Energy News Digest for March 4, 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)

·         Autopsy Shows Elma Man Was Electrocuted Through Hand, Not Urine

·         Idaho Power Co. Raises Rates for Oregon Customers

·         Oregon - Pacific Power Seeks 20 Percent Hike in Electricity Rates

·         Seattle City Light Rates to Go Up, Thanks to El Nino

·         Juanita Neighbors, Puget Sound Energy at Odds over Health Risks from Power Lines

·         Detroit - Illegal Power Hookup Resumed Hours before Fatal Fire

·         Detroit - Second Illegal Hookup Restored Power Just Before Fatal Fire

·         Greenpeace Admits Using ‘Dirty’ Power

·         Forbes Columnist - Utility Grid Battle Breaks Open, Threatening Wind Development

·         Vermont - Town Finds Good Neighbor in Nuclear Plant

·         Study Says Hydropower in the United States Has Potential to Quadruple Capacity

·         Philippines - Power Cuts from Drought Will Hit Manila

·         Natural Gas Levels Drop Less Than Expected

·         New York - Westchester Snowstorm Is Bonanza for Tree Removers

·         Sea Lion Put to Death as Trapping Begins Again

·         Good Columbia River Chinook Returns

·         Black Market Caviar Tempts Columbia River Sturgeon Poachers

·         State Targets Rochester Landowner’s Pocket Gopher Battle

·         Inspector Says US Fishery Officer Shredded Documents

·         Mason PUD 1 Says Union Ridge Water Customers Need to Conserve

·         Snow a Bit Scarce, But Reservoirs OK

·         Olympian Editorial – Flooding: Time for Action in Chehalis River Valley

·         California - Water Supply: So Far, Snow Good

·         Idaho - Tribe, Feds Sue Mine for Massive Pollution

·         Lakewood Hydrants May Cost City

·         Blades Arrive for Coastal Community Action Program’s Grayland Wind Energy Project

·         Wyoming to Tax Wind Power as Many States Court Clean Energy

·         Gasification Plant to be Built at Oregon Landfill

·         Montana - County Pitches Biomass Energy Projects

·         Democratic Senators Say Stimulus is Aiding Clean-Energy Jobs Overseas

·         Will US Companies be Shut out of Clean-Tech Markets by China & Other Competitors?

·         Questions Swirl around Wind-Jobs Studies

·         Study Says Wind Energy Keeps Iowa Power Costs Down – How?

·         Solar Panels Are Not Fashion Accessories

·         Florida - Test Plant Powered by Horse Manure

·         Oregonian Op/Ed - Energy Efficiency: The Key to Our Clean Energy Future

·         Going Green on a Tight Budget Gets a Boost in Portland

·         Google Opens PowerMeter to Energy Monitors

·         California Drops ‘Carbon Credits for Clearcuts’

·         CO2 Projects Suffer in ‘Unstable’ Market, Baker & McKenzie Says

·         Darwin Foes Add Warming to Targets

·         Nissan Ready for Electric Vehicle Offensive

·         Biomass Brouhaha – California Complaints about Wood Fires on No-Burn Days Up

·         Solar Energy With Jewel-Like Curtains on Windows

·         Seattle #3, Portland #10 - America’s Most Wired Cities

·         Interactive: America’s Most Wired Cities

·         Port Angeles Paying for Internet at Building With No Computers

·         Data, Data Everywhere - Information Has Gone from Scarce to Superabundant

·         Yahoo CEO Indicates Turnaround Could Take Years

·         Analyst Says FCC Simply Unwilling to Stand Up to Major Carriers

·         Time Warner Cable: We Raise Broadband Rates Because We Can

·         Getting the Most out of Twitter

·         Google Bandwagon - Bainbridge Joins Pursuit of Google Broadband Network

·         Google Bandwagon – Delaware, Ohio Hopes It Can Woo Google ‘Experiment’

·         State Traffic Fatalities Lowest in More Than 50 Years

·         Mason FD 5 Fire District Seeks More Information before Deciding on Medic One Purchase

·         Public Radio Poll Says 64% Washingtonians Oppose Democrats’ Suspension of I-960

·         WA Farmers Say Killing Tax Exemption Could Drive Them out of Business

·         TV Industry Faces Massive LED Shortage

WORD OF THE DAY

Exigent • \ECK-suh-jent\ • adjective – 1: requiring immediate aid or action 2: requiring or calling for much

“Jobs are on the line,” bellowed the attendee at the public meeting. “The inability to get enough energy supply has created exigent circumstances. We need that power to melt our plastics for the production of professional grade tiddlywinks products for the upcoming pro-am season!” The Chinese delegation, sitting on a tiddlywink chip surplus, was inscrutable.

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

Autopsy Shows Elma Man Was Electrocuted Through Hand, Not Urine (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011254559_apwaurineelectrocution.html?syndication=rss

Idaho Power Co. Raises Rates for Oregon Customers - Residential customers will pay 26 percent more, & irrigators 27.9 percent more (Baker City Herald, OR)

http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Idaho-Power-Co-raises-rates-for-Oregon-customers

Oregon - Pacific Power Seeks 20 Percent Hike in Electricity Rates (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/03/pacific_power_seeks_20_percent_1.html

Seattle City Light Rates to Go Up, Thanks to El Nino (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Seattle-City-Light-rates-to-go-up-thanks-to-El-Nino-86344897.html

Juanita Neighbors, Puget Sound Energy at Odds over Health Risks from Power Lines (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/sound/416140_sound85914592.html?source=rss

Detroit - Illegal Power Hookup Resumed Hours before Fatal Fire (Detroit Free Press, MI)

http://www.freep.com/article/20100303/NEWS01/100303011/1003/news01/Illegal-power-reconnected-before-fatal-fire

Detroit - Second Illegal Hookup Restored Power Just Before Fatal Fire - Detroit authorities investigating cause (Detroit Free Press, MI)

http://www.freep.com/article/20100304/NEWS01/3040410/1320/2nd-hookup-restored-power-before-fatal-fire

Greenpeace Admits Using ‘Dirty’ Power - Greenpeace has admitted that its hosting operations are powered by coal & nuclear power (E-Week, Europe)

http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/greenpeace-admits-using-coal-and-nuclear-power-for-hosting-op-5667

Forbes Columnist - Utility Grid Battle Breaks Open, Threatening Wind Development

http://blogs.forbes.com/energysource/2010/03/04/utility-grid-battle-breaks-open-threatening-wind-development/

Vermont - Town Finds Good Neighbor in Nuclear Plant (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/us/04vernon.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Study Says Hydropower in the United States Has Potential to Quadruple Capacity (Hydro World)

http://www.hydroworld.com/index/display/article-display/3684751663/articles/hrhrw/News-2/2010/02/hydropower-in_the.html

Philippines - Power Cuts from Drought Will Hit Manila (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/world/asia/05phils.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Natural Gas Levels Drop Less Than Expected (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011254324_apusnaturalgasstorage.html?syndication=rss

New York - Westchester Snowstorm Is Bonanza for Tree Removers (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/nyregion/04tree.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Sea Lion Put to Death as Trapping Begins Again (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.katu.com/news/local/86312762.html

Good Columbia River Chinook Returns Should Create Decent Opportunities off the Coast this Summer (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2011248289_good_columbia_river_chinook_re.html?syndication=rss

Black Market Caviar Tempts Columbia River Sturgeon Poachers (KATU-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.katu.com/outdoors/fishhunt/86291767.html

State Targets Rochester Landowner’s Pocket Gopher Battle - Man accused of illegal trapping (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/04/1159879/state-targets-landowners-gopher.html

Inspector Says US Fishery Officer Shredded Documents (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/03/03/financial/f153719S33.DTL&feed=rss.business

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason PUD 1 Says Union Ridge Water Customers Need to Conserve (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1507-union-ridge-water-customers-need-to-conserve

Snow a Bit Scarce, But Reservoirs OK (Baker City Herald, OR)

http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Snow-a-bit-scarce-but-reservoirs-OK

Olympian Editorial – Flooding: Time for Action in Chehalis River Valley

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/04/1159926/time-for-action-in-chehalis-river.html

California - Water Supply: So Far, Snow Good (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/04/MN8G1CA972.DTL&feed=rss.news

Idaho - Tribe, Feds Sue Mine for Massive Pollution (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/03/04/25242.htm

Lakewood Hydrants May Cost City - Water District seeks compensation for maintenance based on state court decision (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/03/04/1095311/lakewood-hydrants-may-cost-city.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Turbine Blades Arrive for Coastal Community Action Program’s Grayland Wind Energy Project (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/03/03/local_news/doc4b8ec6cf4a659227757991.txt

Wyoming to Tax Wind Power as Many States Court Clean Energy (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/03/wyoming-taxes-wind-power-as-other-states-court-renewable-energy/1

Gasification Plant to be Built at Oregon Landfill (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011254917_aporlandfillplant.html?syndication=rss

Montana - County Pitches Biomass Energy Projects (Independent Record, Helena, MT)

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3917199

Democratic Senators Say Stimulus is Aiding Clean-Energy Jobs Overseas (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/03/AR2010030302764.html?wprss=rss_business

Will US Companies be Shut out of Clean-Tech Markets by China & Other Competitors? (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/04/04climatewire-will-us-companies-be-shut-out-of-clean-tech-68154.html

Questions Swirl around Wind-Jobs Studies (Chicago Tribune, IL)

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2010/03/questions_swirl_around_windjob.html

Study Says Wind Energy Keeps Iowa Power Costs Down – How? (Associated Press)

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/03/03/business-financial-impact-us-iowa-wind-study_7404019.html

Solar Panels Are Not Fashion Accessories - Economies of scale in manufacturing are causing rapid reductions in costs & solar energy has a bright future (The Guardian, UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/03/solar-panel-workable-future

Florida - Test Plant Powered by Horse Manure (Tampa Bay Tribune, FL)

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/mar/01/na-test-plant-powered-by-horse-manure/news-metro/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Oregonian Op/Ed - Energy Efficiency: The Key to Our Clean Energy Future

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/03/energy_efficiency_the_key_to_o.html

Going Green on a Tight Budget Gets a Boost in Portland (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen/2010/03/going_green_on_a_tight_budget.html

Google Opens PowerMeter to Energy Monitors (C/NET News)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10463387-54.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California Drops ‘Carbon Credits for Clearcuts’ (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/03/04/25251.htm

CO2 Projects Suffer in ‘Unstable’ Market, Baker & McKenzie Says (Business Week)

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-03/co2-projects-suffer-in-unstable-market-baker-mckenzie-says.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Darwin Foes Add Warming to Targets (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/science/earth/04climate.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Nissan Ready for Electric Vehicle Offensive (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14505058

Biomass Brouhaha – California Complaints about Wood Fires on No-Burn Days Up (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2506470~Complaints_about_wood_fires_on_no_burn_days_up.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Solar Energy With Jewel-Like Curtains on Windows (Associated Press)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jqsLA7dApWtRn1BGIdi4eWLipMEwD9E7MVL80

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Seattle #3, Portland #10 - America’s Most Wired Cities (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/02/broadband-wifi-telecom-technology-cio-network-wiredcities.html?boxes=Homepagechannels

Interactive: America’s Most Wired Cities (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/02/broadband-wifi-telecom-technology-cio-network-wiredcities-map.html

Port Angeles Paying for Internet at Building With No Computers - close to $15,000 spent over 7 years (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100304/news/303049992

Data, Data Everywhere - Information Has Gone from Scarce to Superabundant (Economist Magazine)

http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15557443

Yahoo CEO Indicates Turnaround Could Take Years (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/03/02/financial/f152327S48.DTL&feed=rss.business

Analyst Says FCC Simply Unwilling to Stand Up to Major Carriers (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Analyst-FCC-Simply-Unwilling-To-Stand-Up-To-Major-Carriers-107192

Time Warner Cable: We Raise Broadband Rates Because We Can (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Time-Warner-Cable-We-Raise-Broadband-Rates-Because-We-Can-107197

Getting the Most out of Twitter (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/technology/04basics.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Google Bandwagon - Bainbridge Joins Pursuit of Google Broadband Network (Bainbridge Island Review, WA)

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/bir/news/86253587.html

Google Bandwagon – Delaware, Ohio hopes it can woo Google ‘experiment’ (Delaware News, OH)

http://www.snponline.com/articles/2010/03/03/multiple_papers/news/alldegoogl_20100303_0529pm_4.txt

GENERAL NEWS

State Traffic Fatalities Lowest in More Than 50 Years (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/416151_traffic03.html?source=rss

Mason FD 5 Fire District Seeks More Information before Deciding on Medic One Purchase (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1510-fire-district-commissioners-need-more-accurate-information-before-deciding-on-medic-one-purchase

Public Radio Poll Says 64% Washingtonians Oppose Democrats’ Suspension of I-960 (Oregon Public Radio)

http://news.opb.org/article/6831-public-radio-poll-64-oppose-democrats-suspension-i-960/

WA Farmers Say Killing Tax Exemption Could Drive Them out of Business (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/WA-farmers-say-killing-tax-exemption-could-drive-them-out-of-business-86280182.html

TV Industry Faces Massive LED Shortage (NY Times)

http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/tv-industry-faces-massive-led-shortage/?partner=rss&emc=rss

DIVERSIONS

Audio Indicates Kid Directed Planes at NY Airport

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011239330_apuschildairtraffic.html?syndication=rss

UW Class Tests Flight of Helium-Filled Football

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/03/1159092/uw-class-tests-flight-of-helium.html

It’s Time to Get Your Zoo Doo

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=292720

Aggressive Hawk Steals Hat, Attacks Woman

http://www.kirotv.com/family/22734876/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Happy Birthday Vivaldi: John Williams - Lute D Major Concerto

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