Energy News Digest for October 5, 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)

• Editorial - Portland General Electric’s Boardman Plant: Bad Air, Worse Energy Policy
• Snake River Dam Crossings Return to Normal
• Lock at the Dalles Dam to Remain Closed
• Energy Secretary Says State in Line for $42.7 Million
• Grant PUD to Talk Rate Increases, Initiatives
• Lewis County - Alleged Drunk Driver Hits Pole, Survives Live Wires
• Residents (Including Chelan PUD Employees) to Be Honored for Heroism
• Heating Aid Could Fall Short of Needs
• Push For Liquefied Natural Gas Pipeline from Oregon’s Coos Bay
• California - Meters or Rate Hike?
• NorthWestern Energy Wants to Delay Montana Rate Case
• Op/Ed – Pacific Gas & Electric Partnering On ‘Smart Grid’
• Los Angeles Department of Water & Power Chief Resigns
• Two Connecticut Natural Gas Companies Forbidden to Lay off Employees
• Navajos, Hopis Shun Environmentalists over Coal Plant Plans
• Texas - $20,000 Error on Electric Bill Gives McKinney Woman a Jolt
• Judge Extends Deadline for Columbia River Salmon Plan Responses
• Editorial - End to the Klamath War
• Sockeye Salmon Spawning In Upper Cle Elum River Basin First Time In 100 Years
• Game On! Cooler Weather Rallies Near-Record Steelhead Run
• 2009 Steelhead Survival Rates Lower Granite-To- Below Bonneville ‘Significantly Higher’
• Scarcity of King Salmon Hurt Alaskan Fishermen
• Big Pink Salmon Run Helped Some but Not All Whatcom County Fishers
• Corps Sets Lake Pend Oreille Level for Spawning Season
• Solar-Powered Pump Keeps Cattle Out of Salmon Streams
• Kitsap’s Aquifers End ‘Water Year’ On Historically Low Note
• Water Flow from Dams to Increase in Elwha River
• Downstream From Green River Dam, Valley Residents & Businesses Prepare for Worst
• Water Canal Sparks Skepticism, Lawsuits in California
• Carolinas Water Fight Gets Supreme Court Spotlight
• Cowlitz PUD Looks at Green Future
• Snohomish-Based Business Converts Landfill Waste into Electricity
• Unexpected Tariff on Solar Panels May Further Strain U.S.-China Trade Relations
• Oregon - SolarWorld to Add Production Step in Hillsboro
• As Wind Farm Plans Spread, Wyoming Considers Nature of Wind Rights
• Clean-Energy Investments Off 22 Percent
• New Hampshire - Area Hydroelectric Plants Contribute Toward Record Output
• United Kingdom - Bad Tidings for Scottish Wave Power
• Biofuels Producers Warn They Are Going to Fall Far Short of Federal Mandates
• Energy-Efficient LED Bulbs to Light U.S. Homes
• $39.95 for an Energy-Efficient Light Bulb?
• Energy-Saving Options for Home Appliances
• Burying CO2: Fix or folly?
• Walruses Suffer Substantial Losses as Sea Ice Erodes
• Puget Sound Energy Joins the Electric Vehicle Project
• Oregon to Get 2,000 Electric Car Charging Stations
• In Green Portland, High Schools Lag On Environmental Education
• Get Everyone in US Online, High-Level Panel Says
• Editorial - Google & the Problem with ‘Net Neutrality’
• Spam Growth Surpasses ‘Storm’ Virus
• Mason County Forest Products Sued For Sex Discrimination & Retaliation
• Sunday Winds Bring Eastern Washington Dust, Blackouts
• Washington Lawmakers Warned Of Pension Shortfall
• Oregon Prison Springs Eco-Saboteur ‘Free’ By Mistake, Then Takes Him Back
• Mail on Saturday Could Get Sacked
• ‘Olympian’ Newspaper Name Trademark Challenged
• Trick-Or-Treat Bags May Be Lighter This Year
• Smell Has Some Cities Ripping Out Ginkgo Trees

WORD OF THE DAY

Fox Fire • \FOX-fire\ • noun – An eerie phosphorescent light (as of decaying wood); also: a luminous fungus (as Armillaria mellea) that causes decaying wood to glow

As Beauregard forged his way into the Appalachian wilderness in search of the mysterious witch of the Peaks of Otter, he thanked his lucky stars that on this moonless night that his way was being lit by the wan glow of fox fire.

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

Oregonian Editorial - Portland General Electric’s Boardman Plant: Bad Air, Worse Energy Policy
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf/2009/10/pges_boardman_plant_bad_air_wo.html

Snake River Dam Crossings Return to Normal (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, WA)
http://union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/10/02/local_news/091002local06riverdam.txt

Lock at the Dalles Dam to Remain Closed (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/740100.html

Energy Secretary Says State in Line for $42.7 Million (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009991710_chu03m.html?syndication=rss

Grant PUD to Talk Rate Increases, Initiatives (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/10/02/news/doc4ac64023dde32078012489.txt

Lewis County - Alleged Drunk Driver Hits Pole, Survives Live Wires (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/articles/2009/10/02/news/doc4ac643a294e27114474590.txt

Area Residents to Be Honored by Governor for Heroism - Includes Chelan County PUD employees (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/oct/03/area-residents-to-be-honored-by-governor-for/

Heating Aid Could Fall Short of Needs (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2009-10-04-heating-aid_N.htm?csp=34

Push for Liquefied Natural Gas Pipeline from Oregon’s Coos Bay (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/04/MNGM19SPCT.DTL&feed=rss.business

California - Meters or Rate Hike? PG&E Explains Soaring Energy Bills (Bakersfield Californian, CA)
http://www.bakersfield.com/news/business/economy/x2067559241/Meters-or-rate-hike-PG-E-explains-soaring-energy-bills

NorthWestern Energy Wants to Delay Montana Rate Case (Associated Press)
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/NorthWestern-Energy-wants-to-apf-306363442.html?x=0&.v=1

SF Chronicle Op/Ed – Pacific Gas & Electric Partnering On ‘Smart Grid’
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/05/EDVH1A0BCU.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

Los Angeles Department of Water & Power Chief Resigns (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2248908~LA_Department_of_Water_and_Power_chief_resigns.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Two Connecticut Natural Gas Companies Forbidden to Lay off Employees - DPUC’s Unprecedented Move Questioned By Some (Hartford Courant, CT)
http://www.courant.com/business/hc-dpuc-layoffban.artoct05,0,2076775.story

Navajos, Hopis Shun Environmentalists over Coal Plant Plans (Phoenix Business Journal, AZ)
http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/09/28/daily92.html?ana=from_rss

Texas - $20,000 Error on Electric Bill Gives McKinney Woman a Jolt (Dallas Morning News, TX)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/industries/energy/stories/DN-bigbill_04bus.ART0.State.Edition1.3cf560c.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Judge Extends Deadline for Columbia River Salmon Plan Responses (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009991057_aporsalmondams.html

NY Times Editorial - End to the Klamath War
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/opinion/04sun3.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Sockeye Salmon Spawning In Upper Cle Elum River Basin First Time In 100 Years (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
http://www.cbbulletin.com/358400.aspx

Game On! Cooler Weather Rallies Near-Record Steelhead Run (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/oct/04/game-on/

2009 Steelhead Survival Rates Lower Granite-To- Below Bonneville ‘Significantly Higher’ (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
http://www.cbbulletin.com/358402.aspx

Scarcity of King Salmon Hurt Alaskan Fishermen “…managers…suspect changes in ocean conditions are mostly to blame…” (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/business/03salmon.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Big Pink Salmon Run Helped Some but Not All Whatcom County Fishers (Bellingham Herald, WA)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/1097489.html

Corps Sets Lake Pend Oreille Level for Spawning Season (Associated Press)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/oct/04/corps-sets-lakes-level-for-spawning-season/

Solar-Powered Pump Keeps Cattle Out of Salmon Streams (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091005/NEWS01/710059873/-1/RSS02

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Kitsap’s Aquifers End ‘Water Year’ On Historically Low Note (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/oct/03/kitsaps-aquifers-end-water-year-on-low-note/

Water Flow from Dams to Increase in Elwha River (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091004/news/310049981

Downstream From Green River Dam, Valley Residents & Businesses Prepare for Worst (Seattle Tmes)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009996264_valley04m.html

Water Canal Sparks Skepticism, Lawsuits in California (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2249771~Water_canal_sparks_skepticism__lawsuits_in_Calif_.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Carolinas Water Fight Gets Supreme Court Spotlight - Justices will consider Charlotte & Duke’s interests in legal battle (Charlotte Business Journal)
http://charlotte.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2009/10/05/story15.html?ana=from_rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Cowlitz PUD Looks at Green Future (Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/10/04/area_news/doc4ac827fc3ee0d293121493.txt

Powered By Trash - Snohomish-based business converts landfill waste into electricity (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091005/BIZ/710059959

Unexpected Tariff on Solar Panels May Further Strain U.S.-China Trade Relations (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13472974

Oregon - SolarWorld to Add Production Step in Hillsboro (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/10/solarworld_to_add_production_s.html

As Wind Farm Plans Spread, Wyoming Considers Nature of Wind Rights (Billings Gazette)
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_ec2dcedc-b0f4-11de-9aa2-001cc4c03286.html

Clean-Energy Investments Off 22 Percent (Associated Press)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/oct/03/clean-energy-investments-off-22-percent/

New Hampshire - Area Hydroelectric Plants Contribute Toward Record Output for Public Service (Laconia Citizen, NH)
http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091005/GJNEWS02/710059917/-1/CITNEWS

United Kingdom - Bad Tidings for Scottish Wave Power (The Herald, UK)
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/bad-tidings-for-scottish-wave-power-1.923861

Biofuels Producers Warn They Are Going to Fall Far Short of Federal Mandates (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/10/05/05climatewire-biofuels-producers-warn-they-are-going-to-fa-82387.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Energy-efficient LED bulbs to light U.S. homes (LA Times, CA)
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/10/led-green-technology.html

$39.95 for an Energy-Efficient Light Bulb? It’s a Deal, Says Maker Lemnis Lighting (Los Angeles Times, CA)
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lightbulb3-2009oct03,0,3065254.story

Energy-Saving Options for Home Appliances (Belleville News-Democrat, IL)
http://www.bnd.com/business/story/953036.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Burying CO2: Fix or folly? (Edmonton Journal, Alberta)
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/business/Burying+folly/2064972/story.html

Walruses Suffer Substantial Losses as Sea Ice Erodes (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/science/earth/03walrus.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

News Release - Puget Sound Energy Joins the Electric Vehicle Project (BusinessWire)
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091002005507&newsLang=en

Oregon to Get 2,000 Electric Car Charging Stations (Portland Business Journal)
http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/09/28/daily57.html?ana=from_rss

In Green Portland, High Schools Lag On Environmental Education (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/10/in_green_portland_high_schools.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Get Everyone in US Online, High-Level Panel Says (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009995660_apusinformingcitizens.html?syndication=rss

Wall Street Journal Editorial - Google & the Problem with ‘Net Neutrality’
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703628304574452951795911162.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Spam Growth Surpasses ‘Storm’ Virus (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13473506

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County Forest Products Sued For Sex Discrimination & Retaliation (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=307:mason-county-forest-products-sued-for-sex-discrimination-and-retaliation&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Sunday Winds Bring Eastern Washington Dust, Blackouts - Eight people injured in pileup on I-90; Avista, Kootenai Electric report outages (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/oct/05/winds-bring-dust-blackouts/

Washington Lawmakers Warned Of Pension Shortfall (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11246979

Oregon Prison Springs Eco-Saboteur ‘Free’ By Mistake, Then Takes Him Back (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/freedoms_just_another_word_for.html

Mail on Saturday Could Get Sacked (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/02/AR2009100205630.html?wprss=rss_business

‘Olympian’ Newspaper Name Trademark Challenged - Athletics Entity Files Protest (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/993266.html

Trick-Or-Treat Bags May Be Lighter This Year (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091005/BIZ/710059963/-1/RSS03

Smell Has Some Cities Ripping Out Ginkgo Trees (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010002137_apusstinkytrees.html?syndication=rss

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

No Tiptoeing Through the Tulips – Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/arts/music/30ukulele.html

Man Gets 2 Yrs for Swiping Car on First Date
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/21184876/detail.html

US Woman’s Message in Bottle Turns Up In France
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21184855/detail.html

University of Florida Officials Remove Zombie Plan From Site
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091002/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_zombie_emergency_plan;_ylt=AgF2eJv3y2gpOwnGWAHSeDXtiBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTMxZG0yYXAzBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkxMDAyL3VzX29kZF96b21iaWVfZW1lcmdlbmN5X3BsYW4EcG9zAzgEc2VjA3luX2FydGljbGVfc3VtbWFyeV9saXN0BHNsawNub2pva2V1Zm9mZmk-

SONG OF THE DAY

The Police - Message in a Bottle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeQ2yXE1mpU