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.
http://www.energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Mason County Public Utility District Considering $41 Million Expansion
- Snohomish County PUD Thinking Small Dams
- Hydropower Doesn't Count As Green Energy, But Some Say It Should
- Hydropower: It's Renewable, But Is It Green?
- A Look Back At the Washington State Legislative Session
- POWER: Columbia Generating Station Shut Down For Refueling
- Kalama Coal Plant Gives Way To Greener Ideas
- Kyrgyzstan Ambassador Tours Rocky Reach Dam, Tree Top
- Puget Sound Energy Request Gas Rate Decrease
- Montana Alberta Tie Line developers cautious despite recent victory
- Prominent Power Lines Dim Green Enthusiasm for Some
- Wyoming - We're getting a Clean-Coal Facility
- Tennessee Valley Authority Utilities' New Co-Op Could Cut Power Bills
- Cost Of S.C. Nuke Plant Has Duke In Search For Partner
- Flipping Nuclear Power Back On - For investors, many nuclear options
- NOAA: Mild Solar Storm Season Predicted
- Officials Fret Bonneville Salmon Count Accuracy
- Good News, Bad News on Spring Chinook Fishing
- Oregon Considers Planting Salmon Eggs
- Big Birds in Snohomish County Getting Protection from Power Lines
- British Columbia - Rescue Group Struggles To Deal with Bird Electrocutions
- Eld Inlet Duck Hunting Leads to Dispute
- Abalone Are Treasured — Nearly To Extinction Locally
- Chelan PUD: Clean-Water Guru Thrives On His Connections
- Agency Proposes Puget Sound Aquatic Reserve
- Grays Harbor “Green” Projects Survive
- Mason County PUD No. 3 Holding Hearing on SEPA Policies and Procedures
- Weed Whackers Can Spew Some Serious Pollutants
- Springtime Smoke in Siberia Is Our Arctic Haze
- Save Birds by Promoting Wind Energy
- Noise protesters howling about wind farms
- Detroit News, Op/Ed - Bigger Isn't Better For Wind Power
- Wind Energy Finds New Backers from Automakers’ Woes
- Mafia Link to Sicily Wind Farms Probed
- Wyoming - Landowners: Slow Down Wind Energy
- Green Energy: Rooftop Unit Generates Electricity in Moderate Wind
- Ethanol Industry’s 15% Solution Raises Concerns
- Stimulus Money to Go to Washington State Energy Efficiency
- Industry Looks to LED Bulbs for the Home
- Cut Energy Use, Make Your Home Efficient With Easy Steps
- Smart Meters: Monitoring A Cleaner, Greener Grid
- What Will Carbon Caps Cost?
- Oregon State House gives Kulongoski a victory on greenhouse gases
- Oregon’s Governor- Straight Talk, or Unhelpful Scolding?
- House Dems Edge Closer To Consensus on Climate and Energy Bill
- ‘Kill Bill’ Climate Strategy Plays like Old Movie
- Chevron’s O’Reilly: Cap-and-Trade Means ‘Pre-Industrial Economy’
- China Hydropower "Subprime Carbon" Flood May Slow
- Australia - Carbon Market's Disappearing Act
- Agro-Forestry Study May Open Carbon Market to Poor
- Though Rural, Clallam County Attacks Climate Change
- Will the Sun’s Decreased Activity Mean another Little Ice Age?
- As Data Centers Suck Up Energy Industry Looks to Turn Down the Heat
- Microsoft looking to cut data center power bills
- There's a Downside to Letting Go Of Your Landline
- Metered Internet Likely On Way
- UTOPIA Launches North America’s Fastest Residential Internet Connection
- Utopia Hits 100Mbps - First to 100Mbps, but not really
- Tennessee - No Profit yet For Jackson Energy Authority Telecom Division
- Minnesota - A Bubble of Broadband Spending
- Washington Reports First Death of Person with Swine Flu
- Peel 'Em And Weep: First-Class Stamps Rise 2 Cents
- Repairs to Temporary Tahuya River Bridge Finished
- E-Mails Show outside Influence on Yakima Budget Process
- Lakewood Might Check Legal Status of Its City Workers
- Gregoire on the Spot Over Performance Audits
- California Fires Sparked by Power Tool, Officials Say
- Md. Town's Bid for Economic Stimulus Starts a Fight
WORD OF THE DAY
Sandbag • \SAND-bag \ • verb – 1: to bank, stop up, or weight with sandbags 2a: to hit or stun with or as if with a sandbag b: to treat unfairly or harshly *3: to conceal or misrepresent one's true position, potential, or intent especially in order to take advantage of
The dark, surging water of “Pressure Creek” kept rising, its oily surface hiding the destructive power pummeling the ever-higher pile of sandbags placed on the riverbank. As the velvety darkness fell on the “bucket-brigade” of volunteers, the foreman on the growing levee fell, sandbagged into unconsciousness by an unknown assailant. Suddenly atop the improvised dam appeared a man in deep purple robes, the fabric spangled with diamonds that shone like starlight on the darkest night. “Do not be afraid,” he bellowed to the sweaty, begrimed workers, “The waters will not pass this point.” Fortunately, the dark toil did not abate, as the experienced flood survivors knew that the peculiar “Lord of the Rings” fanboy was merely trying to sandbag them into believing that he was one of the mysterious wizards of middle-earth.
(What a long walk for a little weird humor…)
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
Mason County Public Utility District Considering $41 Million Expansion (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/may/10/mason-county-utility-district-considering-41/
Snohomish County PUD Thinking Small Dams - PUD wants 10 new mini-dams; environmentalists see trouble (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_small_dams.html?source=mypi
Hydropower Doesn't Count As Green Energy, But Some Say It Should (Everett Herald, WA)
http://heraldnet.com/article/20090510/NEWS01/705109905
Hydropower: It's Renewable, But Is It Green? (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/4953-hydropower-its-renewable-it-green/
A Look Back At the Washington State Legislative Session (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/local/story/736742.html
POWER: Columbia Generating Station Shut Down For Refueling (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/572547.html
Kalama Coal Plant Gives Way To Greener Ideas (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/05/11//area_news/doc4a06613db3c88933983777.txt
Kyrgyzstan Ambassador Tours Rocky Reach Dam, Tree Top (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090509/NEWS04/705099956/-1/FAM?Kyrgyzstan-ambassador-tours-Rocky-Reach-Dam--Tree-Top
Puget Sound Energy Request Gas Rate Decrease (Associated Press)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_pse_rates.html?source=mypi
Montana Alberta Tie Line developers cautious despite recent victory, but other transmission lines are in the works (Great Falls Tribune, MT)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090510/NEWS01/905100301/1002/news01/MATL+developers+cautious+despite+recent+victory++but+other+transmission+lines+are+in+the+works
Prominent Power Lines Dim Green Enthusiasm for Some (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1850173.html
Wyoming - We're getting a Clean-Coal Facility (Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Cheyenne, WY)
http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2009/05/09/news/20local_05-09-09.txt
Tennessee Valley Authority Utilities' New Co-Op Could Cut Power Bills, But At A Price (The Tennessean)
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=87216&catid=2
Cost Of S.C. Nuke Plant Has Duke In Search For Partner - Company could drop the $11 billion project if it can’t share financial risk (Charlotte Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2009/05/11/story8.html?ana=from_rss
Flipping Nuclear Power Back On - For investors, many nuclear options. But tread carefully. (Barron’s Online)
http://online.barrons.com/article/SB124182248204002189.html?mod=googlenews_barrons
NOAA: Mild Solar Storm Season Predicted (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=361685&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss
FISH & WILDLIFE
Officials Fret Bonneville Salmon Count Accuracy (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/bill_monroe/index.ssf/2009/05/officials_fret_bonneville_salm.html
Good News, Bad News on Spring Chinook Fishing For Some Columbia River Tributaries (Seattle Times)
http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/reeltimenorthwest/2009/05/09/good_news_bad_news_on_spring_c.html
Oregon Considers Planting Salmon Eggs (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-2008008~Oregon_considers_planting_salmon_eggs.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
Big Birds in Snohomish County Getting Protection from Power Lines (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_050809WAB-birds-power-lines-KS.7da3178.html?rss
British Columbia - Rescue Group Struggles To Deal with Bird Electrocutions (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
http://www.timescolonist.com/Technology/Rescue+group+struggles+deal+with+bird+electrocutions/1581900/story.html
Eld Inlet Duck Hunting Leads to Dispute - Homeowners seek controlled zone, ban (The Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/846314.html
Abalone Are Treasured — Nearly To Extinction Locally: Today, so few of the shellfish remain that scientists with kitchen utensils and model-train glue are trying to mate survivors in a lab (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009202083_abalone10m.html
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Chelan PUD: Clean-Water Guru Thrives On His Connections (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090508/NEWS04/705089974/0/NEWS03?Clean-water-guru-thrives-on-his-connections
Agency Proposes Puget Sound Aquatic Reserve - Environment: Plan safeguards thousands of acres of marine habitat in Nisqually Reach-Anderson Island area (The Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/845534.html
Grays Harbor “Green” Projects Survive (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2009/05/10/local_news/doc4a0526e0b6b6f058519173.txt
Mason County PUD No. 3 Holding Hearing on SEPA Policies and Procedures (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7211/reftab/1632/Default.aspx
Weed Whackers Can Spew Some Serious Pollutants (South Coast Today, MA)
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090510/LIFE/905100310
Springtime Smoke in Siberia Is Our Arctic Haze (Anchorage Daily News, AK)
http://www.adn.com/life/alaskana/story/789948.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Save Birds by Promoting Wind Energy - A new study shows that wind farms and nuclear power plants are substantially better for avian wildlife than fossil-fueled power stations (Scitizen)
http://scitizen.com/screens/blogPage/viewBlog/sw_viewBlog.php?idTheme=14&idContribution=2731
Noise protesters howling about wind farms (Toronto Star, Ontario, Canada)
http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/632161
Detroit News, Op/Ed - Bigger Isn't Better For Wind Power
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090511/OPINION01/905110318/1008/Bigger-isn-t-better-for-wind-power
Wind Energy Finds New Backers from Automakers’ Woes (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/847232.html
Mafia Link to Sicily Wind Farms Probed (Financial Times of London)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f828472c-390c-11de-8cfe-00144feabdc0.html
Wyoming - Landowners: Slow Down Wind Energy (Caspar Star-Tribune, WY)
http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/05/09/news/energy/doc4a062e8428e62605633140.txt
Green Energy: Rooftop Unit Generates Electricity in Moderate Wind (Control Engineering)
http://www.controleng.com/article/CA6657104.html?industryid=48514
Ethanol Industry’s 15% Solution Raises Concerns (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/automobiles/10ETHANOL.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Stimulus Money to Go to Washington State Energy Efficiency (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/government/story/735935.html
Industry Looks to LED Bulbs for the Home (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/technology/11led.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Cut Energy Use, Make Your Home Efficient With Easy Steps (Associated Press)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-energy-efficiency-0511,0,195607.story
Smart Meters: Monitoring A Cleaner, Greener Grid - How would they work, who benefits — and who will pay? (The Guardian, UK)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/may/11/smart-meters
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
What Will Carbon Caps Cost? “…Portland General Electric…warned of rate increases as much as 120% to meet carbon cap targets that may be enforced in Oregon…” (Motley Fool)
http://www.fool.com/investing/dividends-income/2009/05/08/what-will-carbon-caps-cost.aspx
Oregon State House gives Kulongoski a victory on greenhouse gases (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/house_gives_kulongoski_a_victo.html
Oregon’s Governor- Straight Talk, or Unhelpful Scolding? (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/11/business/energy-environment/11iht-green11.html
House Dems Edge Closer To Consensus on Climate and Energy Bill (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/05/11/11climatewire-house-dems-edge-closer-to-consensus-on-clima-10572.html
‘Kill Bill’ Climate Strategy Plays like Old Movie (Bloomberg News)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=aSSAAFtlyE2c&refer=home
Chevron’s O’Reilly: Cap-and-Trade Means ‘Pre-Industrial Economy’ (Wall Street Journal)
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2009/05/08/chevrons-oreilly-cap-and-trade-means-pre-industrial-economy/#mod=yahoo_hs
China Hydropower "Subprime Carbon" Flood May Slow – “…China’s booming hydropower sector is facing mounting criticism for generating "subprime carbon" credits from projects that don't need extra earnings to succeed, raising the risk of tougher rules and putting billions of dollars of clean energy investments at risk…” (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-BusinessofGreen/idUSTRE5452AI20090506
Australia - Carbon Market's Disappearing Act (The Australian)
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25457368-5005200,00.html
Agro-Forestry Study May Open Carbon Market to Poor (Reuters)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LB352772.htm
Though Rural, Clallam County Attacks Climate Change (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090511/news/305119996
Will the Sun’s Decreased Activity Mean another Little Ice Age? (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/science/2009/may/Will-the-Sun-s-Decreased-Activity-Mean-Another-Little-Ice-Age-.html
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
As Data Centers Suck Up Energy, Money, Tech Industry Looks to Turn Down the Heat (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoft/2009204767_greendata11.html?syndication=rss
Microsoft looking to cut data center power bills - $3.4 million electrical bill last year to operate data center in Quincy (Associated Press)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/737926.html
There's a Downside to Letting Go Of Your Landline (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12318854
Metered Internet Likely On Way (McClatchy Newspapers)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009204491_btisps11.html?syndication=rss
UTOPIA Launches North America’s Fastest Residential Internet Connection (Consumer Electronics Net) “…The customer, in Layton , Utah , is setting records by connecting his home to the first symmetrical, non-shared 100 Mbps fiber-optic Internet connection in the United States …” Ed. Note: I think I’ve got some customers using Public Utility District wholesale fiber in the Pacific Northwest that would like to challenge that assumption…
http://audiovideo.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=738634
Utopia Hits 100Mbps - First to 100Mbps, but not really – PUD’s in Washington State have been wholesaling 100Mbps for almost a decade… (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Utopia-Hits-100Mbps-102365?r=773
Tennessee - No Profit yet For Jackson Energy Authority Telecom Division (Jackson Sun, TN)
http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20090510/NEWS01/905100315
Minnesota - A Bubble of Broadband Spending - Network equipment operator Clearfield of Plymouth is on hold while potential federal stimulus-plan spenders connect the dots (Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN)
http://www.startribune.com/business/44610777.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUvDE7aL_V_BD77:DiiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
GENERAL NEWS
Washington Reports First Death Of Person With Swine Flu (Associated Press)
http://columbian.com/article/20090509/NEWS02/705099938/
Peel 'Em And Weep: First-Class Stamps Rise 2 Cents (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009200627_apuspostalrates.html?syndication=rss
Repairs to Temporary Tahuya River Bridge Finished (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7199/reftab/1632/t/REPAIRS-TO-TEMPORARY-TAHUYA-RIVER-BRIDGE-FINISHED/Default.aspx
Online Consultation: E-Mails Show outside Influence on Yakima Budget Process - Documents reveal Business Times' Bruce Smith worked behind the scenes with council allies (Yakima Herald Republic)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/05/07/e-mails-show-outside-influence-on-yakima-budget-process
Lakewood Might Check Legal Status of Its City Workers (Associated Press)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_051109WAB-lakewood-city-workers-LJ.15d6b5b0.html?rss
Gregoire on the Spot Over Performance Audits (Crosscut Seattle)
http://crosscut.com/blog/crosscut/18947/
California Fires Sparked by Power Tool, Officials Say (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/05/10/us/AP-US-Wildfires.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Md. Town's Bid for Economic Stimulus Starts a Fight - U.S. Funds Sought for Development Project's Sewage Plant (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/10/AR2009051002138.html?nav=rss_email/components
DIVERSIONS
Woman Who Kept Mom's Body and Benefits Charged
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5473JM20090508?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
China - Lost Tourist Search Turns Up Seven Corpses
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5473KR20090508?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
"Honest Pint" Bill Passes Oregon House
http://www.examiner.com/a-2005427~_Honest_pint__bill_passes_Ore__House.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
Mom Accused in Little League Assault
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_051009WAB-mom-arrested-SW.11e139f9.html?rss
SONG OF THE DAY
Pieces of April - Three Dog Night
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEo0btreHi4
Monday, May 11, 2009
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