Energy News Digest for January 25, 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)

•  Columbian Columnist - Forecast: Energy Prices Likely to Rise Modestly

•  Idaho Power - Why Is a Utility Paying Customers?

•  As Idaho Utility Pushes Efficiency, Critics Seek More Renewables

•  Displacing Hydro? “Renewable” Power Is an Expensive Proposition for Seattle

•  Eugene Register Guard Editorial - A Better Plan for Boardman

•  Oregon Gas Terminals’ Futures Hang on Global Supplies

•  Sacramento Water Meter Work Stops; Installer Investigated

•  Lobbying, Global Warming, Economy Portend Revival of Nuclear Power in US

•  Seattle Times Editorial - For Healthy Returns, Juvenile Salmon Have to Reach the Ocean

•  LA Times Editorial - Save the Salmon: & Us

•  Ocean Indicator Report Shows Conditions in 2009 Worsen for Young Salmon in California Current

•  Willamette River Basin Expected to Take Up Larger Chunk of Corps’ Fish Mitigation Budget

•  Shelton City Commission to Look at Water Agreement with Port of Shelton Monday

•  PUD 3 to Discuss Water Line Agreement Tuesday Morning

•  Shelton Cuts Ribbon on Satellite Sewer Plant

•  Research Looks at Cascade Mountains Snowpack Trends since 1930

•  California Storms Leave Sierra Snowpack above Average

•  El Nino Packs a Punch Far Beyond Soggy California

•  Grays Harbor - Bassett “Cautiously Optimistic” About Cosmopolis Pulp Mill

•  Black Liquor Turns Solid Gold - Memphis firms reap billions in federal tax credits

•  Wyoming - Jackson Hole, Facing 2011 BPA Energy Cap, Looks to Solar

•  Senate Dems Build Case to Include Clean Energy, Solar in Jobs Bill

•  SF Chronicle Editorial - The Clean, Green Desert

•  US Renewable Energy Industry Needs the Heat in Biomass

•  Montana Lumber Company Sees Opportunity for Biomass Power Plant

•  Turn in Your Old Wood Stove, Get Money

•  Cape Wind’s Fate Unclear, Even in Obama’s Hands

•  Indiana - Economy, Not Transmission, Threatens Local Wind Farms

•  Government Working on ‘Home Star’ Plan for Energy-Efficiency Rebates

•  Energy Efficiency to Shine in 2010

•  Maine - Energy Conservation Leads to Higher Bills

•  CEO Profile: Handle Carbon Issue Now, Exelon’s Rowe Says

•  NY Times Editorial - The Case for a Climate Bill

•  Lawns May Contribute to Global Warming

•  Washington State Still Waiting - Agriculture Secretary Announces $310 Million for Rural Broadband Projects

•  For Some Tribes, Casinos No Longer a Sure Bet

•  Man Was Texting When He Hit & Killed Teacher

•  Public Buys a Piece of Totten Inlet

•  North Mason Chamber Award Winners Honored

WORD OF THE DAY

Fettle • \FET-tull\ • noun – State or condition of health, fitness, wholeness, spirit, or form.

“You are in fine fettle this morning,” chirped the attentive stenographer to her grumpy supervisor. “The old trout normally stumps in, all hunched over,” mused the rosy-cheeked employee. “Today she looks positively dewey. I wonder if that trip to the casino last night was profitable.”

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

Columbian Columnist - Forecast: Energy Prices Likely to Rise Modestly

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jan/24/energy-prices-likely-to-rise-modestly/

Idaho Power - Why Is a Utility Paying Customers? (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/business/energy-environment/24idaho.html

As Idaho Utility Pushes Efficiency, Critics Seek More Renewables (NY Times)

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/as-idaho-utility-pushes-efficiency-critics-seek-more-renewables/

Displacing Hydro? “Renewable” Power Is an Expensive Proposition for Seattle (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/414576_energy25.html

Eugene Register Guard Editorial - A Better Plan for Boardman: Portland General Electric proposes closing its coal plant 20 years early

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/opinion/24368301-47/boardman-utility-pge-plant-plan.csp

Oregon Gas Terminals’ Futures Hang on Global Supplies (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/01/post_37.html

Sacramento Water Meter Work Stops; Installer Investigated - State, Feds Investigating Installer Hired by City (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2485095.html

Lobbying, Global Warming, Economy Portend Revival of Nuclear Power in US (McClatchy Newspapers)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/1041977.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Seattle Times Editorial - For Healthy Returns, Juvenile Salmon Have to Reach the Ocean

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2010867330_edit24fish.html

LA Times Editorial - Save the Salmon: & Us

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-safina24-2010jan24,0,3172298.story

Ocean Indicator Report Shows Conditions in 2009 Worsen for Young Salmon in California Current (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/373909.aspx

Willamette River Basin Expected to Take Up Larger Chunk of Corps’ Fish Mitigation Budget (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/373906.aspx

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Shelton City Commission to Look at Water Agreement with Port of Shelton Monday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1175:shelton-city-commission-to-look-at-water-agreement-with-port-of-shelton-monday&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

PUD 3 to Discuss Water Line Agreement Tuesday Morning (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1174:pud-3-to-discuss-water-line-agreement-tuesday-morning&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Shelton Cuts Ribbon on Satellite Sewer Plant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1167:shelton-cuts-ribbon-on-satellite-sewer-plant&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Research Looks at Cascade Mountains Snowpack Trends since 1930 (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/373906.aspx

California Storms Leave Sierra Snowpack above Average (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/22/state/n102801S69.DTL

El Nino Packs a Punch Far Beyond Soggy California (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0122/El-Nino-packs-a-punch-far-beyond-soggy-California

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Grays Harbor - Bassett “Cautiously Optimistic” About Cosmopolis Pulp Mill (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/01/24/local_news/doc4b5ab6fcdffd8265359973.txt

Black Liquor Turns Solid Gold - Memphis firms reap billions in federal tax credits (Memphis Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2010/01/25/story2.html

Wyoming - Jackson Hole, Facing 2011 BPA Energy Cap, Looks to Solar (Cooler Planet)

http://solar.coolerplanet.com/News/1221002-jackson-hole,-facing-2011-energy-cap,-looks-to-solar.aspx

Senate Dems Build Case to Include Clean Energy, Solar in Jobs Bill (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/01/25/25greenwire-senate-dems-build-case-to-include-clean-energy-95186.html

SF Chronicle Editorial - The Clean, Green Desert

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/25/EDP21BL21N.DTL

US Renewable Energy Industry Needs the Heat in Biomass (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/01/biomass-thermal-energy-is-critical-for-the-u-s-renewable-energy-industry?cmpid=rss

Montana Lumber Company Sees Opportunity for Biomass Power Plant (Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_011c3222-08a5-11df-b8f9-001cc4c03286.html

Turn in Your Old Wood Stove, Get Money (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/archives/191982.asp

Cape Wind’s Fate Unclear, Even in Obama’s Hands (Associated Press)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/24/AR2010012401623.html

Indiana - Economy, Not Transmission, Threatens Local Wind Farms (Muncie Star Press, IN)

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20100125/NEWS01/1250321

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Government Working on ‘Home Star’ Plan for Energy-Efficiency Rebates (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14261182

Energy Efficiency to Shine in 2010 (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14241691

Maine - Energy Conservation Leads to Higher Bills (Associated Press)

http://wbztv.com/wireapnewsme/Small.number.of.2.1445606.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

CEO Profile: Handle Carbon Issue Now, Exelon’s Rowe Says (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/profile/2010-01-25-roweceo25_ST_N.htm

NY Times Editorial - The Case for a Climate Bill

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/opinion/24sun1.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Lawns May Contribute to Global Warming (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Bright-Green/2010/0122/Lawns-may-contribute-to-global-warming

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington State Still Waiting - Agriculture Secretary Announces $310 Million for Rural Broadband Projects (USDA)

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2010/01/0032.xml

GENERAL NEWS

For Some Tribes, Casinos No Longer a Sure Bet - The recession has contributed to downturns at some tribal casinos nationally & locally (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010875555_gamble24m.html

Man Was Texting When He Hit & Killed Teacher (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/82459757.html

Public Buys a Piece of Totten Inlet (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Bought-in-Totten-82442137.html

North Mason Chamber Award Winners Honored (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1166:north-mason-chamber-award-winners-honored&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Firefighter Admits to Leaving Package of Poop for Mayor

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

‘Pop’ Icon Bubble Wrap Celebrates 50th Birthday - Material Once Envisioned As Type of New Wallpaper

http://www.kirotv.com/money/22326989/detail.html

Alleged Car Thief Found Playing ‘Grand Theft Auto’ - Police: Officers Discover Stolen SUV Outside Home

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22316963/detail.html

Practical Joking TSA Screener Loses Job

http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/191940.asp

SONG OF THE DAY

Al Stewart - The Year of the Cat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ABz4m4lJI