Energy News Digest for October 22, 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

Storm Will Reach Western Washington This Weekend (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/3599-storm-will-reach-western-washington-this-weekend

Gig Harbor - Logging Truck Causes Peninsula Blackout: A logging truck is to blame for a widespread power outage on the Key Peninsula that plunged 31,000 homes & businesses into darkness Thursday night & caused massive backups during rush hour (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/10/22/1392098/truck-causes-peninsula-blackout.html

Neighboring Technologies – Mason County Residents Use Technology to Match Renewable Energy with demand (Time Magazine)

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1877020_1877030_2026943,00.html

Spokane-Area Alcoa Site Could Open for Silicon - 55 Megawatt Load Estimated (Istock Analyst)

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4604454

New Deal with Pend Oreille PUD Provides Water for 23,000 Homes in Northeast Washington (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=13369887

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Gig Harbor - Logging Truck Causes Peninsula Blackout

·         Gig Harbor Darkened - Log Truck Knocks Down Power Lines; Highway 101 Blocked for Hours

·         Gig Harbor - Logging Truck Knocks Out Power to 31,000

·         Spokane-Area Alcoa Site Could Open for Silicon - 55 Megawatt Load Estimated

·         Expecting a Big Dip, Douglas PUD Approves Budgets

·         Intalco Aluminum Hires New Plant Manager, Rousseau Moves to South Carolina

·         Idaho - Oil Sands Effort Turns on a Fight over a Road

·         Attack of the Oil Company Mega-Loads? Big Shipments Scare NW Watchdogs

·         Connecticut Utility Wants Massachusetts Clean Energy Law Changed to Include Large Hydro

·         Parent Company for Contractor of PUD 3 Operations Center Receives Added Safety Recognition

·         Save Some Salmon for the Bears & Whales, Study Says

·         Mason County Getting State Grants to Restore Puget Sound for Salmon

·         Oregon’s Governor, BPA to Sign Willamette Habitat Agreement

·         Washington State Fines Darigold $10,000 for Fish Kill

·         In Pursuit of Geoducks: Some Worry High Prices Are Leading to Poaching

·         River & Lake Fish ‘Neglected But Essential’

·         Predators Gone, Small Fish Get Bolder

·         New Deal with Pend Oreille PUD Provides Water for 23,000 Homes in Northeast Washington

·         Elected Officials Celebrate Completion of Columbia River Dredging Project

·         Neighboring Technologies – Mason County Residents Use Technology to Match Renewable Energy with demand

·         Technology Companies Are Lining Up for Smart Grid Business

·         Oregon Public Health Office Decides It’s Time to Study Health Effects of Wind Turbines

·         New South Dakota Wind Farm to Benefit More than Power Company

·         Vermont Utilities Agree to Buy Wind Power from New Hampshire

·         Columbia Biogas Plans Portland Food Waste-to-Power Plant

·         Oregon - Pendleton Goes Solar

·         High Permit Fees & Delays Discourage Solar Power

·         GE Develops Efficient LED Bulb

·         Sea Ice Melting as Arctic Temperature Rises

·         Portland General Electric Receives Two National Green Power Awards

·         California Apollo Program Promotes Cleantech Jobs

·         Dancing Polar Bears Sue United States

·         Indoor Pot Makes Cash, But Isn’t Green

·         Netflix Suffers Big Outage as Stock Hits New Peak

·         Google Spends More Lobbying Congress

·         Texas Governor Uses I-1098 to Court Washington Business

·         Editorial - Washington Looks to Add a Congressional District

·         Oregon Governor Candidates Differ on Oregon’s Green Streak

·         In Social Networking Era, Do Newspaper Endorsements Still Matter?

·         Gresham City Councilor Wants to Ban Text Messaging & E-Mailing by Public Officials During Open Meetings

·         Storm Will Reach Western Washington This Weekend

·         Powerful Storm Expected This Weekend

·         Man Gets 55 Years for Killing Stepdaughter at Lake Cushman Cabin

·         Cold Weather Poses Threat to Vineyards

·         Oregon Wine Grape Growers’ Late Harvest Compounded by Infestation of Feasting Birds

·         New Cigarette Tax Driving More Smokers to Black Market

·         Water Scarcity a Municipal Bond Risk, Study Warns

·         Traffic Accidents Are Top Killer of US Travelers Abroad

·         High School Football Refs in Trouble for Using Pink Whistles

WORD OF THE DAY

Neophyte • \NEE-uh-fite\ • Noun - 1: a new convert: proselyte 2: novice 3: tyro, beginner

The newbie Public Utility District commissioner received his bright, shiny, ten pound “Big Book ‘O Acronyms” on his first day on the job. The resounding thud it made when he placed it on the kitchen table that night made the neophyte have second thoughts about the day he passed his filing fee, hands shaking, to the wooden faced clerk at the Auditor’s office.

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

Gig Harbor - Logging Truck Causes Peninsula Blackout: A logging truck is to blame for a widespread power outage on the Key Peninsula that plunged 31,000 homes & businesses into darkness Thursday night & caused massive backups during rush hour (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/10/22/1392098/truck-causes-peninsula-blackout.html

Gig Harbor Darkened - Log Truck Knocks Down Power Lines; Highway 101 Blocked for Hours (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/3600-log-truck-knocks-down-power-lines-highway-101-blocked-for-hours

Gig Harbor - Logging Truck Knocks Out Power to 31,000 (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Power-out-to-31000-in-Gig-Harbor-105492678.html

Spokane-Area Alcoa Site Could Open for Silicon - 55 Megawatt Load Estimated (Istock Analyst)

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4604454

Expecting a Big Dip, Douglas PUD Approves Budgets (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/oct/22/expecting-a-big-dip-douglas-pud-approves-budgets/

Intalco Aluminum Hires New Plant Manager, Rousseau Moves to South Carolina (Bellingham Herald, WA)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/10/21/1680828/intalco-hires-new-plant-manager.html

Idaho - Oil Sands Effort Turns on a Fight over a Road: Concerns over heavy weight of large machinery (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/business/energy-environment/22road.html

Attack of the Oil Company Mega-Loads? Big Shipments Scare NW Watchdogs (Lake Stevens Journal, WA)

http://www.lakestevensjournal.com/county-state/article.exm/2010-10-20_attack_of_the_oil_company_mega_loads__big_shipments_scare_nw_watchdogs

Connecticut Utility Wants Massachusetts Clean Energy Law Changed to Include Large Hydro (Boston Business Journal, MA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2010/10/21/utility-wants-clean-energy-law-changed.html

Parent Company for Contractor of PUD 3 Operations Center Receives Added Safety Recognition (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=790

FISH & WILDLIFE

Save Some Salmon for the Bears & Whales, Study Says (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Save+some+salmon+bears+whales+study+says/3708445/story.html

Mason County Getting State Grants to Restore Puget Sound for Salmon (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/3598-mason-county-getting-state-grants-to-restore-puget-sound-for-salmon

Oregon’s Governor, BPA to Sign Willamette Habitat Agreement (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/oct/22/governor-bpa-to-sign-willamette-habitat-agreement/

Washington State Fines Darigold $10,000 for Fish Kill (Puget Sound Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2010/10/20/state-fines-darigold-10k-for-fish-kill.html

In Pursuit of Geoducks: Some Worry High Prices Are Leading to Poaching (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/428881_sound105311993.html

River & Lake Fish ‘Neglected But Essential’ (British Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11606125

Predators Gone, Small Fish Get Bolder (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/science/26obseaweed.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

New Deal with Pend Oreille PUD Provides Water for 23,000 Homes in Northeast Washington (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=13369887

Elected Officials Celebrate Completion of Columbia River Dredging Project (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/16314-elected-officials-celebrate-completion-columbia-river-dredging-project/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Neighboring Technologies – Mason County Residents Use Technology to Match Renewable Energy with demand (Time Magazine)

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1877020_1877030_2026943,00.html

Technology Companies Are Lining Up for Smart Grid Business (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/10/22/22climatewire-technology-companies-are-lining-up-for-smart-28118.html

Oregon Public Health Office Decides It’s Time to Study Health Effects of Wind Turbines (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/10/oregon_public_health_office_de.html

New South Dakota Wind Farm to Benefit More than Power Company (KDLT-TV, Sioux Falls, SD)

http://www.kdlt.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5712&Itemid=57

Vermont Utilities Agree to Buy Wind Power from New Hampshire (Associated Press)

http://wbztv.com/wireapnewsnh/Vt.s.2.2.1973658.html

Columbia Biogas Plans Portland Food Waste-to-Power Plant (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2010/10/columbia-biogas-plans-waste-to-power-pla.html

Oregon - Pendleton Goes Solar (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/105494508.html

High Permit Fees & Delays Discourage Solar Power (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2010/10/high-permit-fees-and-delays-discourage-solar-power

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

GE Develops Efficient LED Bulb (Bloomberg News)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/10/22/1392160/ge-develops-efficient-led-bulb.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Sea Ice Melting as Arctic Temperature Rises (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013220821_apussciarcticwarming.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Portland General Electric Receives Two National Green Power Awards (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=142566

California Apollo Program Promotes Cleantech Jobs (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_16399549

Dancing Polar Bears Sue United States (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/10/22/31285.htm

Indoor Pot Makes Cash, But Isn’t Green (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/22/BAPO1FU9MS.DTL

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Netflix Suffers Big Outage as Stock Hits New Peak (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2010-10-21-netflix_N.htm?csp=34tech

Google Spends More Lobbying Congress (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/10/google-reports-increased-spending-to-lobby-congress/1

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Texas Governor Uses I-1098 to Court Washington Business (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2013224923_texas_hopes_initiative_1098_wi.html

Editorial - Washington Looks to Add a Congressional District (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2013225071_edit22appor.html

Oregon Governor Candidates Differ on Oregon’s Green Streak (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2010/10/governor-candidates-differ-on-oregons.html

In Social Networking Era, Do Newspaper Endorsements Still Matter? (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/16394-social-networking-era-do-newspaper-endorsements-still-matter/

Gresham City Councilor Wants to Ban Text Messaging & E-Mailing by Public Officials During Open Meetings (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2010/10/gresham_city_councilor_wants_t.html

GENERAL NEWS

Storm Will Reach Western Washington This Weekend (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/3599-storm-will-reach-western-washington-this-weekend

Powerful Storm Expected This Weekend (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=381619

Man Gets 55 Years for Killing Stepdaughter at Lake Cushman Cabin (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/25478021/detail.html

Cold Weather Poses Threat to Vineyards (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=13368071

Oregon Wine Grape Growers’ Late Harvest Compounded by Infestation of Feasting Birds (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/10/oregon_vintners_late_harvest_c.html

New Cigarette Tax Driving More Smokers to Black Market (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/New-Cigarette-Tax-driving-more-smokers-to-black-market-105208359.html

Water Scarcity a Municipal Bond Risk, Study Warns (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/21/business/21water.html

Traffic Accidents Are Top Killer of US Travelers Abroad (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2010-10-21-1Adangerousroads21_ST_N.htm

High School Football Refs in Trouble for Using Pink Whistles (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=13369162

DIVERSIONS

1,810-Pound Pumpkin Is World’s Heaviest

http://www.kirotv.com/news/25466392/detail.html

Smashing Pumpkins, the Halloween Rage

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/nyregion/22pumpkin.html

Shoplifting Teen in Virginia Made to Dress Up as Sesame Street Character as Punishment

http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/local/shoplifting-teen-in-virginia-made-to-dress-up-as-sesame-street-character-as-punishment-ncx-101510

Activist clown charged with making threats in Bell

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16395876

SONG OF THE DAY

Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdQY7BusJNU