Energy News Digest for December 24, 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.

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TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• New Power Pact Keeps Intalco Open
• Avista ‘Disappointed’ With Rate Case Outcome
• Report Details CO2 Emissions from Boardman, Other Power Plants
• Natural Gas Stocks Decline Less Than Expected
• Chevron to Pay $45.5 Million in Natural Gas Case
• Loan Program May Stir Nuclear Industry
• US Department of Energy to Study Storage Options for Spent Nuclear Fuel, Small Reactors
• Treasury Nominees Left Waiting – Norris Confirmed to FERC Commission
• Court OKs North Carolina Dam Removal
• Tangled Network: Transmission or Meter Investments
• BPA Donates Snow Cat to Volcano Rescue Team
• Spring Chinook Forecasts up Everywhere
• Hatchery Steelhead Should Improve for This Weekend
• Researchers Call for Conservation Zone for Killer Whales in British Columbia
• Washington State Group Donates Tons of Salmon to Alaska Villages
• Feds Mull Regulating Drugs in Water
• California - San Joaquin Delta Water Action Plan Released
• Eugene Water & Electric Board’s New Wind Project Now Operational
• California - Humboldt Wind Power Project Goes Under Analysis
• Minnesota - Early Christmas for Farmers Threatened With Eminent Domain for Wind Power Farm
• Wisconsin Clean Energy Bill Moves Ahead – 25 percent by 2025
• Shelton School District Getting $500,000 Energy Conservation Grant
• Orion Energy Wins Patents for Energy Efficient Streetlights
• Canada - Conservation Group Calls for Reinstatement of B.C. Green Rebates
• Washington State’s Governor Wants to Lessen Carbon Footprint
• Lawsuit Over New York Carbon Auction Settled
• Recharging & Other Concerns Keep Electric Cars Far from Mainstream
• Is Our Data Too Vulnerable in the Cloud?
• Telecom Lobbyists: U.S. Actually Broadband Leader
• In 10 Years, Hours Spent on Internet Almost Doubled
• Washington State Might Gain House Seat - Population up 100,0000 (sic)
• Winter Storm Spreading Snow, Ice Across Midwest
• Senate Passes Health Care Overhaul Bill
• Father & Son Reunited in Brazil, Head Back to US
• Sumner Official Takes Top Job in Tumwater

WORD OF THE DAY

Nativity • \nuh-TIV-it-tee\ • noun – 1: the process or circumstances of being born: birth; especially capitalized: the birth of Jesus 2: a horoscope at or of the time of one’s birth 3: the place of origin

The Nativity
The reason for the Season
Merry Christmas all!

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

New Power Pact Keeps Intalco Open “…An important issue raised by the court decision is whether BPA must structure contracts & rates with direct service industries like Alcoa such that there is no net cost to BPA’s other customers & without regard to the public benefits that may accrue from the contracts such as employment impacts. BPA believes this is not what the law or sound public policy should require…” (Lynden Tribune, WA)
http://www.lyndentribune.com/node/5245

Avista ‘Disappointed’ With Rate Case Outcome (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/12/21/daily32.html

Report Details CO2 Emissions from Boardman, Other Power Plants (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/12/report_details_co2_emissions_f.html

Natural Gas Stocks Decline Less Than Expected (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010586851_apusnaturalgasstorage.html

Chevron to Pay $45.5 Million in Natural Gas Case (Associated Press)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/business/24chevron.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Loan Program May Stir Nuclear Industry (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/business/energy-environment/24nuke.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

US Department of Energy to Study Storage Options for Spent Nuclear Fuel, Small Reactors (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/12/24/24climatewire-doe-to-study-storage-options-for-spent-nucle-97694.html

Treasury Nominees Left Waiting – Norris Confirmed to FERC Commission (Wall Street Journal)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126167177382804465.html

Court OKs North Carolina Dam Removal (Courthouse News Service)
http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/12/24/Court_OKs_Dam_Removal.htm

Tangled Network: Transmission or Meter Investments (Energy Pulse)
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=2223

BPA Donates Snow Cat to Volcano Rescue Team (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/news/article_d8fb155e-f028-11de-a417-001cc4c03286.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Spring Chinook Forecasts up Everywhere (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/news/2009/dec/23/spring-chinook-forecasts-everywhere/

Hatchery Steelhead Should Improve for This Weekend (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2010582524_fish24.html

Researchers Call for Conservation Zone for Killer Whales in British Columbia (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Researchers+call+conservation+zone+killer+whales/2375425/story.html

Washington State Group Donates Tons of Salmon to Alaska Villages (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/80025007.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Feds Mull Regulating Drugs in Water (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gPAO8ZyrcKTttZipY00Pm6kjRoVQD9COHC0O0

California - San Joaquin Delta water action plan released (Modesto Bee, CA)
http://www.modbee.com/local/story/984881.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Eugene Water & Electric Board’s New Wind Project Now Operational (KVAL, Eugene, OR)
http://www.kval.com/news/business/80004332.html

California - Humboldt Wind Power Project Goes Under Analysis (Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_14062886

Minnesota - Early Christmas for Farmers Threatened With Eminent Domain for Wind Power Farm (Review Messenger, Sebeka, MN)
http://www.reviewmessenger.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3797:early-christmas-for-farmers-threatened-with-eminent-domain-for-mn-wind-power-farm&catid=80:organizations

Wisconsin Clean Energy Bill Moves Ahead – 25 percent by 2025 (Express Milwaukee, WI)
http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-9322-wisconsin-clean-energy-bill-moves-ahead.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Shelton School District Getting $500,000 Energy Conservation Grant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=931:shelton-school-district-getting-energy-grant&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Orion Energy Wins Patents for Energy Efficient Streetlights (The Business Journal of Milwaukee)
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/12/21/daily47.html?ana=from_rss

Canada - Conservation Group Calls for Reinstatement of B.C. Green Rebates (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/12/23/bc-livesmart-bc-revival-call.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State’s Governor Wants to Lessen Carbon Footprint (Associated Press)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_gregoire_climate.html?source=pimail

Lawsuit Over New York Carbon Auction Settled - Companies had challenged legal authority to auction allowances required for carbon dioxide emissions (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010586578_apuscarbonauctionlawsuitnewyork.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Recharging & Other Concerns Keep Electric Cars Far from Mainstream (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/23/AR2009122303463.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Is Our Data Too Vulnerable in the Cloud? (GigaOM)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/is-our-data-too-vulnerable-in-the-cloud/

Telecom Lobbyists: U.S. Actually Broadband Leader - Assuming you completely ignore all data suggesting otherwise (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Telecom-Lobbyists-US-Actually-Broadband-Leader-106131

In 10 Years, Hours Spent on Internet Almost Doubled (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/12/24/1999-2009-hours-spent-on-internet-nearly-doubled/

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State Might Gain House Seat - Population up 100,0000 (sic), making it 13th largest state (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1081262.html

Winter Storm Spreading Snow, Ice Across Midwest (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010583672_apusholidaystorm.html

Senate Passes Health Care Overhaul Bill (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/25/health/policy/25health.html

Father & Son Reunited in Brazil, Head Back to US (Associated Press)
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/12/24/world/AP-LT-Brazil-US-Custody-Battle.html

Sumner Official Takes Top Job in Tumwater (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/1005519.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 using Google Earth
http://www.nwcn.com/news/NORAD-Santa-Tracker-2009-using-Google-Earth-80060327.html

Merry Christmas: Father Sues Son Over Orange County Choppers
http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/12/24/Father_Sues_Son_Over_OC_Choppers.htm

60-Pound Beaver Attacks Boy in Oklahoma
http://www.kirotv.com/news/22046574/detail.html?treets=sea&tid=2653595907813&tml=sea_4pm&tmi=sea_4pm_1_06000212232009&ts=H

Bible Has Bounty of Financial Advice - Money & religion: Experts mixed on whether book’s guidance useful in modern economy (hmmm; thrift & charity. Sounds good to me)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/1005552.html

Police: Man Hid Meth Inside Buttocks (insert bad ‘Crack’ puns here)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/22047458/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Vince Guaraldi- Christmas Time Is Here (from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” Now, here’s your ‘Dolly Madison’ snack cake…)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPG3zSgm_Qo&feature=related

MST3K - Patrick Swayze Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZyJCV_dyug