Energy News Digest for October 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)

• Grant County PUD Approves Rate Structure Changes
• Central Lincoln PUD to Increase Electricity Rates
• Natural Gas Rates Drop Again; Electric Rates Go Up Slightly
• Thieves in search of copper wire again hit Benton PUD storage compound
• British Columbia - Going After Copper Lands Two Men Jail Time
• Northwest Power Plan Includes Fewer Fossil Fuel Plants, More Conservation
• Power Planning Council to Hold Public Hearing on Region's Electricity Needs
• New Mexico Project Would Link Nation's 3 Electric Grids
• Boeing to Move Defense Strategies to 'Smart' Energy
• Tokyo Electric May Raise Nuclear Reactors Capacity to Meet Climate Goal
• How Much Did The U.S. Spend In 2007 To Protect Endangered Species?
• Tribes Demand State Fix Salmon Passage Problems at Culverts
• Harvest Maxed Out - Fall Chinook Season Closing Early At Hanford Reach
• Decision on Salmon, Steelhead Plan Looms
• Canada - It's one of the Worst Years in History for Salmon, And We're Still Killing Them
• Will Orcas Mix With Tidal Energy Turbines?
• Congress Votes to Protect Skagit River Salmon Stream
• Technologies Grant County PUD Uses to Track Fish Movement
• N. Korea 'regrets' causing deadly flood in S. Korea – Water released from dam
• Supreme Court Hears Carolinas Water Case
• Growth Management Strikes - Little League Seeks Water for Ballfield
• Simpson Tacoma Kraft Helps Light Sacramento
• Wood Making Comeback as Power Source
• Fed Grant - Principle Power Combines Waves, Wind
• Texas - Scientists Study Birds Killed By Wind Turbines
• New Nebraska Group Forms to Cash in On Wind Energy
• United Kingdom - Vandals Cut Wires on 230ft Test for Turbine
• Recipe for 700,000 New, Green American Jobs? Just Add Water
• Colorado Law Opens Way for Solar-Energy Leases
• 3TIER Launches Next Generation of Solar Assessment Products
• Iowa - Wind Turbine Driver Fined More Than $82,000
• California Considers Strict Energy Standards for Televisions
• Mandate or Negotiation - A Tale of 2 Ways to Save Electricity
• Boise, Inc. Mill to Be Site Of Carbon Study
• EPA Document Creates Crossfire between Midwestern Utilities and Enviros
• Obama EPA Releases Bush-Era Global Warming Finding
• Corporate Green Walls Could Inspire Energy Conservation Efforts
• Car Colors, Engines Reveal Regional Quirks
• Hybrid Cars May Include Fake Vroom for Safety
• Sidekick Outage: How Can Microsoft Save Face?
• Microsoft Issues Record Number of Security Updates
• Sweden Breaks the Internet - Or at least their portion of it
• Mason Jobless Rate 9.5 Percent - State Rate At 9.3 Percent
• Colorado Becomes First State to Lower Minimum Wage
• Grays Harbor - Back-To-Back-To-Back-To-Back Storms Headed Our Way
• Man's Death, Downed Trees, Power Outages All From High Winds
• Serial Burglar Stealing Dental Gold
• Mason Sheriff's Office Raises Enough Money for Patrol Dog

WORD OF THE DAY

Limn • \LIM \ • verb – 1: to draw or paint on a surface *2: to outline in clear sharp detail: delineate 3: describe

Agatha looked on in silent horror as the medium turned the tarot cards. As each card fell with a soft thud on the green felt tabletop her future was limned out in stark detail, including an ill-fated relationship with the pizza faced mail boy from the neighboring office complex.

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

Grant County PUD Approves Rate Structure Changes (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/10/13/news/doc4ad4f2d9309c1972740821.txt

Central Lincoln PUD to Increase Electricity Rates (South Lincoln County News, Waldport, OR)
http://www.southlincolncountynews.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=1082

Natural Gas Rates Drop Again; Electric Rates Go Up Slightly (Redmond Reporter, WA)
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/red/news/64012362.html

Thieves in search of copper wire again hit Benton PUD storage compound (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/yahoonews/story/753554.html

British Columbia - Going After Copper Lands Two Men Jail Time (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=120324

Northwest Power Plan Includes Fewer Fossil Fuel Plants, More Conservation (Missoulian, MT)
http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_11cde96a-b87a-11de-94f9-001cc4c002e0.html

Power Planning Council to Hold Public Hearing on Region's Electricity Needs (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/10/power_planning_council_to_hold.html

New Mexico Project Would Link Nation's 3 Electric Grids (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/13/financial/f153312D32.DTL&feed=rss.business

Boeing to Move Defense Strategies to 'Smart' Energy (Bloomberg News)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/boeingaerospace/2010058153_boeingmulenburg14.html

Tokyo Electric May Raise Nuclear Reactors Capacity to Meet Climate Goal (Bloomberg News)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aw9_aIe2Cgek

FISH & WILDLIFE

How Much Did The U.S. Spend In 2007 To Protect Endangered Species? “…The species that required the most money in 2007 was the Chinook Salmon…” (Scientific American – in the salmon’s case, you can thank BPA public power customers for footing a big chunk of the bill)
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=how-much-did-the-us-spend-in-2007-t-2009-10-13

Tribes Demand State Fix Salmon Passage Problems at Culverts (Associated Press)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/64111462.html

Harvest Maxed Out - Fall Chinook Season Closing Early At Hanford Reach (Associated Press)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/64187037.html

Decision on Salmon, Steelhead Plan Looms (Heartland Institute)
http://www.heartland.org/publications/environment%20climate/article/26170/Decision_on_Salmon_Steelhead_Plan_Looms.html

Canada - It's one of the Worst Years in History for Salmon, And We're Still Killing Them (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/worst+years+history+salmon+still+killing+them/2099674/story.html

Will Orcas Mix With Tidal Energy Turbines? (Whidbey News-Times, Oak Harbor, WA)
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/wnt/news/64158482.html

Congress Votes to Protect Skagit River Salmon Stream (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/181955.asp

Technologies Grant County PUD Uses to Track Fish Movement (Hydro World)
http://www.hydroworld.com/index/display/article-display/0133662363/articles/hydro-review/volume-28/issue-7/articles/fish-tracking__technologies.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

N. Korea 'regrets' causing deadly flood in S. Korea – Water released from dam (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/13/international/i222042D74.DTL&feed=rss.business

Supreme Court Hears Carolinas Water Case (Charlotte Business Journal, NC)
http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2009/10/12/daily17.html?ana=from_rss

Growth Management Strikes - Little League Seeks Water for Ballfield Just Outside Sequim Growth Area (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091014/news/310149986

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Simpson Tacoma Kraft Helps Light Sacramento - ‘Green power’: Simpson turns wood waste into enough electricity for 38,000 homes (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/915493.html

Wood Making Comeback as Power Source (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2009-10-13-wood-power_N.htm

Fed Grant - Principle Power Combines Waves, Wind (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/xconomy/411060_xconomy45537.html?source=rss

Texas - Scientists Study Birds Killed By Wind Turbines “…Birds killed by wind turbines pale in comparison to birds killed by cars, buildings and other animals…” (WFAA-TV, Dallas, TX)
http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa091013_lj_winddurbines.211e06347.html

New Nebraska Group Forms to Cash in On Wind Energy (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/13/financial/f131755D86.DTL&feed=rss.business

United Kingdom - Vandals Cut Wires on 230ft Test for Turbine near Queniborough (Leicester Mercury, UK)
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Vandals-cut-wires-230ft-test-turbine-near-Queniborough/article-1416245-detail/article.html

Recipe for 700,000 New, Green American Jobs? Just Add Water (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/national-hydropower-association/news/article/2009/10/recipe-for-700000-new-green-american-jobs-just-add-water?cmpid=rss

Colorado Law Opens Way for Solar-Energy Leases (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/13/financial/f165526D43.DTL&feed=rss.business

3TIER Launches Next Generation of Solar Assessment Products (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/3tier/news/article/2009/10/3tier-launches-next-generation-of-solar-assessment-products?cmpid=rss

Iowa - Wind Turbine Driver Fined More Than $82,000 (Globe Gazette, Mason City, IA)
http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2009/10/13/news/latest/doc4ad503e235a90062396219.txt#vmix_media_id=6693796

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

California Considers Strict Energy Standards for Televisions (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iOdSjBeSBXoLiftQRTMLX92Eu8ggD9BAG6D00

Mandate or Negotiation - A Tale of 2 Ways to Save Electricity (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/10/14/14climatewire-a-tale-of-2-ways-to-save-electricity-75494.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Boise, Inc. Mill to Be Site Of Carbon Study (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, WA)
http://union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/10/13/local_news/091013aacarbon.txt

EPA Document Creates Crossfire between Midwestern Utilities and Enviros (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/10/13/13climatewire-epa-document-creates-crossfire-between-midwe-43213.html

Obama EPA Releases Bush-Era Global Warming Finding (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/13/national/w122816D27.DTL&feed=rss.news

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Corporate Green Walls Could Inspire Energy Conservation Efforts (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/environment/2009/oct/Corporate-Green-Walls-Could-Inspire-Energy-Conservation-Efforts.html

Car Colors, Engines Reveal Regional Quirks (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010055553_apuscarcolorsglance.html?syndication=rss

Hybrid Cars May Include Fake Vroom for Safety (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/automobiles/14hybrid.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Sidekick Outage: How Can Microsoft Save Face? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/181814.asp?source=pimail

Microsoft Issues Record Number of Security Updates (Washington Post)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/10/microsoft_releases_record_numb.html

Sweden Breaks the Internet - Or at least their portion of it (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Sweden-Breaks-The-Internet-104954

GENERAL NEWS

Mason Jobless Rate 9.5 Percent - State Rate At 9.3 Percent (Associated Press)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_wash_jobless.html?source=pimail

Colorado Becomes First State to Lower Minimum Wage (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13551794

Grays Harbor - Back-To-Back-To-Back-To-Back Storms Headed Our Way (Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/10/13/local_news/doc4ad4be5db8e89627158122.txt

Man's Death, Downed Trees, Power Outages All From High Winds (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/weather/21288241/detail.html

Serial Burglar Stealing Dental Gold (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_101409WAB-dental-gold-serial-burglar-TP.217040e3d.html?rss

Mason Sheriff's Office Raises Enough Money for Patrol Dog (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/oct/13/mason-sheriffs-office-raises-enough-money-for/?partner=RSS

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Fraud Fugitive Busted After 'Friending' Wrong Person on Facebook
http://www.kirotv.com/technology/21287466/detail.html

Juggling Shown to Change Wiring of the Brain
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/science/2009/oct/Juggling-Shown-to-Change-Wiring-of-the-Brain.html

'Godfather' Singer Al Martino Dies At 82
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2010059376_apusobitalmartino.html?syndication=rss

Farmers Try to Plant Hemp at DEA Office, Arrested
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010058726_apusfarmscenehempprotest.html?syndication=rss

SONG OF THE DAY

Al Martino - I Have But One Heart (Song from “Connie’s” wedding in Godfather)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHflxC89DDY