, remodeled building in the spring (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090825/BIZ01/708259963/-1/BIZ

Northern Wasco County PUD rates to rise - Utility will not pass on BPA rate increase (Dalles Chronicle, OR)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2009/08/news08-28-09-03.shtml

PacifiCorp’s Customers Could See Lower Rate Increase (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/697392.html

Pennsylvania - Cooperative Plans to Buy Electricity as Rate Caps Expire “…You might have 25 percent, 35 percent, 45 percent. It's all over the map…” (Reading Eagle, PA)
http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=154726

Road Ruts Frustrates BPA, Costly To Customers (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)
http://www.katu.com/news/local/54882091.html

North Dakota - Electric Coop Works to Meet Oil Patch Demand (Associated Press)
http://www.kxmc.com/News/429163.asp

Will South Carolina Run Out of Energy? (WCIV-TV, Charleston, SC)
http://cfc.wciv.com/affinity/affarticle.cfm?id=331

Utilities Seek Stimulus Money for Energy Projects (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5723-utilities-seek-stimulus-money-energy-projects/

Northwest Energy Test May Have National Impact (Oregon Daily Journal of Commerce)
http://djcoregon.com/news/2009/08/28/northwest-energy-test-may-have-national-impact/

NY Nuke Reactor Back Online After Shutdown (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009775768_apusindianpoint.html?syndication=rss

Lawmakers Warn Of De Facto Nuclear Dumping - With facilities already in place, Hanford, others might get waste (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/862036.html

Oregonian Op/Ed - Energy reform must include nuclear
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/08/energy_reform.html

Oregonian Op/Ed - Region-Based Energy Solutions Make Sense
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/08/regionbased_energy_solutions_m.html

Electricity Cooperatives' Record Weighed in Health-Care Debate (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/26/AR2009082603485.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Columbia Basin Herald Editorial - Dam McDermott
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/08/27/editorials/doc4a96f5e0d738c409952318.txt

Mess Left by Skokomish River Anglers Closes Shellfish Harvesting (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/953898.html

Pink Salmon Invasion Continues As Humpies Keep Biting In Puget Sound, Rivers (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/860480.html

Snake River Opens Sept. 1 for Fall Chinook Fishing (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)
http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=859

DesChutes River Salmon Get A Traditional Hello - Fish and Wildlife officials expect 10,700 Chinook to make the swim this year (The Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/954644.html

The Sockeye Run in Kenai: 'For Us, It's Shopping' (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009772350_alaskafishing30.html?syndication=rss

Canada - Hotter Water Linked To Poor Sockeye Returns (Straight.com)
http://www.straight.com/article-249317/hotter-water-linked-poor-sockeye-returns

Ask Eric: How Old Are Salmon When They Spawn? (Detroit Free Press. MI)
http://www.freep.com/article/20090827/SPORTS10/908270466/1365/SPORTS/Ask-Eric--How-old-are-salmon-when-they-spawn

California - Fresno Fundraiser Offers Endangered Smelt on Menu (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2149481.html

Graceful Herons Plague Central Washington Backyards (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009777219_apwabackyardherons.html

Pro-Wolf Group Urges Idaho Potato Boycott (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009770503_apidpotatoboycott.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Clallam PUD Water Managers Ask For Conservation; Fairview System at Stage 3 Alert (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090831/news/308319990

Bottled Water Price War Is Heating Up (Consumerist)
http://consumerist.com/5349415/bottled-water-price-war-is-heating-up

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Company Plans Biomass Power Project in Longview (Associated Press)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_biomass_plant.html?source=pimail

Daily News Editorial - Biomass Plan Energizes Mint Farm, Region
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/08/31/editorial/doc4a9ab6f0aa631020249167.txt

WoodPellets.com Stocks Coffers For Winter (C/NET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10319550-54.html?tag=nl.e703

Public Meetings Set On Lower Snake River Wind Energy Project (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)
http://union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/08/29/local_news/090830fwind.txt

Wyoming - Duke Energy to Build Ninth U.S. Wind Farm (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS106717+31-Aug-2009+PRN20090831

California - Out-Of-State Power Projects Criticized: Utilities trying to meet mandate for renewables, outsourcing renewable power irks some activists (Modesto Bee, CA)
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/835079.html

California Condors, Wind Farms on Collision Course (Wind Watch)
http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2009/08/31/california-condors-wind-farms-on-collision-course/

Winning Over the 'Nimby Blockade' (British Broadcasting Corporation)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8223048.stm

East Oregonian Op/Ed - It's Time to Treat Wind Power Like A Grownup
http://eastoregonian.com/main.asp?SectionID=14&SubSectionID=50&ArticleID=97078&TM=49816.13

Cloud of Questions - Doubts Surround Proposed Cle Elum Solar Facility (Daily Record, Ellensburg, WA)
http://www.kvnews.com/articles/2009/08/29/news//doc4a98c8189cc91196487164.txt

Brier Home's Roof Soaks Up Rays - Solar panels will provide all its electricity — and maybe some to share (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090830/NEWS01/708309862/-1/RSS02

Flathead Electric Cooperative at Forefront of Renewable Energy (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)
http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/flathead_electric_cooperative_at_forefront_of_renewable_energy/12635/

From Poplar to Ethanol: Plant Could Help Save Northwest's Biofuels Industry (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009772319_ethanol30m.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Stimulus Package Aims To Aid Slumping Appliance Industry (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_083009BUB-appliance-program-KS.1313f96b8.html?rss?npc

Some Buildings Not Living Up to Green Label (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/science/earth/31leed.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Save the Light Bulb! Compact fluorescents don't produce good quality light (Wall Street Journal)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203706604574377171050647330.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

News Tribune Editorial - Snake River Dams: Don’t Forget the Carbon
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/852123.html

Environmentalists Slow to Adjust in Climate Debate - Opponents Seize Initiative as Senate Bill Nears “…It seems that environmentalists are struggling in a fight they have spent years setting up…” (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/30/AR2009083002606.html?wprss=rss_business

A High Cost to Deal with Climate Shift (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/business/energy-environment/31iht-green31.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Carbon Cuts Won’t Work - It's Time We Considered Alternatives (Newsweek Magazine)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/214244

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

North Mason Chamber Leads the Way to Green Business (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/aug/19/north-mason-chamber-leads-way-green-business/?partner=RSS

Does Seattle Have Enough Spark For Electric Cars? City is part of biggest electric vehicle experiment in history
http://www.seattlepi.com/transportation/409537_electriccars28.html?source=rss

Making Way for Electric Cars (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/realestate/30posting.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Obama’s Green Dream Team - The men and women who have the power and budgets to clean up the environment and, more important, have the ear of the president (Newsweek Magazine)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/213865?from=rss

How Can I Tell When A Product Is Being Greenwashed? (Consumerist)
http://consumerist.com/5346634/how-can-i-tell-when-a-product-is-being-greenwashed

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

2,200 Applied For Broadband Stimulus Funds - Anonymous reviewers now get to work digging through applications (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/2200-Applied-For-Broadband-Stimulus-Funds-104146

News Release - Infinera Helps Bring Broadband to Grant County Residents - Public Utility Offers Fiber to the Home for Rural Areas (MarketWatch)
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/infinera-helps-bring-broadband-to-grant-county-residents-2009-08-28

As Net Turns 40, Barriers Threaten Open Growth (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/30/BUBB19F7VQ.DTL&feed=rss.business

Comcast Wins Appeal of FCC Ownership Cap - Largest Provider Can Grow Even Bigger (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/28/AR2009082803271.html?wprss=rss_business

Microsoft Office's Biggest Competitor? Office (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/177688.asp?source=pimail

GENERAL NEWS

Wash. Latest State to Be Sued For Full Support of School Dollars (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009775747_apwawashingtonschoollawsuit1stldwritethru.html

Yellow Jackets Get Aggressive During Fall Search for Food (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/955332.html

Ex-Shelton Prep Standout Signs Deal With S.F. Giants (The Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/highschoolsports/story/952875.html

Washington Governor Hit - State Govs Saying 'No Thanks' To Mystery Laptops (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jQ_OIxkYqPGoqo9rCk3ENETanvhgD9AC52B03

Fresh Air in the Muni Market - The municipal bond market may finally be coming out of the Dark Ages (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/business/30gret.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Ikea Defends Its New Catalog Typeface – Says it never expected such a backlash after switching typeface in its latest catalog (News Digest is Verdana)
http://www.kirotv.com/money/20632051/detail.html

Hoquiam Considers Chicken Crackdown (KIRO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=206392

Cognitive Dissonance Theater - Pot May Protect Brain from Booze
http://www.kirotv.com/health/20597907/detail.html

Land Mine Found In Cincinnati Home
http://www.kirotv.com/news/20646651/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

You Win Again - Hank Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w2aRoJueUs