Energy News Digest for October 15, 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)

• Environmentalists, State Spar over TransAlta Deal Meeting Set On Portland General Electric's Plan to Cut Pollution at Boardman Coal Plant
• New Power Readers Will Help Benton PUD Run More Efficiently
• Editorial - Transmission Line Decision Needs Public Input
• Clean Energy Challenges: The Power Grid and Renewable Energy Infrastructure
• Re-Powering the Flathead Dialogue Series
• Big Names Decline to Attend Wyoming Energy Symposium
• California - South Bay Power Plant Closer To Shutting Down
• Op/Ed - Columbia Salmon Plan Is Legally and Scientifically Sound
• Can Salmon Evolve To Survive Among “Fish-Killing” Dams?
• Free Tours Saturday of $16 Million PUD Chelan River Project
• Op/Ed – Governor, Forget the Dams
• East Oregon Wind Farms Springing Back To Life
• U.S. Biomass Subsidy Poses Threat to Canadian Forest Industry
• What Will Talking Power Meters Say About You?
• Congressional Budget Office - Cap-and-Trade Would Slow Economy
• Farm Bureau Aims to Kill Climate Bill
• Use of Forests as Carbon Offsets Fails to Impress In First Big Trial
• Burying Carbon Dioxide: Fix or Folly?
• Cheap Way to Curb Climate Change: Seal Gas Leaks
• Green Lake Eco-Friendly Homes Going For Much Less
• Will Solar Speed Up Emerging Cell Phone Revolution?
• Broadband Now A Legal Right In Finland
• Microsoft: Most Lost Sidekick Data Almost Restored
• Report: Microsoft, T-Mobile Sued Over Sidekick Glitch
• Walmart Jumps into the Wireless Business
• Draft Report Outlines State Prison Cuts
• One-Day Strike at St. Peter Hospital in Olympia
• Teller Allegedly Took Thousands from Elderly
• Thurston County Classes Will Aid Emergency Preparedness

WORD OF THE DAY

Wiki • \WIK-ee\ • noun - A web site that allows visitors to make changes, contributions, or corrections

The residents of Creaky City used their wiki to pass along the goings on in their isolated, rural community. When visitors came “from the coast” they were all required to log on to the service and provide juicy gossip that would circulate through the small town like wildfire.

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

Environmentalists, State Spar over TransAlta Deal (Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/articles/2009/10/15/news//doc4ad60add718de798881317.txt

Meeting Set On Portland General Electric's Plan to Cut Pollution at Boardman Coal Plant (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/10/meeting_set_on_portland_genera.html

New Power Readers Will Help Benton PUD Run More Efficiently, Save Customers Money (KVEW-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kvewtv.com/news/?sect_rank=1&section_id=1&story_id=18948

Helena Independent Record Editorial - Transmission Line Decision Needs Public Input
http://www.helenair.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_509e410e-b941-11de-b0d7-001cc4c002e0.html

Clean Energy Challenges: The Power Grid and Renewable Energy Infrastructure (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/x-12791-Bay-Area-Green-Careers-Examiner~y2009m10d14-Clean-energy-challenges-power-grid-and-renewable-energy-infrastructure

Re-Powering the Flathead Dialogue Series (Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT)
http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/re-powering_the_flathead_dialogue_series/13576/

Big Names Decline to Attend Wyoming Energy Symposium (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/14/financial/f095752D53.DTL&feed=rss.business

California - South Bay Power Plant Closer To Shutting Down (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2267973~South_Bay_Power_Plant_closer_to_shutting_down.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregonian Op/Ed - Columbia Salmon Plan Is Legally and Scientifically Sound
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/10/columbia_salmon_plan_is_legall.html

Can Salmon Evolve To Survive Among “Fish-Killing” Dams? (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/10/are_some_northwest_salmon_evol.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Free Tours Saturday of $16 Million PUD Chelan River Project (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/oct/14/free-tours-saturday-of-16-million-chelan-river/

SF Chronicle Op/Ed – Governor, Forget the Dams
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/14/EDJS1A5O7U.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

East Oregon Wind Farms Springing Back To Life (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR)
http://eastoregonian.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=98984&SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48

U.S. Biomass Subsidy Poses Threat to Canadian Forest Industry (Winnipeg Sun, Manitoba)
http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/canada/2009/10/14/11399326.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

What Will Talking Power Meters Say About You? (MSNBC)
http://redtape.msnbc.com/2009/10/would-you-sign-up-for-a-discount-with-your-power-company-in-exchange-for-surrendering-control-of-your-thermostat-what-if-it.html#posts

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Congressional Budget Office - Cap-and-Trade Would Slow Economy (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/14/AR2009101404054.html?wprss=rss_politics

Farm Bureau Aims to Kill Climate Bill (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/farm-bureau-targets-cap-and-trade/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Use of Forests as Carbon Offsets Fails to Impress In First Big Trial (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/14/AR2009101403762.html?wprss=rss_business

Burying Carbon Dioxide: Fix or Folly? (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Burying+folly/2064972/story.html

Cheap Way to Curb Climate Change: Seal Gas Leaks (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/15/business/energy-environment/15degrees.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Green Lake Eco-Friendly Homes Going For Much Less (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010066396_ashworth15.html?syndication=rss

Will Solar Speed Up Emerging Cell Phone Revolution? (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE59D01C20091014?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Broadband Now A Legal Right In Finland - While here in the U.S. we're still trying to define it (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Broadband-Now-A-Legal-Right-In-Finland-104984

Microsoft: Most Lost Sidekick Data Almost Restored (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/10/15/microsoft-t-mobile-lost-sidekick-data-almost-restored/

Report: Microsoft, T-Mobile Sued Over Sidekick Glitch (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2010065580_report_microsoft_t-mobile_sued.html?syndication=rss

Walmart Jumps into the Wireless Business - Unlimited voice, data and SMS for $45 a month (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Walmart-Jumps-Into-The-Wireless-Business-104992

GENERAL NEWS

Draft Report Outlines State Prison Cuts (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010066700_prisonclosures15m.html?syndication=rss

One-Day Strike at St. Peter Hospital in Olympia (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010071133_apwahospitalstrike.html?syndication=rss

Teller Allegedly Took Thousands from Elderly (Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/10/14/local_news/doc4ad6121b975d0189646002.txt

Thurston County Classes Will Aid Emergency Preparedness (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1003610.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Eagle Scout Suspended for Keeping Pocketknife in Car
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21295903/detail.html

'Lottery Winner' Causes Riot At Ohio Coat Store
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091015/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_coat_store_riot;_ylt=AsvDozft8kUb8lu6ZVxw1mDtiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTJuYzc0anVxBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkxMDE1L3VzX29kZF9jb2F0X3N0b3JlX3Jpb3QEY3BvcwMxBHBvcwMxBHNlYwN5bl90b3Bfc3RvcnkEc2xrA2xvdHRlcnl3aW5uZQ--

Instand Karma - Don’t Moon Passing Trains
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091012/od_nm/us_germany_bottom;_ylt=AmRMiwzZ4sSsnYe0VOtI.fjtiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTJtNmdvdjIyBGFzc2V0A25tLzIwMDkxMDEyL3VzX2dlcm1hbnlfYm90dG9tBHBvcwM4BHNlYwN5bl9hcnRpY2xlX3N1bW1hcnlfbGlzdARzbGsDb25jZWluYWJsYWNr

Ralph Lauren Model Filippa Hamilton: I Was Fired Because I Was Too Fat!
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/fashion/2009/10/14/2009-10-14_model_fired_for_being_too_fat.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Andrew Gold - Thank You for Being a Friend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3eNjxZ8lec