Energy News Digest for September 21, 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)

• Warmth Won't Break The Bank This Winter
• Columbian Editorial - Good Energy News
• Re-Regulation Foes Point to Jump in Baltimore Gas & Electric Competitors
• Plugged-In Age Feeds a Hunger for Electricity
• New York - Sullivan Miffed over Hydroelectric-Plant Plan
• Martha’s Vineyard Energy Cooperative Outlined as Powerful Idea for the Island
• Governments Use Social Media - With Caution
• Editorial - Progress for Salmon
• Editorial - Habitat Plan Safeguards Dams As Well As Salmon
• Editorial - Latest Salmon Plan Flawed, But Northwest's Best Bet
• Op/Ed - It's Time to Implement Plans That Will Benefit Salmon
• Missoulian Op/Ed - Salmon Blueprint Mindful Of Montana
• Op/Ed - Terry Flores: The Administration Joins the Majority on Salmon Plan
• NY Times Editorial - Not There on Salmon
• Skokomish Watershed Work Helps Fish
• Elwha Fish Hatchery Contract Awarded
• Fall Chinook Jack Surge At Lower Granite Breaking Records; Outnumber Adult Fish
• Wash., Trollers Team Up To Improve Chinook Harvest
• Researchers Track Idaho Salmon to Learn Why Some Delay Migration to the Ocean
• Nez Perce’s McCoy Oatman Named New Chair of Tribal Fish Commission
• Belfair Sewer Project Bids Accepted, Groundbreaking Set
• Chehalis River Dam Sites Identified
• Grant Will Support Further Study of Water Storage Options
• Oregon Lakes and Reservoirs Seeing High Algae Levels This Year
• Obama Avoids a 'War on the West'
• Brazilian Prosecutors Take On Alcoa for Razing Rain Forest
• Washington State - California's Appetite for Green Power Could Boost Rates Here
• Renewable Power Decisions Create A Tangled Web
• Texas - Advocates Concerned Austin Energy Plans Will Hurt Poor, Elderly
• How Might Tidal Project Affect Marine Life? Snohomish PUD Gets Grant to Find Out
• Wave Energy Will Be Done 'The Oregon Way,' Johnson Says
• Small Wind Projects Get Better Price in Idaho (
• Montana - Small Power Struggle: Independents Say Setting Up in Montana is Difficult
• Disputed Solar Energy Project in California Desert is Dropped
• Rooftop Solar Setback in California
• Canada - New Hydroelectric System for Whistler
• Op/Ed - Positively Clean Energy – Biomass
• United Kingdom - Parts Arrive to Fix Damaged Wind Turbine
• High-Tech Materials May Boost Geothermal Appeal
• Spinning Flywheels Said To Make Greener Energy
• Electricity to Burn? Despite Low Rates, NCW Sees Benefits to Conservation
• Home Energy Q&A
• US Battles for Credibility on Climate Change
• Editorial - Regulating Carbon
• Wyoming - State Crafts Plan for Carbon Sequestration
• Audit Finds Waste in 'Green' Projects
• FCC To Announce New Net Neutrality Rules Monday
• With Broadband, Quality Should Trump Penetration
• Vermont - Communications Company Having Trouble Connecting
• Tacoma - Click! Says False Cable Sales Pitches Go Door To Door
• Qwest Will Take Over Malheur Bell in Oregon
• The Triumph of Web 2.5
• Allen Could Lose Control of Charter
• Apple Lied to FCC about Blocking Google Voice
• Old-Fashioned Medicine Needs Assist From WiFi
• Federal Role Was Crucial to Internet
• Broadband Derailed By Fears of Mutant Garlic
• Criminally Insane Killer Apprehended in Goldendale
• Critics Say Natural Resource Reform Is Too Little, Too Late
• The Bully of Puget Sound
• Installing Fire Sprinklers in Homes Could Become a Requirement
• Want To Read All About It Online? It May Cost You

WORD OF THE DAY

Laodicean • \lay-ah-duh-SEE-un\ • adjective - Lukewarm or indifferent in religion or politics

“…therefore, we admonish you to cast off your Laodician attitude towards your parish duties, and renew your vow of enthusiasm for your work…” read the Papal missive to the newly ordained priest. “Whatever,” he muttered as he reverently placed the ornately crested letter on top of the fifteen others he had received over the past three months.

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

Warmth Won't Break The Bank This Winter: Prices for natural gas and heating oil down substantially from a year ago (Trading Markets)
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2536234/

Columbian Editorial - Good Energy News: Natural gas bills expected to decline soon, and technology could bring more good news
http://columbian.com/article/20090921/OPINION02/709219994/-1/OPINION

Re-Regulation Foes Point to Jump in Baltimore Gas & Electric Competitors (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2009/09/21/story7.html?ana=from_rss

Plugged-In Age Feeds a Hunger for Electricity (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/business/energy-environment/20efficiency.html?hp

New York - Sullivan Miffed over Hydroelectric-Plant Plan: It claims NY City's reservoir project excludes locals (Times Herald Record, Middletown, NY)
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090920/NEWS/909200320

Martha’s Vineyard Energy Cooperative Outlined as Powerful Idea for the Island (Martha’s Vineyard Gazette, MA)
http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?22987

Governments Use Social Media - With Caution (Denver Business Journal)
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/09/21/story3.html?ana=from_rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Columbian Editorial - Progress for Salmon: New federal plan supported by three states; it's time to let the scientists take over
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090920/OPINION02/709209981/-1/OPINION

Spokesman Review Editorial - Habitat Plan Safeguards Dams As Well As Salmon
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/sep/20/habitat-plan-safeguards-dams-as-well-as-salmon/

Tri-City Herald Editorial - Latest Salmon Plan Flawed, But Northwest's Best Bet
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/opinions/story/723398.html

Idaho Statesman Op/Ed - Bill McDonald and Steve Wright: It's Time to Implement Plans That Will Benefit Salmon
http://www.idahostatesman.com/readersopinion/story/905974.html

Missoulian Op/Ed - Salmon Blueprint Mindful Of Montana
http://www.missoulian.com/news/opinion/columnists/article_2bd8e786-a6b6-11de-86c4-001cc4c03286.html

Idaho Statesman Op/Ed - Terry Flores: The Administration Joins the Majority on Salmon Plan
http://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/story/905972.html

NY Times Editorial - Not There on Salmon
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/opinion/20sun2.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Skokomish Watershed Work Helps Fish - Three miles returned to breeding habitat (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/environment/story/974622.html

Elwha Fish Hatchery Contract Awarded (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.konp.com/local/5109

Fall Chinook Jack Surge At Lower Granite Breaking Records; Outnumber Adult Fish (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
http://www.cbbulletin.com/356408.aspx

Wash., Trollers Team Up To Improve Chinook Harvest (Associated Press)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_salmon_genetics.html

Researchers Track Idaho Salmon to Learn Why Some Delay Migration to the Ocean (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/09/researchers_track_idaho_salmon.html

Nez Perce’s McCoy Oatman Named New Chair of Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
http://www.cbbulletin.com/356400.aspx

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Belfair Sewer Project Bids Accepted, Groundbreaking Set (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/sep/18/belfair-sewer-project-bids-accepted-set/?partner=RSS

Chehalis River Dam Sites Identified - Consultants Issue Geotechnical Status, Point to Challenges and Positive Attributes (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/articles/2009/09/19/news//doc4ab47a68ee1ee044835239.txt

Grant Will Support Further Study of Water Storage Options (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/09/18/09-19-09-money-for-water-study-dl

Oregon Lakes and Reservoirs Seeing High Algae Levels This Year (Oregon Public Radio)
http://news.opb.org/article/5847-oregon-lakes-and-reservoirs-seeing-high-algae-levels-year/

Obama Avoids a 'War on the West': Some Environmentalists Are Disappointed, but Western Republicans and Natural Resource Groups Are Surprised - in a Good Way (Idaho Statesman, Boise)
http://www.waterworld.com/index/display/news_display/s-135500099.html

Brazilian Prosecutors Take On Alcoa for Razing Rain Forest (Bloomberg News)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009895836_alcoabrazil20.html

RENEWABLE & ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Washington State - California's Appetite for Green Power Could Boost Rates Here “…once a green-energy credit was purchased (by California), the electricity left over could not be used by Washington utilities to meet I-937 requirements…” (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009902849_greenpower20m.html?syndication=rss

Renewable Power Decisions Create A Tangled Web (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/20/BU1S19PACH.DTL&feed=rss.business

Texas - Advocates Concerned Austin Energy Plans Will Hurt Poor, Elderly: Push for renewable energy, other reasons, are expected to drive up electricity rates (Austin American-Statesman, TX)
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/09/21/0921energyconcerns.html

How Might Tidal Project Affect Marine Life? Snohomish PUD Gets Grant To Find Out (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090919/NEWS01/709199901

Wave Energy Will Be Done 'The Oregon Way,' Johnson Says (Daily Astorian, OR)
http://www.dailyastorian.com/Main.asp?SectionID=2&ArticleID=64138

Small Wind Projects Get Better Price in Idaho (Missoulian, MT)
http://www.missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_2c38a600-a5a1-11de-aa21-001cc4c03286.html

Montana - Small Power Struggle: Independents Say Setting Up in Montana is Difficult (The Missoulian, MT)
http://www.missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_24bf46d0-a5a2-11de-aa22-001cc4c03286.html

Disputed Solar Energy Project in California Desert is Dropped (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/19/science/earth/19mojave.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

China's Factory Muscle Tilts U.S. Solar Playing Field (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/09/chinese_solar_startups_take_on_1.html

Rooftop Solar Setback in California (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/18/rooftop-solar-setback-in-california/

Canada - New Hydroelectric System for Whistler: It's claimed The Fitzsimmons Creek Renewable Energy Project will provide enough energy to power the whole resort (Planet Ski)
http://www.planetski.eu/news/833

SF Chronicle Op/Ed - Positively Clean Energy – Biomass
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/20/EDH319P8M6.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

United Kingdom - Parts Arrive to Fix Damaged Wind Turbine: Energy Cause still unknown of last month's fire at Kent Hills facility (The Telegraph Journal, UK)
http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/front/article/798096

High-Tech Materials May Boost Geothermal Appeal (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/977051.html

Spinning Flywheels Said To Make Greener Energy (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009907388_apusflywheelpower.html?syndication=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Electricity To Burn? Despite Low Rates, NCW Sees Benefits to Conservation (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/sep/18/electricity-burn/

Home Energy Q&A (Wilton Villager, Norwalk, CT)
http://wiltonvillager.com/story/475194

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

US Battles for Credibility on Climate Change (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009890415_apususclimatechange.html?syndication=rss

Washington Post Editorial - Regulating Carbon: The EPA is getting ready. Congress? Not so much. And that's about to become a huge problem.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/20/AR2009092001965.html?nav=rss_opinions

Wyoming - State Crafts Plan for Carbon Sequestration (Billings Gazette, MT)
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_624e8c06-a654-11de-86bd-001cc4c002e0.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Audit Finds Waste in 'Green' Projects - Energy Dept. Acknowledges Problems With Outsourcing, Need for Oversight (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/20/AR2009092001917.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC To Announce New Net Neutrality Rules Monday - Agency leaks news to most major news outlets (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-To-Announce-New-Net-Neutrality-Rules-Monday-104543

With Broadband, Quality Should Trump Penetration (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/09/19/with-broadband-quality-should-trump-penetration/

Vermont - Communications Company Having Trouble Connecting (National Public Broadcasting)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113005531&ft=1&f=10

Tacoma - Click! Says False Cable Sales Pitches Go Door To Door (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/885054.html

Qwest Will Take Over Malheur Bell in Oregon (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/976347.html

The Triumph of Web 2.5 - The well-deserved success of Mint.com, and what other Web businesses can learn from it (Newsweek Magazine)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/215692?from=rss

Allen Could Lose Control of Charter (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/09/14/daily54.html?ana=from_rss

Apple Lied to FCC about Blocking Google Voice - Google offers unredacted FCC response (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Apple-Lied-To-FCC-About-Blocking-Google-Voice-104545

Old-Fashioned Medicine Needs Assist From WiFi (Nat’l Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113018106&ft=1&f=3

Federal Role Was Crucial to Internet (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009908939_internet21.html?syndication=rss

Broadband Derailed By Fears of Mutant Garlic - Nova Scotia farmer derails tower over crop mutation fears (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Broadband-Derailed-By-Fears-Of-Mutant-Garlic-104538

GENERAL NEWS

Criminally Insane Killer Apprehended in Goldendale (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009909446_mentalinstitution21m.html?syndication=rss

Critics Say Natural Resource Reform Is Too Little, Too Late (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5834-wa-gov-tackles-natural-resource-reform-critics-say-its-too-little-too-late/

The Bully of Puget Sound - Seattle has a great international brand, but locally, the Emerald City image is tarnished (Crosscut Seattle)
http://crosscut.com/2009/09/18/mossback/19241/

Installing Fire Sprinklers in Homes Could Become a Requirement (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11159141

Want To Read All About It Online? It May Cost You (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2226935~Want_to_read_all_about_it_online__It_may_cost_you.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

DIVERSIONS

Shelton Man Fears Losing 'Service Snake' (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_091809WAB-service-snake-shelton-KS.19223b6e3.html?rss

The Man Who Made Oz: Frank Baum and the First American Fairy Tale.
http://www.slate.com/id/2228592/?from=rss

Closed-Minded Retailer Bans Jedi Religious Garb “…If Jedi walk around our stores with their hoods on, they’ll miss lots of special offers…”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6204199/Jedi-ejected-from-Tesco-for-wearing-hood.html

NY Group Tests Composting Of Pooch Poop
http://www.kirotv.com/money/20979887/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole IZ - Somewhere Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ltAGuuru7Q