Energy News Digest for October 7, 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)

• Op/Ed – Jefferson PUD Discussing Electric Facilities Sale with PSE
• Grays Harbor PUD Wins Appeal for Disaster Funds
• Eugene Water & Electric Board Boosts Residential Power Rates 4.5 Percent
• Portland City Leaders Oppose Portland General Electric's Future Power Plan
• Dalles Lock Closure Could Have Been Worse
• Florida - One Man Electrocuted, another Injured Working on Tree
• Asbestos Claims - Federal Case against San Diego Utility Dropped
• Alcoa to Kick off Earnings Season
• Lots of Dead Fish along Sultan River Mean Good Year for Pinks
• Steelhead Recovery Plan Out
• Dressed for Success - Northwest Salmon Advocates Make the Rounds in D.C.
• Op/Ed - Dam Removal: Small Steps & Giant Leaps
• Op/Ed - For Wild Salmon, More Business as Usual
• Victims of Budget Cuts - A Sad Die-Off of Salmon Festivals
• Reward Offered In Long Beach Seabird Killings
• Oregon - Land Purchases for Wapato Lake Unit of Refuge Is Coming Along
• Clean Bill Of Health for Nisqually Shellfish Area
• Fish Workers To Live On Sea Farms
• Chelan PUD to Area Developers: Show Us the Water First
• Chelan PUD Is Working Up Plan to Cut Waste ... In the Water
• Vancouver Yacht Builder Sails Into Renewable Energy
• Renewable Energy Could Be Future Of Clark County Manufacturing
• $2 Million State Biomass Grant Will Let Port Townsend Paper Create Jobs
• Flathead Electric Coop: Geothermal Energy Testing Planned For Lake County
• Wyoming - Plan Could Boost Use of Vented Coal Mine Methane
• Op/Ed - Energy infrastructure: Time to Walk the Line
• Is the German Renewable Energy Industry in Jeopardy?
• Colorado Company Looks to Salvage Nebraska Ethanol Plants
• Seattle City Light Offers Customers Microsoft "Hohm" Connections
• Google & the Energy Detective Join Forces
• Why Google’s PowerMeter Gadget Partnership Is a Big Power Play
• NCS Power: Future Bright for Efficient Light Fixtures
• Ohio Utility To Distribute Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs, But Not for Free
• So Who Left the Lights on? This System Knows
• Senate Dems Opening to Nuclear as Path to GOP Support for Federal Climate Bill
• Nuclear Power: An Inconvenient Solution?
• Over the Summer, a Spread of Thicker Arctic Ice
• Activists Sue Texas to Restrict Greenhouse Gases
• Fish & Wildlife Creates Climate Change Job
• Study Says Natural Gas to Play Key Role in Cutting Carbon Dioxide
• ‘Cleantech’ Could Be Economy’s Next Boom
• Time Magazine’s Heroes of the Environment 2009
• Giants in Cattle Industry Agree to Help Fight Deforestation
• Mason County Commission Terminates Fairgrounds Lease
• Port of Shelton Urged to Keep Blame for Fairgrounds Closure on Mason County
• Future of Mason County Fair Uncertain
• Olympic National Park to Close Hurricane Ridge's Sunrise Snowplay Area for Good
• Man Accused of Firing Gun Outside Narrows League High School Football Game
• Second Letter with Unknown Powder Sent to Seattle Times
• Study Says Drivers Not Distracted By Texting
• Tumwater Business Vandalized

WORD OF THE DAY

Finesse • \fin-ESS \ • noun & verb – 1: refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture 2: skillful handling of a situation: adroit maneuvering 3: the withholding of one's highest card or trump in the hope that a lower card will take the trick because the only opposing higher card is in the hand of an opponent who has already played

Bertie’s gambit needed all the finesse he could muster. The concert venue was lightly packed on the big night. Although he knew that he could muscle his way past the pencil-necked backstage security guard, he was less sure that he could talk his way past Shaun Cassidy’s business manager for an exclusive interview for the local weekly’s “Star Spotlight” section.

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

Port Townsend Leader Op/Ed - PUD Discussing Electric Facilities Sale with PSE
http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=5&SubSectionID=5&ArticleID=25350

Grays Harbor PUD Wins Appeal for Disaster Funds (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/10/07/local_news/doc4accd74adf2ff294495047.txt

Eugene Water & Electric Board Boosts Residential Power Rates 4.5 Percent (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/21258669-46/story.csp

Portland City Leaders Oppose Portland General Electric's Future Power Plan (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/10/portland_city_leaders_oppose_p.html

Dalles Lock Closure Could Have Been Worse (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/995465.html

Florida - One Man Electrocuted, another Injured Working on Tree (Gainesville Sun, FL)
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20091006/ARTICLES/910069938/-1/MAGAZINE?Title=One-man-electrocuted-another-injured-working-on-tree

Asbestos Claims - Federal Case Against San Diego Utility Dropped (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2255745~Federal_case_against_San_Diego_utility_dropped.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Alcoa to Kick off Earnings Season - The aluminum maker will report after the close (MSN Money)
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/market-dispatches.aspx?post=1309329

FISH & WILDLIFE

Lots of Dead Fish along Sultan River Mean Good Year for Pinks (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091007/NEWS01/710079720

Steelhead Recovery Plan Out - The federal plan is intended to help restore steelhead populations over 35,000 square miles in Oregon & Washington (Walla Walla Union Bulletin, WA)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/10/06/local_news/091006local06.txt

Dressed for Success - Northwest Salmon Advocates Make the Rounds in D.C.
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/10/northwest_salmon_advocates_mak.html

Oregonian Op/Ed - Dam Removal: Small Steps & Giant Leaps
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/10/dam_removal_small_steps_and_gi.html

Oregonian Op/Ed - For Wild Salmon, More Business as Usual
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/10/for_wild_salmon_more_business.html

Victims of Budget Cuts - A Sad Die-Off of Salmon Festivals (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/10/a_sad_die-off_of_salmon_festiv.html

Reward Offered In Long Beach Seabird Killings (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_100609WAB-longbeach-seabirds-killed-SW.1eefcdc37.html?rss

Oregon - Land Purchases for Wapato Lake Unit of Refuge Is Coming Along: Bonneville Power Administration could be part of funding package (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2009/10/land_purchases_for_wapato_lake.html

Clean Bill Of Health for Nisqually Shellfish Area - Efforts of neighbors, officials pay off in lifting of restrictions that had been in effect since 1992 (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/995475.html

Fish Workers To Live On Sea Farms - Workers could soon be living on moored barges under plans to extend salmon farming further off the Scottish coast. (British Broadcasting Corporation)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8293241.stm

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Chelan PUD to Area Developers: Show Us the Water First (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/oct/06/pud-to-area-developers-show-us-the-water-first/

Chelan PUD Is Working Up Plan to Cut Waste ... In the Water (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/oct/06/puds-working-up-plan-to-cut-waste-in-the-water/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Vancouver Yacht Builder Sails Into Renewable Energy (Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/article/20091007/BIZ01/710079958/RECS++Yacht+builder+sails+into+renewable+energy

Renewable Energy Could Be Future Of Clark County Manufacturing - Field holds promise, but is not yet proven, experts caution (Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/article/20091007/BIZ01/710079951/Renewable+energy+could+be+future+of+county+manufacturing

$2 Million State Biomass Grant Will Let Port Townsend Paper Create Jobs (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091007/news/310079992

Montana – Flathead Electric Coop: Geothermal Energy Testing Planned For Lake County (KAJ-TV, Kalispell, MT)
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=11273413

Wyoming - Plan Could Boost Use of Vented Coal Mine Methane (Billings Gazette, MT)
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_68eeaaba-b2f6-11de-ac84-001cc4c002e0.html

Blue Oregon Op/Ed - Energy infrastructure: Time to Walk the Line
http://www.blueoregon.com/2009/10/energy-infrastructure-time-to-walk-the-line.html?cid=6a00d8341c2c3f53ef0120a620a678970c

Is the German Renewable Energy Industry in Jeopardy? (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/10/is-the-german-renewable-energy-industry-in-jeopardy?cmpid=rss

Colorado Company Looks to Salvage Nebraska Ethanol Plants (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/06/financial/f090313D66.DTL&feed=rss.business

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Seattle City Light Offers Customers Microsoft "Hohm" Connections (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/energy/archives/181314.asp?source=rss

Google & the Energy Detective Join Forces (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/google-and-the-energy-detective-join-forces/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Why Google’s PowerMeter Gadget Partnership Is a Big Power Play (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/10/06/why-googles-powermeter-gadget-partnership-is-a-big-power-play/

NCS Power: Future Bright for Efficient Light Fixtures (Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20091007/BIZ01/710079962/-1/BIZ

Ohio Utility To Distribute Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs, But Not for Free “…The utility will charge average users 60 cents a month extra on their electric bills for the next three years -- $21.60 all together. That covers the cost of the bulbs, their delivery, plus other charges…” (Mansfield News-Journal, OH)
http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20091007/UPDATES01/91007004

So Who Left the Lights on? This System Knows (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/realestate/commercial/07meter.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Senate Dems Opening to Nuclear as Path to GOP Support for Federal Climate Bill (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/10/07/07climatewire-senate-dems-opening-to-nuclear-as-path-to-go-28815.html

Nuclear Power: An Inconvenient Solution? (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/gwmCarbonEmissions/idUS305571454120091006

Over the Summer, a Spread of Thicker Arctic Ice (NY Times)
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/spread-of-thicker-arctic-ice-seen-last-summer/?hp

Activists Sue Texas to Restrict Greenhouse Gases (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/06/financial/f212332D85.DTL&feed=rss.business

Fish & Wildlife Creates Climate Change Job (Associated Press)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/744320.html

Study Says Natural Gas to Play Key Role in Cutting Carbon Dioxide (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN06439884

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

‘Cleantech’ Could Be Economy’s Next Boom - Momentum around clean energy reminds some of Internet’s early days (MSNBC)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33198138/ns/technology_and_science-future_of_energy/

Time Magazine’s Heroes of the Environment 2009
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1924149_1924151,00.html

Giants in Cattle Industry Agree to Help Fight Deforestation (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/world/americas/07deforest.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County Commission Terminates Fairgrounds Lease (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=323:mason-county-commission-terminates-fairgrounds-lease&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Port of Shelton Urged to Keep Blame for Fairgrounds Closure on Mason County (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=324:port-urged-to-keep-blame-for-fairgrounds-closure-on-county-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Future of Mason County Fair Uncertain - Commission trims expenses with cancellation of fairgrounds lease (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/995484.html

Olympic National Park to Close Hurricane Ridge's Sunrise Snowplay Area for Good (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091007/news/310079985

Tacoma - Man Accused of Firing Gun Outside Narrows League High School Football Game (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/63650347.html

Second Letter with Unknown Powder Sent to Seattle Times (Associated Press)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/63644767.html

Study Says Drivers Not Distracted By Texting (South Florida Business Journal)
http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2009/10/05/daily42.html?ana=from_rss

Tumwater Business Vandalized - Someone damages, steals heavy equipment over weekend (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/995487.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

'Art Theft' Smells Fishy, Investigators Say
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/06/BA581A1R2I.DTL&feed=rss.news

Roadshow: Drivers Beware: It's Deer-Mating Season
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13498429

Owls on the Attack in the Suburbs
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_100609ANB-owl-attacks-mercer-island-KC.1f06ffff3.html?rss

Man upset at closed Miami Taco Bell shoots worker
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010010633_apustacobellshooting.html?syndication=rss

SONG OF THE DAY

Shaun Cassidy - Hey Deanie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXn4aOVK-Ng