The Energy News Digest: 01/27/10

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Energy News Digest for January 27, 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)

• Grant County PUD Chooses Transmission Line Route in Ephrata

• The Future Of Coal Power Will Require Hard Choices

• Displacing Coal with Generation from Existing Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants

• Power Theft the Key – Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Finds Elaborate Pot Grow

• Oak Harbor to Utilities: We Will Bury You

• Activists Look To Transform Colorado Power Grid One Co-Op Election At A Time

• Vermont Utility Regulators Question Nuke Statements

• SMUD hosts Youth Energy Summit

• Hoquiam Water Bill Glitch Balloons Bills

• California Brown Pelicans Linger On Oregon Coast

• Mystery Surrounds Fate Of Sage Grouse

• Mason PUD 3 Commissioners Briefed on Water Line Extension Agreement

• Residents Add Water Line Extension to Concerns over PUD 3's John's Prairie Facility

• Washington State To Cut Stormwater Pollution From Highways

• Washington State Starts On Bills To Amend Renewable Energy Standard

• Wisconsin - Lawmaker Questions Higher-Than-Expected Costs For Renewable Energy

• New Mexico Utility Outlines Renewable Energy Plan

• FERC Seeks Renewable Energy Transmission Advice

• Southern Company & Ted Turner To Develop Renewable Energy Projects

• Chelan County PUD Could Pay You to Save Energy

• Storing Energy as Ice? (NY Times)

• Advocates of Climate Bill Scale Down Their Goals (NY Times)

• Courts as Battlefields in Climate Fights

• Merrill Lynch: Carbon Markets Are Under "A Dark Cloud" Of Uncertainty

• Can Climate Forecasts Still Be Trusted?

• The Ozone Hole Is Mending. Now for the ‘But.’

• Bill Gates Says Climate Cash May Hit Health Aid

• More States Require 'Green' Cleaning Products

• On New Environmental Scoreboard,

U.S.

and

China

Plummet While

Iceland

Leads

• Kohl's Department Stores Achieves 100 Percent Green Power

• Vandals Cut Fiber Optic Cables To Selah

• Feds Taking Bids for Utah Data Center

• Yahoo's 4Q Progress Brightens 2010 Outlook

• El Niño To Top Extreme Tides

• Oregon Voters OK Tax Hikes On Wealthy, Businesses

• Green Light For Tax Increases? Gregoire Praises Oregon Vote

• E-Mail Saves Time, but Being There Says More

• How Many People Are Paying For Newsday.com? Not Many…

WORD OF THE DAY

Valhalla • \val-HAL-uh\ • noun - 1: the great hall in Norse mythology where the souls of heroes slain in battle are received 2: a place of honor, glory, or happiness: heaven

After years of agonizing patience, Bertrand was ready for his elevation to the Valhalla of the paper cup distribution company…the keys to the executive washroom. Unfortunately, what was considered the restroom of the gods in 1962 had, over time, degraded to a “washroom” reminiscent of a quick-stop gas station in a remote, wind-blown town on the western frontier. “Visiting Odin” took on a whole new meaning to Bertie that day.

“Visiting Odin” - Valhalla is additionally referenced in the phrase "visiting Odin" in a story describing that, upon his death, King Vanlandi went to Valhalla.

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

Grant County PUD Chooses Transmission Line Route in Ephrata (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/01/26/news/doc4b5f81f9d043e122584456.txt

The Future Of Coal Power Will Require Hard Choices (Nat’l Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122952836&ft=1&f=3

Displacing Coal with Generation from Existing Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants (Congressional Research Reports)

http://opencrs.com/document/R41027/

Power Theft the Key – Lewis County Sheriff’s Office Finds Elaborate Pot Grow (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

http://www.chronline.com/news/article_b66098ec-0aaa-11df-bef2-001cc4c03286.html

Oak Harbor to Utilities: We Will Bury You (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/414658_sound82606567.html

Activists Look To Transform Colorado Power Grid One Co-Op Election At A Time - Co-ops account for 23 percent of electrical power consumed in the state (Colorado Independent)

http://coloradoindependent.com/46560/activists-look-to-transform-colorado-power-grid-one-co-op-election-at-a-time

Vermont Utility Regulators Question Nuke Statements (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010904084_apusvermontyankee.html

SMUD hosts Youth Energy Summit - Second year of event attracts nearly 100 students who learn about clean energy and sustainability (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=126337

Hoquiam Water Bill Glitch Balloons Bills (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/01/26/local_news/doc4b5f393b3fae3361056263.txt

FISH & WILDLIFE

California Brown Pelicans Linger On Oregon Coast (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/82767162.html

Mystery Surrounds Fate Of Sage Grouse - Agencies Could List Bird By Next Month (Magic Valley Times-News, Twin Falls, ID)

http://www.magicvalley.com/special-section/local/strain-of-survival/article_263dbdf3-9de5-5cbd-8cd1-6e2743d58d40.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason PUD 3 Commissioners Briefed on Water Line Extension Agreement (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1198:pud-3-commissioners-briefed-on-water-line-extension-agreement&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Residents Add Water Line Extension to Concerns over PUD 3's John's Prairie Facility (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1199:residents-add-water-line-extension-to-concerns-over-pud-3s-johns-prairie-facility&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Washington State To Cut Stormwater Pollution From Highways (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010894767_apwastormwaterpollution.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Washington State Starts On Bills To Amend Renewable Energy Standard (SNL Financial)

http://www.snl.com/Interactivex/article.aspx?CdId=A-10624199-11060

Wisconsin - Lawmaker Questions Higher-Than-Expected Costs For Renewable Energy (Wisconsin State Journal)

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt_and_politics/blog/article_82802146-0a28-11df-8389-001cc4c03286.html

New Mexico Utility Outlines Renewable Energy Plan (Businessweek)

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9DFHGPG0.htm

FERC Seeks Renewable Energy Transmission Advice - Do rules, regulations, tariffs and industry practices act as barriers to variable and renewable energy? (Renewable Energy Focus)

http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/6817/ferc-seeks-renewable-energy-transmission-advice/

Southern Company & Ted Turner To Develop Renewable Energy Projects (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/01/southern-company-ted-turner-to-develop-renewable-energy-projects?cmpid=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Chelan County PUD Could Pay You to Save Energy (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

http://www.kpq.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1770

Storing Energy as Ice? (NY Times)

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/storing-energy-as-ice/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Advocates of Climate Bill Scale Down Their Goals (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/science/earth/27climate.html

Courts as Battlefields in Climate Fights (NY Times)