Energy News Digest for March 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)

·         Worker on BPA Project Killed at Hanford

·         Elma Man Electrocuted by Urinating on Power Line

·         Sierra Club Pushes to End Use of Coal; Union Workers Say Jobs Hang in the Balance

·         TransAlta Mine Tax Break for Washington State Power Plant Faces Threat

·         Nuke Waste Delays - Court Awards Energy Northwest $57 Million from DOE

·         Washington State to Intervene in Yucca Mountain Case

·         Montana – Great Falls Area Power Plant Gets OK for Financing

·         Power Pole Repairs Will Result in Large Planned Grays Harbor County Power Outage

·         Pacific Power Offers $3,000 Cash Reward to Catch Wire Thieves

·         High Court Justices Seem Receptive to Skilling’s Claim of Unfair Trial

·         Supreme Court Hears Convicted Enron CEO’s Appeal

·         Skilling Case Latest to Test ‘Honest Services’

·         Nuclear Projects Face Financial Obstacles

·         Minnesota - State Again Considers Ending Ban on New Nuclear Plants

·         Earthquake Prone Japan Sees Green in New Nuclear Power Plants

·         Texas - For Buyout Kingpins, the TXU Utility Deal Gets Tricky

·         Texas Electricity Deregulation Opinions All over the Grid in Industry Panel

·         New Deal Sought on Huge Canadian Power Contract

·         Oklahoma – US Supreme Court Turns Down Energy Company over Taxes

·         Coalition Opposing Marin County Public Power Effort Has Ties to Pacific Gas & Electric

·         California Utility Edison International Says 4Q Profit Fell

·         Agate Passage Net Pens Full of Salmon Again

·         Pneumonia Outbreak Kills Hundreds of Bighorn Sheep in West

·         Scientists Confirm Mismanagement by PG&E is Killing Two Northern California Rivers

·         Governor Gregoire Wants $4.1 Million for Droughts

·         California - Enviro Group Wants End to Damning of Eel River

·         Before You Get Those Solar Panels, They Go Through a Battery of Tests

·         Support for Solar: California Doubles Cap on Credits for Excess Power

·         Wind Farm in the Great Lakes? Big Potential Meets Big Opposition

·         Massachusetts - Decision Time for Salazar on Cape Wind

·         West Texas Breezes Push Wind Power to Set a Record on the Grid

·         Waste Not: Brewing Beer Byproducts into Energy

·         Obama to Pitch “Cash for Caulkers” in Georgia

·         Obama to Spell out Rebates for Energy Efficiency

·         Arizona’s Cash for Appliances to Start Soon

·         Climate Scientists Quizzed by British Lawmakers

·         Expert Says Climate Change Effort Will Take Centuries

·         Study Says Climate Change May Extend Allergy Season

·         Studying White Roofs as a Way to Reduce Urban Heat

·         Spokane Indians - Ball Club Switches to Green Power

·         Iowa – Compressed Air: Underground Drill Tests Begin for Energy Storage Project

·         SF Chronicle Columnist - Generate Renewable Energy on Bay Bridge Span

·         Washington NoaNet Getting $84M in Broadband Stimulus Funds

·         $84 Million Grant to Expand Internet in Washington

·         Secretary Locke Announces Recovery Act Investment in Washington

·         NoaNet Awarded $84M BTOP Grant from NTIA to Expand Broadband

·         Google Bandwagon - Topeka Tries Name Change to Get on Google Map

·         Google Bandwagon - Seattle Fiber Planners Could Learn Something from Louisiana

·         Google Bandwagon - Kalamazoo Campaigns to Lure Google

·         Survey Says Seattle Has Nation’s Fastest 3G Network

·         US to Reveal Rules on Internet Security

·         FCC Afraid to Tackle Open Access

·         US Carriers Are Running out of Growth Options

·         Postal Service’s Emerging Model: Never on Saturday

·         Mason County Fire District 5 to Make Decision on Medic One Purchase Wednesday

·         Mukilteo Utility District Board’s Health Benefit Criticized

WORD OF THE DAY

Didactic • \die-DACK-tick\ • adjective – 1a: designed or intended to teach b: intended to convey instruction & information as well as pleasure & entertainment 2: making moral observations

Danny: “What’s under discussion here is the girl’s feelings. Where is the girl?”

Mobster: “We’re gonna take real good care of you, pal.”

Danny: “I wanna say one thing, and I don’t mean to be didactic or facetious in any manner. She doesn’t love him. She doesn’t love him any more. I know it’s hard to take. Because we all want what we can’t have in life.”

-- Broadway Danny Rose

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

Worker on BPA Project Killed at Hanford (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/03/02/922659/worker-on-bpa-project-killed-at.html

Elma Man Electrocuted by Urinating on Power Line (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011224510_apwaurineelectrocution.html?syndication=rss

Sierra Club Pushes to End Use of Coal; Union Workers Say Jobs Hang in the Balance (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

http://chronline.com/news/article_3f7760b8-2561-11df-873e-001cc4c002e0.html

News Release - TransAlta’s Strip-Mine Tax Break for Washington State Power Plant Faces Threat from Lawmakers (PR Inside)

http://www.pr-inside.com/transalta-s-strip-mine-tax-break-for-r1746900.htm

Nuke Waste Delays - Court Awards Energy Northwest $57 Million from DOE (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/03/02/922342/court-awards-energy-northwest.html

Washington State to Intervene in Yucca Mountain Case (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011227575_apwayuccalawsuit2ndldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Montana – Great Falls Area Power Plant Gets OK for Financing (Billings Gazette, MT)

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_66cc2714-2612-11df-bb48-001cc4c002e0.html

Power Pole Repairs Will Result in Large Planned Grays Harbor County Power Outage (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22713773/detail.html

Pacific Power Offers $3,000 Cash Reward to Catch Wire Thieves (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12064426

High Court Justices Seem Receptive to Skilling’s Claim of Unfair Trial (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14492772

Supreme Court Hears Convicted Enron CEO’s Appeal (Nat’l Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124210422&ft=1&f=2

Skilling Case Latest to Test ‘Honest Services’ (Washington Post – Irony NOT intended)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/01/AR2010030103510.html?wprss=rss_business

Nuclear Projects Face Financial Obstacles (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/01/AR2010030103975.html?nav=rss_email/components

Minnesota - State Again Considers Ending Ban on New Nuclear Plants (Minnesota Public Radio)

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/03/01/nuclear-debate-resumes/

Earthquake Prone Japan Sees Green in New Nuclear Power Plants (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0301/Earthquake-prone-Japan-sees-green-in-new-nuclear-power-plants

Texas - For Buyout Kingpins, the TXU Utility Deal Gets Tricky (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/business/energy-environment/28txu.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Texas Electricity Deregulation Opinions All over the Grid in Industry Panel (Dallas Morning News, TX)

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-deregpanel_28bus.ART.State.Edition1.3cea98b.html

New Deal Sought on Huge Canadian Power Contract (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/03/02/25158.htm

Oklahoma – US Supreme Court Turns Down Energy Company over Taxes (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011223440_apussupremecourtgaslawsuit.html?syndication=rss

Coalition Opposing Marin County Public Power Effort Has Ties to Pacific Gas & Electric (Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA)

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_14480227?nclick_check=1

California Utility Edison International Says 4Q Profit Fell (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/03/01/financial/f100454S66.DTL&feed=rss.business

FISH & WILDLIFE

Agate Passage Net Pens Full of Salmon Again (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/01/agate-passage-net-pens-full-again/

Pneumonia Outbreak Kills Hundreds of Bighorn Sheep in West (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011202606_apnvpneumoniabighorndieoff2ndldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Scientists Confirm Mismanagement by PG&E is Killing Two Northern California Rivers (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=128526

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Governor Gregoire Wants $4.1 Million for Droughts (Associated Press)

http://www.kirotv.com/money/22706709/detail.html

California - Enviro Group Wants End to Damning of Eel River (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2502212~Enviro_group_wants_end_to_damning_of_Eel_River.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Before You Get Those Solar Panels, They Go Through a Battery of Tests (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011204558_bttestlab01.html?syndication=rss

Support for Solar: California Doubles Cap on Credits for Excess Power (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14492960

Wind Farm in the Great Lakes? Big Potential Meets Big Opposition (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0301/Wind-farm-in-the-Great-Lakes-Big-potential-meets-big-opposition.

Massachusetts - Decision Time for Salazar on Cape Wind (Cape Cod Times, MA)

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100302/NEWS/3020310/-1/NEWSMAP

West Texas Breezes Push Wind Power to Set a Record on the Grid (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TX)

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/03/01/2006741/west-texas-breezes-push-wind-power.html

Waste Not: Brewing Beer Byproducts into Energy (Boston Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2010/03/01/story4.html?b=1267419600^2945471

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Obama to Pitch “Cash for Caulkers” in Georgia (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6211C320100302

Obama to Spell out Rebates for Energy Efficiency (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011229149_apusobamaenergyefficiency.html?syndication=rss

Arizona’s Cash for Appliances to Start Soon (KPHO-TV, Phoenix, AZ)

http://www.kpho.com/money/22706039/detail.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Climate Scientists Quizzed by British Lawmakers (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011229386_apeubritainhackedemails.html?syndication=rss

Expert Says Climate Change Effort Will Take Centuries (Las Vegas Sun, NV)

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/02/expert-climate-change-effort-will-take-centuries/

Study Says Climate Change May Extend Allergy Season (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6203YT20100301

Studying White Roofs as a Way to Reduce Urban Heat (Voice of America)

http://www1.voanews.com/learningenglish/home/science-technology/Heart-Disorder-2010-02-22-85823572.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Spokane Indians - Ball Club Switches to Green Power (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/mar/02/ball-club-switches-to-green-power/

Iowa – Compressed Air: Underground Drill Tests Begin for Energy Storage Project (Des Moines Register, IA)

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100302/BUSINESS/3020366/-1/AMES/Underground-drill-tests-begin-for-energy-storage-project

SF Chronicle Columnist - Generate Renewable Energy on Bay Bridge Span

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/01/DDSN1C7TF7.DTL

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington NoaNet Getting $84M in Broadband Stimulus Funds (Puget Sound Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/03/01/daily5.html

$84 Million Grant to Expand Internet in Washington (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011224612_apwabroadbandgrant.html?syndication=rss

Secretary Locke Announces Recovery Act Investment in Washington to Expand Broadband Internet Access & Spur Economic Growth (US Department of Commerce)

http://www.commerce.gov/NewsRoom/PressReleases_FactSheets/PROD01_008957

NoaNet Awarded $84M BTOP Grant from NTIA to Expand Broadband Access to Rural Unserved & Underserved Areas of Washington State (NoaNet)

http://www.noanet.net/BTOP.htm

Google Bandwagon - Topeka Tries Name Change to Get on Google Map (Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/03/01/daily25.html

Google Bandwagon - Seattle Fiber Planners Could Learn Something from Louisiana: Seattle applies for Google fiber, also considers building their own (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Seattle-Fiber-Planners-Could-Learn-Something-From-Louisiana-107127

Google Bandwagon - Kalamazoo Campaigns to Lure Google’s High-Speed, Fiber-Optic System (Kalamazoo Gazette, MI)

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/03/kalamazoo_starts_campaign_to_l.html

Survey Says Seattle Has Nation’s Fastest 3G Network (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Seattle-has-nations-fastest-3G-network-says-survey-85958277.html

US to Reveal Rules on Internet Security (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/science/02cyber.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

FCC Afraid to Tackle Open Access - Blair Levin thinks effort wouldn’t survive incumbent legal assault (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Afraid-To-Tackle-Open-Access-107139

US Carriers Are Running out of Growth Options (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/03/02/u-s-carriers-are-running-out-of-growth-options/

GENERAL NEWS

Postal Service’s Emerging Model: Never on Saturday (NW Cable News)

http://www.nwcn.com/news/Postal-Services-wish-Never-on-Saturday-85951812.html

Mason County Fire District 5 to Make Decision on Medic One Purchase Wednesday (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1489-fire-district-5-to-make-decision-on-medic-one-purchase-wednesday

Mukilteo Utility District Board’s Health Benefit Criticized - Former board member says health coverage commissioners receive overcompensates them for their time (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100301/NEWS01/703019915/-1/RSS02

DIVERSIONS

Orange County Couple Goes to Court for Removing Lawn

http://www.examiner.com/a-2502633~OC_couple_goes_to_court_for_removing_lawn.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

New Song Tonight from “United Breaks Guitars” Guy

http://consumerist.com/2010/03/new-song-tonight-from-united-breaks-guitars-guy.html

Thousands Sign Up for Fake Boston Bridal Show

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22710108/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

The Monkees - Pleasant Valley Sunday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7ICup8O_1M