Energy News Digest for January 21, 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)

•  Natural Gas Stocks Decline More Than Expected

•  FERC can’t overturn states’ transmission rejections

•  Much Higher Tritium Level Found at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant

•  Grant PUD - Moses Lake Utility Burying Continues

•  Canada - Fraser Sockeye to Be Labeled Sustainable Despite Falling Stocks

•  Canada - Sustainable Sockeye ‘Eco-Fraud’

•  Sockeye Eco-Certification Kicks up Storm

•  Fish Boom Makes Splash in Oregon

•  Marbled Murrelet Will Stay on Endangered Species List

•  Asian Carp Summit Could Be Held in Early February

•  Capitol Lake Snail Eradication May Take Years

•  Are Blue Whales Changing Their Tune to Find Love?

•  Holmquist Calls for Restrictions on Ecology Water Use Moratoriums

•  Pacific’s Rising Acid Levels Threatening Marine Life

•  Study Links Asia to Smog in Western US

•  Report: Biofuels could help jobs, Chesapeake Bay

•  Wyoming Governor Works to Revive Wind Tax Proposal

•  Interior Secretary Meets With Cape Wind, Tribal Leaders

•  Wisconsin Cautionary Tale - State’s Cost on Green-Energy Effort Higher than Expected

•  Garbage Power: Seattle Touts Renewable Energy Source

•  Will Germany Kill Its Energy Golden Goose?

•  Retail Giant Completes Major Solar Electric Installation

•  Europeans Want Partners for Orbital Solar-Power Project

•  State House Approves Bonds for School Upgrades

•  Fred Finn Approves - State House Approves Jobs Act to Help Schools

•  Washington State Treasurer Doesn’t Like School Energy Bill

•  How to Make a Play in the Smart Electrical Grid: Executives

•  UN Climate Report Riddled With Errors on Glaciers

•  Copenhagen’s Climate Deal Is at Risk, a UN Official Says

•  Why Climate Change Spurs Whining About Cold Snaps

•  Mt. Rainier’s Retreating Glaciers Are Making a Mess

•  Lincoln City Truly a ‘Green Power Community’ on the Oregon Coast As Car Charging Stations Open

•  FaceBook Data Center - It’s (Almost) Official: FaceBook ‘Friends’ Prineville, Big-Time

•  Cox Communications Plans $70M Data Center in North Phoenix

•  Microsoft, Intuit Team Up to Encourage Cloud Apps

•  Where Secrets Aren’t Safe - ‘Cloud computing’ isn’t so secure

•  Microsoft to Issue “Google Attack” Browser Patch

•  China Paints Google Issue as Not Political

•  Broadband’s Next 100 Million Will Come from Emerging Economies

•  How Fast Is Your Web Connection?

•  Stealing Copper Comes With a Heavy Cost

•  FCC Closes Loophole That Allowed Cable TV Operators to Withhold Programming from Rivals

•  Washington Technology Industry Association Should Find New Director in 60 Days

•  Wash. Unemployment Rate Jumps to 9.5 Percent

•  Unemployment Rate Up Again in Mason County

•  El Nino Effect - ‘Amazingly above Normal’: Could Be Seattle’s Warmest January Ever

•  El Nino Prime Culprit for Severe Weather in California

•  Washington House Committee Votes down Marijuana Bills

•  Aimed at Senator Sheldon - Dems Propose Change to Limit Maverick to One Elected Office

•  Critics Seek Changes to Washington Commerce Agency Reorganization

•  Northwest Newspapers Continue to Bleed Staff

•  Reactions Pour in to Times Announcement about Charging Online

•  State Lets Lake Chelan Ferry Service Stand

•  Kennewick Irrigation District Chief Makes New Rule to Fend Off Questions, Then Rescinds It

•  Habitat for Humanity Plans Store in Belfair

WORD OF THE DAY

Infinite • \IN-fuh-nut\ • noun – 1: extending indefinitely: endless 2: immeasurably or inconceivably great or extensive: inexhaustible 3: subject to no limitation or external determination 4a: extending beyond, lying beyond, or being greater than any preassigned finite value however large b: extending to infinity c: characterized by an infinite number of elements or terms

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” -- Albert Einstein

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

Natural Gas Stocks Decline More Than Expected (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/21/financial/f074450S38.DTL

FERC can’t overturn states’ transmission rejections (Power Engineering)

http://pepei.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=6&ARTICLE_ID=372537&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

Much Higher Tritium Level Found at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010846197_apvtvermontyankee.html

Grant PUD - Moses Lake Utility Burying Continues (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/01/20/news/doc4b576923b4579841343671.txt

FISH & WILDLIFE

Canada - Fraser Sockeye to Be Labeled Sustainable Despite Falling Stocks (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/fraser-sockeye-to-be-labelled-sustainable-despite-falling-stocks/article1437794/

Canada - Sustainable Sockeye ‘Eco-Fraud’ (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/sustainable-sockeye-eco-fraud/article1437794/

Sockeye Eco-Certification Kicks up Storm - Why give BC’s collapsed runs a sustainable seal of approval, critics ask (Tyee Online)

http://thetyee.ca/News/2010/01/21/EcoCertification/

Fish Boom Makes Splash in Oregon - Population Surge Comes Despite Forecasts of Decline; Salmon at the Food Bank (Wall Street Journal)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703657604575005562712284770.html

Marbled Murrelet Will Stay on Endangered Species List (Oregon Public Radio)

http://news.opb.org/article/6578-marbled-murrelet-will-stay-endangered-species-list/

Asian Carp Summit Could Be Held in Early February (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/21/financial/f074342S37.DTL

Capitol Lake Snail Eradication May Take Years - Lowered water during freezing weather killed 98 percent of infestation (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1109177.html

Are Blue Whales Changing Their Tune to Find Love? (McClatchy Newspapers)

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/82702.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Holmquist Calls for Restrictions on Ecology Water Use Moratoriums (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/01/21/news/doc4b576813b2e21454455527.txt

Pacific’s Rising Acid Levels Threatening Marine Life (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010846811_ocean21m.html

Study Links Asia to Smog in Western US (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010841068_apusasianozone.html

Report: Biofuels could help jobs, Chesapeake Bay - More farming, not less, could be the answer to cleaning the bay (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010841677_apuschesapeakebiofuelsmaryland.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wyoming Governor Works to Revive Wind Tax Proposal (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010848336_apuswywindtax.html

Interior Secretary Meets With Cape Wind, Tribal Leaders (Nantucket Independent, MA)

http://www.nantucketindependent.com/news/2010-01-20/Other_News/Interior_Secretary_meets_with_Cape_Wind_tribal_lea.html

Wisconsin Cautionary Tale - State’s Cost on Green-Energy Effort Higher Than Expected (Wisconsin State Journal)

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_b55c2562-0f67-51c7-8e90-298db66aed1a.html

Garbage Power: Seattle Touts Renewable Energy Source (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/414464_energy21.html

Will Germany Kill Its Energy Golden Goose? (Ethiopian Review)

http://www.ethiopianreview.com/scitech/29935

Retail Giant Completes Major Solar Electric Installation (Renewable Energy Focus)

http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/6616/retail-giant-completes-major-solar-electric-installation/

Europeans Want Partners for Orbital Solar-Power Project (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/191703.asp?source=pimail

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

State House Approves Bonds for School Upgrades (Associated Press)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/82218312.html

Fred Finn Approves - State House Approves Jobs Act to Help Schools (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1146:state-house-approves-jobs-act-to-help-schools&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Washington State Treasurer Doesn’t Like School Energy Bill (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/191687.asp?source=pimail

How to Make a Play in the Smart Electrical Grid: Executives (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60K0M020100121

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

UN Climate Report Riddled With Errors on Glaciers (Associated Press)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/20/AR2010012004123.html

Copenhagen’s Climate Deal Is at Risk, a UN Official Says (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/science/earth/21climate.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Why Climate Change Spurs Whining About Cold Snaps (USA Today)

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2010/01/column-why-climate-change-spurs-whining-about-cold-snaps-.html

Mt. Rainier’s Retreating Glaciers Are Making a Mess (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2010/0120/Mt.-Rainier-s-retreating-glaciers-are-making-a-mess

Lincoln City Truly a ‘Green Power Community’ on the Oregon Coast As Car Charging Stations Open (The Oregonian, Portland)

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

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FaceBook Data Center - It’s (Almost) Official: FaceBook ‘Friends’ Prineville, Big-Time (KTVZ-TV, Bend, OR)

http://www.ktvz.com/global/story.asp?s=11858502

Cox Communications Plans $70M Data Center in North Phoenix (Phoenix Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/01/18/daily39.html

Microsoft, Intuit Team Up to Encourage Cloud Apps (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/191649.asp?source=pimail

Where Secrets Aren’t Safe - ‘Cloud computing’ isn’t so secure (The Economist)

http://www.newsweek.com/id/231792

Microsoft to Issue “Google Attack” Browser Patch (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60J5AS20100120

China Paints Google Issue as Not Political (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/world/asia/21china.html

Broadband’s Next 100 Million Will Come from Emerging Economies (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/01/21/broadbands-next-100-million-will-come-from-emerging-economies/

How Fast Is Your Web Connection? (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/technology/personaltech/21basics.html

Stealing Copper Comes With a Heavy Cost (Fierce Telecom)

http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/stealing-copper-comes-heavy-cost/2010-01-20

FCC Closes Loophole That Allowed Cable TV Operators to Withhold Programming from Rivals (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14229921

Washington Technology Industry Association Should Find New Director in 60 Days (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2010846328_wtia_should_find_new_director.html

GENERAL NEWS

Wash. Unemployment Rate Jumps to 9.5 Percent (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/jobs/22283838/detail.html

Unemployment Rate Up Again in Mason County (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1149:unemployment-rate-up-again-in-mason-county&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

El Nino Effect - ‘Amazingly above Normal’: Could Be Seattle’s Warmest January Ever (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010845595_webwarmweather20m.html

El Nino Prime Culprit for Severe Weather in California (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0120/El-Nino-prime-culprit-for-severe-weather-in-California

Washington House Committee Votes down Marijuana Bills (Associated Press)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22286507/detail.html

Aimed at Senator Sheldon - Dems Propose Change to Limit Maverick to One Elected Office (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010835492_sheldon20m.html

Critics Seek Changes to Washington Commerce Agency Reorganization (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1109176.html

Northwest Newspapers Continue to Bleed Staff (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=6709

Reactions Pour in to Times Announcement about Charging Online (NY Times)

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/reactions-pour-in-to-times-announcement-about-charging-online/

State Lets Lake Chelan Ferry Service Stand (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jan/20/state-lets-lake-chelan-ferry-service-stand/

Kennewick Irrigation District Chief Makes New Rule to Fend Off Questions, Then Rescinds It (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/business/story/869368.html

Habitat for Humanity Plans Store in Belfair (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jan/20/habitat-humanity-plans-store-belfair/

DIVERSIONS

Wrong Roof Could Cost Couple $170K - Homeowners’ Association Prohibits Metal Roofs

http://www.kirotv.com/money/22282872/detail.html

Experts: Sitting Too Much Could Be Deadly

http://www.kirotv.com/health/22282331/detail.html

If Your Password Is 123456, Just Make It HackMe

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/technology/21password.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Rain on the Roof - Lovin’ Spoonful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwDh-xea40s