Energy News Digest for November 30, 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)

• Two Apply to Fill Jefferson PUD Vacancy Created by Roberts’ Death
• Phone Glitch Keeps Gig Harbor Electricity Customers in Dark
• Montana - Critics Blast Electric City Power Report
• Naming Rights - Tacoma Power Says No to Dome
• Woodland Considering Utility Tax Increase to Fund New Firefighter Position
• Nevada Power Transmission Line Project Moves Forward
• Pennsylvania - Electricity rates are about to explode (30%) in Berks County
• Maryland Lawmaker Won’t Stand in Way of Re-Regulating Energy Industry
• Paying for Water with Power
• North Carolina - US wanted hydro plant closed
• Virginian Electrocuted - Another hurt taking down temporary lights
• Minnesota Tribe to Rally against Nuclear Expansion
• Entering the Nuclear Age? Duke Energy CEO Wants Federal Control on Energy
• Ohio Electric Supplier Pulls Its Plan for $4B Power Plant
• Wenatchee’s Rocky Reach Dam Sees Huge Steelhead Run
• Prospects Looking Dim Again for Lake Washington Sockeye Fishery
• Columbian Editorial - Salmon in the Creek
• Columbia River Anglers Will Pay New Fee in 2010
• Alaska Fishermen Aim for Higher Quality, Better Prices
• French Oyster Farmers Suffer From Wave of Thefts
• Washington State Considers New Irrigation Water Rights
• Oregon Tax Dollars Blow Away in Wind Projects – Subsidies in question
• Controversial Project Strikes at the Heart of Murrelet Recovery in Washington
• California - Bureaucracy Trips up Renewable Energy Projects
• Port of Longview Profits Soar on Wind Energy
• Wind Turbines Beginning to Energize Alaska
• In the Wind: What’s a Wind Lease?
• Rhode Island Governor to Speak About Offshore Wind Power Plans
• New Jersey Lawmaker Pushing for Windmills on Piers
• Pennsylvania Wind Turbine Plant Laying off 141 Workers
• Solar Panels Causing Some Storms
• Germany Faces Solar Power Component Shortage
• Hearing Set for Massachusetts Bill on Wood Power Plants
• Push for Alternatives to Coal Lights a Fire under Wood-Pellet Industry
• US Unlikely to Use the Ethanol Congress Ordered
• Idaho Ethanol Plant Aims to Reopen as Market Improves
• Mason County: PUD Has Programs, Ideas for Energy-Efficient Home
• Ellensburg to Join in ‘Smart Grid’ Effort
• Puget Sound Energy Offers Tips for Safe & Efficient Ways to Light up the Holidays
• Montana - Multimillion-Dollar Meters
• Conservation pays off for Northern Wasco County PUD
• Ordinary Buildings to Respond to Electricity Demands
• LED Bulbs Save Substantial Energy, a Study Finds
• Protecting the Forests & Hoping for Payback
• Richland Woman Bound for Denmark Climate Conference
• Carbon-Credit Dispute Threatens New Climate Deal
• The Carbon-Subprime Connection: A Cautionary Tale?
• Wall Street Journal Editorial - ‘Cap & Trade Is Dead’
• Hacked E-Mail Data Prompts Calls for Changes in Climate Research
• Washington Post Editorial - It’s Not the Climate; It’s the Cover-up
• New Climate Targets May Not Change Daily Life Much
• Monday Climate Change Meeting Seeks Public Input
• When Trees Fall Next Door, Neighbors Make the
• Airlines Call Christmas Truce in the Green War
• Rural Carriers Quickly Embracing Fiber
• Waterloo, Fastest (Internet) Town in the Midwest
• Nebraska - Recession Slows Plan to Build Bunker Data Centers
• In-Flight Internet Taking Off With Row 44
• Will Cyber Monday End With a Bang or a Whimper?
• Don’t Bet Newspapers Will Get Rich Shunning Google
• Suspect Wanted in Lakewood Police Shootings Not Found in Seattle House
• Former Shelton Officer: Slain female officer remembered
• Huckabee Commuted Sentence of Man Tied to Police Slayings
• Former Evergreen Student, Ecoterrorism Suspect Sentenced in China
• Former Idaho Congressman Loses Appeal in Swindling Case
• Timber Prices Rally; Trade Group Foresees Demand
• Noble Fir Trees Harder to Come by This Christmas
• Signal Fading on Radio Traffic Reports
• You’ve got mail – for 6 years

WORD OF THE DAY

Congruous • \KAHNG-groo-us\ • adjective - 1*a: being in agreement, harmony, or correspondence b: conforming to the circumstances or requirements of a situation: appropriate 2: marked or enhanced by harmonious agreement among constituent elements

The bleary-eyed reviewer slowly turned his gaze from what appeared to be a concerted letter-writing campaign by a certain candy cane company which had been trying to keep its confections in the hands of department store Santas. “The congruous nature of these letters is astounding,” he sighed. “They’re exactly the same, tout the benefits of high fructose corn syrup for children, and are all return addressed to the north pole.”

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

Two Apply to Fill Jefferson PUD Vacancy Created by Roberts’ Death (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091130/news/311309994

Phone Glitch Keeps Gig Harbor Electricity Customers in Dark (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010357789_penlight26m.html?syndication=rss

Montana - Critics Blast Electric City Power Report: Should Great Falls stay in the electricity business (Great Falls Tribune, MT)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20091128/NEWS01/911280311/Critics+blast+Electric+City+Power+report

Naming Rights - Tacoma Power Says No to Dome: Public utility won’t buy naming rights to icon, but it will help upgrade the lighting (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/974275.html

Woodland Considering Utility Tax Increase to Fund New Firefighter Position (Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/11/28//area_news/doc4b107e7195c89535121130.txt

Nevada Power Transmission Line Project Moves Forward (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/11/29/state/n130245S78.DTL&feed=rss.business

Pennsylvania - Electricity rates are about to explode (30%) in Berks County “…Rate caps put in place to foster competition in the electric generation industry…actually backfired & resulted in 13 years of unrealistically low electric rates in Pennsylvania…” (Reading Eagle, PA)
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=172027

Maryland Lawmaker Won’t Stand in Way of Re-Regulating Energy Industry (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2009/11/30/story13.html?ana=from_rss

Paying for Water with Power (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2009/11/28/20091128biz-srpwater1129.html

North Carolina - US wanted hydro plant closed (News Record, Greensboro, NC)
http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/11/29/article/us_wanted_hydro_plant_closed

Virginian Electrocuted - Another hurt taking down temporary lights for repair of water main (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/25/AR2009112501839.html?wprss=rss_metro

Minnesota Tribe to Rally against Nuclear Expansion (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010368434_apusminnesotanuclearpower.html?syndication=rss

Entering the Nuclear Age? Duke Energy CEO Wants Federal Control on Energy (Daily Finance)
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/11/28/entering-the-nuclear-age-a-utilities-ceo-wants-federal-control/

Ohio Electric Supplier Pulls Its Plan for $4B Power Plant (Toledo Blade, OH)
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091126/BUSINESS01/911260359/-1/BUSINESS05

FISH & WILDLIFE

Wenatchee’s Rocky Reach Dam Sees Huge Steelhead Run (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/nov/25/counters-log-record-run-of-steelhead/

Prospects Looking Dim Again for Lake Washington Sockeye Fishery “…It doesn’t make any sense that the Lake Washington & Fraser River [in British Columbia] sockeye runs were so poor, while the Columbia River was so good…” (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2010379208_outn29.html

Columbian Editorial - Salmon in the Creek: Small victory seen in ongoing local struggle to improve fish habitat
http://columbian.com/article/20091130/OPINION02/711309987/-1/opinion

Columbia River Anglers Will Pay New Fee in 2010 (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/969784.html

Alaska Fishermen Aim for Higher Quality, Better Prices (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010385420_apakbristolbayseafood.html?syndication=rss

French Oyster Farmers Suffer From Wave of Thefts - A shortage of shellfish created by a virus has led rogue growers to steal from their colleagues (Guardian, UK)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/29/french-oyster-farmers-thefts

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Considers New Irrigation Water Rights (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/nov/28/washington-considers-new-irrigation-water-rights/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Tax Dollars Blow Away in Wind Projects – Subsidies in question (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/11/tax_dollars_blow_away_in_wind.html

Controversial Project Strikes at the Heart of Murrelet Recovery in Washington (Conservation NW)
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1201/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=28101

California - Bureaucracy Trips up Renewable Energy Projects (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/26/MN451AP7MF.DTL

Port of Longview Profits Soar on Wind Energy (Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/11/27//area_news/doc4b0f8312597db892509738.txt

Wind Turbines Beginning to Energize Alaska - More Alaskans harness renewable energy (Anchorage Daily News, AK)
http://www.adn.com/3221/story/1032572.html

In the Wind: What’s a Wind Lease? (Queen City News, Helena, MT)
http://www.queencitynews.com/modules.php?sid=10858&thold=0&order=0&file=article&name=News&op=modload

Rhode Island Governor to Speak About Offshore Wind Power Plans (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/11/30/financial/f073858S03.DTL&feed=rss.business

New Jersey Lawmaker Pushing for Windmills on Piers (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010369408_apuswindmillenergynewjersey.html?syndication=rss

Pennsylvania Wind Turbine Plant Laying off 141 Workers (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010368425_apusturbineplantlayoffspennsylvania.html?syndication=rss

Solar Panels Causing Some Storms - Even as California & the federal government encourage solar power, homeowners often have to fight homeowners associations for their right to install the systems (Los Angeles Times, CA)
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-solar-panels30-2009nov30,0,5567208.story

Germany Faces Solar Power Component Shortage (Energy Matters)
http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=680

Hearing Set for Massachusetts Bill on Wood Power Plants (Associated Press)
http://nhbr.com/news/statenewengland/456969-227/hearing-set-for-mass.-bill-on-wood.html

Push for Alternatives to Coal Lights a Fire under Wood-Pellet Industry (Edmonton Journal, Alberta)
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/technology/Push+alternatives+coal+lights+fire+under+wood+pellet+industry/2279107/story.html

US Unlikely to Use the Ethanol Congress Ordered (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/27/business/energy-environment/27ethanol.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Idaho Ethanol Plant Aims to Reopen as Market Improves (Associated Press)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2343033~ID_ethanol_plant_aims_to_reopen_as_market_improves.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Mason County: PUD Has Programs, Ideas for Energy-Efficient Home (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1053551.html

Ellensburg to Join in ‘Smart Grid’ Effort - $600,000 grant will help city contribute to regional energy-sharing project (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/11/26/ellensburg-to-join-in-smart-grid-effort

Puget Sound Energy Offers Tips for Safe & Efficient Ways to Light up the Holidays Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=123541

Montana - Multimillion-Dollar Meters: NorthWestern Energy gets grant to test smart grid in & around Capitol (Helena Independent-Record, MT)
http://www.helenair.com/news/local/article_38d9c0f0-dd74-11de-bfce-001cc4c002e0.html

Conservation pays off for Northern Wasco County PUD (Dalles Chronicle, OR)
http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2009/11/news11-27-09-02.shtml

Ordinary Buildings to Respond to Electricity Demands (R&D Magazine)
http://www.rdmag.com/News/2009/11/Energy-Ordinary-buildings-to-respond-to-electricity-demands/

LED Bulbs Save Substantial Energy, a Study Finds (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/30/business/energy-environment/30led.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Protecting the Forests & Hoping for Payback (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/science/earth/29trees.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Richland Woman Bound for Denmark Climate Conference (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/972156.html

Carbon-Credit Dispute Threatens New Climate Deal (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/29/AR2009112902405.html?wprss=rss_business

The Carbon-Subprime Connection: A Cautionary Tale? (Financial Times of London, UK)
http://blogs.ft.com/energy-source/2009/11/30/the-carbon-subprime-connection-a-cautionary-tale/

Wall Street Journal Editorial - ‘Cap & Trade Is Dead’
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703499404574558070997168360.html

Hacked E-Mail Data Prompts Calls for Changes in Climate Research (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/28/science/earth/28hack.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Washington Post Editorial - It’s Not the Climate; It’s the Coverup: Scientists have the evidence on their side but toss the unbelievers a bone
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/75066562.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsZ

New Climate Targets May Not Change Daily Life Much (Seattle Tmes)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2010361304_apusclimatecosts.html?syndication=rss

Monday Climate Change Meeting Seeks Public Input (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1049851.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

When Trees Fall Next Door, Neighbors Make the Noise (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/nyregion/29tree.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Airlines Call Christmas Truce in the Green War (The Telegraph, UK)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/kamal-ahmed/6678146/Airlines-call-Christmas-truce-in-the-green-war.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Rural Carriers Quickly Embracing Fiber - Both fiber to the node, & to the home (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Rural-Carriers-Quickly-Embracing-Fiber-105701

Waterloo, Fastest (Internet) Town in the Midwest (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/11/30/waterloo-iowa-will-soon-have-faster-internet-than-you-do/

Nebraska - Recession Slows Plan to Build Bunker Data Centers (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010383169_apnebytebunkers.html?syndication=rss

In-Flight Internet Taking Off With Row 44 (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010386245_btinflightinternet30.html?syndication=rss

Will Cyber Monday End With a Bang or a Whimper? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/11/30/will-cyber-monday-end-with-a-bang-or-a-whimper/

Don’t Bet Newspapers Will Get Rich Shunning Google (Examiner.Com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2345942~Don_t_bet_newspapers_will_get_rich_shunning_Google.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

GENERAL NEWS

Suspect Wanted in Lakewood Police Shootings Not Found in Seattle House (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/974749.html

Former Shelton Officer: Slain female officer remembered as stickler for officer safety - ‘So hard for me to believe that someone could ambush her,’ former chief says (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/412738_griswold30.html?source=rss

Huckabee Commuted Sentence of Man Tied to Police Slayings (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/412737_suspect230.html?source=rss

Former Evergreen Student, Ecoterrorism Suspect Sentenced in China (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1052656.html

Former Idaho Congressman Loses Appeal in Swindling Case (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/30/former-idaho-congressman-loses-appeal/

Timber Prices Rally; Trade Group Foresees Demand (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010364444_aportimberprices.html?syndication=rss

Noble Fir Trees Harder to Come by This Christmas (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/412702_firs27.html?source=rss

Signal Fading on Radio Traffic Reports (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010369311_apustrafficwatchers.html?syndication=rss

You’ve got mail – for 6 years: Pierce County Employees’ e-mails to be stored in effort to support public accessibility, executive says (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/government/story/972046.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

‘12 Days of Christmas’ Items’ Cost Would Top $87,000
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/11/29/national/a210210S11.DTL&feed=rss.news

Dog with Name Tag ‘Works’ Drive-Through
http://www.kirotv.com/money/21725311/detail.html

Comatose for 23 Years, Belgian Feels Reborn - Belgian Man Was Conscious During 23-Year ‘Coma’
http://www.kirotv.com/health/21709881/detail.html

Beatles, Ukulele-Style (Nat’l Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120915943

SONG OF THE DAY

From Me to You - Beatles Ukulele Cover Version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw-S-YEDC60