Energy News Digest for September 2, 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)

• Washington Nuclear Plant Goes Back Online
• California Watching Wildfire Threat to Power Grid
• Puget Sound Energy Seeks Electricity Rate Hike
• Snohomish PUD to Raise Rates for Commercial Customers
• Eugene - Rates, Commissioner’s Arrest Get EWEB’s Attention
• Idaho Power to Build Natural Gas Plant
• Class Action Suit Claims San Diego Gas & Electric Cheats on Billing
• Oregon - Liquefied Natural Gas Opponents Appeal Clatsop County Decision to State
• Ameren Power Outage Info Goes Mobile
• Dam Safety: Investigating Failures of Post-Tensioned Anchors
• Tribes Agree To Fishing Closure in Tarboo Bay to Help Protect Coho Salmon Run
• California – American River Salmon Festival Canceled This Year
• Group Hopes To Expand Restoration Work on the Columbia River Estuary
• Eight Seabirds Found Mowed down on Beach near Gearhart
• Scientists Discuss 'Ambitious Effort' to Fix Hood Canal
• Washington State Delays Olympia Brewery Water Rights Decision
• California - The Water Wars: San Francisco Bay and the delta are dying
• Oregon Tops in Clean-Energy Stimulus Funds
• Leave No Wind Farm Behind - Iberdrola Renewables Receives $300M Stimulus Grants
• Columnist - Renewable Energy: ‘Buy California’ Fight Heats Up
• Editorial - California Legislature Should Reject Utilities' Demands, Pass Clean-Energy Law
• Richland Lab to Study Ocean, River Power
• Whidbey Tides May Churn Electricity
• Canola Good for Bio-Fuels, But Dangerous For Other Crops
• Biomass Electricity More Efficient than Ethanol, Researchers Say
• The Impact of Electric Vehicles on the Power Grid
• Ecos Consulting Sold To Advantage IQ
• Vast Shift in Bird Species Expected From Warming
• British Columbia Budget Bites into Green Programs
• Potential Seen For Climate Insurance in Tourism
• The Beginning of Richland's Broadband Backbone
• Barely Broadband - Internet Providers Seek Low Broadband Bar
• Qwest Sees 100 Gbps in Its (Long Haul) Future
• Connected Nation Wins Florida Mapping Bid
• WhiteFi: Broadcasting Wireless Internet over TV Airwaves
• Comcast Raising Rates in Washington By 3 Percent
• Ebay Sells Skype, Ending Ill-Fated Match
• Sun's Server Share Hit As Antitrust Scrutiny Looms
• Sony Ships PCs with Google Web Browser Installed
• Study Finds Web No Equalizer for Civic Engagement
• Mason County Sex Predator Won't Be Released
• Fire Destroys Condominium Recreation Center in Mason County
• Shelton Mayor Asks Mason County for Credit If Road Levy Shift Is Approved
• BP Makes "Giant" Oil Find in Gulf of Mexico
• Twitter, Texting Could Help Families in Disasters
• Vernon Stoner - Sequim Gets New City Manager

WORD OF THE DAY

Inordinate • \in-OR-dun-ut\ • adjective - exceeding reasonable limits: immoderate

What was supposed to be a simple installation of a computer program became an epic adventure for Billy. He was especially galled by the inordinate amount of time it took to get through to technical support – two hours – before being told that they had closed two minutes before the technician picked up the phone. “I look forward to speaking with you tomorrow,” chirped the cheerful propeller head.

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

Washington Nuclear Plant Goes Back Online (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/957337.html

California Watching Wildfire Threat to Power Grid (Reuters)
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2009/09/01/103426.htm

Puget Sound Energy Seeks Electricity Rate Hike (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/sep/01/pse-seeks-electricity-rate-hike/

Snohomish PUD to Raise Rates for Commercial Customers (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090902/BIZ/709029940/-1/RSS03

Eugene - Rates, Commissioner’s Arrest Get EWEB’s Attention (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/19543029-41/story.csp

Idaho Power to Build Natural Gas Plant (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/957287.html

Class Action Suit Claims San Diego Gas & Electric Cheats on Billing (Courthouse News)
http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/09/01/Class_Claims_SDG&E_Cheats_on_Billing.htm

Oregon - Liquefied Natural Gas Opponents Appeal Clatsop County Decision To State (Daily Astorian, OR)
http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=63735&TM=64997.22

Ameren Power Outage Info Goes Mobile (St. Louis Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/08/31/daily33.html?ana=from_rss

Dam Safety: Investigating Failures of Post-Tensioned Anchors (Hydro Review)
http://www.hydroworld.com/index/display/article-display/2797948588/s-articles/s-hydro-review-worldwide/s-volume-17/s-Issue_4/s-articles/s-Dam_Safety__Investigating_Failures_of_Post-Tensioned_Anchors.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Tribes Agree To Fishing Closure in Tarboo Bay to Help Protect Coho Salmon Run (Port Townsend Leader, WA)
http://www.ptleader.com/Main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=25046

California – American River Salmon Festival Canceled This Year: Cost and Lack of Fish Cited (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2154565.html

Group Hopes To Expand Restoration Work on the Columbia River Estuary (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/09/group_hopes_to_expand_restorat.html

Eight Seabirds Found Mowed down on Beach near Gearhart (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/slaughter_of_seabirds_continue.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Scientists Discuss 'Ambitious Effort' to Fix Hood Canal (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/sep/01/scientists-discuss-ambitious-effort-to-fix-hood/?partner=RSS

Washington State Delays Olympia Brewery Water Rights Decision (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/957527.html

California - The Water Wars: San Francisco Bay and the delta are dying. Salmon runs are collapsing. Droughts are getting worse. And big agriculture still wants more water (SF Bay Guardian)
http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=9088

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Tops in Clean-Energy Stimulus Funds (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5739-oregon-tops-windpower-stimulus-funds/

Leave No Wind Farm Behind - Iberdrola Renewables Receives $300M Stimulus Grants (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/08/31/daily23.html?ana=from_rss

Sacramento Bee Columnist - Renewable Energy: ‘Buy California’ Fight Heats Up
http://www.sacbee.com/capitolandcalifornia/story/2154412.html

San Jose Mercury News Editorial - California Legislature Should Reject Utilities' Demands, Pass Clean-Energy Law
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_13250505

Richland Lab to Study Ocean, River Power (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11029456

Whidbey Tides May Churn Electricity (Whidbey News-Times)
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/wnt/news/56664277.html

Canola Good for Bio-Fuels, But Dangerous For Other Crops (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/08/canola_good_for_biofuels_but_d.html

Biomass Electricity More Efficient than Ethanol, Researchers Say (Power Magazine)
http://www.powermag.com/renewables/waste_to_energy/Biomass-Electricity-More-Efficient-than-Ethanol-Researchers-Say_2142.html

The Impact of Electric Vehicles on the Power Grid (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/x-12791-SF-Green-Careers-Examiner~y2009m9d1-The-impact-of-electric-vehicles-on-the-power-grid

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Ecos Consulting Sold To Advantage IQ (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/08/31/daily20.html?ana=from_rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Vast Shift in Bird Species Expected From Warming (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/01/MNBT19E450.DTL&feed=rss.news

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

British Columbia Budget Bites into Green Programs (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/09/01/bc-victoria-vancouver-budget-green-environment-programs.html?ref=rss

Potential Seen For Climate Insurance in Tourism (Reuters)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKLNE58102Y20090902

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Beginning of Richland's Broadband Backbone (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/56668882.html

Barely Broadband - Internet Providers Seek Low Broadband Bar (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE5806LY20090902?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

Qwest Sees 100 Gbps in Its (Long Haul) Future (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/09/02/qwest-sees-the-future-and-its-100gbps-for-the-long-haul/

Connected Nation Wins Florida Mapping Bid - Despite being twice as expensive as closest alternative (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Connected-Nation-Wins-Florida-Mapping-Bid-104264

WhiteFi: Broadcasting Wireless Internet over TV Airwaves (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/177725.asp?source=pimail

Comcast Raising Rates in Washington By 3 Percent (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2009786819_comcast_raising_rates_in_washi.html?syndication=rss

Ebay Sells Skype, Ending Ill-Fated Match (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/02/BU1819GU5U.DTL&feed=rss.business

Sun's Server Share Hit As Antitrust Scrutiny Looms (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/09/01/financial/f210525D69.DTL&feed=rss.business

Sony Ships PCs with Google Web Browser Installed (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009787868_apustectechbitgooglesony.html?syndication=rss

Study Finds Web No Equalizer for Civic Engagement (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/09/01/financial/f110447D52.DTL&feed=rss.business

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County Sex Predator Won't Be Released (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_090109WAB-cherry-sex-offender-release-TP.13a55cf75.html?rss

Fire Destroys Condominium Recreation Center in Mason County (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/sep/01/fire-destroys-condominum-recreation-center-mason-c/?partner=RSS

Shelton Mayor Asks Mason County for Credit If Road Levy Shift Is Approved (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/8128/reftab/1632/t/MAYOR-ASKS-COUNTY-FOR-CREDIT-IF-ROAD-LEVY-SHIFT-IS-APPROVED/Default.aspx

BP Makes "Giant" Oil Find in Gulf of Mexico (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSTRE58133V20090902?feedType=nl&feedName=usbusinessearly

Twitter, Texting Could Help Families in Disasters (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009785942_apusdisastersocialmedia.html?syndication=rss

Vernon Stoner - Sequim Gets New City Manager (KONP Radio, Port Angeles)
http://www.konp.com/local/5072

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Gator On the Loose In Salmon Creek - Two-foot-long creature likely an abandoned exotic pet
http://columbian.com/article/20090902/NEWS02/709029945/

Honolulu Seeking To Ban 'BO' On Buses
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/09/01/national/a142409D91.DTL&feed=rss.business

SONG OF THE DAY

John Fogerty - Change in the weather
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0QvsgwGBJY