The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for October 13, 2010

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Energy News Digest for October 13, 2010

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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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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Puget Sound Energy Fined for Mishandling Customer Accounts (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/10/12/1401436/pse-fined-for-mishandling-customer.html

Public Utility Districts Paving Way for Kalama Energy Center (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_9aca54e8-d696-11df-a920-001cc4c002e0.html

BPA Makes $864 million Payment to US Treasury (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2068

Oregon Ranks No. 3 for Energy Efficiency – Washington 6; California 1 (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2010/10/oregon_ranks_no_3_for_energy_efficiency.html

Moses Lake - REC Silicon Celebrates Expansion (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/business/article_f299a1be-d647-11df-b3d4-001cc4c002e0.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

· Puget Sound Energy Fined for Mishandling Customer Accounts

· Public Utility Districts Paving Way for Kalama Energy Center

· Montana - NorthWestern Energy Seeks Five Percent Hike to Pay for New Power Plant

· Despite Poor Economic Year, BPA Makes Payment to US Treasury

· Condit Dam Removal from White Salmon River Gets Key Certification

· Duke Energy Investigates E-Mails in Indiana Hiring

· How Natural Gas Flexes Its Muscles

· Heating Costs Cool, Giving Homeowners Some Relief

· Op/Ed - Factories Pay Price for Using Green Power, Twice

· State-by-State Report on Clean Energy Actions

· Op/Ed - Maine Voices: Co-Ops Keep Businesses Rooted in Their Communities

· Protection for Bull Trout Habitat Expanded in West

· Grant PUD to Share Site Plan for White River Fish Project

· $16.4 Million Tribal Fisheries Project Brings Jobs to the Olympic Peninsula

· Capitol Lake Dredging Draws Support

· Three Counties Consider Chehalis River Basin Flood District

· Moses Lake - REC Silicon Celebrates Expansion

· Modesto Irrigation District Rejects Biomass Burner – Lawsuit in the Offing?

· State of Montana Awards Wood Biomass Energy Projects

· North Carolina - Duke Can Use Trees to Fuel Coal-Fired Power Plants

· Biomass More Efficient for Energy than Ethanol

· Illinois - Will County to Harness Methane for Energy

· Oregon Ranks No. 3 for Energy Efficiency – Washington 6; California 1

· Battle Ground Public Schools Get $850,000 Grant for Energy Conservation

Canada

- Class Notes: Light Bulb Moments

· A Climate Proposal Beyond Cap & Trade

China

Highlights Climate Change Efforts

· Iowa - Student Group Wants Coal-Free Campus; Officials Say Goal Not Realistic

· In Defense of Wood Heat

· Time to Find a Second Earth, World Wildlife Federation Says

· Ancient Animal Urine Offers Insight into Climate Change

· Maine Begins Construction of Massive Fiber Network

· Government Accounting Office Says High US Broadband Prices Hindering Adoption

· Chelan PUD - Provider Rates for Fiber Optic Network to Increase

· Paying Your ISP…Just to Pay Your ISP

· Free Public Wi-Fi Networks: Neither Free, Nor Public, nor Wi-Fi

· Ninth Circuit Upholds State Campaign Finance Laws

· Washington State Says More Than a Dozen Hotline Calls About City of Langley Inspired Audit

· World Celebrates as Trapped Miners Emerge in Chile

· Truck Crashes on Pickering Road; Shelton Man Dies

· King County Health Department Warns About Deadly Mushrooms

· Uncertainty about China’s Mineral Exports Could Benefit Idaho Mines

WORD OF THE DAY

Erstwhile • \ERST-while\ • adverb - In the past: formerly

The grizzled old-timer acrobatically shifted the quid of tobacco in his cheek to the other side, sending a shot of “snooze-juice” careening with a clang off the rim of the nearby spittoon. “It all began on a cold, windy ridge north of Leavenworth,” he began. “My erstwhile friend and companion had lost a shoe and couldn’t move on…so I had to shoot ‘im.” “Your mining partner?” gasped his pre-teen great grand-daughter. “Naw,” the elder spat, sending another tobacco bomb arcing towards the spittoon. “It were my old mule ‘Francis.’ Best friend I ever had.”

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

Puget Sound Energy Fined for Mishandling Customer Accounts (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/10/12/1401436/pse-fined-for-mishandling-customer.html

Public Utility Districts Paving Way for Kalama Energy Center (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_9aca54e8-d696-11df-a920-001cc4c002e0.html

Montana - NorthWestern Energy Seeks Five Percent Hike to Pay for New Power Plant (Helena Independent Record, MT)

http://helenair.com/news/article_c3d96b9e-d68c-11df-93c5-001cc4c03286.html

BPA Makes $864 million Payment to US Treasury (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

http://kbkw.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2068

Despite Poor Economic Year, BPA Makes Payment to US Treasury - US taxpayers get return on their investment in the Pacific Northwest (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/919695/

Condit Dam Removal from White Salmon River Gets Key Certification (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/oct/13/condit-dam-removal-gets-key-certification/

Duke Energy Investigates E-Mails in Indiana Hiring (Triangle Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2010/10/11/daily30.html

How Natural Gas Flexes Its Muscles (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/13/AR2010101304012.html

Heating Costs Cool, Giving Homeowners Some Relief (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013139360_apuswinterheatingoutlook.html

Op/Ed - Factories Pay Price for Using Green Power, Twice (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/commentary/jeff-rubins-smaller-world/factories-pay-price-for-using-green-power-twice/article1753253/

State-by-State Report on Clean Energy Actions (Sustainable Business)

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/21214

Link to Report on Clean Energy is Here (Washington State is on Page 162):

http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/1008CLEANENERGY.PDF

Op/Ed - Maine Voices: Co-Ops Keep Businesses Rooted in Their Communities (Portland Press-Herald, ME)

http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/co-ops-keep-businesses-rooted-in-their-communities_2010-10-13.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Protection for Bull Trout Habitat Expanded in West (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2010/10/protection_for_bull_trout_habitat_expanded_in_west.html

Grant PUD to Share Site Plan for White River Fish Project (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/oct/12/grant-pud-to-share-site-plan-for-white-river-fish/

$16.4 Million Tribal Fisheries Project Brings Jobs to the Olympic Peninsula (Indian Country Today)

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/northwest/164-million-tribal-project-brings-jobs-to-the-peninsula-104770924.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Capitol Lake Dredging Draws Support - State of Washington will seek funds for project’s design, permits (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/10/13/1401874/capitol-lake-dredging-draws-support.html

Three Counties Consider Chehalis River Basin Flood District (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013139218_apwachehalisflooddistrict.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Moses Lake - REC Silicon Celebrates Expansion (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/business/article_f299a1be-d647-11df-b3d4-001cc4c002e0.html

Modesto Irrigation District Rejects Biomass Burner - Project partners talk about suing irrigation district (Modesto Bee, CA)

http://www.modbee.com/2010/10/12/1380884/midrejects-biomass-burner.html

State of Montana Awards Wood Biomass Energy Projects (Associated Press)

http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/25368930/detail.html

North Carolina - Duke Can Use Trees to Fuel Coal-Fired Power Plants (Charlotte Observer, NC)

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/10/12/1757065/duke-can-use-trees-to-fuel-power.html

Biomass More Efficient for Energy than Ethanol (Stock & Land)

http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/state/agribusiness-and-general/general/biomass-more-efficient-than-ethanol/1967887.aspx

Illinois - Will County to Harness Methane for Energy (Chicago Tribune, IL)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/southsouthwest/ct-x-s-landfill-energy-1013-20101013,0,223985.story

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Oregon Ranks No. 3 for Energy Efficiency – Washington 6; California 1 (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2010/10/oregon_ranks_no_3_for_energy_efficiency.html

See the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Report Here:

http://www.aceee.org/sector/state-policy/scorecard

Battle Ground Public Schools Get $850,000 Grant for Energy Conservation (Oregonian, Portland)

http://blog.oregonlive.com/my-vancouver/2010/10/bg_public_schools_get_850000_grant_for_e.html

Canada

- Class Notes: Light Bulb Moments (Vancouver Courier, BC)

http://www.vancourier.com/technology/Light+bulb+moments/3663456/story.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

A Climate Proposal Beyond Cap & Trade (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/business/economy/13leonhardt.html

China

Highlights Climate Change Efforts (Associated Press)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101009/ap_on_sc/as_china_going_green

Iowa - Student group wants coal-free campus; officials say goal not realistic (Ames Tribune, IA)

http://amestrib.com/articles/2010/10/12/ames_tribune/news/doc4cb46bd3e88a0077644768.txt

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

In Defense of Wood Heat - Why not burn trees where they’ll do some good…in your woodstove? (High Country News)

http://www.hcn.org/hcn/articles/in-defense-of-wood-heat

Time to Find a Second Earth, World Wildlife Federation Says (Syndey Morning Herald, Australia)

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/time-to-find-a-second-earth-wwf-says-20101013-16k7i.html

Ancient Animal Urine Offers Insight into Climate Change (SiFy.com)

http://sify.com/news/ancient-animal-urine-offers-insight-into-climate-change-news-international-kknmahbbbfj.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Maine Begins Construction of Massive Fiber Network - $32 million & 1,100 miles of dark fiber (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Maine-Begins-Construction-Of-Massive-Fiber-Network-110852

Government Accounting Office Says High US Broadband Prices Hindering Adoption - And High U.S. Broadband Prices Are Due to Limited Competition (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/GAO-High-US-Broadband-Prices-Hindering-Adoption-110849

Chelan PUD - Provider Rates for Fiber Optic Network to Increase: Higher Speeds Coming Here by December (Lake Chelan Mirror, WA)

http://www.lakechelanmirror.com/main.asp?SectionID=5&SubSectionID=5&ArticleID=3002

Paying Your ISP…Just to Pay Your ISP - The most recent trend in obnoxious fees (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Paying-Your-ISP-Just-To-Pay-Your-ISP-110866

Free Public Wi-Fi Networks: Neither Free, Nor Public, nor Wi-Fi (Time Magazine)

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/10/12/free-public-wifi-networks-neither-free-nor-public-nor-wifi/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Ninth Circuit Upholds State Campaign Finance Laws (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/104819229.html

Washington State Says More Than a Dozen Hotline Calls About City of Langley Inspired Audit (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/428280_sound104706924.html