Energy News Digest for December 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)

• Seattle Mayor Balks At 13.8 Percent Electricity Rate Increase; It’ll Go up Anyway
• Idaho Power schedules public meeting ON East Oregon Transmission Lines
• New NW Power Plan: Conserve More & Clean It Up
• Washington Company Gets $350 Million Grant for Texas Clean Coal Plant
• Nukes Are Necessary, Clean Energy Forum Hears
• Future Unclear for ‘Megatons to Megawatts’ Program
• Editorial - Smart Meters Need Independent Testing
• Editorial - Great Falls’ Energy Road Is Paved With Good Intentions
• North Carolina Court Ruling Orders State to Return $7M to Electricity Co-Op
• Environmental Group Leader Debates Dams in Kennewick
• First Fish Passes through Million-Dollar Deschutes River Passageway
• Deal Portends Better Fishing on Upper Columbia
• Elwha Fish Hatchery Project Back on Track after Bidders’ Protests Dismissed
• Bald eagles flocking to Lake Coeur d’Alene
• BPA Seeks Fluctuating Level of Lake Pend Oreille This Winter
• Portland E. Coli Scare Renews Questions about Covering Reservoirs
• Trees Energize Solar Dispute
• Lewis County Wind Farm Meeting Addresses Residents’ Concerns
• Trimming the Costs of Wind Power
• Wind Industry Takes Root in Farm State’s Fertile Soil
• Chinese Wind Power Companies Target Global Markets
• Oregon Wave Power Project Advances
• Massachusetts - Local Dams Being Targeted for Electricity
• Drive for Geothermal Power Heats up on US Campuses
• Federal Weatherization Program Lagging in Washington State
• Enron Settlement Money Coming to Mason County
• Revisions for PUD 3’s Conservation Program
• Cowlitz PUD Conservation Contest Winner Cut Energy Use by 41 Percent
• US Energy Department Approves 29 States for Appliance Rebates
• Rebates for ENERGY STAR Appliances
• Green Homes Red-Hot: 17% of New Builds Get Energy Star Seal
• U.N. Talks on Climate “Turning Point” Set to Start
• Some Background on the Climate Talks
• For Public, Climate Change Not a Priority Issue
• Gregoire Attending Climate Summit in Copenhagen
• Editorial - That Climate Change E-Mail
• Hacked Climate E-Mail Rebutted by Scientists
• EPA: Greenhouse Gases Endanger Human Health
• Business Fumes over EPA Rule - Carbon-Dioxide Emissions to Face Curbs
• Federal Forests Could Be Tasked With Fighting Global Warming
• Denmark’s Green Credentials Obscure Some Unpleasant Facts
• Power Plants’ Coal Smoke Tarnishes Halo of Electric Cars
• Op/Ed - Seattle Can Lead the World as a Carbon-Neutral City
• Is Seattle Smarter Than Portland?
• Studies: Increased Carbon Dioxide Not All Bad
• Solar-Powered Airplane Has Liftoff
• Google to Unveil New Features Monday
• Rural Alaska - Bringing Broadband to the Bush
• Ten Proposals for Fixing the E-Mail Glut
• On This Day: Japan Bombs US Base at Pearl Harbor
• Northwest Cold Spell to Last All Week
• Unsafe Heater Leads to Union Gap Fire
• Former State House Speaker Bagnariol Dies
• Wash. Lawmaker’s Husband Accused of Sexual Assault
• PNW Timber Program Becomes Vast National Entitlement
• NW Pilots Who Overshot Airport Blame Traffic Controllers
• 1,100 Service Stations Won’t Be Chevron Any Longer
• Supreme Court Considers Sarbanes-Oxley Board
• Lakewood Officer Tina Griswold Was a ‘Ball of Fire’ in a Tiny Package

WORD OF THE DAY

Onager • \AWN-ih-jerr\ • noun – 1: an Asian wild donkey that usually has a broad dorsal stripe & is related to the kiang 2: a heavy catapult used in ancient & medieval times

The ropes creaked, and joints groaned as the massive beams on the onager bent to the will of their sweating, swearing operators. The supervisor, his knotted muscles standing out on his dirt smeared forearms, patted the head of the tribal leader’s onager. “Ye’ll be the first donkey to enter yon city since it was founded,” he drawled. “In fact, we’re sendin’ he air mail.”

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

PUD 3 Holding Budget & PURPA Hearings Tuesday Night (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=790:pud-no-3-holding-budget-a-purpa-hearings-tuesday-night&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Franklin PUD Considering District Realignment Options (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/983669.html

Priest Rapids Dam Troubles Cost $300,000, Grant PUD Says - Utility had to purchase power to meet demand (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/dec/04/dam-troubles-cost-300000-grant-pud-says/

Seattle Mayor Balks At 13.8 Percent Electricity Rate Increase; It’ll Go up Anyway (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/187246.asp

Idaho Power schedules public meeting ON East Oregon Transmission Lines (Baker City Herald, OR)
http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Idaho-Power-schedules-public-meeting-set-for-Dec-17

New NW Power Plan: Conserve More & Clean It Up (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)
http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1209

Washington Company Gets $350 Million Grant for Texas Clean Coal Plant (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/78607057.html

Nukes Are Necessary, Clean Energy Forum Hears (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/187289.asp?from=blog_last3

Future Unclear for ‘Megatons to Megawatts’ Program (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121125743&ft=1&f=2

SF Chronicle Editorial - Smart Meters Need Independent Testing
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/04/EDTL1AUK3L.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

Great Falls Tribune Editorial - Great Falls’ Energy Road Is Paved With Good Intentions
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20091206/OPINION01/912060306/Great+Falls++energy+road+is+paved+with+good+intentions

North Carolina Court Ruling Orders State to Return $7M to Electricity Co-Op (The Virginian-Pilot, Hampton Roads, VA)
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/12/ruling-nc-must-return-7m-electricity-coop

FISH & WILDLIFE

Environmental Group Leader Debates Dams in Kennewick (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/yahoonews/story/819333.html

First Fish Passes through Million-Dollar Deschutes River Passageway (Oregon Public Radio)
http://news.opb.org/article/6330-first-fish-passes-through-million-dollar-passageway/

Deal Portends Better Fishing on Upper Columbia (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1358/story/818271.html

Elwha Fish Hatchery Project Back on Track after Bidders’ Protests Dismissed (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091204/news/312049992

Bald eagles flocking to Lake Coeur d’Alene - Spawning Kokanee lure eagles to feast (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/dec/06/bald-eagles-flocking-lake-coeur-dalene/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

BPA Seeks Fluctuating Level of Lake Pend Oreille This Winter (Bonner County Daily Be, ID)
http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/articles/2009/12/06/news/doc4b1b4540efdc6323092164.txt

Portland E. Coli Scare Renews Questions about Covering Reservoirs (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/12/e_coli_scare_renews_questions.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Trees Energize Solar Dispute - Couple seek Sequim law to protect sunny harvest (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091206/news/312069985

Lewis County Wind Farm Meeting Addresses Residents’ Concerns (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/articles/2009/12/04/news//doc4b19579bef8fc874430495.txt

Trimming the Costs of Wind Power (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/business/energy-environment/07iht-green07.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Wind Industry Takes Root in Farm State’s Fertile Soil - What can Iowa teach Wyoming? (Billings Gazette, MT)
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_467c1e70-e223-11de-a58c-001cc4c002e0.html

Chinese Wind Power Companies Target Global Markets (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/12/06/financial/f092014S90.DTL&feed=rss.business

Oregon Wave Power Project Advances (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/oregon-wave-power-project-advances/

Massachusetts - Local Dams Being Targeted for Electricity (Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, MA)
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_13936692?source=most_viewed

Drive for Geothermal Power Heats up on US Campuses (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/12/06/financial/f104811S05.DTL&feed=rss.business

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Federal Weatherization Program Lagging in Washington State (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010445916_apwastimulusweatherization.html?syndication=rss

Enron Settlement Money Coming to Mason County (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=772:enron-settlement-money-coming-to-mason-county-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Revisions for PUD 3’s Conservation Program (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=773:revisions-for-pud-3s-conservation-program-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Cowlitz PUD Conservation Contest Winner Cut Energy Use by 41 Percent (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/12/04/top_story/doc4b1873f8d2ca7784038135.txt

US Energy Department Approves 29 States for Appliance Rebates (Nasdaq)
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=200912041643dowjonesdjonline000695&title=us-energy-department-approves-29-states-for-appliance-rebates

Rebates for ENERGY STAR Appliances (US Dept. of Energy Note: Washington’s rebates to begin in February 2010)
http://www.energysavers.gov/financial/index.cfm/mytopic=70020

Green Homes Red-Hot: 17% of New Builds Get Energy Star Seal (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2009-12-03-green-house-energy-star-new-homes_N.htm

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

U.N. Talks on Climate “Turning Point” Set to Start (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/06/world/international-uk-climate-copenhagen.html

Some Background on the Climate Talks (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010443496_apclimateqa.html?syndication=rss

For Public, Climate Change Not a Priority Issue (Nat’l Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121105095&ft=1&f=3

Gregoire Attending Climate Summit in Copenhagen (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=251262

NY Times Editorial - That Climate Change E-Mail
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/opinion/06sun3.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Hacked Climate E-Mail Rebutted by Scientists (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/05/MNRL1AV3Q1.DTL&feed=rss.news

EPA: Greenhouse Gases Endanger Human Health (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/nationworld/story/1062038.html

Business Fumes over EPA Rule - Carbon-Dioxide Emissions to Face Curbs (Wall Street Journal)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126013960013179181.html

Federal Forests Could Be Tasked With Fighting Global Warming (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/12/federal_forests_could_be_ask_t.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Denmark’s Green Credentials Obscure Some Unpleasant Facts (Los Angeles Times, CA)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-copenhagen-climate6-2009dec06,0,1664916.story

Power Plants’ Coal Smoke Tarnishes Halo of Electric Cars (Dallas Morning News, TX)
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/120509dnbusnuelectriccars.189e3e2.html

Seattle Times Op/Ed - Seattle Can Lead the World as a Carbon-Neutral City
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2010418866_guest04curtis.html?syndication=rss

Is Seattle Smarter Than Portland? (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/12/is_seattle_smarter_than_portla.html

Studies: Increased Carbon Dioxide Not All Bad (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/12/study_carbon_dioxide_speeding.html

Solar-Powered Airplane Has Liftoff (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/technology/2009/dec/Solar-Powered-Airplane-Has-Liftoff.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google to Unveil New Features Monday (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/187286.asp?source=pimail

Rural Alaska - Bringing Broadband to the Bush (Alaska Dispatch)
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/rural-alaska/3142-bringing-broadband-to-the-bush

Ten Proposals for Fixing the E-Mail Glut (NY Times)
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/10-proposals-for-fixing-the-e-mail-glut/?partner=rss&emc=rss

GENERAL NEWS

On This Day: Japan Bombs US Base at Pearl Harbor (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/On-This-Day--Japan-Attacked-US-Base-at-Pearl-Harbor.html

Northwest Cold Spell to Last All Week (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010445668_apwacold.html?syndication=rss

Unsafe Heater Leads to Union Gap Fire (KNDU TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11631143

Former State House Speaker Bagnariol Dies (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=252311

Wash. Lawmaker’s Husband Accused of Sexual Assault (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11623490

PNW Timber Program Becomes Vast National Entitlement (Associated Press)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/412974_timber06.html?source=rss

NW Pilots Who Overshot Airport Blame Traffic Controllers (Associated Press)
http://www.king5.com/news/local/NW-pilots-who-overshot-airport-blame-traffic-controllers-78688262.html

1,100 Service Stations Won’t Be Chevron Any Longer (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/981521.html

Supreme Court Considers Sarbanes-Oxley Board (Nat’l Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=121146830&ft=1&f=3

Lakewood Officer Tina Griswold Was a ‘Ball of Fire’ in a Tiny Package (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010442902_shootinggriswold07m.html

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Oregon School Removes Holiday Tree, Bans Santa Claus
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/78647482.html

Federal Workshop on Openness Closed to the Public
http://www.kirotv.com/politics/21884928/detail.html

Vinyl Records & Turntables Are Gaining Sales
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/nyregion/07vinyl.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Brazil Thieves Tunnel Their Way to Nearly $6M
http://www.kirotv.com/money/21885157/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

MST3K – Multicultural Christmas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwgVnyxN5eo