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)
• Op/Ed - Midwest Power Marketing Administration: Energy bill expected to reduce area electric costs
• Midwest Power Marketing Administration: Fighting for Regional Equity in Federal Energy Policy
• Education Time: Welcome to the club.
• Fallen Power Lines Cause North Mason Outage
• Jefferson County PUD Begins Talks with Puget Sound Energy
• Op/Ed - Compensate Pend Oreille County for Seattle City Light's Boundary Dam
• Fitch Rates Chelan County PUD's Notes 'AA+'; Stable Outlook
• Montana Considers Cashing In On 1.2B Tons of Coal
• Beating the Heat – Benton PUD Meter Readers Starting Earlier
• Sacramento Municipal Utility District Pullout Dims Hopes for Big Power Line Project
• North Carolina - Judge Dismisses Challenge to Duke Energy Coal Plant
• Maryland - Electric Rates No Bright Spot for O'Malley as Election Nears
• With New Charge, Saving Electricity Could End Up Costing Missourians
• Spain goes halfway on nuclear power
• Turkey Resumes $1.6 Billion Dam Project
• Indian Power Thieves Keep Enforcers on the Hunt
• Poor Alaska Salmon Run Threatens US/Canada Treaty
• Idaho - Sockeye Salmon Run To Redfish Lake Looking Strong
• Idaho Fish & Game Explains Salmon Closures
• Lake Washington's Sockeye Run May Hit a Record Low
• Warning on Trout Hatcheries Could Force Changes
• Op/Ed - Saving the Columbia and Snake River Salmon
• Tit-For-Tat - California Water Plan Could Help Puget Sound Orcas Survive
• Work Begins to Remove Dam in Washington's Wind River Watershed
• Oregon Legislators Give Fish Hatchery Deal a Second Look
• Geoduck Farm Proposed Near Port Ludlow
• Man won't part with collection of salmon labels
• Oregon Lawmakers Find Going Green Is Tough
• Op/Ed - Environmental Issues See Gains, Losses in the 2009 Legislative Session
• Phantom Fax Just One Obstacle to Planning Oregon's Water Future
• City Of Arlington Buys Up More Water Rights
• Water Officials Fear California Aqueduct Could Sink
• Tide Turns for Olympia’s Capitol Lake, Estuary
• New Form of El Nino May Increase Atlantic Storms
• From US Supreme Court - Environment Groups Find Less Support
• Snohomish PUD - Post-Enron, Utility Cultivates Own Energy
• US Senator Cantwell Talks Energy at Moses Lake Silicon Manufacturer
• California's Renewable-Energy Focus Risks Power Shortages
• California Solar-Power Subsidy Program Approaches Its Limit
• Los Angeles Will End Use Of Coal-Fired Power
• Illinois - Internet Loss Halts Farmersville Wind Generator
• Massachusetts - Wind Proponents Make Up-Close Pitch for Technology
• NW Biodiesel Industry Can't Catch a Break
• Ethanol Interest Appears To Wane with the Economy
• Op/Ed - Clean Energy Hubs and Electricity Transmission Challenges
• United Kingdom - Beauty Spots Could Become Wind Farms
• China - In Drive for Wind Power, Man Who Led Coal Plant Seeks Atonement
• Green Power Takes Root in the Chinese Desert
• Is Energy the Internet's Next Killer App?
• Mason County - Allyn Business Tests ‘Smart Grid’ Device
• Climbing Onto The Smart Grid –
• Incandescent Bulbs Return to the Cutting Edge
• Iconic Skyscrapers Find New Luster in Green Tech
• Climate Bill Could Mean Big Business for Oregon
• Op/Ed - Congress Just Wants the Money from the Cap and Tax Bill
• Iowa Power Co-Op Ads Join MidAmerican’s Energy Bill Protest
• Baaad News? Global Warming Now Shrinking Sheep
• The Great Barbecue Debate: Is Charcoal Bad For The Planet?
• Last Week’s Fire at Seattle’s Fisher Plaza Disrupts Web Sites
• Broadband Industry Group Say U.S. Rules Go Too Far
• State of Alabama Launches High-Speed Internet Survey
• Yahoo Redesigns Data Center, Ditches Carbon Offsets
• Broadband Video Effort Squashed By Caps
• TV Stations Struggling With Viewer Loss on Digital Conversion
• Comcast Sued (Again) For Cable Box Rentals
• For Symantec and McAfee, ‘Arms Race’ for Security
• Fireworks Spark Fires, Damaging Seven Homes
• Thurston County Tax Ruling Goes Against Chehalis Tribe
• Property Tax Initiative Moves To Washington Ballot
• EMS - Tahuya Fire District Buys Some Time
• Engineering Firm R.W. Beck Sold
• Centralia – “Hello Dere”: Yard Birds Movie Ready for Viewing
• Some Companies Desperately Seeking Skilled Workers
• Pacific Northwest an Excellent Place for Green Vacations
• Why Journalists Don't Account For Inflation In Box Office Records
WORD OF THE DAY
Perigee • \PAIR-uh-jee\ • noun – The point in the orbit of an object (as a satellite) orbiting the earth that is nearest to the center of the earth; also: the point nearest a planet or a satellite (as the moon) reached by an object orbiting it
Beatrice was the center of attention at the summer dance. Her dance card was full; the swelling music filled the small, perfumed flower garden in which she and her friends had gathered to celebrate another beautiful day in the Hamptons. Eager suitors were lined in a circle around her chair, those at perigee craning their necks to get a glimpse of her burnished red hair. Those at apogee showing their wilted disappointment at being so far from those in her happy orbit.
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
Ohio – Toledo Blade Op/Ed - Energy bill expected to reduce area electric costs (Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, OH)
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090704/OPINION04/907040312
Fighting for Regional Equity in Federal Energy Policy “…“The federal government has been subsidizing infrastructure and economic development in other parts of the country since the New Deal. Now it’s our turn…” (Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, OH)
http://www.kaptur.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=454&Itemid=1
Education Time: Welcome to the club.
A power marketing administration (PMA) is a self-funding agency, not a delivery device for subsidies. The proposed $3.26 billion loan to a new power marketing administration from the U.S. Treasury will most likely have to be paid back at market interest rates (Like the Bonneville Power Administration).
All investments, capital, and operational costs made by your PMA will have to be recouped by rates charged to its users (Like the Bonneville Power Administration).
In fact, you could consider this a great way to raise funds for Great Lakes Restoration as an alternative to federal budget allocations (Like the Bonneville Power Administration’s fish and wildlife program).
A subsidy is when the federal government makes investments in a region without expectation of payback. A loan is expected to be repaid (Like the Bonneville Power Administration).
Department of Energy: http://www.energy.gov/organization/powermarketingadmin.htm
“…While BPA is part of the Department of Energy, it is not tax-supported through government appropriations. Instead, BPA recovers all of its costs through sales of electricity and transmission and repays the U.S. Treasury in full with interest for any money it borrows…”
“… (SWAPA) Southwestern’s rates, by law, are designed to recover the costs of producing the power. These costs include repayment of the dams’ initial construction, repayment of the transmission system construction, both with interest; major replacements; and both the Corps of Engineers’ and Southwestern’s annual operating and maintenance expenses. Southwestern returns the revenues to the U.S. Treasury to be applied toward interest and repayment of the Federal investment…”
Fallen Power Lines Cause North Mason Outage (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7702/reftab/1632/t/FALLEN-POWER-LINES-CAUSE-NORTH-MASON-OUTAGE/Default.aspx
Jefferson County PUD Begins Talks with Puget Sound Energy about Electrical Service (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090703/NEWS/307039990
Seattle Times Op/Ed - Compensate Pend Oreille County for Impacts of Seattle City Light's Boundary Dam
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2009421294_guests06power.html?syndication=rss
Fitch Rates Chelan County PUD's $30.4MM Consolidated System Subordinated Notes 'AA+'; Stable Outlook (BusinessWire)
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090702005799&newsLang=en
Montana Considers Cashing In On 1.2B Tons of Coal (Associated Press)
http://cbs4denver.com/wireapnewswy/Prospects.for.mine.2.1072462.html
Beating the Heat – Benton PUD Meter Readers Starting Earlier (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10636212
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Pullout Dims Hopes For Big Power Line Project (Sacramento Bee, CA)
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1997486.html
North Carolina - Judge Dismisses Challenge to Duke Energy Coal Plant (Charlotte Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2009/06/29/daily47.html?ana=from_rss
Maryland - Electric Rates No Bright Spot for O'Malley as Election Nears (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/05/AR2009070502697.html?wprss=rss_business
With New Charge, Saving Electricity Could End Up Costing Missourians (Associated Press)
http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics/story/1307200.html
Spain goes halfway on nuclear power (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0705/p06s10-wogn.html
Turkey Resumes $1.6 Billion Dam Project (Yale Environment 360)
http://e360.yale.edu/content/digest.msp?id=1952
Indian Power Thieves Keep Enforcers on the Hunt (Associated Press)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iy-pzfwgyFDRkmWXKZMoaXJaH5GQD997OSQG0
FISH & WILDLIFE
Poor Alaska Salmon Run Threatens US/Canada Treaty (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10646372
Idaho - Sockeye Salmon Run To Redfish Lake Looking Strong (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/900154.html
Idaho Fish & Game Explains Salmon Closures - State must fill hatcheries and comply with quotas (Idaho Statesman, Boise)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/IDAHOOUTDOORS/story/821136.html
Lake Washington's Sockeye Run May Hit a Record Low (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009417246_sockeye04m.html
Warning on Trout Hatcheries Could Force Changes (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/07/05/MNCU188EDD.DTL
LA Times Op/Ed - Saving the Columbia and Snake River Salmon
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-vandevelder6-2009jul06,0,1077571.story
Tit-For-Tat - California Water Plan Could Help Puget Sound Orcas Survive (Bellingham Herald, WA)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/974503.html
Work Begins to Remove Dam in Washington's Wind River Watershed – Bonneville Power Administration part of funding (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/07/work_begins_to_remove_dam_in_w.html
Oregon Legislators Give Fish Hatchery Deal a Second Look (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/oregon_legislators_give_fish_h.html
Geoduck Farm Proposed Near Port Ludlow (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jul/02/geoduck-farm-proposed-near-port-ludlow/?partner=RSS
Man won't part with collection of salmon labels (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009417607_apwasalmonlabels.html?syndication=rss
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Oregon Lawmakers Find Going Green Is Tough - Poor economy keeps some environmental bills from passage (Associated Press)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/16587194-46/story.csp#ID:16587194
Oregonian Op/Ed - Environmental Issues See Gains, Losses in the 2009 Legislative Session
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/07/environmental_issues_see_gains.html
Phantom Fax Just One Obstacle to Planning Oregon's Water Future (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/07/phantom_fax_just_one_obstacle.html
City Of Arlington Buys Up More Water Rights - Water crucial to its plans for future growth (Everett Herald, WA)
http://heraldnet.com/article/20090704/NEWS01/707049900
Water Officials Fear California Aqueduct Could Sink (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/05/state/n115148D51.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
Tide Turns for Olympia’s Capitol Lake, Estuary - Waterways: Committee says it supports reversion of man-made lake (The Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/899802.html
New Form of El Nino May Increase Atlantic Storms (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009411883_apusscinewelnino.html?syndication=rss
From US Supreme Court - Environment Groups Find Less Support (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/us/04scotus.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Snohomish PUD - Post-Enron, Utility Cultivates Own Energy (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009416453_apwahomegrownenergy.html?syndication=rss
US Senator Cantwell Talks Energy at Moses Lake Silicon Manufacturer (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/07/03/news/doc4a4e4db80274a791907315.txt
California's Renewable-Energy Focus Risks Power Shortages “…The state has been so keen to develop renewables that relatively few conventional power generators, such as gas-fired plants, have been built lately…” (Wall Street Journal)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124658578833590355.html?mod=rss_com_mostcommentart
California Solar-Power Subsidy Program Approaches Its Limit (LA Times – someone should ask this guy about his water use! Look at that landscape…)
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-solar6-2009jul06,0,3147897.story
Los Angeles Will End Use Of Coal-Fired Power – Mayor says consumers will see higher power bills in the fight against climate change (Reuters)
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009/07/02/afx6614861.html
Illinois - Internet Loss Halts Farmersville Wind Generator (State Journal-Register, Springfield, IL)
http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x631612812/Internet-loss-shuts-down-Farmersville-wind-generator
Massachusetts - Wind Proponents Make Up-Close Pitch for Technology: More than 100 people trek to Hull to take the clean-tech breezes (Boston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/07/06/story13.html?ana=from_rss
NW Biodiesel Industry Can't Catch a Break (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5349-nw-biodiesel-industry-cant-catch-break/
Ethanol Interest Appears To Wane with the Economy (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009413991_ethanolwaning03.html
Examiner.com Op/Ed - Clean Energy Hubs and Electricity Transmission Challenges
http://www.examiner.com/x-2903-Energy-Examiner~y2009m7d3-Clean-energy-hubs-and-electricity-transmission-challenges
United Kingdom - Beauty Spots Could Become Wind Farms (Politics.co United Kingdom)
http://www.politics.co.uk/news/environment-and-rural-affairs/beauty-spots-could-become-wind-farms-$1308724.htm
China - In Drive for Wind Power, Man Who Led Coal Plant Seeks Atonement (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/03/business/energy-environment/03renewside.html
Green Power Takes Root in the Chinese Desert (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/03/business/energy-environment/03renew.html?ref=business
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Is Energy the Internet's Next Killer App? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://blog.seattlepi.com/energy/archives/172885.asp?source=rss
Mason County - Allyn Business Tests ‘Smart Grid’ Device (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal)
http://kpbj.com/headlines/environment/2009-07-02_allyn_business_tests_smart_grid_device
Washington Firm Develops Smart Grid Device (Smart Meters)
http://www.smartmeters.com/the-news/574-washington-firm-develops-smart-grid-device.html
Climbing Onto The Smart Grid - Southwest Washington's high-tech industry is wising up to the business opportunities in the smart grid (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090705/BIZ01/707059996
Incandescent Bulbs Return to the Cutting Edge (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/business/energy-environment/06bulbs.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Iconic Skyscrapers Find New Luster in Green Tech (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009418284_apussignatureskyscrapersefficiency.html?syndication=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Climate Bill Could Mean Big Business For Oregon - If legislation passes Senate, Oregon could land as many as 50,000 new green jobs (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/07/06/story6.html?ana=from_rss
Examiner.com Op/Ed - Congress Just Wants the Money from the Cap and Tax Bill
http://www.examiner.com/x-10711-Raleigh-Political-Buzz-Examiner~y2009m7d3-Congress-just-wants-the-money-from-the-cap-and-tax-bill
Climate Change Protest - Iowa Power Co-Op Ads Join MidAmerican’s Energy Bill Protest (Des Moines Register, IA)
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2009/07/02/iowa-power-co-op-ads-join-midamericans-energy-bill-protest/
Baaad News? Global Warming Now Shrinking Sheep (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009411894_apusscishrinkingsheep.html?syndication=rss
The Great Barbecue Debate: Is Charcoal Bad For The Planet? (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2222033/?from=rss
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Last Week’s Fire at Seattle’s Fisher Plaza Disrupts Web Sites (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/06/29/daily44.html?ana=from_rss
Broadband Industry Group Say U.S. Rules Go Too Far In Expanding Broadband Access To Underserved Areas (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE5616EC20090703?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology
State of Alabama Launches High-Speed Internet Survey (Birmingham Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2009/06/29/daily33.html?ana=from_rss
Yahoo Redesigns Data Center, Ditches Carbon Offsets (C/NET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10276103-54.html
Broadband Video Effort Squashed By Caps - A Warning Tale from Across the Pond (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Broadband-Video-Effort-Squashed-By-Caps-103251
TV Stations Struggling With Viewer Loss on Digital Conversion (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12741241
Comcast Sued (Again) For Cable Box Rentals - This time by the West Virginia Attorney General (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Sued-Again-For-Cable-Box-Rentals-103268
For Symantec and McAfee, ‘Arms Race’ for Security (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/technology/business-computing/06virus.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
GENERAL NEWS
Fireworks Spark Fires, Damaging Seven Homes (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/19959324/detail.html
Thurston County Tax Ruling Goes Against Chehalis Tribe - County seeks to collect from resort (The Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/899800.html
Property Tax Initiative Moves To Washington Ballot (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10637172
EMS - Tahuya Fire District Buys Some Time (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jul/02/tahuya-fire-district-buys-some-time/?partner=RSS
Engineering Firm R.W. Beck Sold (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/07/06/daily1.html?ana=from_rss
Centralia – “Hello Dere”: Yard Birds Movie Ready for Viewing (The Chronicle, Centralia WA)
http://www.chronline.com/articles/2009/07/03/news//doc4a4cf68da4b41806487567.txt
Some Companies Desperately Seeking Skilled Workers (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_070609BUB-skilled-labor-LJ.13cb2e43.html?rss?npc
Pacific Northwest an Excellent Place for Green Vacations (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2009417253_ecoconsumer04.html?syndication=rss
Best Weekend Never - Why journalists don't account for inflation when they report box office records (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2222096/?from=rss
DIVERSIONS
Rare Copy of Declaration of Independence Found
http://www.kirotv.com/politics/19925703/detail.html
Air Guitar Ensemble Breaks Record in NYC
http://www.kirotv.com/entertainment/19923442/detail.html
Schools Ditch Unpopular Recorders for Trendy George Formby-Style Ukuleles
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196849/Goodbye-recorders-hello-ukuleles--Schools-ditch-wind-instruments-favour-George-Formby-strummers.html
Bee Swarm Halts MLB Game
http://www.kirotv.com/sports/19936473/detail.html
Cab Driver Sprays Deodorant to Disarm Attacker
http://www.kirotv.com/news/19940643/detail.html
SONG OF THE DAY
Pink Floyd – Time (Wait for the Alarm Clock!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyL2vAUVOM0
Monday, July 6, 2009
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