Energy News Digest for September 29, 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)

• Groups Appeal Permit for TransAlta’s Centralia Coal Plant
• Fatal Marysville Crash Knocks Out Power
• Chelan PUD Expects another Tough Year
• Centralia Utilities Want Rental Customers to Pay Up
• Benton PUD Takes Lead by Installing 'Smart Meters'
• India Launches Probe into Power Plant Accident That Killed 41 Workers
• Southern California Edison Shuts San Onofre Reactor
• Feds Rule TVA Contractor Fired Browns Ferry Worker for Raising Concerns about Nuclear Safety
• 1,000 Jobs Lost At Uranium Enrichment Plant
• Germany Eyes Nuclear Revival
• Wholesale Power - Tri-State Sued By Five Nebraska Members Who Allege Overcharging
• PECO: Storms Caused 67% of Power Outages during Summer Season
• Editorial - Fed’s Salmon Plan As Good As It Will Get
• Op/Ed - Facing the Facts on the Future of Northwest Salmon
• Op/Ed - We Need to both Help Salmon & Produce Cleaner Energy
• Idaho officials to pay hatchery spill fine
• Steelheading Opens Tuesday On Upper Columbia
• Leaky Green River Dam Causes Flood Worries in Seattle Area
• California Water Interests Argue New State Dam Proposals
• Clatskanie Ethanol Plant Will Be Sold
• Alternate-Energy Scramble On Across West
• PacifiCorp Looks to Renewables for Future Power Needs in Idaho
• Solar Plan Ignites Some Environmental Concerns
• Companies Race to Develop Utility-Scale Power Storage
• Reminder: Amish Heater Is Still No Miracle
• Avista Launches Video Contest to Show How Every Little Bit Adds Up
• Exelon Leaves U.S. Chamber over Climate Dispute
• Learn How to Go Green at Renewable Living Fair
• Who Knew? Home-Rolled Fiber Lowers Cable Rates
• Ex-Enron Broadband Exec Gets 16 Months in Prison
• Wireless Lobbyists Step Up Defensive against Net Neutrality
• Microsoft, Google Clash over E-Mail Dominance
• Metered Broadband Is the Future: Verizon CTO
• Social Networks, Blogs Grab Bigger Share of Web
• Five Kids Hurt In Belfair Crash Weren't Wearing Seat Belts
• Mason County to Terminate Port Lease for Fairgrounds
• Recession, Seasonal Slowdown Force Mason County’s Skokomish Casino to Fold
• Feast on Fall Bounty at OysterFest
• 1.2 Million Visitors to Puyallup Fair
• Narrows League Welcomes Four
• Suspected Wedding Crashers Arrested In Indiana Theft

WORD OF THE DAY

Glaucous • \GLAW-kus\ • adjective - 1a: of a pale yellow-green color *b: of a light bluish-gray or bluish-white color 2: having a powdery or waxy coating that gives a frosted appearance and tends to rub off

It was almost like living inside “Plato’s Cave” thought Alexandra. The glaucos finish on the conference room windows almost allowed you to see what was going on inside the inner sanctum. The hazy view left her speculating about the activities in which the shadowy figures moving about were engaged.

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

Groups Appeal Permit for TransAlta’s Centralia Coal Plant (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009960141_apwatransaltacentralia.html?syndication=rss

Fatal Marysville Crash Knocks Out Power (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_092809WAB-fatal-marysville-crash-SW.1c4c68348.html?rss?npc

Chelan PUD Expects another Tough Year (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/sep/29/chelan-pud-expects-another-tough-year/

Centralia Utilities Want Rental Customers to Pay Up (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?Centralia-Utilities-Want-Rental-Customer=1&blockID=77618&feedID=410

Benton PUD Takes Lead by Installing 'Smart Meters' (Tri-City Herald, WA)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/yahoonews/story/725595.html

India Launches Probe into Power Plant Accident That Killed 41 Workers (Power Engineering)
http://pepei.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=6&ARTICLE_ID=369498&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

Southern California Edison Shuts San Onofre Reactor (Los Angeles Business)
http://losangeles.bizjournals.com/losangeles/stories/2009/09/28/daily3.html?ana=from_rss

Feds Rule TVA Contractor Fired Browns Ferry Worker for Raising Concerns about Nuclear Safety (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=119279

1,000 Jobs Lost At Uranium Enrichment Plant (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009959604_apusuraniumplant.html?syndication=rss

Germany Eyes Nuclear Revival (United Press International)
http://www.upi.com/Energy_Resources/2009/09/28/Germany-eyes-nuclear-revival/UPI-14571254168521/

Wholesale Power - Tri-State Sued By Five Nebraska Members Who Allege Overcharging (Denver Business Journal)
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/09/28/daily18.html?ana=from_rss

PECO: Storms Caused 67% of Power Outages during Summer Season (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=119359

FISH & WILDLIFE

News Tribune Editorial - Fed’s Salmon Plan As Good As It Will Get
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/897329.html

Oregonian Op/Ed - Facing the Facts on the Future of Northwest Salmon
http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/09/facing_the_facts_on_the_future.html

Eugene Register Guard Op/Ed - We Need to both Help Salmon & Produce Cleaner Energy
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/opinion/20641308-46/story.csp#ID:20641308

Idaho officials to pay hatchery spill fine (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/986613.html

Steelheading Opens Tuesday On Upper Columbia - Fish managers encourage anglers to harvest bountiful hatchery fish (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/sep/28/steelheading-opens-tuesday-upper-columbia/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Leaky Green River Dam Causes Flood Worries in Seattle Area (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009958881_apusleakydam.html?syndication=rss

California Water Interests Argue New State Dam Proposals (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/28/MNRO19SUMN.DTL&feed=rss.news

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Clatskanie Ethanol Plant Will Be Sold (Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/09/29//area_news/doc4ac0f85d2ac07513762126.txt

Alternate-Energy Scramble On Across West (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009958817_aputrushtoalternateenergy.html?syndication=rss

PacifiCorp Looks to Renewables for Future Power Needs in Idaho (Hydro World)
http://www.hydroworld.com/index/display/news_display/s-135792122.html

Solar Plan Ignites Some Environmental Concerns (Nat’l Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112860913&ft=1&f=2

Companies Race to Develop Utility-Scale Power Storage (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/09/28/28greenwire-companies-race-to-develop-utility-scale-power-25857.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Reminder: Amish Heater Is Still No Miracle (Consumerist – Note: some comments may include PG-13 language…)
http://consumerist.com/5369400/reminder-amish-heater-is-still-no-miracle

Avista Launches Video Contest to Show How Every Little Bit Adds Up (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=119324

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Exelon Leaves U.S. Chamber over Climate Dispute (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/09/28/28greenwire-exelon-leaves-us-chamber-over-climate-dispute-74577.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Learn How to Go Green at Renewable Living Fair (Everett Herald, WA)
http://heraldnet.com/article/20090929/NEWS01/709299878

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Who Knew? Home-Rolled Fiber Lowers Cable Rates (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Who-Knew-HomeRolled-Fiber-Lowers-Cable-Rates-104703

Ex-Enron Broadband Exec Gets 16 Months in Prison (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009958648_apusenronbroadband.html?syndication=rss

Wireless Lobbyists Step Up Defensive against Net Neutrality (Washington Post)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2009/09/the_wireless_industry_has_been.html

Microsoft, Google Clash over E-Mail Dominance (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoft/2009960755_lacityhall29.html

Metered Broadband Is the Future: Verizon CTO (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/09/29/metered-broadband-is-the-future-verizon-cto/

Social Networks, Blogs Grab Bigger Share of Web (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/09/28/daily11.html?ana=from_rss

GENERAL NEWS

Five Kids Hurt In Belfair Crash Weren't Wearing Seat Belts (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theblotter/2009964042_five_children_injured_in_van_c.html?syndication=rss

Mason County to Terminate Port Lease for Fairgrounds (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=268:mason-county-to-terminate-port-lease-for-fairgrounds&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Recession, Seasonal Slowdown Force Mason County’s Skokomish Casino to Fold (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/sep/28/recession-seasonal-slowdown-force-mason-county/?partner=RSS

Feast on Fall Bounty at OysterFest - Shelton celebration puts shucking skills to the test (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/living/story/986424.html

1.2 Million Visitors to Puyallup Fair (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009964124_webfair29m.html?syndication=rss

Narrows League Welcomes Four - Conference increases with Thurston County additions (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/highschoolsports/story/986346.html

Suspected Wedding Crashers Arrested In Indiana Theft (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009964043_apusweddingcashstolen.html?syndication=rss

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Long Island Doctor’s Swine-Flu Rap Unexpectedly Awesome
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/09/long_island_doctor_brings_the.html

Man Sues Bank of America for "1,784 Billion, Trillion Dollars" (heck, why not a gazillion?)
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE58O4SC20090925?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

Doctor Charged With Stealing Patient's Rolex
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-09-28-rolex_N.htm?csp=34

Four-Legged Colbert Wins Dog Photo Contest
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/09/28/colbert.dog.wins.contest/index.html?eref=ib_us

Phone Off? Hugh Jackman Stops Broadway Show for Ringing
http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE58S02J20090929?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

SONG OF THE DAY

Culture Club - Time (Clock of the Heart)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tI1_KlO6xI