Energy News Digest for February 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)

·         Jefferson PUD Electrical Power Decision Expected in a Month

·         Jefferson PUD: No Decision Yet on Public Power Issue

·         Oregon Lawmakers Pass Restrictions on Energy Tax Credits

·         Energy NW to Sell Bonds

·         Olympian Editorial - We Must Keep Nuclear Power as Viable Option

·         Vermont Senate Votes to Close Nuclear Plant

·         Vermont - Records Show Tritium Leak Reaches State Land

·         Ruptured Pipes Create Extra Work for Contractor on Cowlitz PUD Building Expansion

·         Portland General Electric Reports 2009 Financial Results

·         Great Falls Mayor Wants More Direct Oversight of Electric City Power

·         California - Report Confirms Plane Crashed After Hitting Power Lines

·         United Kingdom – Telegraph Editorial: There’s a Blackout Coming

·         Orca Whale Kills SeaWorld Worker

·         Killer Orca Has Violent Past, Ties to Northwest

·         Feds Predict Better Year for California Salmon

·         Columbia River 2010 Fall Chinook Returns Look Good on Paper

·         Community Meeting Monday to Discuss Salmon Enhancement Project on Skokomish River

·         Editorial – California Water Plan Would Hurt State’s Salmon Fishery

·         Groups to Rally for Bull Trout Protections

·         Fishermen Rally at US Capitol for More Generous Catch Limits

·         Pacific NW Delegation Members Back $200 Million Proposal for Columbia Cleanup

·         Concerns Build Over Washington State’s Water Supplies

·         EPA Begins Yakima Valley Groundwater Sampling

·         California Water Diversion Plan ‘A Work in Progress,’ Feinstein Says

·         Report Says Contamination from Coal Ash Waste Is Worse Than EPA Says

·         Whatcom County Votes Emergency Moratorium on Wind Power

·         Oregon - Comments Sought On Wave Energy Project

·         Columbia Basin College Goes Solar

·         Idaho - Micron Clears Way for Solar Venture in Nampa

·         Idaho Plans to Install Solar Panels on Schools

·         SF Chronicle Editorial - Solar Bill Will Help California’s Energy Future

·         General Electric GE Bullish on British Columbia’s Green Power Sector

·         Michigan - Officials Largely in Favor of Biomass Plant

·         Florida - Supply of Wood to Fuel Biomass Plant Still Under Scrutiny

·         Trash Power? US Communities Use Landfills to Produce Energy

·         Deere Mulls Possible Sale of Wind Energy Business

·         BPA Announces Funding Opportunity to Help Manage Electricity Use

·         Why Climate Change Is Dead in the Senate - GOP is focused on cheap domestic energy

·         Wyoming Formation Could Hold 50 Years of CO2

·         Scientists Examine Causes for Lull in Warming

·         Study Says at Least Theoretically - Numerically Speaking - We Could Get All US Electricity from Wind Power

·         Seattle Times Op/Ed - Lawmakers Should Bring Back Construction Jobs by Spurring Data-Center Industry

·         Wenatchee World Editorial - Data Centers & the Big Refund

·         FCC Proposes $16 Billion-Plus for Public Safety Wireless Networks

·         Qwest Hits Users with New ‘Convenience Fees’

·         AT&T Faster Than Verizon, Sprint in 3G Wireless Performance Test

·         Facebook Friends Austin, But It’s Complicated

·         Allyn Bank Robbed a Second Time by the Same Guy

·         Missing Camper Found Dead in Deschutes River

·         Highway Three - SR 3 - Belfair Bypass: Alternatives Outreach

·         G.M. to Close Hummer After Sale Collapse

WORD OF THE DAY

Proscribe • \proh-SCRIBE\ • verb - 1: outlaw *2: to condemn or forbid as harmful or unlawful

Jolene joyfully traipsed across the law, unaware that she had crossed into the dog’s off-leash area of the park. For barefoot revelers, it was the only proscribed area of “Dog Bomb Park,” for obvious and unspoken reasons.

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

Jefferson PUD Electrical Power Decision Expected in a Month (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100225/news/302259986

Jefferson PUD: No Decision Yet on Public Power Issue (Port Townsend Leader, WA

http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=26383

Oregon Lawmakers Pass Restrictions on Energy Tax Credits - Bill plugs an estimated $100 million budget hole (Salem Statesman-Journal, OR)

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20100224/LEGISLATURE/2240418/1042/STATE

New York State Paying More for Appropriations-Backed Bond Issue - Energy Northwest plans to sell about $475 million of bonds through Goldman Sachs Group (Business Week)

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-25/new-york-state-paying-more-for-appropriations-backed-bond-issue.html

Olympian Editorial - We Must Keep Nuclear Power as Viable Option

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/02/25/1151166/we-must-keep-nuclear-power-as.html

Vermont Senate Votes to Close Nuclear Plant (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/us/25nuke.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Vermont - Records Show Tritium Leak Reaches State Land (Rutland Herald, VT)

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20100224/NEWS02/2240336/1003/NEWS02

Ruptured Pipes Create Extra Work for Contractor on Cowlitz PUD Building Expansion (The Daily News, Longview, WA)

http://www.tdn.com/news/local/04adcc46-2184-11df-aad6-001cc4c03286.html

Portland General Electric Reports 2009 Financial Results (Market Wire)

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/portland-general-electric-reports-2009-financial-results-and-revises-2010-earnings-guidance-2010-02-25?reflink=MW_news_stmp

Great Falls Mayor Wants More Direct Oversight of Electric City Power (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20100225/NEWS01/2250306/1002/Mayor-wants-more-direct-oversight-of-Electric-City-Power

California - Report Confirms Plane Crashed After Hitting Power Lines (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011179760_apusplanehitshouse.html?syndication=rss

United Kingdom – Telegraph Editorial: There’s a Blackout Coming - unless someone sees the light

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/benedict-brogan/7309946/Theres-a-blackout-coming-unless-someone-sees-the-light.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Orca Whale Kills SeaWorld Worker (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/24/us/AP-US-SeaWorld-Death.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Killer Orca Has Violent Past, Ties to Northwest (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22661995/detail.html

Feds Predict Better Year for California Salmon (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/02/24/state/n153758S41.DTL&feed=rss.news

Columbia River 2010 Fall Chinook Returns Look Good on Paper (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2011177341_columbia_river_2010_fall_chino.html

Community Meeting Monday to Discuss Salmon Enhancement Project on Skokomish River (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1449-community-meeting-to-discuss-salmon-enhancement-project-on-skokomish-river-monday-

Salem Statesman Journal Editorial – California Water Plan Would Hurt State’s Salmon Fishery

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20100225/OPINION/2250322/1049

Groups to Rally for Bull Trout Protections (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2494090~Groups_to_rally_for_bull_trout_protections.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines

Fishermen Rally at US Capitol for More Generous Catch Limits (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/6793-fishermen-rally-us-capitol-more-generous-catch-limits/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Pacific NW Delegation Members Back $200 Million Proposal for Columbia Cleanup (Oregon Public Radio)

http://news.opb.org/article/6790-nw-delegation-members-back-200-million-proposal-columbia-cleanup/

Concerns Build Over Washington State’s Water Supplies (KUOW Radio, Seattle)

http://kuow.org/program.php?id=19530

EPA Begins Yakima Valley Groundwater Sampling (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12044428

California Water Diversion Plan ‘A Work in Progress,’ Feinstein Says (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/02/25/2563087/water-diversion-feinstein.html

Report Says Contamination from Coal Ash Waste Is Worse Than EPA Says (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0224/Report-Contamination-from-coal-ash-waste-is-worse-than-EPA-says

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Whatcom County Votes Emergency Moratorium on Wind Power (Bellingham Herald, WA)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/02/25/1309385/whatcom-county-votes-emergency.html

Oregon - Comments Sought On Wave Energy Project (The Umpqua Post, Reedsport, OR)

http://www.theumpquapost.com/articles/2010/02/24/business/doc4b8467bdad7c3956313206.txt

Columbia Basin College Goes Solar (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12040303

Idaho - Micron Clears Way for Solar Venture in Nampa (Idaho Press-Tribune, Nampa, ID)

http://www.idahopress.com/news/article_d70e2a08-21a4-11df-b72d-001cc4c002e0.html

Idaho Plans to Install Solar Panels on Schools (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=6890

SF Chronicle Editorial - Solar Bill Will Help California’s Energy Future

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/25/ED7T1C63QA.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

General Electric GE Bullish on British Columbia’s Green Power Sector (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/bullish+province+green+power+sector/2611009/story.html

Michigan - Officials Largely in Favor of Biomass Plant (The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, MI)

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3894191

Florida - Supply of Wood to Fuel Biomass Plant Still Under Scrutiny (The Gainesville Sun, FL)

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100224/ARTICLES/100229681/1004/LIVING?Title=Supply-of-wood-to-fuel-biomass-plant-still-under-scrutiny

Trash Power? US Communities Use Landfills to Produce Energy (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/02/trash-power-us-communities-use-landfills-to-produce-energy/1

Deere Mulls Possible Sale of Wind Energy Business (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/02/25/financial/f090759S46.DTL&feed=rss.business

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

BPA Announces Funding Opportunity to Help Manage Electricity Use (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/486995/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Why Climate Change Is Dead in the Senate - GOP is focused on cheap domestic energy (Newsweek Magazine)

http://www.newsweek.com/id/234137?from=rss

Wyoming Formation Could Hold 50 Years of CO2 (KTVQ-TV, Billings, MT)

http://www.ktvq.com/news/report-wyo-formation-could-hold-50-years-of-co2/

Scientists Examine Causes for Lull in Warming (Reuters)

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ET-Cetera/Scientists-examine-causes-for-lull-in-warming/articleshow/5616841.cms

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Study Says at Least Theoretically - Numerically Speaking - We Could Get All US Electricity from Wind Power (Investigate West)

http://invw.org/2010/02/study-at-least-theoretically-numerically-speaking-we-could-get-all-u-s-electricity-from-wind-power/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Seattle Times Op/Ed - Lawmakers Should Bring Back Construction Jobs by Spurring Data-Center Industry

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2011177710_guest25johnson.html?syndication=rss

Wenatchee World Editorial - Data Centers & the Big Refund

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/feb/24/data-centers-and-the-big-refund/

FCC Proposes $16 Billion-Plus for Public Safety Wireless Networks (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14469522

Qwest Hits Users with New ‘Convenience Fees’ - ‘Pay us so you can pay us,’ insists telco (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Qwest-Hits-Users-With-New-Convenience-Fees-107068

AT&T Faster Than Verizon, Sprint in 3G Wireless Performance Test (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2010/02/att-beats-verizon-and-others-in-3g-performance-test/1

Facebook Friends Austin, But It’s Complicated (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/02/25/facebook-friends-austin-but-its-complicated/

GENERAL NEWS

Allyn Bank Robbed a Second Time by the Same Guy (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1447-allyn-bank-robbed-a-second-time-by-the-same-guy-pictures-now-posted

Missing Camper Found Dead in Deschutes River (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/02/24/1150776/missing-camper-found-dead-in-deschutes.html

Highway Three - SR 3 - Belfair Bypass: Alternatives Outreach (Washington State Department of Transportation)

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr3/belfairbypass/

G.M. to Close Hummer After Sale Collapses (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/business/25hummer.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

DIVERSIONS

Icelandic Couple Sued Over ‘Ugly’ Kitchen in NY

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/02/25/financial/f074945S17.DTL&feed=rss.news

Can Social Networking Invite Burglars? Site Shows How Much Personal Information Is Available Online

http://www.kirotv.com/technology/22666563/detail.html

Customer Dubbed Poor Tipper Refused Service

http://www.kirotv.com/money/22655961/detail.html

Man Sues For $25,000 over Hot Dog Injury - Kansas City Royals Mascot Threw Hot Dog

http://www.kirotv.com/sports/22649851/detail.html

140-Year-Old Hot Dog Discovered - Found encased in ice underneath restaurant

http://www.wwlp.com/dpps/news/strange/140-year-old-hot-dog-discovered-jgr_3251637

SONG OF THE DAY

Miles Davis Quartet - My Funny Valentine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS2BUr83O-8