Energy News Digest for August 5, 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)

• Portland General Electric Facing Lower Earnings & Pressure for More Renewable Power
• Avista Corp. Reports Second Quarter Results
• Yakama Nation Starts Producing Its Own Electricity
• US Senate Denies Obama Bid to Ax Rural Energy Grants
• Chelan PUD’s Debt Is Heading Toward The $1 Billion Barrier
• Northwest Natural Gas to Cut Up To 100 Jobs
• Planned Power Outage for Mason County PUD 1 Customers
• Two More to Be Charged In Great Lakes Energy Electric Coop Embezzlement
• Critics Take New Step to Block Kansas Coal Plant
• United Kingdom Told to Triple Nuclear Share of Power Generation
• Rep. Jim McDermott Wants to Study Snake River Dam Removal
• Hastings to Fight McDermott Snake River Dam Bill
• Ex-Governors Urge White House to Address Columbia Salmon Runs
• Editorial - Prepare For Dam Removal
• Everett & Mukilteo Volunteers Hope to Turn Tires into Salmon
• Vote On California Marine Preserves Roiled By Board Shake-Up
• After Decades in Seattle, NOAA Vessels to Ship Out
• The NOAA Exodus: What Went Wrong?
• Gregoire Says Start Conserving Water
• Three Running for Position with Little-Known Belfair Water District
• Radon Rises Into Thurston County
• Teddy Roosevelt: Seattle's Pioneer Environmentalist?
• Editorial - No ‘Winner’ Needed: When it comes to wind turbines & birds
• Solar Energy Firm Eyes Vancouver, WA
• Snohomish PUD Closer To Tidal Power
• Oregon - Biodiesel Blending Latest Effort by State
• BPA Sponsors Wind Forecast Competition
• Bills Would Boost Renewable Energy, Storage
• Op/Ed – Biomass: Clean, Renewable Answer to Energy Challenges
• Colorado - Xcel Drops Proposed Solar-Power Fee
• How Will Utilities Make Money as Photovoltaics Continue to Grow?
• Is Biogas the Way to San Jose's Energy Independence?
• Canada - Winds of Change Rock Wolfe Island
• United Kingdom - Wind Turbine Firm Vestas Wins Order to End Sit-In
• Spokane Habitat Affiliate Wins Funding For ‘Green’ Homes
• Energy Bill - Real Estate Industry Blocks Disclosure of Building Energy Use
• Utah's Four-Day Workweek Cuts Energy Use 13 Percent
• Nova Scotia Power Can't Tap Consumers for Conservation-Related Losses
• Dividing the Loot from Cap & Trade
• House Bill Will Spur 20% Electricity-Price Hike by 2030
• US Consumers Spared Big Costs in Climate Bill
• Climate Change Astroturf - Additional Forged Letters to Congress Uncovered
• PNNL: Lab to Get $5.7 Million for Climate Change Research, Smart Grid Wor
• Waterworld - Response to Climate Change: Seasteading
• Wiring Rural America: Which Technology Is Best?
• Microsoft to Hire At Least 400 Yahoo Workers
• Pacific Northwest - Four-State Cooperative Sets Sights on Rural Broadband
• European Union Reasserts Lead in Broadband Connections
• White House Struggles To Fill Cyber Czar Post
• Nobody's Complaining About Comcast's New Throttling
• Can Free Web Applications Lead To Revenue?
• Wash. Fire Crews Brace for New Storms
• State Patrol Says Troopers with Fake Diplomas Should Be Fired
• Small Construction Mistake at Port of Seattle May Cost $1 Million
• Federal Indian Official Meets With Tribes at Kamilche
• Free Speech Dilemma in Port Angeles Council Race
• Congressman Jim McDermott Is Hiring

WORD OF THE DAY

Idee Fixe • \ee-DAY - Feex\ • noun - An idea that dominates one's mind especially for a prolonged period: obsession

Like a fanboy with a fully-restored, digitally-mastered version of the 1978 “Star Wars Holiday Special”, Dilbert’s idée fixe was the upcoming release of the new “G-I Joe” movie. He had bundled his collection of posable dolls (still in their original, unopened packaging) to the theater to camp out for the first, prime seat to watch the movie…two weeks before the show was to start.

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

Portland General Electric Facing Lower Earnings & Pressure for More Renewable Power (Oregon Public Radio)
http://news.opb.org/article/5544-pge-facing-lower-earnings-and-pressure-more-renewable-power/

Avista Corp. Reports Second Quarter Results (PR Newswire)
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-05-2009/0005072085&EDATE

Yakama Nation Starts Producing Its Own Electricity (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/08/03/tribe-starts-producing-its-own-power

High Energy Cost Grant Program - US Senate Denies Obama Bid to Ax Rural Energy Grants (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gBPaHA8wyvhZsKWPW8Uxp30QpfqgD99RMQR00

Chelan PUD’s Debt Is Heading Toward The $1 Billion Barrier (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090804/NEWS04/708049929?PUD%E2%80%99-s-debt-is-heading-toward-the-$1-billion-barrier

Northwest Natural Gas to Cut Up To 100 Jobs (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/08/03/daily20.html?ana=from_rss

Planned Power Outage for Mason County PUD 1 Customers (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7946/reftab/1632/Default.aspx

Two More to Be Charged In Great Lakes Energy Electric Cooperative Embezzlement (Gaylord Herald Times, MI)
http://www.gaylordheraldtimes.com/articles/2009/08/04/news/local_news/doc4a785845b6a31735669877.txt

Critics Take New Step to Block Kansas Coal Plant (Associated Press)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/08/04/ap6736359.html

United Kingdom Told to Triple Nuclear Share of Power Generation (Bloomberg News)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=a_Zqy214Vb58

FISH & WILDLIFE

Rep. Jim McDermott Wants to Study Snake River Dam Removal (Seattle Times Politics)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2009597282_rep_jim_mcdermott_wants_study.html

Hastings to Fight McDermott Snake River Dam Bill (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009597369_apwasnakeriverdams.html?syndication=rss

Ex-Governors Urge White House to Address Columbia Salmon Runs (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/exgovernors_urge_white_house_t.html

Eugene Register-Guard Editorial - Prepare For Dam Removal - Bill would require agencies to analyze impacts
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/sevendays/18127861-35/story.csp

Everett & Mukilteo Volunteers Hope to Turn Tires into Salmon (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_080409WAB-everett-tires-KS.aa89ff60.html?rss

Vote On California Marine Preserves Roiled By Board Shake-Up (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2083556.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

After Decades in Seattle, NOAA Vessels to Ship Out (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009599893_ships05m.html

The NOAA Exodus: What Went Wrong? (Crosscut Seattle)
http://crosscut.com/2009/08/05/bellingham/19152/

Gregoire Says Start Conserving Water (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=196576

Three Running for Position with Little-Known Belfair Water District (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/aug/03/three-running-for-position-with-little-known/

Radon Rises Into Thurston County - Home testing kit finds unsafe level of the radioactive gas (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/929720.html

Teddy Roosevelt: Seattle's Pioneer Environmentalist? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/connelly/408988_joel05.html?source=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Columbian Editorial - No ‘Winner’ Needed: When it comes to wind turbines and birds, the interests of both can be protected
http://columbian.com/article/20090805/OPINION02/708059971/-1/OPINION

Solar Energy Firm Eyes Vancouver, WA - Port could be home to panel plant with as many as 100 workers (Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090804/BIZ01/708049969/-1/BIZ

Snohomish PUD Closer To Tidal Power (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_080409WAB-snoco-tidal-power-SW.aa79bbab.html?rss

Oregon - Biodiesel Blending Latest Effort by State (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR)
http://eastoregonian.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=96147&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48

BPA Sponsors Wind Forecast Competition - First-of-its-kind prediction model will boost Pacific Northwest renewable energy (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/298373/

Bills Would Boost Renewable Energy, Storage (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/mnGreenInvesting/idUS391422471520090804

Boston Globe Op/Ed – Biomass: Clean, Renewable Answer to Energy Challenges
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2009/08/04/clean_renewable_answer_to_energy_challenges/

Colorado - Xcel Drops Proposed Solar-Power Fee (Denver Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/08/03/daily31.html?ana=from_rss

How Will Utilities Make Money as Photovoltaics Continue to Grow? (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/08/how-will-utilities-make-money-as-pv-continues-to-grow?cmpid=rss

Is Biogas the Way to San Jose's Energy Independence? (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2009-08-03-biogas-san-jose_N.htm

Canada - Winds of Change Rock Wolfe Island (Toronto Star, Ontario)
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/676248

United Kingdom - Wind Turbine Firm Vestas Wins Order to End Sit-In (The Independent, UK)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/second-turbine-plant-occupied-as-row-escalates-1767029.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Spokane Habitat Affiliate Wins Funding For ‘Green’ Homes (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/04/spokane-habitat-affiliate-wins-funding-green-homes/

Energy Bill - The Real Estate Industry Quietly Removes a Label Showing Energy Use of Older Buildings (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/08/04/04climatewire-the-real-estate-industry-quietly-removes-a-la-8072.html

Utah's Four-Day Workweek Cuts Energy Use 13 Percent (Associated Press)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/08/05/ap6743475.html

Canada - Nova Scotia Power Can't Tap Consumers for Conservation-Related Losses (Chronicle-Herald, Halifax, NS)
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/9012809.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Dividing the Loot from Cap & Trade (Washington Post)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/hearing/2009/08/dividing_the_loot_from_cap_and.html?hpid=news-col-blog

Energy Information Administration - House Bill Will Spur 20% Electricity-Price Hike by 2030 (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/08/04/04greenwire-house-bill-will-spur-20-electricity-price-hike-28686.html

US Consumers Spared Big Costs in Climate Bill (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE5736PY20090804

Climate Change Astroturf - Additional Forged Letters to Congress Uncovered (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/04/AR2009080402223.html?nav=rss_email/components

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

PNNL: Lab to Get $5.7 Million for Climate Change Research, Smart Grid Work (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/670653.html

Waterworld - Response to Climate Change: Seasteading (Mother Jones Magazine)
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2009/08/response-climate-change-seasteading

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Wiring Rural America: Which Technology Is Best? (BusinessWeek)
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2009/tc2009083_226117.htm

Microsoft to Hire At Least 400 Yahoo Workers (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/08/04/financial/f150922D03.DTL&feed=rss.business

Pacific Northwest - Four-State Broadband Cooperative Sets Sights on Rural Broadband Network (The Journal – who are these guys?)
http://thejournal.com/articles/2009/08/04/4-state-broadband-cooperative-sets-sights-on-rural-broadband-network.aspx

European Union Reasserts Lead in Broadband Connections (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/technology/internet/05broadband.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

White House Struggles To Fill Cyber Czar Post (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009598474_apuscyberstruggles.html?syndication=rss

Nobody's Complaining About Comcast's New Throttling - And that's a good thing, because there's more where that came from (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Nobodys-Complaining-About-Comcasts-New-Throttling-103755

Can Free Web Applications Lead To Revenue? (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111527079&ft=1&f=3

GENERAL NEWS

Wash. Fire Crews Brace for New Storms (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/930353.html

State Patrol Says Troopers with Fake Diplomas Should Be Fired (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/52398642.html

Small Construction Mistake at Port of Seattle May Cost $1 Million (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009599889_portmistake05m.html

Federal Indian Official Meets With Tribes at Kamilche (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090805/NEWS01/708059792

Free Speech Dilemma - KONP keeps Petersen mum after opponent Mania threatens action (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090805/NEWS/308059992

Congressman Jim McDermott Is Hiring “…under no circumstances refer to scheduler Elizabeth Becton as ‘Liz’…” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/175356.asp?source=pimail

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Stolen $20,000 Bottle of Wine Found
http://www.kirotv.com/news/20276451/detail.html

Family Video of Child Driving Prompts Probe
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5734IE20090804?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

Zoo Pelican Swallows Cell Phone
http://www.examiner.com/a-2152774~Zoo_pelican_swallows_cell_phone.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines

Welsh Whiskey Has Healing Properties?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sidelinechatter/2009599440_chat05.html?syndication=rss

SONG OF THE DAY

Emmylou Harris - Two More Bottles of Wine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU97vLkxxtY