Energy News Digest for October 20, 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)

• BPA’s Reservoir of Cash Pays Off
• Rehab Contract Awarded for Grand Coulee Project
• Small Firm Names another Site for Idaho Nuke Plant
• Electrical Accident May Have Caused Hot Tub Deaths
• Seattle Public Utilities Tax Rates, Costs High, Audit Finds
• Are You Ready for Winter? If Not, Here Are Some Tips to Get There
• Water Usage, Treatment Brings Increased Power Consumption
• Belgium Delays Nuclear Phase Out until 2025
• Nuclear Power Revival for GE Leaves Waste Unsolved
• Livermore Lab Works On Alaska Coal Power Project – Underground Coal Gasification
• Pennsylvania Businesses May Save Up to 10 Percent or More on Electricity Costs in Newly Competitive Market
• Don’t Miss the Return of Big Mining
• More Money Might Not Speed Salmon Culvert Fixes
• Op/Ed - Fish: The Issue of Chutes & Ladders Can’t Be Ignored
• Editorial - Puget Sound Recovery Going Well On the Nisqually
• Walla Walla Partnership Launches Project to Redraw Water-Use Rules
• Cle Elum Information Meeting on Solar Project Is Thursday
• Bellingham Mayor Proposes New Office, More Green Power in City Budget
• Environmental Concerns Delay Solar Projects in California Desert
• US Department Of Ecology Buys Geothermal Plant in Wyoming
• Giant Wind Turbine, Centerpiece of Research Venture, Switched On Near Boulder
• Michigan - Wind Turbine Concerns Lead to Road Closure, House Evacuations
• Vermont Willow Harvest Promises Cheap Biomass Fuel
• Cowlitz County Contest: How Much Electricity Can You Conserve?
• Vetting the Fridge: Is Your Appliance Lying to You?
• Largest ‘Smart Grid’ Test Hopes to Shock Consumers about Energy Use
• Hoax Pulled on U.S. Chamber over Its Position on Climate Change
• Punked: Chamber of Commerce Says It Was Victim of Climate-Policy Hoax
• Chamber Of Commerce in Climate Change Hoax
• Fake Reporters Part of Climate Pranksters’ ‘Theater’
• Global Warming Could Boost Northwest’s Forest Growth
• Fossil Fuels’ Hidden Cost Is in Billions, Study Says
• Oregon’s Fly-Fishing Governor Aims to Hook Green Jobs
• Another Global-Warming Tort Case Moves Forward
• Study Says Electric Cars Don’t Deserve Halo Yet
• Portland’s Street Grid: Bad for the Environment?
• How Green Is Tofu? You’d Be Surprised to Know
• Op/Ed - Last-Mile Demand Should Be First Concern for Broadband
• Top Tech Firms Back Net-Neutrality Rules
• The Robots Are Coming! Oh, They’re Here
• Hand Sanitizer Helps Spread Fire at Shelton-Area School
• Shelton City Commission Asked to Reconsider Cutting Police Officer
• Supreme Court Justice Kennedy Blocks Release of R-71 Names
• Landslide Repairs Will Delay Washington Highway Projects
• Income Levels Rise In Washington, 35 Other States
• Study Says Washington State Has Nation’s Third-Highest Tax Rate
• Shelton Clears State Audit
• Bremerton Mayor’s Salary May Drop 20 Percent
• Oh, Rats! Rodents on the Rise
• Online Commenting: What Works & What Doesn’t?

WORD OF THE DAY

Asgard • \AZ-gard \ • noun – The home of the Norse gods

Thor and Odin were enjoying their Wednesday night bowling league in Asgard. Enjoying, that is, until Loki came rushing in and laid waste to the scorekeepers.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast & 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

BPA’s Reservoir of Cash Pays Off - Federal utility meets debt obligations despite poor economy, low water (Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20091020/BIZ01/710209974/-1/BIZ

Rehab Contract Awarded for Grand Coulee Project - Six Transformers to be Replaced Under $26 Million Contract (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/10/rehab-contract-awarded-for-grand-coulee-project?cmpid=rss

Small Firm Names another Site for Idaho Nuke Plant (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010100435_apusnukeplantnewsiteidaho.html?syndication=rss

Electrical Accident May Have Caused Hot Tub Deaths (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21348275/detail.html

Seattle Public Utilities Tax Rates, Costs High, Audit Finds (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010094633_audit17m.html?syndication=rss

Are You Ready for Winter? If Not, Here Are Some Tips to Get There (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/64849282.html

Water Usage, Treatment Brings Increased Power Consumption - Power mostly generated with fossil fuels, contributing to global warming (Las Vegas Sun, NV)
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/oct/20/using-water-using-power/

Belgium Delays Nuclear Phase Out until 2025 “…a report…concluded that the energy gap resulting from a nuclear phase-out could not yet be filled with renewables…” (Power Engineering)
http://pepei.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=6&ARTICLE_ID=370199&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

Nuclear Power Revival for GE Leaves Waste Unsolved (Bloomberg News)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=aQZtg3hJdMYA

Livermore Lab Works On Alaska Coal Power Project – Underground Coal Gasification (San Francisco Business Times)
http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2009/10/19/daily6.html?ana=from_rss

Pennsylvania Businesses May Save Up to 10 Percent or More on Electricity Costs in Newly Competitive Market (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=120791

Don’t Miss the Return of Big Mining “…Rio’s aluminum group continues to struggle, with its production down 4% from a year ago. But that hasn’t stopped U.S. aluminum producers Alcoa and Kaiser Aluminum from watching their share prices more than double since March…” (Motley Fool)
http://www.fool.com/investing/international/2009/10/20/dont-miss-the-return-of-big-mining.aspx

FISH & WILDLIFE

More Money Might Not Speed Salmon Culvert Fixes (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/1007897.html

Eugene Register-Guard Op/Ed - Fish: The Issue of Chutes & Ladders Can’t Be Ignored
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/20966841-41/story.csp

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Olympian Editorial - Puget Sound Recovery Going Well On the Nisqually
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/1008272.html

Walla Walla Partnership Launches Project to Redraw Water-Use Rules (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, WA)
http://union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/10/19/local_news/091019local03h20.txt

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Cle Elum Information Meeting on Solar Project Is Thursday (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/10/20/cle-elum-information-meeting-on-solar-project-is-thursday

Bellingham Mayor Proposes New Office, More Green Power in City Budget (Bellingham Herald, WA)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/1120915.html

Environmental Concerns Delay Solar Projects in California Desert (Los Angeles Times, CA)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-solar19-2009oct19,0,2124650.story

US Department Of Ecology Buys Geothermal Plant in Wyoming (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/19/financial/f140526D61.DTL&feed=rss.business

Giant Wind Turbine, Centerpiece of Research Venture, Switched On Near Boulder (Denver Business Journal)
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/10/19/daily20.html?ana=from_rss

Michigan - Wind Turbine Concerns Lead to Road Closure, House Evacuations (Cadillac News, MI)
http://www.cadillacnews.com/story_news/?story_id=1175360&year=2009

Vermont Willow Harvest Promises Cheap Biomass Fuel (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010089561_apuswillowpower.html?syndication=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Cowlitz County Contest: How Much Electricity Can You Conserve? (Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/10/20/area_news/doc4add50800416c242168848.txt

Vetting the Fridge: Is Your Appliance Lying to You? (Wall Street Journal)
http://www.smartmoney.com/Spending/Deals/Vetting-the-Fridge-Is-Your-Appliance-Lying-to-You/

Largest ‘Smart Grid’ Test Hopes to Shock Consumers about Energy Use (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/10/20/20climatewire-largest-smart-grid-test-hopes-to-shock-consu-92426.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Hoax Pulled on U.S. Chamber over Its Position on Climate Change (Bloomberg News)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a3IaPOkIataY

Punked: Chamber of Commerce Says It Was Victim of Climate-Policy Hoax (Wall Street Journal)
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2009/10/19/punked-chamber-of-commerce-says-it-was-victim-of-climate-policy-hoax/

Chamber Of Commerce in Climate Change Hoax (Nat’l Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113943699&ft=1&f=2

Fake Reporters Part of Climate Pranksters’ ‘Theater’ (NY Times – story says faux reporters diminished “real” reporters’ credibility. No, what diminishes “real” reporters credibility is that they fell for this act hook, line and sinker)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/10/20/20greenwire-fake-reporters-part-of-climate-pranksters-thea-39576.html

Global Warming Could Boost Northwest’s Forest Growth -- Except In Most-Logged Areas
(Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/10/global_warming_could_boost_nor.html

Fossil Fuels’ Hidden Cost Is in Billions, Study Says (NY Times - Ed. Note: I HATE headlines like this. It SHOULD read “Study Says Fossil Fuels’ Hidden Cost Is in Billions”)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/science/earth/20fossil.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Oregon’s Fly-Fishing Governor Aims to Hook Green Jobs (Nat’l Public Radio - Fishes for steelhead, catches a Chinook Salmon)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113841255

Another Global-Warming Tort Case Moves Forward - Mississippi property owners can sue oil, coal & chemical companies whose pollution allegedly elevated sea levels & “added to the ferocity” of Hurricane Katrina (Courthouse News)
http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/10/19/Another_Global-Warming_Tort_Case_Moves_Forward.htm

Study Says Electric Cars Don’t Deserve Halo Yet (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE59I5QH20091019

Portland’s Street Grid: Bad for the Environment? (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/10/portlands_street_grid_bad_for.html

How Green Is Tofu? You’d Be Surprised to Know “…(processing) steps require energy—and they dramatically increase tofu’s carbon footprint…” (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2232916/?from=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Kansas City Star Op/Ed - Last-Mile Demand Should Be First Concern for Broadband
http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/1517715.html

Top Tech Firms Back Net-Neutrality Rules - Letter comes as FCC prepares to vote (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101903575.html?wprss=rss_technology

The Robots Are Coming! Oh, They’re Here (NY Times)
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/19/the-robots-are-coming-oh-theyre-here/

GENERAL NEWS

Hand Sanitizer Helps Spread Fire At Shelton-Area School (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_101909WAB-shelton-school-fire-SW.2313fed53.html?rss

Shelton City Commission Asked to Reconsider Cutting Police Officer (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=420:shelton-city-commission-asked-to-reconsider-cutting-officer&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Supreme Court Justice Kennedy Blocks Release of R-71 Names (Associated Press)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/10/19/justice-kennedy-blocks-release-of-r-71-names

Landslide Repairs Will Delay Washington Highway Projects (Oregon Public Radio)
http://news.opb.org/article/6050-landslide-repairs-will-delay-washington-highway-projects/

Income Levels Rise In Washington, 35 Other States (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/10/19/daily12.html?ana=from_rss

Study Says Washington State Has Nation’s Third-Highest Tax Rate (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/10/19/daily9.html?ana=from_rss

Shelton Clears State Audit (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=421:shelton-clears-audit&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Bremerton Mayor’s Salary May Drop 20 Percent (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010099967_apwabremertonmayor.html?syndication=rss

Oh, Rats! Rodents on the Rise - Thurston County sees more critters and in new areas (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1008232.html

Online Commenting: What Works and What Doesn’t? (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/technology/2009/oct/Online-Commenting--What-Works-and-What-Doesn-t--.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

A New Coke? Well, It’s Smaller
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/all-we-can-eat/?nav=rss_email/components

‘Big Brother’ Winnings Used To Buy Pills - Reality Show Winner Admits To Trying To Resell Oxycodone
http://www.kirotv.com/entertainment/21348594/detail.html

Robbery Victim Prays With, Hugs Suspect
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21347992/detail.html

Neighbors Object to Four-Story Tree House - Man Ordered To Destroy Structure
http://www.kirotv.com/money/21347579/detail.html

Wily Coyote Survives Wild Ride - Animal Struck By Car, Gets Trapped Behind Grill
http://www.kirotv.com/family/21345970/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Blue Oyster Cult – Godzilla
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6rDWqjnW7w