Energy News Digest for February 2, 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)

•  Canadian Company Seeks US Government Loan Guarantees for Cross-Strait Power Cable

•  Okanogan Electric Cooperative - “Sick of Secrecy,” Co-Op Group Plots Election Strategy

•  Snohomish PUD Program Evens out Electric Bills Year-Round

•  PacifiCorp Energy Announces New President

•  California - Glendale Water & Power Celebrates 100th Anniversary

•  Vermont Nuke Plant Leaks Renew Debate Over Aging Plants

•  Agreement to Remove Four Dams on Klamath River

•  Washington State to Look into Hatchery Surpluses

•  Jumbo Squid Ink-Jet Their Way to Newport Beach

•  City of City Commission Approves Water Line Agreement, PUD 3; Port Next

•  Radar Ridge Wind Power Project Would Not Impact Endangered Bird

•  Conservation Groups Want Oregon to Close Wind Energy Permitting 'Loophole'

•  Wind Energy Job Growth Isn't Blowing Anyone Away

•  Eurus Energy Completes Wind Farm in Oregon

•  Texas - Wind Farms Say Utility Must Buy Their Power

•  Biomass Option Still on the Table for Flathead Electric

•  Mitsubishi Corporation, Weyerhaeuser to Explore Strategic Biomass-to-Energy Venture

•  Editorial - Trash: America’s Best Bet for Energy Independence

•  Scotland's Hydropower Potential Bolstered by Small Hydro Projects

•  Go Green, Earn Green: U.K. Pays People for Wind, Solar Power

•  Chelan County PUD to Hand Out 41,000 Light Bulbs

•  Obama Budget Drops Revenue Outlook for Carbon Trade

•  Countries Submit Emission Goals

•  Study Finds a Tree Growth Spurt

•  Swiss Pilots Aim to Circle World in Solar-Powered Plane

•  State Legislature Considers Tax Break for New Data Centers

•  Google Puts New Focus on Outside Research

•  Windows Azure Starts Bringin' in the Cash

•  Alleged Cable Hacker Charged by Feds

•  Mason County Deputies Searching for Suspect in Allyn Bank Robbery

•  13 Workers in Washington Last Year Slain at Work

•  Washington State Stimulus Update Shows About $2B Spent

•  N. Olympic Peninsula 3rd in State for Starving Residents

•  Washington State Sen. Pam Roach Lashes Out at GOP Leadership

•  Police: Woman Rigged KVI Radio Contest to Pocket Winnings

•  The Green File: For Local Veteran, Playing Taps Is a Note of Respect

WORD OF THE DAY

Rill • \RILL\ • noun – A very small brook

Tommy was very proud of his hydroelectric project. Built on a rill that fed the upper reaches of the Columbia River, it generated one watt of electricity. He was confused as to why he couldn’t get a feed-in tariff for what he considered a valuable run of river project.

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

Canadian Company Seeks US Government Loan Guarantees for Cross-Strait Power Cable (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100202/NEWS/302029996

Okanogan Electric Cooperative - “Sick of Secrecy,” Co-Op Group Plots Election Strategy (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jan/30/sick-of-secrecy-co-op-group-plots-election/

Snohomish PUD Program Evens out Electric Bills Year-Round (Edmonds Beacon)

http://www.edmondsbeacon.com/community-features/article.exm/2010-02-01_pud_program_evens_out_electric_bills_year_round

PacifiCorp Energy Announces New President (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010951149_aputpacificorppresident1stldwritethru.html

California - Glendale Water & Power Celebrates 100th Anniversary (Glendale News-Press, CA)

http://www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2010/01/31/news/gnp-expo020110.txt

Vermont Nuke Plant Leaks Renew Debate Over Aging Plants (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010951235_apusleakingnuclearplants.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Agreement to Remove Four Dams on Klamath River (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=6761

Washington State to Look into Hatchery Surpluses - Salmon groups want sales to benefit habitat projects (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1123238.html

Jumbo Squid Ink-Jet Their Way to Newport Beach (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-giant-squid2-2010feb02,0,5841943.story

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

City of City Commission Approves Water Line Agreement, PUD 3; Port Next (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1251:city-commission-approves-water-line-agreement&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Radar Ridge Wind Power Project Would Not Impact Endangered Bird (REVE)

http://www.evwind.es/noticias.php?id_not=3230

Conservation Groups Want Oregon to Close Wind Energy Permitting 'Loophole' (The Oregonian, Portaland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/02/conservation_groups_want_orego.html

Wind energy job growth isn't blowing anyone away (Los Angeles Times)

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-green-jobs2-2010feb02,0,6156904.story

Eurus Energy Completes Wind Farm in Oregon (REVE)

http://www.evwind.es/noticias.php?id_not=3793

Texas - Wind Farms Say Utility Must Buy Their Power (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/02/02/24291.htm

Biomass Option Still on the Table for Flathead Electric (The Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_912e86f0-0fa1-11df-aaf9-001cc4c03286.html

Mitsubishi Corporation, Weyerhaeuser to Explore Strategic Biomass-to-Energy Venture (dBusiness News)

http://seattle.dbusinessnews.com/viewnews.php?article=bwire/20100201007287r1.xml

Christian Science Monitor Editorial - Trash: America’s Best Bet for Energy Independence

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0201/Trash-America-s-best-bet-for-energy-independence

Scotland's Hydropower Potential Bolstered by Small Hydro Projects (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/01/scotlands-hydropower-potential-bolstered-by-small-hydro-projects?cmpid=rss

Go Green, Earn Green: U.K. Pays People for Wind, Solar Power (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/02/uk-will-pay-people-who-produce-green-power/1

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Chelan County PUD to Hand Out 41,000 Light Bulbs (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/feb/02/pud-to-hand-out-41000-light-bulbs/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Obama Budget Drops Revenue Outlook for Carbon Trade (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN01172964

Countries Submit Emission Goals (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/science/earth/02copenhagen.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Study Finds a Tree Growth Spurt (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/science/earth/02trees.html

Swiss Pilots Aim to Circle World in Solar-Powered Plane (Expatica)

http://www.expatica.com/ch/life-in-switzerland/news_focus/Swiss-pilots-aim-to-circle-world-in-solar_powered-plane_15408.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

State Legislature Considers Tax Break for New Data Centers (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoftpri0/2010946791_statelegislatureconsiderstaxbreakondatacenters.html

Google Puts New Focus on Outside Research (NY Times)

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/google-extends-outside-research-funding-to-new-fields/

Windows Azure Starts Bringin' in the Cash

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/192981.asp

Alleged Cable Hacker Charged by Feds (Boston Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2010/02/01/daily16.html

GENERAL NEWS

Mason County Deputies Searching for Suspect in Allyn Bank Robbery (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/feb/01/deputies-searching-for-suspect-in-allyn-bank/

13 Workers in Washington Last Year Slain at Work (Associated Press)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/feb/01/13-workers-washington-last-year-slain-work/

Washington State Stimulus Update Shows About $2B Spent (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010953319_apwawashstimulus2ndldwritethru.html

N. Olympic Peninsula 3rd in State for Starving Residents - includes Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason & Grays Harbor counties & a small slice of Pierce County (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/83314797.html

Washington State Sen. Pam Roach Lashes Out at GOP Leadership (KIRO-TV, Seattle – Note PG-13 Content)

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=278491

Police: Woman Rigged KVI Radio Contest to Pocket Winnings (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/414910_radio02.html

The Green File: For Local Veteran, Playing Taps Is a Note of Respect (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1205:the-green-file-for-local-veteran-playing-taps-is-a-note-of-respect&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

DIVERSIONS

Police: Teabag Tossers Took Violent Turn

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/192985.asp

Pair of Problem Peacocks Prove Elusive in Sultan

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010954559_peacocks02m.html

Man uses baby stroller to take beer in Bremerton

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010953887_apwababystrollerbeer1stldwritethru.html

Low-Flow Toilets Provide Water Savings, Entertainment

http://consumerist.com/2010/01/low-flow-toilets-provide-water-savings-entertainment.html

SONG OF THE DAY

James Cappra Jr. - Down the Drain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0WR0rVwqKk