The Energy News Digest: 01/07/10

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Energy News Digest for January 7, 2010

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)

• Centralia Coal Plant Emissions Debated

• Portland General Electric Starts Push for New Power Plants, Huge Investments

• Mason County PUD 3 Sets SEPA Appeal Hearing Dates

• Oregon - BPA Seeks Public’s Help in Wire Theft near Roseburg

• Energy Park at Hanford Holds Promise for Powering Vit Plant

• Jefferson PUD Fills Vacancy; Picks Former Reporter for Port Townsend Leader

• Planned Power Outage in Belfair Friday Night but Now Only 30 Customers Impacted

• Idaho Power Files 2009 Integrated Resource Plan

• Indiana - Alcoa Plans to Lay off up to 145

• Unmarked Power Line Probed In Calif. Copter Crash

• ABB Transformers - Gunman Storms Power Company in St. Louis

• Three Die in Fire at Detroit Home Where Power Was Cut

• Natural Gas Stocks Show Seasonal Decline

• Utility Plans High-Voltage Line for Southern Utah

• US DOE Fined for Failure to Remove Nuclear Fuel

• “Google Energy” Subsidiary: What’s Google Up To?

• Texas Day Care Hit with $90,000 Electricity Bill

• Pacific Northwest's Endangered Orca Population Rose in 2009

• Nisqually Closed to Chum Salmon Fishing

• Poor Sacramento River Salmon Runs A Bad Sign for Oregon's Fishing Fleet

• Boise Company's High-Tech Gear Collects Data That Can Influence Salmon Policy

• NOAA Designates Sea Turtle Habitat Off Oregon Coast

• Famous SF Sea Lions May Have Turned Up Near Oregon

• Mason County Authorizes Use of Condemnation for Belfair Sewer Easements

• Wind Farm Backers Say Report Affirms There's Minimal Threat to Marbled Murrelet

• Pacific County Wind Farm No Threat to Murrelets

• Scientific Review States That Wind Project Would Not Impact Endangered Bird

• Editorial - Harness the Invisible: Wind farm cranks up for Clark Public Utilities

• Montana Supreme Court: PSC Must Set Electricity Rate for Whitehall-Area Wind Project

• Wind Farms, Welcomed by Many, Prompt Defensive Reactions from Some

• Greater Sage Grouse Endangered Species Listing Could Slow Western US Wind Growth

• Wind Turbines Threatening Existence of the Lesser Prairie Chicken

• Columnist - Bay Area Wind Power Firms Blown Away

• Op/Ed - Tongass Wood-Fuel Project Not Benign

• Study Says

U.S.

Biofuels Policies Flawed

• Bill Aims to Make Schools More Energy Efficient

• News Release - New Projects Reflect Battelle Role in Smart Grid Future

• Cold Weather: Winter Is Chilliest 'In Many People's Memory’

• Experts: Cold Snap Doesn't Disprove Global Warming

• Florida Freezes As Arctic Blast Makes Its Way South

• Washington Gets $13.5 Million for Green Jobs

• Clallam Gets Portion of Green Jobs Training Grant

• FCC Commissioners Haven't Seen Broadband Plan

• FCC seeks extension for national broadband plan

• Washington State to Appeal Felon Vote Ruling to Supreme Court

• Denny Heck Running for Baird's Seat in Congress

• In Primary Fight - Judge Orders GOP, Libertarians to Repay State $70K

• Greens Plot 2010 Legislative Strategy

• Top Green Priority in the Legislature: A Tax on Oil

WORD OF THE DAY

Trope • \trōp\ • noun - 1a: a word or expression used in a figurative sense: figure of speech b: a common or overused theme or device: cliché 2: a phrase or verse added as an embellishment or interpolation to the sung parts of the Mass in the Middle Ages

“Ahh…the smells of the circus, the call of the barkers, the show man; the SHOW,” enthused the manager of the menagerie to his new hire. “All those tropes about the circus being the greatest show on earth are true,” the grizzled veteran crowed to the fresh-faced recruit.

“But you’re in charge of cleaning up after the elephants,” squeaked the wet-behind-the-ears rookie. “Have you ever thought about getting another job?”

“What,” barked the stoop-shouldered gaffer, “and give up show business?”

(Insert Rim-Shot Here)

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

Centralia Coal Plant Emissions Debated - Plant's latest permit lacks greenhouse gas, mercury controls, pollution board told (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1092951.html

Portland General Electric Starts Push for New Power Plants, Huge Investments (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/01/pge_starts_push_for_new_power.html

Mason County PUD 3 Sets SEPA Appeal Hearing Dates (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1012:pud-3-sets-sepa-appeal-hearing-dates&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Oregon - BPA Seeks Public’s Help in Wire Theft near Roseburg: Reward offered for information about substation break-in (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/440763/

Energy Park at Hanford Holds Promise for Powering Vit Plant (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/853561.html

Jefferson PUD Fills Vacancy; Picks Former Reporter for Port Townsend Leader (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100107/news/301079993

Planned Power Outage in Belfair Friday Night but Now Only 30 Customers Impacted (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1020:planned-power-outage-in-belfair-friday-night&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Idaho Power Files 2009 Integrated Resource Plan (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=125194

Indiana - Alcoa Plans to Lay off up to 145: Cuts will occur in Warrick plant's rigid-packaging division (Evansville Courier & Press, IN)

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/jan/05/05web-Alcoa/

Unmarked power line probed in Calif. copter crash (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010726498_apusfatalhelicoptercrash.html?syndication=rss

ABB Transformers - Gunman storms power company in St. Louis (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/1093247.html

Three Die in Fire at Detroit Home Where Power Was Cut (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010699785_apusfatalfiredetroit.html

Natural Gas Stocks Show Seasonal Decline (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010726784_apapfnusnaturalgasstorage.html?syndication=rss

Utility Plans High-Voltage Line for Southern Utah (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010727121_apuspowerlineutah.html?syndication=rss

US DOE Fined for Failure to Remove Nuclear Fuel (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/01/07/23445.htm

“Google Energy” Subsidiary: What’s Google Up To? (Earth2Tech)

http://earth2tech.com/2010/01/07/google-energy-subsidiary-whats-google-up-to/

Texas Day Care Hit with $90,000 Electricity Bill (Galveston Daily News, TX)

http://galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=341eb3b8e7a49086

FISH & WILDLIFE

Pacific Northwest's Endangered Orca Population Rose in 2009 (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/01/pacific_northwests_endangered.html

Nisqually Closed to Chum Salmon Fishing (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/1019187.html

Poor Sacramento River Salmon Runs A Bad Sign for Oregon's Fishing Fleet (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/01/poor_salmon_runs_in_california.html

Boise Company's High-Tech Gear Collects Data That Can Influence Salmon Policy (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/1032737.html

NOAA Designates Sea Turtle Habitat Off Oregon Coast (Oregon Public Radio)

http://news.opb.org/article/6487-noaa-designates-sea-turtle-habitat-oregon-coast/

Famous SF Sea Lions May Have Turned Up Near Oregon (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2408094~Famous_SF_sea_lions_may_have_turned_up_near_Oregon.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason County Authorizes Use of Condemnation for Belfair Sewer Easements (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1014:mason-county-authorizes-use-of-condemnation-for-belfair-sewer-easements&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wind Farm Backers Say Report Affirms There's Minimal Threat to Marbled Murrelet (The Daily News, Longview, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/article_1a4baaa8-fa76-11de-a2b5-001cc4c03286.html

Pacific County Wind Farm No Threat to Murrelets (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010705537_apwawindfarmmurrelets.html

Scientific Review States That Wind Project Would Not Impact Endangered Bird (North American Windpower)

http://www.nawindpower.com/naw/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.5109

Columbian Editorial - Harness the Invisible: Wind farm cranks up for Clark Public Utilities; voluntary ratepayer program yields benefits

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jan/06/harness-the-invisible/

Montana Supreme Court: PSC Must Set Electricity Rate for Whitehall-Area Wind Project (Billings Gazette, MT)

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_af25f22a-fb28-11de-babe-001cc4c03286.html

Wind Farms, Welcomed by Many, Prompt Defensive Reactions from Some (Finding Dulcinea)

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/environment/2010/jan/Wind-Farms--Welcomed-by-Many--Prompt-Defensive-Reactions-From-Some.html

Greater Sage Grouse Endangered Species Listing Could Slow Western US Wind Growth (Treehugger)

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/01/greater-sage-grouse-endangered-species-listing-could-slow-wind-power.php

Wind Turbines Threatening Existence of the Lesser Prairie Chicken (Oklahoma Gazette, Oklahoma City, OK)

http://www.okgazette.com/p/12776/a/5363/Default.aspx

SF Chronicle Columnist - Bay Area Wind Power Firms Blown Away

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/06/BUN61BE3S0.DTL&type=business

Anchorage Daily News Op/Ed - Tongass Wood-Fuel Project Not Benign

http://www.adn.com/opinion/compass/story/1080440.html

Study Says

U.S.

Biofuels Policies Flawed (Houston Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/stories/2010/01/04/daily26.html?ana=from_rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Bill Aims to Make Schools More Energy Efficient (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=266209

News Release - New Projects Reflect Battelle Role in Smart Grid Future (EarthTimes)

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/new-projects-reflect-battelle-role-in-smart-grid-future,1109413.shtml

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Cold Weather: Winter Is Chilliest 'In Many People's Memory’ (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0105/Cold-weather-winter-is-chilliest-in-many-people-s-memory

Experts: Cold Snap Doesn't Disprove Global Warming (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010724003_apscibigchill.html?syndication=rss

Florida Freezes As Arctic Blast Makes Its Way South (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010723993_apusfrozenflorida.html?syndication=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Washington Gets $13.5 Million for Green Jobs (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_green_jobs.html

Clallam Gets Portion of Green Jobs Training Grant - Others include King, Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap counties; cities of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and Bremerton (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100107/news/301079986

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Commissioners Haven't Seen Broadband Plan - And Commissioner vote not required when plan is finished (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Commissioners-Havent-Seen-Broadband-Plan-106246

FCC seeks extension for national broadband plan

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010725006_apustecfccbroadband.html?syndication=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State to Appeal Felon Vote Ruling to Supreme Court (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22165699/detail.html

Denny Heck Running for Baird's Seat in Congress (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11784904

In Primary Fight - Judge Orders GOP, Libertarians to Repay State $70K (Seattle Times)