Energy News Digest for September 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)

• Natural Gas Costs Flame Out
• Alaska - New Gas Contract for Chugach Electric May Be No Bargain
• TransAlta Emissions - Environmentalists’ Claims Disputed by Ecology Department
• Look Up! Volunteer construction worker injured by power line
• Editorial - Tennessee Valley Authority Calls For Input But Shuts Public Out
• Tennessee Valley Authority Nominee: Utility's Problems Same As In 1970s
• San Francisco Power Plant To Remain Open Through 2010
• Minnesota Utility Quits Big Stone II - $1.6 billion coal-fired power plant
• EPA Says It Will Review 79 Coal Mining Requests
• South Carolina - Copper Thefts at Santee Electric Cooperative
• U.S. Climate Bill Should Not Delay Grid Overhaul: FERC
• What Is Obama's Plan For The Northwest's Imperiled Salmon?
• Columnist - Rocky Barker: Will Obama Broach Dam Breaching?
• Fishermen Spat Leads To Puyallup River Closures
• New Washington State Fish And Wildlife Director Knows Job
• EPA Puts Limits on Three Pesticides to Protect Salmon
• Fix the Road; Fix the Stream
• Friends Help Fox Creek Salmon
• California - Key Salmon Spawning Rivers All But Dry
• Canada - Sockeye Salmon on the Wane
• Idaho - Boise River Chinook Harvest Is Over
• Fish Salvage Starts At Idaho's Sixmile, Gunnel Reservoirs
• Idaho to Reintroduce Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout
• WA State Lets Fishermen Sell Salmon-Eating Squid
• Dangerous Germ Found on Puget Sound Beaches
• Deadly Algae Closes Leland, Gibbs Lakes To Recreational Use
• Clark County Upgrade Boosts Sewer Capacity By 45 Percent
• Water Deal Eludes California Lawmakers At Session's End
• Mother Nature’s Little Helpers - The busy beaver
• Port of Shelton Announces Land Option with Alternative Energy Company
• California - Schwarzenegger To Veto Renewable Energy Bills
• Colorado Utility's Rebuff Of Wyoming Wind Surprises –
• Op/Ed - Critics Say Wind Turbines Hurt Land Values
• Wisconsin - Biomass Plant Plan Triggers Questions
• Meeting the Energy Challenge through Conservation in Oregon
• Op/Ed - Energy conservation, personal sacrifice has become a necessity
• Carbon Price Drops In Northeast Auction
• Pollution Auction - Good for Acid Rain, But Can It Slow Climate Change?
• Protecting Climate Change Refugees
• News Digest Flashback - Bogus Trend Story of the Week
• Environmental Groups Spar over Certifications of Wood and Paper Products
• Op/Ed - Algae Farms Can Clean Up Power Plants’ Carbon
• Sailing Ships – California says Wind Power Isn’t Green Enough For the Lady Washington
• Lobbying Firm Says It Only Forged 13 Letters, Not 14
• Good Housekeeping's New Green Seal: Not That Green, Actually
• $100 Million Question: Where is Broadband In US?
• Assessing the Internet: Great Creator or Destroyer?
• Twitter Changes Terms Of Service to Allow Ads
• Regulators Seize Lacey-Based Venture Bank
• Mason Officials Want Residents to Trade Burn Barrels for Compost Bins
• Initiative 1033 - Backers of Revenue Cap Initiative Lose Bid to Change Ballot Wording
• State Considers Selling Company Naming Rights On Ferries
• Heat Bares Ice at Mount Rainier

WORD OF THE DAY

Munificent • \myoo-NIF-uh-sunt\ • adjective - 1: very liberal in giving or bestowing: lavish

Barty was in hog heaven. He was eating chicken-fried steak at his favorite hash house, lavished with the munificent ministrations of the waitress, who kept plying him with complimentary bacon…fried just right to a crispy crunch.

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

Natural Gas Costs Flame Out - Natural-gas prices are increasingly unlikely to cause much discontent this winter (Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090913/BIZ01/709139952/-1/BIZ

Alaska - New Gas Contract for Chugach Electric May Be No Bargain (Alaska Journal of Commerce)
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/091109/oil_img_001.shtml

TransAlta Emissions - Environmentalists’ Claims Disputed by Ecology Department (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/articles/2009/09/12/news//doc4aab4daf3d9c1192494207.txt

Look Up! Volunteer construction worker injured by power line (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/sep/12/volunteer-construction-worker-injured-power-line/

Daily News Journal Editorial - Tennessee Valley Authority Calls For Input But Shuts Public Out
http://www.dnj.com/article/20090913/NEWS05/909130326/TVA+calls+for+input+but+shuts+public+out

Tennessee Valley Authority Nominee: Utility's Problems Same As In 1970s (Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, IN)
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20090912/APF/909120730

San Francisco Power Plant To Remain Open Through 2010 (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2214054~SF_power_plant_to_remain_open_through_2010.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Minnesota Utility Quits Big Stone II - $1.6 billion coal-fired power plant in South Dakota (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009849020_apusbigstoneottertail.html?syndication=rss

EPA Says It Will Review 79 Coal Mining Requests (Associated Press)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/sep/12/epa-says-it-will-review-79-coal-mining-requests/

South Carolina - Copper Thefts at Santee Electric Cooperative (WPDE-TV, Myrtle Beach, SC)
http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=349247

U.S. Climate Bill Should Not Delay Grid Overhaul: FERC “…(Wellinghof) I would hope the Senate would consider looking at a (transmission) bill separately, if in fact the climate bill does seem to be stalled…” (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE58A45U20090911

FISH & WILDLIFE

What Is Obama's Plan For The Northwest's Imperiled Salmon? “…Based on interviews with those familiar with the Obama administration's discussions, Tuesday's unveiling will not dramatically alter the approach we've known from the previous administration…” (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/09/what_is_obamas_plan_for_the_no.html

Idaho Statesman Columnist - Rocky Barker: Will Obama Broach Dam Breaching?
http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/898982.html

Fishermen Spat Leads To Puyallup River Closures (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/59069032.html

New Washington State Fish And Wildlife Director Knows Job - Anderson hopes to enhance outdoor activity opportunities after removal of ‘interim’ from title (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/877907.html

EPA Puts Limits on Three Pesticides to Protect Salmon (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11114916

Fix the Road; Fix the Stream - New Culvert On Evergreen State College Campus Will Mimic Nature (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/970114.html

Friends Help Fox Creek Salmon (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/09/14/area_news/doc4aadea4ec5869136838687.txt

California - Key Salmon Spawning Rivers All But Dry (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/13/MN5I19CVKD.DTL

Canada - Sockeye Salmon on the Wane: Salmon in the Pink on Fraser River (Globe and Mail, Canada)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/salmon-in-the-pink-on-fraser-river/article1284895/

Idaho - Boise River Chinook Harvest Is Over (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/969429.html

Fish Salvage Starts At Idaho's Sixmile, Gunnel Reservoirs – Hybrid fish will be eliminated (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/968420.html

Idaho to Reintroduce Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/969450.html

WA State Lets Fishermen Sell Salmon-Eating Squid (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009859480_apwahumboldtsquid.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Dangerous Germ Found on Puget Sound Beaches (KIRO-TV, Seattle) http://www.kirotv.com/news/20875990/detail.html

Deadly Algae Closes Leland, Gibbs Lakes To Recreational Use (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090913/news/309139989

Clark County Upgrade Boosts Sewer Capacity By 45 Percent (Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090912/NEWS02/909129993/

Water Deal Eludes California Lawmakers At Session's End (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iMcz9ocS8CdxPM6ZyRBpUq9Yro8QD9ALKENG2

Mother Nature’s Little Helpers - The busy beaver may be key to region’s water issues (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/sep/13/busy-beavers-may-be-key-water-storage/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port of Shelton Announces Land Option with Alternative Energy Company (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=146:port-of-shelton-announces-land-option-with-energy-company&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

California - Schwarzenegger To Veto Renewable Energy Bills (Associated Press)
http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20090913/UPDATES01/90912021/Schwarzenegger+to+veto+renewable+energy+bills+

Colorado Utility's Rebuff Of Wyoming Wind Surprises - Xcel Rejected Southeast Wyoming Wind Developers (Associated Press)
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/20888390/detail.html

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Op/Ed - Critics Say Wind Turbines Hurt Land Values
http://www.jsonline.com/business/59088607.html

Wisconsin - Biomass Plant Plan Triggers Questions - Papermakers concerned about price of wood (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI)
http://www.jsonline.com/business/59087912.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Meeting the Energy Challenge through Conservation in Oregon (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/09/meeting_the_energy_challenge_t.html

Alaska Journal of Commerce Op/Ed - Energy conservation, personal sacrifice has become a necessity
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/091109/opi_7_001.shtml

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Carbon Price Drops In Northeast Auction (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/09/11/financial/f133834D87.DTL&feed=rss.business

Pollution Auction - Good for Acid Rain, But Can It Slow Climate Change? (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112795024&ft=1&f=2

Protecting Climate Change Refugees - Communities hardest hit by climate change are also the poorest. Their right to compensation and protection needs to be made into law (Guardian, UK)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/sep/13/climate-change-refugees-law

News Digest Flashback - Bogus Trend Story of the Week: "Climate Fears Are Driving 'Ecomigration' Across Globe." (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2212229/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Environmental Groups Spar over Certifications of Wood and Paper Products (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/12/science/earth/12timber.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Billings Gazette Op/Ed - Algae Farms Can Clean Up Power Plants’ Carbon
http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/guest/article_a463df08-9f54-11de-a466-001cc4c03286.html

Sailing Ships – California says Wind Power Isn’t Green Enough For the Lady Washington (Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/09/12/local_news/doc4aab565b993cb859656624.txt

Lobbying Firm Says It Only Forged 13 Letters, Not 14 (Washington Post)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitol-briefing/2009/09/lobbying_firm_says_it_only_for.html

Good Housekeeping's New Green Seal: Not That Green, Actually (Consumerist)
http://consumerist.com/5357723/good-housekeepings-new-green-seal-not-that-green-actually

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

$100 Million Question: Where is Broadband In US? (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009856089_apustecthe350millionmap.html?syndication=rss

Assessing the Internet: Great Creator or Destroyer? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/09/13/assessing-the-internet-great-creator-or-destroyer/

Twitter Changes Terms Of Service to Allow Ads (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13316808

GENERAL NEWS

Regulators Seize Lacey-Based Venture Bank (KIRO Radio, Seattle, WA)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=211623

Mason Officials Want Residents to Trade Burn Barrels for Compost Bins (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/sep/13/mason-officials-want-residents-to-trade-burn-for/?partner=RSS

Initiative 1033 - Backers of Revenue Cap Initiative Lose Bid to Change Ballot Wording (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/968267.html

State Considers Selling Company Naming Rights On Ferries (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009850506_ferrynaming12m.html?syndication=rss

Heat Bares Ice at Mount Rainier (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/sep/13/heat-bares-ice-at-mount-rainier/

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Driver Dons Monkey Masks to Elude Tickets - Arizona Man Faces 37 Tickets, $6,700 In Fines
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/20859369/detail.html

Washington State Judicial Candidate Mistaken For SC Rep who Heckled President
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11114755

Bad Neighbor - Man Signs For Package, Pawns Contents
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20090911/BREAKINGNEWS/90911005/1006/NEWS01/Police++Man+signed+for+neighbor+s+package++pawned+it

Puyallup 911 Dispatcher Gives Birth on 9-11 at 9:11
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/969529.html

DIY Roads In India After Endless Govt Delays: Report
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090908/od_afp/indiaroadoffbeat_20090908110446

SONG OF THE DAY

Bette Midler - Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUxUbYUHExs