The Energy News Digest: 02/03/10

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Energy News Digest for February 3, 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)

• Jefferson PUD To Hear From Public-Power Supporters Today

• California - PG&E Customers Can Expect Cheaper Heating Bills

• Avista Warns of Copper Theft Safety Concerns

• Utah - Small Power Company Is Suing PacifiCorp Over Facility Upgrade

• When It Comes to Nuclear Power, Companies Should Think Small

• Court Upholds Transmission Incentives for New England Utilities

• J.D. Power and Associates Reports

• The Century for Natural Gas: What This Means for Investors

•

Brazil

- Uproar In

Brazil

Over Huge Amazon Dam Plan

• Alaska Imposes New Restrictions on Declining Yukon River Chinook

• British Columbia - Bring Back the Blueprint for Salmon Habitat

• Cowlitz River Smelt Dipping About To Open, But Will Fish Cooperate?

• Activist Urges State Board To Halt Timber Sales Around Murrelet

• Port & Mason PUD 3 Sign John's Prairie Water Agreement

• Local Governments Approve Pact for Extension of Water to Johns Prairie Area near Shelton

• Clifton Ridge Annexation into Belfair Water District Denied

• Kittitas County Well Ban Reprieve Dries Up

• Mixed Results In Puget Sound Efforts

• Kittitas County - Gregoire Gives Green Light To Desert Claim Wind Farm

• Interior Chief Tours Proposed Massachusetts Wind Farm Site

• Interior Secretary Sees Little Hope for Consensus on Wind Farm

• Oregon’s Christmas Valley Solar

• Report: US Should Spend More On Biofuels

• Sen. Graham Slams Push for a 'Half-Assed Energy Bill'

• Obama Pushing Clean Coal And Green Jobs

• Update: WA Data Center Fight Over

• Clearwire Shifting Toward Wholesale

• Obama Budget Spells Benefits for the Cloud

• Obama Likes Neutrality, But What About Metered Billing?

• Rossi vs. Murray? So Far, Only In A Pollster's Dream

• Illegal Mole Traps Pulled From Capitol Lawns

• How To Be Possessive About Apostrophes

WORD OF THE DAY

Bogus • \BOW-guss\ • adjective – Not genuine: counterfeit, sham

Wally the egret had his doubts. The flowing crocodile tears of his saurian friend over his recent meal of two other nearby birds did not cover the bogus claims that they had accidentally fallen into the creature’s mouth and crawled by themselves into his waiting gullet.

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

Jefferson PUD To Hear From Public-Power Supporters Today; Decision on buying PSE could be coming this spring (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=26192

California - PG&E Customers Can Expect Cheaper Heating Bills (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14319596

Avista Warns of Copper Theft Safety Concerns - Public is encouraged to report suspicious activity (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=126894

Utah - Small Power Company Is Suing PacifiCorp Over Facility Upgrade (Deseret News, Salt Lake City, UT)

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700006403/Small-power-company-is-suing-PacifiCorp-over-facility-upgrade.html

When It Comes to Nuclear Power, Companies Should Think Small (Pajamas Media)

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/when-it-comes-to-nuclear-power-companies-should-think-small/

Court Upholds Transmission Incentives for New England Utilities (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/02/03/24354.htm

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Overall Satisfaction with Electric Utility Providers Increases Substantially Among Business Customers (PR Newswire)

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jd-power-and-associates-reports-overall-satisfaction-with-electric-utility-providers-increases-substantially-among-business-customers-83435417.html

The Century for Natural Gas: What This Means for Investors

http://seekingalpha.com/article/185979-the-century-for-natural-gas-what-this-means-for-investors?source=feed

Brazil

- Uproar In

Brazil

Over Huge Amazon Dam Plan (AFP)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h4luth1JpEvsrxyQzLa-HfAzjl5w

FISH & WILDLIFE

Alaska Imposes New Restrictions on Declining Yukon River Chinook (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Alaska+imposes+restrictions+declining+Yukon+River+chinook/2514515/story.html

British Columbia - Bring Back the Blueprint for Salmon Habitat (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/columnists/Bring+back+blueprint+salmon+habitat/2516242/story.html

Cowlitz River Smelt Dipping About To Open, But Will Fish Cooperate? (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/outdoors/story/1054742.html

Activist Urges State Board To Halt Timber Sales Around Murrelet - Counties would get $10 million “…The Board of Natural Resources backed DNR, opting not to pull the contested sales or 15 other sales in the pipeline in potential marbled murrelet management areas…” (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/1124398.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Port & Mason PUD 3 Sign John's Prairie Water Agreement (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1257:port-a-pud-3-sign-johns-prairie-water-agreement&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Local Governments Approve Pact for Extension of Water to Johns Prairie Area near Shelton (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=673

Clifton Ridge Annexation into Belfair Water District Denied (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1256:clifton-ridge-annexation-into-belfair-water-district-denied&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Kittitas County Well Ban Reprieve Dries Up (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/02/02/kittitas-co-well-ban-reprieve-dries-up

Mixed Results In Puget Sound Efforts - Habitat restored even as land goes to development (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/1124384.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Kittitas County - Gregoire Gives Green Light To Desert Claim Wind Farm (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/02/03/gregoire-gives-green-light-to-desert-claim

Interior Chief Tours Proposed Massachusetts Wind Farm Site (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010958242_apuswindfarmdecision.html

Interior Secretary Sees Little Hope for Consensus on Wind Farm (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/us/03cape.html

Oregon’s Christmas Valley Solar - Largest NW Utility-Scale Solar Project Will Use Medium Voltage Inverter Platform from PV Powered (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/pvpowered-inc-1877/news/article/2010/02/largest-nw-utility-scale-solar-project-will-use-medium-voltage-inverter-platform-from-pv-powered?cmpid=rss

Report: US Should Spend More On Biofuels (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2010969354_apusobamaenergy.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Sen. Graham Slams Push for a 'Half-Assed Energy Bill' (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/02/03/03greenwire-sen-graham-slams-push-for-a-half-assed-energy-54765.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Obama Pushing Clean Coal And Green Jobs (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2010964943_apusobamaenergy.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Update: WA Data Center Fight Over (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=6770