Energy News Digest for October 8, 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)

• Alcoa Stock Up After Surprise Profit
• PenLight to Hold off Increase until April
• Gunshots Cause Castle Rock Power Outage
• Dam's Lock Closure Hurts Northwest Shippers But Could Have Been Far Worse
• Hydropower Allocation Triggers New York Plant Expansion
• Texas Power Suppliers Facing Wind Challenges
• Governors Adopt Energy Road Map for Midwest
• Looking for Salmon Success? Better Converge On the Cowlitz
• Columbia Basin Brimming With Steelhead
• Editorial - Regional Plan for Steelhead Recovery Is Right Approach
• Darigold Ammonia Leak Kills Fish in Issaquah Creek
• Is Someone Targeting Ducks In Lake Washington?
• State Of The Beaver
• Alaska: Habitat for Sea Otters
• Pacific Seafood to Appeal Oregon Plant Waste Fine
• A Researcher in Our Back Yard
• Olympia Man Pursuing Biomass Plant in Longview
• Clark County Students Learn About Ethanol by Producing It
• Something New Under the Sun, A Way to Finance Solar Power
• Maryland Energy Administration Stops Solar Incentives
• States Have the Wind at Their Backs in the Offshore Debate
• Replica Sword Brandished At Wind Turbine Inquiry
• Australia to Launch Trades in Renewables Certificates
• Idaho Is In the Vanguard for Energy-Efficient Building Codes
• Ohio Delays Potentially Evil Expensive Light Bulb Program
• Westar Unveils Offering Free Programmable Thermostats in Kansas
• Chimney, Fireplace Should Be Checked Before Winter Sets In
• Green Tech Execs Press for Climate Change Bill
• Changing Alliances Shape Climate-Change Debate
• White House Aid Urges Cap-And-Trade System
• ‘Forest Offsets’ Would Aid Bottom Line, Report Finds
• America's Greenest Colleges
• Saudis Ask for Aid If World Cuts Dependence on Oil
• Snohomish County Puts Plug-In Prius to the Test
• Washington State's 'Pirates' ship too dirty for California
• Tacoma's Click! Cable Television Bills May Rise Twice In 2010
• FCC Chairman Warns of 'Looming Spectrum Crisis'
• Justice Department Examining IBM's Computer Market Conduct
• E-Mail Passwords Leak Not Limited to Hotmail
• 100 Arrested in Online Fraud Crackdown
• Google, Amazon Top Public Cloud Surveys
• Shelton Elk Hunter and Others Held at Gunpoint near Brinnon
• 21-Year-Old Brinnon Man -- brother of elk hunter detained by tribal police -- Dies In Unrelated Highway Crash
• State Auditor Says Port of Shelton Did Not Comply with Open Public Meetings Act
• Evergreen Professor on Leave in Wake of School Trips to Chile
• Flu Strikes Tenino Schools Hard
• Providence St. Peter Hospital Workers Plan 1-Day Strike
• Builders To Take Campaign-Finance Lawsuit To Trial
• Did Olympia Extortion Plot Inspire Blackmail Attempt On Letterman?
• Gun-Toting Pa. Soccer Mom, Husband Found Shot Dead
• Crash of Lunar Probe to Bring Out Amateur Astronomers
• NASA Downgrades Threat of Large Asteroid

WORD OF THE DAY

Crick • \KRIK\ • noun – A painful spasmodic condition of muscles (as of the neck or back)

After four hours of craning his neck to install overhead can lights in his kitchen, Mel complained that he had “more cricks in his neck than a teen-aged boy watching the girls on a Brazilian beach.”

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

Alcoa Stock Up After Surprise Profit “…The company, which has curtailed metal production by more than 20 percent and cut its workforce by about 30 percent…said there were signs that key markets are stabilizing…” (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSTRE5965T920091008?feedType=nl&feedName=usbusinessearly

PenLight to Hold off Increase until April (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/908211.html

Gunshots Cause Castle Rock Power Outage - Police Are Looking For Whoever Shot Electrical Equipment (KPTV-TV, Portland, OR)
http://www.kptv.com/news/21233763/detail.html

Dam's Lock Closure Hurts Northwest Shippers But Could Have Been Far Worse (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/10/post_1.html

Hydropower Allocation Triggers New York Plant Expansion - The low-cost power will boost the production of batteries for electric vehicles (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/10/hydropower-allocation-triggers-new-york-plant-expansion?cmpid=rss

Texas Power Suppliers Facing Wind Challenges - A doubling of wind-generated electric capacity will alter operations of every power plant in the state (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE59701B20091008

Governors Adopt Energy Road Map for Midwest (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI)
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/63689297.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Looking for Salmon Success? Better Converge On the Cowlitz - Large number of Coho and Chinook returning (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/letstalkfishing/story/996684.html

Columbia Basin Brimming With Steelhead (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091008/SPORTS/710089962/1008/SPORTS02

Walla Walla Union Bulletin Editorial - Regional Plan for Steelhead Recovery Is Right Approach: This is the type of effort needed across the Pacific Northwest.
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/10/07/opinion/daily_editorial/091007editorial01.txt

Darigold Ammonia Leak Kills Fish in Issaquah Creek (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010025374_webfishkill08m.html?syndication=rss

Is Someone Targeting Ducks In Lake Washington? (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_100709WAB-duck-attacks-kirkland-KC.1f5dd2b1b.html?rss?npc

State Of The Beaver - Here in the Beaver State, Castor canadensis is both loathed and loved, even apart from his role as a university mascot (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/sevendays/21024701-35/story.csp

Alaska: Habitat for Sea Otters (Associated Press)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/us/08brfs-HABITATFORSE_BRF.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Pacific Seafood to Appeal Oregon Plant Waste Fine (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/07/financial/f183252D72.DTL&feed=rss.business

A Researcher in Our Back Yard - Washington Sea Grant’s Teri King combines research with education to drive home the water-quality protection message (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/oct/07/researcher-our-back-yard/?partner=RSS

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Olympia Man Pursuing Biomass Plant in Longview (Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/10/08/area_news/doc4acd4bbf40cc2963201452.txt

Clark County Students Learn About Ethanol by Producing It (Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20091008/NEWS02/710089948/

Something New Under the Sun, A Way to Finance Solar Power (Oregon Public Radio)
http://news.opb.org/article/5985-something-new-under-sun-way-finance-solar-power/

Maryland Energy Administration Stops Solar Incentives (Washington Business Journal)
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/10/05/daily75.html?ana=from_rss

States Have the Wind at Their Backs in the Offshore Debate (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/10/08/08climatewire-states-have-the-wind-at-their-backs-in-the-o-69324.html

United Kingdom - Replica Sword Brandished At Wind Turbine Inquiry (Hull Daily Mail, UK)
http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/environment/Replica-sword-brandished-turbine-inquiry/article-1400029-detail/article.html

Australia to Launch Trades in Renewables Certificates (The Guardian, UK)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/08/australia-renewable-certificates

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Idaho Is In the Vanguard for Energy-Efficient Building Codes (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/928816.html

Ohio Public Utilities Commission Delays Potentially Evil Expensive Light Bulb Program (Consumerist – Note: Comment section may contain PG-13 Language)
http://consumerist.com/5376681/ohio-public-utilities-commission-delays-potentially-evil-expensive-light-bulb-program

Westar Unveils Offering Free Programmable Thermostats in Kansas (Yahoo! Finance)
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Westar-unveils-offering-free-apf-2195991931.html?x=0&.v=1

Chimney, Fireplace Should Be Checked Before Winter Sets In (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)
http://www.cleveland.com/insideout/index.ssf/2009/10/chimney_fireplace_should_be_ch.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Green Tech Execs Press for Climate Change Bill (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13510349

Changing Alliances Shape Climate-Change Debate (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/07/BUN51A20MQ.DTL&feed=rss.news

White House Aid Urges Cap-And-Trade System (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/07/AR2009100702090.html?wprss=rss_politics

‘Forest Offsets’ Would Aid Bottom Line, Report Finds - Companies could cut emissions more cheaply by saving rainforests (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/oct/08/forest-offsets-would-aid-bottom-line-report-finds/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

America's Greenest Colleges - As the U.S. becomes greener, some colleges and universities are leading the way (Forbes Magazine – Note: report needs to distinguish offsets or “indulgences” from actual green energy purchases)
http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/07/greenest-colleges-harvard-business-energy-evergreen.html

Saudis Ask for Aid If World Cuts Dependence on Oil (Seattle Times – This is a joke, right?)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010021692_apasclimatetalkssaudisinneed.html?syndication=rss

Snohomish County Puts Plug-In Prius to the Test (Everett Herald, WA)
http://heraldnet.com/article/20091008/NEWS01/710089882

Washington State's 'Pirates' ship too dirty for Calif.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/movies/2010021075_ladywashington08m.html?syndication=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Tacoma's Click! Cable Television Bills May Rise Twice In 2010 (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/908735.html

FCC Chairman Warns of 'Looming Spectrum Crisis' (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/07/financial/f130123D15.DTL&feed=rss.business

Justice Department Examining IBM's Computer Market Conduct (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13514515

E-Mail Passwords Leak Not Limited to Hotmail (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/181337.asp?source=pimail

100 Arrested in Online Fraud Crackdown (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/technology/internet/08phish.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Google, Amazon Top Public Cloud Surveys (Information Week)
http://www.informationweek.com/news/services/saas/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=220301599&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_News

GENERAL NEWS

Shelton Elk Hunter And Others Held At Gunpoint: Local men were acting legally in Brinnon, say state and county law officials (Port Townsend Leader, WA)
http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=25332&TM=43167.45

21-Year-Old Brinnon Man -- brother of elk hunter detained by tribal police -- Dies In Unrelated Highway Crash (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091008/news/310089994

State Auditor Says Port of Shelton Did Not Comply with Open Public Meetings Act (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=333:port-of-shelton-did-not-comply-with-open-public-meetings-act&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Evergreen Professor on Leave in Wake of School Trips to Chile (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2010021166_chile08m.html?syndication=rss

Flu Strikes Tenino Schools Hard - There have been a couple of cases of confirmed seasonal flu, many students home sick (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/996618.html

Providence St. Peter Hospital Workers Plan 1-Day Strike (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/business/story/996651.html

Builders To Take Campaign-Finance Lawsuit To Trial - At issue is money that backed Dino Rossi (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/996605.html

Did Olympia Extortion Plot Inspire Blackmail Attempt On Letterman? (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21233875/detail.html?treets=sea&tid=2653595907813&tml=sea_7am&tmi=sea_7am_1_09000110082009&ts=H

Gun-Toting Pa. Soccer Mom, Husband Found Shot Dead (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/nationworld/story/996544.html

Crash of Lunar Probe to Bring Out Amateur Astronomers (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13507258

NASA Downgrades Threat of Large Asteroid (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2256182~NASA_downgrades_threat_of_large_asteroid.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

What's Up, Doc? Radioactive Rabbit Poop at Hanford (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/410808_radioactivepoop5.html?source=rss

Irish School Asks Pupils to Bring Own Toilet Roll
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE59558I20091006?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Go Before You Go? Flush Before You Fly?
http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/181333.asp?source=pimail

Cage Fighters in Drag Wallop Drunken Duo
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091007/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_drag

SONG OF THE DAY

Leif Garret - I Was Made For Dancing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hihp_Jjdnsg