Energy News Digest for May 12, 2009

This is the 400th Energy News Digest Post on this Blog!

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.

The news digest is also available at the following web site:
http://www.energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- Second Open House on Mason County PUD No. 3 Johns Prairie Operations Center
- Brother, Can You Spare a Dam?
- Klickitat County Wants Natural Gas Explorers to Carry More Insurance
- Former Enron CEO Skilling appeals to Supreme Court
- Allegheny Energy Pulling Out of Virginia
- United Kingdom - Anglesey Aluminum Starts the Fight to Save Jobs
- Spring Chinook Numbers Shrink
- Students Release Salmon into Columbia River
- Crayfish Season under Way in Lake Washington
- Chelan/Grant PUDs to Benefit - Ecology Uses Recovery Money to Reduce Emissions
- Chesapeake Bay Cleanup: Will The Stewards Unveil A More Realistic Plan?
- Oregon Solar Bill Creates Industry Conflict
- Wind Turbine Technology Gets Bigger and Better
- How Wind Energy Financing Models Are Changing
- Blackfoot, Idaho Clears Way for Wind Turbines in City
- North Carolina - Windmill Owner Fascinated By Power
- Schott Solar Opens Plant despite Downturn
- Nevada Legislature Debates Renewable Energy
- Tennessean Editorial - State Must Persevere On Renewable Energy
- Texas - Bankruptcy Latest Blow to Biofuels Sector
- Weatherization Funds Evaporating - Two months ago, it seemed like a boon
- Oregon - House Scales Back Business Deductions for Energy Projects
- Stimulus Offers Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency
- Nation’s Green 'Czar' Pushes Jobs, Community-Building
- Detroit Free Press - Make Efficiency Incentives a Key Part of Energy Plan
- Congress Pushes Cap and Trade, But Just 24% Know What It Is
- Waxman to Push Global Warming Bill without Allowing Subcommittee Vote
- The Influence Game: Firms Exact Climate Price
- Federal Climate Change Legislation=$624 Billion in Tax Revenue
- A Difference Of Opinion; County, Cities Go Own Ways on Climate Change
- Some See Energy Bill Helping Money Grow On Trees
- Canada – Saskatchewan Gov’t Cuts Emissions Goal to Aid Its Utility
- We Need an FCC Chief and We Need Him Now
- Microsoft Bond Sale: $3.75 Billion Offering
- AirTran Airways joins the Wi-Fi crowd
- California - Palo Alto Council Talks Broadband, Rail with Congresswoman
- City of Shelton Rejects Liquor License Recommendation for Downtown Bar
- Olympia Parking Costs May Climb – May end downtown free zone
- Death of 97.7, the Eagle - KOMO Newsradio to Be Heard On FM and AM
- NY Times Editorial - Sharing Congress’s Research

WORD OF THE DAY

Bastion • \BASS-chun\ • noun – 1: a projecting part of a fortification 2: a fortified area or position 3: stronghold

In the distance a dog barked, a sliver of moonlight pierced the leaves in the small copse that had become a hiding spot for the last of their kind. The small band of humans huddled at the small trickle of water that marked the headwaters of a mighty salmon stream. Their last stand at the bastion of biped dominance would be remembered by their anadromous, finned foes as the “Battle of the Headwaters.” Climate change, rising waters, dam removal, the elimination of irrigation, genetic mutations from hatchery/wild spawn, the siphoning of capital from other needs all combined to create an evolved salmon species that not only had a sentience, but also a sense of entitlement over their former masters. The progression took so long to evidence itself that the “Salmon Apocalypse” was well underway before humans could react. (With all due respect to the creators of “Planet of the Apes”)

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

Second Open House on Mason County PUD No. 3 Johns Prairie Operations Center Today In Belfair (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7224/reftab/1632/Default.aspx

Brother, Can You Spare a Dam? (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/blog/2009/05/brother_can_you_spare_a_dam.html

Klickitat County Wants Natural Gas Explorers to Carry More Insurance (Associated Press)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_gas_exploration.html?source=pimail

Former Enron CEO Skilling appeals to Supreme Court (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009207861_apenronskillingappeal.html?syndication=rss

Allegheny Energy Pulling Out of Virginia (Winchester Star, VA)
http://www.winchesterstar.com/showarticle_new.php?sID=6&foldername=20090506&file=allegheny_article.html

United Kingdom - Anglesey Aluminum Starts the Fight to Save Jobs (The Daily Post, UK)
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2009/05/12/anglesey-aluminium-starts-the-fight-to-save-jobs-55578-23600188/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Spring Chinook Numbers Shrink (Lewiston Tribune, ID)
http://www.lmtribune.com/breaking-news/993/

Students Release Salmon into Columbia River (KNDU-TV, Tri Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10341279

Crayfish Season under Way in Lake Washington, and Many Other Lakes and Streams (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2009207304_crayfish_season_underway_in_ma.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Chelan/Grant PUDs to Benefit - Ecology Uses Recovery Money to Reduce Emissions (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090511/NEWS04/705119948

Washington Post Editorial - Chesapeake Bay Cleanup: Will the stewards of the waterway unveil a more realistic plan?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/11/AR2009051102612.html?nav=rss_opinions

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon Solar Bill Creates Industry Conflict (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/05/oregon-solar-bill-creates-industry-conflict?cmpid=rss

Wind Turbine Technology Gets Bigger and Better (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/05/wind-turbine-technology-gets-bigger-and-better?cmpid=rss

How Wind Energy Financing Models Are Changing (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/05/models-have-changed-but-wind-energy-finance-remains-active?cmpid=rss

Blackfoot, Idaho Clears Way for Wind Turbines in City (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/848416.html

North Carolina - Windmill Owner Fascinated By Power (The Fayetteville Observer, NC)
http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=326137

Schott Solar Opens Plant despite Downturn (C/NET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10237445-54.html?tag=nl.e703

Nevada Legislature Debates Renewable Energy (Reno Gazette-Journal, NV)
http://www.rgj.com/article/20090511/NEWS11/90511034/1321/NEWS

Tennessean Editorial - State Must Persevere On Renewable Energy
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090512/OPINION01/905120314/1008/State+must+persevere+on+renewable+energy

Texas - Bankruptcy Latest Blow to Biofuels Sector (San Antonio Express-News, TX)
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/44749967.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Weatherization Funds Evaporating - Two months ago, it seemed like a boon. Now, federal stimulus money aimed at boosting home weatherization projects looks more like a buoy (Tri-City Herald, via the News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/738814.html

Oregon - House Scales Back Business Deductions for Energy Projects: Makers of plug-in cars gain eligibility (The Statesman Journal, Salem, OR)
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090512/LEGISLATURE/905120322/1042/STATE

Stimulus Offers Tax Credit for Energy Efficiency (National Public Radio: Good story, but BTW, the reporter incorrectly identifies Puget Sound Energy as a public utility)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104047348

Nation’s Green 'Czar' Pushes Jobs, Community-Building (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103456763&ft=1&f=3

Detroit Free Press Editorial - Make Efficiency Incentives a Key Part of Energy Plan
http://www.freep.com/article/20090512/OPINION01/905120327

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Congress Pushes Cap and Trade, But Just 24% Know What It Is (Rasmussen Reports)
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/environment/congress_pushes_cap_and_trade_but_just_24_know_what_it_is

Waxman to Push Global Warming Bill without Allowing Subcommittee Vote (Washington Examiner, DC)
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Waxman-to-push-global-warming-bill-without-allowing-subcommittee-vote_05_12-44750477.html

The Influence Game: Firms Exact Climate Price - Utilities, steelmakers and oil industry lobbyists have tried to ease the pain of President Barack Obama's push to curb global warming, and they've gotten an early return on the millions of dollars they've spent influencing Congress (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009206361_apusclimatelobbying.html?syndication=rss

Federal Climate Change Legislation to Generate $624 Billion in Tax Revenue (Examiner.Com)
http://www.examiner.com/x-219-Denver-Weather-Examiner~y2009m5d12-Climate-change-legislation-to-generate-624-billion-in-tax-revenue

A Difference Of Opinion; County, Cities Go Own Ways on Climate Change (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090512/news/305129996

Some See Energy Bill Helping Money Grow On Trees (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/05/11/11greenwire-some-see-energy-bill-helping-money-grow-on-tre-10572.html

Canada – Saskatchewan Gov’t Cuts Emissions Goal to Aid Its Utility (The Canadian Press)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090512.SASK12ISLART2145/TPStory/National

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

We Need an FCC Chief and We Need Him Now (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/05/11/we-need-an-fcc-chief-and-we-need-him-now/

Microsoft Bond Sale: $3.75 Billion Offering (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoft/2009208820_microsoftdebt12.html

AirTran Airways joins the Wi-Fi crowd (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/05/12/financial/f073113D96.DTL&feed=rss.business

California - Palo Alto Council Talks Broadband, Rail with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12348744

GENERAL NEWS

City of Shelton Rejects Liquor License Recommendation for Downtown Bar – Cites drunkenness, traffic hazards, impaired drivers (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7226/reftab/1632/t/CITY-NOT-RECOMMENDING-LIQUOR-LICENSE-RENEWAL-FOR-BIG-E-S/Default.aspx

Olympia Parking Costs May Climb - City Council to discuss ending downtown free zone (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/848041.html

Death of 97.7, the Eagle - KOMO Newsradio to Be Heard On FM and AM (KOMO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/44725407.html

NY Times Editorial - Sharing Congress’s Research
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/12/opinion/12tue3.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

You Can Find A Bunch Of These Congressional Research Reports Here:
http://opencrs.com/

DIVERSIONS

Girls Find Music from Buffett and His Ukuleles (Check out the video of his visit at the bottom of the story)
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5455O220090506?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews&rpc=69&sp=true

Perhaps Not the Brightest Of Vandals...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theblotter/2009210271_perhaps_not_the_brightest_of_v.html?syndication=rss

Privy Probers Plumb Depths of 19th-Century Life in Sacramento
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1853155.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Phish - Bouncing Around the Room
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfdcHOtAxhY&feature=PlayList&p=2EE0726F98F9A582&index=0&playnext=1