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.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· Jefferson PUD Could Decide This Week on Public Power Issue
· Contractor to Pay for Defects at Rocky Reach Dam
· Grant PUD Rate Increases Start Monday - Increase Helps Fund Mandatory Projects
· Senate Budget Drops Sales Tax Break on Coal for Centralia
· Chelan PUD to Improve Power Line That Supplies Wenatchee
· Mason PUD 3 to Conduct Tree Trimming on Highway 302
· Oregonian Editorial - Where You Fellas Going With All Those Tax Credits?
· Idacorp Profit Grows in 4Q, Company Sets 2010 Guidance
· TransAlta Q4 Profit Declines 16%
· New Warrant Obtained in Connecticut
· Congressman Hastings supports lawsuit over Nuke Waste Site at Yucca Mountain
· Spanish Town
· Skepticism Meets Vermont Nuke Plant’s Cheap-Power Gift
· A Future for Fusion? Supporters Say It Isn’t a Question of If, But When
· International Markets Lift Iberdrola
· New York
· Orca Whales - New Calf Spotted With L Pod
· Fish & Wildlife Director’s Death Prompts Week Delay in Sage Grouse Decision
· 45-Day Sentence for Killing Birds on Long Beach , WA
· Squaxin Tribe Asks Gregoire to Order Ecology to Halt Johns Creek
· Waiting to Inhale: Deep-Ocean Low-Oxygen Zones Spreading to Shallower Coastal Waters
· Federal Study Indicates Wave Technologies Could Harm Marine Resources
· Clean, Cheap Power from Fuel Cells in a Box?
· Bloom Energy Claims a New Fuel Cell Technology
· Reaping the Whirlwind? Europe ’s Big Wind Subsidy Race
· Increased Costs Are Blowin’ in the Wind
· Alaska
· Renewable Energy Corp - Norwegian Solar Firm Expected to Raise Equity
· Germany
· 3TIER Completes REmapping the World
· Geothermal Energy Receives U.S.
· Oregon
· Hiring Freezes Hamper Federal Weatherization Plan
· For a More Energy-Efficient Home, Ample Insulation Is Key
· California - Menlo Park
· Senate Battles EPA in Greenhouse Gas Showdown
· UN Climate Talks to Resume in April in Germany
· Cleaner Heat, Free (Or Nearly Free) for the Asking
· Facebook Takes Heat Over Coal-Fired Power in Its Prineville Data Center
· Protestors Take to Facebook to Protest Facebook – Over Data Center
· Q&A With Google’s ‘Green Energy Czar’ on Sustainable Computing
· Greening Deserts for Carbon Credits
· Okanogan County Phones out After Lines Cut by Contractor
· FCC: Lower the Price, & Millions More Will Have Broadband
· FCC Finds Broadband Is Expensive, People Are Strange, Uneducated
· “I Also Want a Pony” - Appleton
· Why Twitter Is Cuddling Up to Yahoo
· Baltimore
· Verizon: Watch What We Say, Not What We Do
· Intel Discloses ‘Sophisticated’ Hacker Attack
· Olympia
· Investigator Says Former Clallam County
· Port of Shelton
· Energy Department Outlines Options for Nuclear Waste Cleanup at Hanford
· Copper Wire Thieves Hit Tri-City Farms Again
· City of Tacoma
· Obama Zeros in on Law Professor for 9th Circuit Post
WORD OF THE DAY
Interloper • \inter-LOPE-err\ • noun - One that interlopes an illegal or unlicensed trader b: one that intrudes in a place or sphere of activity
The “flatlanders” were viewed with suspicion by the locals, seen as interlopers in local affairs. Anyone trying to worm themselves into local issues and controversy were carpetbaggers until at least two generations had passed.
WEATHER
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Contractor to Pay for Defects at Rocky Reach Dam (Wenatchee
Grant PUD Rate Increases Start Monday - Increase Helps Fund Mandatory Projects (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake
Senate Budget Drops Sales Tax Break on Coal for Centralia
Chelan PUD to Improve Power Line That Supplies Wenatchee (Wenatchee
Mason PUD 3 to Conduct Tree Trimming on Highway 302 (Mason County PUD No. 3)
Oregonian Editorial - Where You Fellas Going With All Those Tax Credits?
Idacorp Profit Grows in 4Q, Company Sets 2010 Guidance (Associated Press)
TransAlta Q4 Profit Declines 16% (RTT News)
New Warrant Obtained in Connecticut
Congressman Hastings supports lawsuit over Nuke Waste Site at Yucca Mountain
Skepticism Meets Vermont
A Future for Fusion? Supporters Say It Isn’t a Question of If, But When (Wall Street Journal)
International Markets Lift Iberdrola (Financial Times of London , UK
FISH & WILDLIFE
Orca Whales - New Calf Spotted With L Pod (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton , WA
Fish & Wildlife Director’s Death Prompts Week Delay in Sage Grouse Decision (Idaho Statesman, Boise , ID
45-Day Sentence for Killing Birds on Long Beach , WA (KIRO-TV, Seattle
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Squaxin Tribe Asks Gregoire to Order Ecology to Halt Johns Creek
Waiting to Inhale: Deep-Ocean Low-Oxygen Zones Spreading to Shallower Coastal Waters (Scientific American)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Federal Study Indicates Wave Technologies Could Harm Marine Resources (NY Times)
Clean, Cheap Power from Fuel Cells in a Box? (USA
Bloom Energy Claims a New Fuel Cell Technology (NY Times)
Reaping the Whirlwind? Europe ’s Big Wind Subsidy Race (NY Times)
Increased Costs Are Blowin’ in the Wind (Oregon Catalyst – another 25 cents for Bobby Zimmerman)
Renewable Energy Corp - Norwegian Solar Firm Expected to Raise Equity through Rights Issue (Edmonton Journal, Alberta
3TIER Completes REmapping the World - Release of global solar dataset marks final milestone of initiative (Renewable Energy World)
Geothermal Energy Receives U.S. Cash, but Hits Roadblocks (Vancouver
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Hiring Freezes Hamper Federal Weatherization Plan (NY Times)
For a More Energy-Efficient Home, Ample Insulation Is Key (Christian Science Monitor)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Senate Battles EPA in Greenhouse Gas Showdown (Christian Science Monitor)
UN Climate Talks to Resume in April in Germany
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Cleaner Heat, Free (Or Nearly Free) for the Asking - to the wood-heat holdouts go the spoils. (News Tribune, Tacoma , WA
Facebook Takes Heat Over Coal-Fired Power in Its Prineville Data Center (The Oregonian, Portland
Protestors Take to Facebook to Protest Facebook – Over Data Center Power Source (Oregon
Q&A With Google’s ‘Green Energy Czar’ on Sustainable Computing (The Oregonian, Portland
Greening Deserts for Carbon Credits (Renewable Energy World)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FCC: Lower the Price, & Millions More Will Have Broadband (Christian Science Monitor)
FCC Finds Broadband Is Expensive, People Are Strange, Uneducated (Broadband Reports)
“I Also Want a Pony” - Appleton May be Google Test Market for Broadband Internet (WFRV-TV, Green Bay , WI
Why Twitter Is Cuddling Up to Yahoo (Christian Science Monitor)
Verizon: Watch What We Say, Not What We Do - Carrier is dedicated to ubiquitous broadband, except when they aren’t (Broadband Reports)
Intel Discloses ‘Sophisticated’ Hacker Attack (Associated Press)
GENERAL NEWS
Investigator Says Former Clallam County Cashier Stole at Least $617,467 (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles , WA
Upgrade Costs Lower than Expected - Port of Shelton Reduces Estimation on Fairgrounds’ Buildings (KMAS Radio, Shelton , WA
Energy Department Outlines Options for Nuclear Waste Cleanup at Hanford (Spokesman-Review, Spokane , WA
Copper Wire Thieves Hit Tri-City Farms Again (Tri-City Herald, WA)
City of Tacoma Settles in Open Meetings Lawsuit - News Tribune alleged board decided on applicants in secret (News Tribune, Tacoma , WA
Obama Zeros in on Law Professor for 9th Circuit Post (Los Angeles
DIVERSIONS
Dog Chases Seagull off 300-Foot Cliff - Spaniel Survives Fall
Didn’t Pass the Smell Test - California
SONG OF THE DAY
Larry Groce - Junk Food Junkie
