Energy News Digest for November 9, 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)

• Radar Ridge Wind Farm Plan an Uphill Battle for Utilities
• Update - Electricity Restored in N Mason Outage
• Wyoming – Lower Valley Energy Grapples with Demand Increase
• Wall Street Journal Editorial - Why the U.S. Needs Nuclear Power
• Self-Described Nuke Watchdog Group Folds amid Claims It Was a Front
• Maryland - Third Reactor at Calvert Cliffs Moves Forward
• United Kingdom - Government Plans Fast-Track Nuclear Expansion
• Creating a Landfill to Have Cleaner Air
• Potential Problems at 20 West Virginia Coal Ash Dams
• California Power Company Seeks Higher Rates for Energy Efficient Customers
• Texas - Electric Companies Offer Time-Of-Use Pricing
• Investing - Wholesale Power: A Smart Alternative to Regulated Utilities
• Chinese Company to Buy Stake in AES
• The Scientist in the Courtroom
• Researchers Say Sea Lion Numbers Fall, But Appetites Rise at Bonneville Dam
• Fishery Managers Say Harvest Rules Must Allow More Spring Chinook above Bonneville Dam
• Big Return for Steelhead
• Chum, Coho Salmon Take an Upstream Ride in the Rain
• Dam Removal, ‘Roughened Channel,’ Allow Return of Salmon in Upper Yakima Basin
• New Antennas Help Biologists Study Salmon
• Canada - Hatching a Plan to Solve BC’s Salmon Crisis
• Canadian Government Name BC Judge to Head Probe into Salmon Stock Collapse
• Four-Way Land Deal Designed to Protect Habitat around Mud Lake
• State Agencies Sign Water Quality Roadmap
• Conservation Groups Challenge Eastern Washington Water Delivery Project
• Rogue River Dam Removal May Leave Wetland High & Dry
• Appeal Lost In Olympia Brewery Water Case
• Flush With Knowledge on Water-Efficient Toilets
• Port Townsend’s Efforts Earn State ‘Solar City of the Year’ Honor
• Powered up – Bend Solar Power Business Plans for Expansion
• Spokesman Review Op/Ed - Clean Energy Action Crucial
• Flathead Beacon Op/Ed - Biomass Power Key to Future of Energy
• Massachusetts Governor Rethinks Wood-Burning Plants
• SMUD Signs 16-MW Biomass Power Purchase Agreement
• Stimulus Funds Put Wind in the Sales for Iberdrola
• Iowa - Wind Mill Worker Survives Fall
• Can Offshore Winds Spin a Market for US-Made Turbines?
• Railroads & Windmills: Berkshire’s ‘Green’ Bets
• An Elixir for Health Reform? Lawmakers Offer ‘Black Liquor.’
• Columnist - Silicon Valley’s Catholic Community Finds Higher Power in Solar Power
• Ocean Energy Advocates Testify to Senate Subcommittee
• Tennessee - Tribal Company Shielded from Biodiesel Plant’s Claim
• Inventors’ High-Flying Kites Harness Wind Power
• San Francisco Area Utility Turns Food Waste into Green Energy
• Cold Ocean Water to be Turned into A/C
• Washington Post Columnist - Bad Climate for Global Worriers
• No Clear Map for Democrats on Path to New Energy Plan
• Is the U.S. News Media Failing to Do Its Job on Climate Change?
• Oceans Give Warning Signs About Climate
• Environmental Groups Want to Rework Columbia River Crossing for Climate, Costs
• Biomass Imbroglio – San Francisco Fines for Burning on Winter “Spare the Air” Days
• New Home for Plastic Foam - Tumwater site takes stuff that was garbage
• State Of California’s Recycled Paper Trail Not So Green for Climate
• America’s Berlin Wall of Energy & Germany’s Feed-In Tariff
• Internet Changes Course of Learning
• Broadband Growth Will Come from New Tech, Not New Adds
• Law Experts: FCC Neutrality Rules Too Murky
• 15 States Have Now Gotten Broadband Mapping Money
• Minnesota Needs Significant Internet Upgrades
• Census Bureau, Lockheed Martin to Open Data-Capture Center in Phoenix
• Former North Mason Man Found Shot, Killed Outside San Francisco
• Unofficial Election Results: Wallitner Extends Lead for Port of Shelton
• City of Shelton to Hold Budget Hearing Tonight –Sewer Rate Hike Looms
• Heavy Snowfall Has Some Washington Ski Areas Opening
• Ex-Boeing Worker Guilty of E-Mail Threats
• Editorial - Price of Public Records Delay: $525,001
• Germany Celebrates Memory of Berlin Wall Falling
• What Does “Stable” Condition Mean?

WORD OF THE DAY

Imbroglio • \im-BROLE-yo\ • noun - 1: a confused mass 2a: an intricate or complicated situation (as in a drama or novel) b: an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding c: a violently confused or bitterly complicated altercation

“You need to burn wood to stay warm,” intoned the nature camp director. “But don’t burn it on the coldest days; or when the wind is still; or if your neighbors complain; or if it is in an open pit; or if it is in an urban area…lest you invoke an imbroglio with the pollution control forces.”

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

Radar Ridge Wind Farm Plan an Uphill Battle for Utilities (Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/11/09/top_story/doc4af3b3f12c723029882123.txt

Update - Electricity Restored in N Mason Outage (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=617

Wyoming – Lower Valley Energy Grapples with Demand Increase (Jackson Hole Daily, WY)
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=5266

Wall Street Journal Editorial - Why the U.S. Needs Nuclear Power: Other clean energy sources can’t meet the needs of a growing economy
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704224004574489702243465472.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Self-Described Watchdog Group Folds amid Claims It Was a Front for a Competitor That Wanted To Store Nuclear Waste (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/1028952.html

Maryland - Third Reactor at Calvert Cliffs Moves Forward: Constellation, EDF finish $4.5 billion deal (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/06/AR2009110604767.html

United Kingdom - Government Plans Fast-Track Nuclear Expansion (The Guardian, UK)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/6521576/Government-plans-fast-track-nuclear-expansion.html

Creating a Landfill to Have Cleaner Air (Associated Press)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/science/earth/08tva.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Potential Problems at 20 West Virginia Coal Ash Dams (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010219217_apuscoalashwva.html?syndication=rss

California Power Company Seeks Higher Rates for Energy Efficient Customers (Raw Story)
http://rawstory.com/2009/11/calif-power-company-seeks-higher-rates-energy-efficient-customers/

Texas - Electric Companies Offer Time-Of-Use Pricing “…TXU charges 8.9 cents per kWh for…off peak. Power used during peak times…costs 24.3 cents…” (Dallas Morning News, TX)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/industries/energy/stories/DN-timeofuse_07bus.ART.State.Edition1.3cbe492.html

Investing - Wholesale Power: A Smart Alternative to Regulated Utilities (Seeking Alpha)
http://seekingalpha.com/article/171931-wholesale-power-a-smart-alternative-to-regulated-utilities?source=yahoo

Chinese Company to Buy Stake in AES (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/06/AR2009110601977.html?wprss=rss_business

FISH & WILDLIFE

The Scientist in the Courtroom (Idaho Statesman, Boise)
http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2009/11/05/rockybarker/scientist_courtroom

Researchers Say Sea Lion Numbers Fall, But Appetites Rise at Bonneville Dam (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/11/sea_lion_numbers_fall_appetite.html

Fishery Managers Say Harvest Rules Must Allow More Spring Chinook above Bonneville Dam (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
http://www.cbbulletin.com/364176.aspx

Big Return for Steelhead (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/69540652.html

Chum, Coho Salmon Take an Upstream Ride in the Rain (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/nov/07/chum-salmon-swim-upstream/?partner=RSS

Dam Removal, ‘Roughened Channel,’ Allow Return of Salmon in Upper Yakima Basin (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
http://www.cbbulletin.com/364171.aspx

New Antennas Help Biologists Study Salmon (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010224984_apidsalmonantennas.html

Canada - Hatching a Plan to Solve BC’s Salmon Crisis (Globe & Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/hatching-a-plan-to-solve-bcs-salmon-crisis/article1354885/

Canadian Government Name BC Judge to Head Probe into Salmon Stock Collapse (Ottawa Citizen, Ontario)
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Feds+name+judge+head+probe+into+salmon+stock+collapse/2193479/story.html

Four-Way Land Deal Designed to Protect Habitat around Mud Lake – Part of $40.5 million BPA pact with Washington State (Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20091108/NEWS02/711089973/-1/news

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

State Agencies Sign Water Quality Roadmap (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/11/06/state-agencies-sign-water-quality-roadmap

Conservation Groups Challenge Reclamation’s Eastern Washington Water Delivery Project (Columbia Basin Bulletin)
http://www.cbbulletin.com/364173.aspx

Rogue River Dam Removal May Leave Wetland High & Dry (Medford Mail Tribune, OR)
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20091108%2FNEWS%2F911080325%2F-1%2Frss01

Appeal Lost In Olympia Brewery Water Case - Trustee says he again might try to recover money lost in former Tumwater beer factory (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1028342.html

Flush With Knowledge on Water-Efficient Toilets (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ecoconsumer/2010221511_ecoconsumer07m.html?syndication=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port Townsend’s Efforts to Generate, Share Renewable Energy Earn State ‘Solar City of the Year’ Honor (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091109/news/311099995

Powered up – Bend Solar Power Business Plans for Expansion (Bend Bulletin, OR)
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091106/BIZ0102/911060378/0/NEWS01

Spokesman Review Op/Ed - Clean Energy Action Crucial
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/08/clean-energy-action-crucial/

Flathead Beacon Op/Ed - Biomass Power Key to Future of Energy
http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/biomass_power_key_to_future_of_energy/13951/

Massachusetts Governor Rethinks Wood-Burning Plants “…Some environmentalists fear the plants could lead to the clear-cutting of forests while actually pumping more carbon dioxide into the air than coal plants…” (WWLP-TV, Springfield, MA)
http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/wwlp_local_Patrick_rethinks_wood_burning_plants_200911081042

SMUD Signs 16-MW Biomass Power Purchase Agreement (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/11/smud-signs-16-mw-biomass-ppa?cmpid=rss

Stimulus Funds Put Wind in the Sales for Iberdrola - Spanish company receives $550M in grants for its wind farm investments (Portland Business Journal – Chuck Shumer Alert….)
http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/11/09/story6.html?ana=from_rss

Iowa - Wind Mill Worker Survives Fall (KIMT-TV, Mason City, IA – Editor must have been asleep: “…to get the guy to the ground…”)
http://www.kimt.com/content/localnews/story/Wind-Mill-Worker-Survives-Fall/J9PmOqI2j0-APGpFLXH4kQ.cspx

Can Offshore Winds Spin a Market for US-Made Turbines? (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/11/09/09climatewire-can-offshore-winds-spin-a-market-for-us-made-71345.html

Railroads & Windmills: Berkshire’s ‘Green’ Bets (Wall Street Journal)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125755485686735097.html?ru=yahoo&mod=yahoo_hs

An Elixir for Health Reform? Lawmakers Offer ‘Black Liquor.’ (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/07/AR2009110703179.html?wprss=rss_politics

San Jose Mercury News Columnist - Silicon Valley’s Catholic Community Finds Higher Power in Solar Power
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13729555?nclick_check=1

Ocean Energy Advocates Testify to Senate Subcommittee (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/11/ocean-energy-advocates-testify-to-senate-subcommittee?cmpid=rss

Tennessee - Tribal Company Shielded from Biodiesel Plant’s Claim (Courthouse News)
http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/11/06/Tribal_Co_Shielded_From_Biodiesel_Plant_s_Claim.htm

Inventors’ high-flying kites harness wind power (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/06/MNC71AFVT1.DTL&feed=rss.news

San Francisco Area Utility Turns Food Waste into Green Energy (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2009-11-09-foodfuel09_ST_N.htm

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Cold Ocean Water to be Turned into A/C (US News & World Report)
http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2009/11/08/cold-ocean-water-to-be-turned-into-ac.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington Post Columnist - Bad Climate for Global Worriers
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/06/AR2009110603075.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

No Clear Map for Democrats on Path to New Energy Plan (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/us/politics/09caucus.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Is the U.S. News Media Failing to Do Its Job on Climate Change? (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/gwmEnergy/idUS343035023720091109

Oceans Give Warning Signs About Climate - NOAA left out of recommended members of policy council (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/government/story/946215.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Environmental Groups Want to Rework Columbia River Crossing for Climate, Costs (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/11/environmental_groups_want_to_r.html

Biomass Imbroglio – San Francisco Fines for Burning on Winter “Spare the Air” Days (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/09/BA0M1AG1TO.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

New Home for Plastic Foam - Tumwater site takes stuff that was garbage (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1029927.html

State Of California’s Recycled Paper Trail Not So Green for Climate (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2314229.html

America’s Berlin Wall of Energy & Germany’s Feed-In Tariff (Seattle Post-Intelligencer – From the “Long Reach for a Metaphor” category….)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/energy/archives/184444.asp?source=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Internet Changes Course of Learning - More K-12 students drawn to flexibility, options of online education (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/09/internet-changes-course-of-learning/

Broadband Growth Will Come from New Tech, Not New Adds (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/11/09/broadband-growth-will-come-from-new-tech-not-new-adds/

Law Experts: FCC Neutrality Rules Too Murky - As now written, could be utterly useless (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Law-Experts-FCC-Neutrality-Rules-Too-Murky-105386

15 States Have Now Gotten Broadband Mapping Money - And Connected Nation has yet to be included (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/15-States-Have-Now-Gotten-Broadband-Mapping-Money-105403

Minnesota Needs Significant Internet Upgrades (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/11/06/financial/f091457S36.DTL&feed=rss.business

Census Bureau, Lockheed Martin to Open Data-Capture Center in Phoenix (Phoenix Business Journal)
http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/11/02/daily66.html?ana=from_rss

GENERAL NEWS

Former North Mason Man Found Shot, Killed Outside San Francisco (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/nov/07/former-belfair-man-found-shot-killed-outside-san/?partner=RSS

Unofficial Election Results: Wallitner Extends Lead for Port of Shelton (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=564:unofficial-election-results-wallitner-extends-lead-for-port-of-shelton-leader-in-hood-canal-school-board-race-changes-while-other-race-stays-same&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

City of Shelton to Hold Budget Hearing Tonight – Six Percent Sewer Rate Hike Looms (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=576:city-of-shelton-holding-budget-hearing-monday-night&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Heavy Snowfall Has Some Washington Ski Areas Opening (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11466348

Ex-Boeing Worker Guilty of E-Mail Threats (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010221643_threats07m.html

News Tribune Editorial - Price of Public Records Delay: $525,001
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/947078.html

Germany Celebrates Memory of Berlin Wall Falling (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13743872

What Does “Stable” Condition Mean? How can someone be “critical but stable”? (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2234903/?from=rss

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Man Steals Car to Make Court Appearance…on Auto Theft Charges
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/11/06/state/n171544S75.DTL&feed=rss.business

Industry Pushes Chocolate Milk In Schools
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010234080_apusgotchocolatemilk.html?syndication=rss

9-Year-Old Stops Carjacking - Boy Takes Keys from Ignition
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21561438/detail.html

Woman Passes Driver’s Exam on 950th Try
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21542425/detail.html

SONG/COOL THING OF THE DAY

The Kinks - A Well Respected Man (Thanks to tip from Central Lincoln PUD)
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2251329/7095632