Energy News Digest for March 9, 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)

·         Cowlitz County - Wind Gusts Cut Power to Nearly 1,100 PUD Customers

·         Power Lines Trap WA School Bus; Kids Escorted Off

·         Budget Approved in State Senate Repeals TransAlta Tax Breaks

·         Regulated Energy Companies Rise to Top of Consumer Complaint List

·         Complaints Against Regulated Wash. Energy Firms Up 35% in ‘09

·         Conserve to Save the Snowpack

·         Oregon State Professor Wants to Help Power a Nuclear Renaissance

·         North Dakota - Tied to a Big Stone: Shelved Power Plant May Cost Ratepayers Millions

·         Zombie Power: Abandoned Nuclear Projects Rise from Their 1970’s Graves

·         California - Probe of Pacific Gas & Electric Meters to Begin Soon

·         North Carolina - Utility Customers Say Their Heating Bills Are Outrageous

·         Sea Lions Killed for Eating Too Many Salmon

·         Group Sues to Put Grouse on Endangered List

·         South Puget Sound - Gray Whale Spends Day in Budd Inle

·         Snowpack Concerns Keep Piling Up

·         Statewide Snowpack 70 Percent of Average

·         Green River - Corps of Engineers Slowly Filling Hanson Dam

·         Lewis County PUD Explores Solar Power from Moses Lake Plant

·         For Idaho Plant - Hoku Materials Gets Rest of $50M Loan

·         Wind School - Columbia Gorge Program Beginning to Catch Air

·         Plentiful Great Plains Power Blows in Opponents from All Corners

·         Baltimore Sun Op/Ed - The Fantasy of Wind Power for Maryland

·         Ohio Missed out on Solar Industry Job

·         Solar Industry Learns Lessons in Spanish Sun

·         Texan Promotes Wood Waste for Generating Power

·         Florida – Electric Cooperative’s Extra Charges for ‘Green’ Customers Don’t Add Up

·         Greenbacks for Green Appliances

·         Legislative Analyst: California Greenhouse Gas Law Could Cost Some Jobs

·         Global Warming Doubts Could Hamper Climate Legislation

·         Oregon Nearly Whiffs on Green Tech List

·         Greenpeace Activists Arrested in DC Senate Building

·         North Mason Chamber to Bring National Speakers to Social Networking Conference

·         SF Chronicle Op/Ed - Increased Access to Broadband Vital to Growth

·         Christian Science Monitor Editorial - FCC Broadband Plan: It Must Spur Competition

·         Broadband Too Pricey? There May be Options

·         Consumers in the Dark over Their Broadband Speeds

·         100Mbps Broadband May be Closer Than You Think

·         Net a “Fundamental Right,” Four out of Five Say

·         The Crazy Things Cities Do to Get Broadband from Google

·         Google, Search No More. Greensboro Is Here for You

·         Tempe Aims to be Test Location for Google’s Ultra-High Speed Internet

·         Video - Shelton Winery (Walter Dacon) Says Twitter Has Boosted Business

·         Boeing Sole Bidder for Tanker Contract after EADS Drops Out

·         Aerospace Tax Breaks Often Left Unclaimed in Washington

·         Washington House Approves $680M Package of Tax Hikes

·         Tax-Package Deal Could Extend Legislative Session, Lawmakers Say

·         Thurston County Hiker Dies in Olympic National Forest

·         Innocent Plea Entered - Lawyer suggests Olympia Council Member Entrapped

·         New Principal Hired for North Mason High School

WORD OF THE DAY

Somnambulism • \sawm-NAMB-yuh-liz-zum\ • noun – An abnormal condition of sleep in which motor acts (as walking) are performed

The show was about to begin. The lights dimmed, the darkness only enhanced by the red glow from the digital alarm clock on the bedside table. Doreen was initially amused by the display of somnambulism that was performed nightly by her new husband, Walter. As time went on, however, his nightly raucous, sleep-walking performance of Gershwin’s “Fascinating Rhythm” understandably started to lose its luster.

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

Cowlitz County - Wind Gusts Cut Power to Nearly 1,100 PUD Customers (The Daily News, Longview, WA)

http://www.tdn.com/news/local/article_a2085818-2b15-11df-8a00-001cc4c03286.html

Power Lines Trap WA School Bus; Kids Escorted Off (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/08/1165646/power-lines-trap-wa-school-bus.html

Budget Approved in State Senate Repeals TransAlta Tax Breaks; Bill Moves to House (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

http://chronline.com/news/article_fc151e56-2ae6-11df-ad21-001cc4c03286.html

Regulated Energy Companies Rise to Top of Consumer Complaint List - Complaints against telephone companies drop to second (Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission)

http://www.wutc.wa.gov/webimage.nsf/0/8C0486D8CBAEB81D882576E00062317C

Complaints Against Wash. Energy Firms Up 35% in ‘09 (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/mar/09/complaints-against-wash-energy-firms-35-09/

Conserve to Save the Snowpack (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

http://www.kpq.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1920

Oregon State Professor Wants to Help Power a Nuclear Renaissance (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/03/oregon_state_professor_wants_t.html

North Dakota - Tied to a Big Stone: Shelved Power Plant May Cost Ratepayers Millions (Bismarck Tribune, ND)

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_21ace140-29a1-11df-abe8-001cc4c002e0.html

Zombie Power: Abandoned Nuclear Projects Rise from Their 1970’s Graves (Tree Hugger)

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/03/zombie-power-abandoned-nuclear-projects-rise-from-their-1970s-graves.php

California - Probe of Pacific Gas & Electric Meters to Begin Soon (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2515724~Probe_of_PG_E_meters_to_begin_soon.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

North Carolina - Utility Customers Say Their Heating Bills Are Outrageous (News & Observer, Raleigh, NC)

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/03/05/371177/utility-customers-say-their-heating.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Sea Lions Killed for Eating Too Many Salmon (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011289058_apussealiondeathwarrants1stldwritethru.html

Group Sues to Put Grouse on Endangered List (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/03/08/1110011/marvel-group-sues-to-put-grouse.html

South Puget Sound - Gray Whale Spends Day in Budd Inlet (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/09/1165729/gray-whale-spends-day-in-budd.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Snowpack Concerns Keep Piling Up (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/blog/crosscut/19383/

Statewide Snowpack 70 Percent of Average (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/mar/09/statewide-snowpack-70-percent-average/

Green River - Corps of Engineers Slowly Filling Hanson Dam (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011296080_apwavalleyinperil.html?syndication=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Lewis County PUD Explores Solar Power from Moses Lake Plant (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?Lewis-County-PUD-Explores-Solar-Power-fr=1&blockID=193343&feedID=410

For Idaho Plant - Hoku Materials Gets Rest of $50M Loan (Pacific Business News, Honolulu)

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2010/03/08/daily9.html

Wind School - Columbia Gorge Program Beginning to Catch Air (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/03/07/wind-school-columbia-gorge-program-beginning-to-catch-air

Plentiful Great Plains Power Blows in Opponents from All Corners (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/03/08/08climatewire-plentiful-great-plains-power-blows-in-oppone-78112.html

Baltimore Sun Op/Ed - The Fantasy of Wind Power for Maryland

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.wind0306,0,4617488.story

Ohio Missed out on Solar Industry Job (Mansfield News-Journal, OH)

http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/article/20100308/UPDATES01/100308006

Solar Industry Learns Lessons in Spanish Sun (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/business/energy-environment/09solar.html

Texan Promotes Wood Waste for Generating Power (KTRK, Houston, TX)

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/state&id=7316217&rss=rss-ktrk-article-7316217

Florida – Electric Cooperative’s Extra Charges for ‘Green’ Customers Don’t Add Up: At best, company’s policy sends out the wrong signal (Fort Meyers News Press, FL)

http://www.news-press.com/article/20100309/COLUMNISTS40/3090343/1002/NEWS01

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Greenbacks for Green Appliances (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/08/greenbacks-for-green-appliances/?partner=RSS

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Legislative Analyst: California Greenhouse Gas Law Could Cost Some Jobs (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/09/2592865/legislative-analyst-california.html

Global Warming Doubts Could Hamper Climate Legislation (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2010/0308/Global-warming-doubts-could-hamper-climate-legislation

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Oregon Nearly Whiffs on Green Tech List - Oregon may not be as green as some people think (Portland Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/03/08/daily16.html

Greenpeace Activists Arrested in DC Senate Building (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2011289231_apusprotestmurkowski.html?syndication=rss

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

North Mason Chamber to Bring National Speakers to Social Networking Conference

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/08/north-mason-chamber-signs-national-speakers-bigfoo/?partner=RSS

SF Chronicle Op/Ed - Increased Access to Broadband Vital to Growth

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/09/EDO61CCKNM.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

Christian Science Monitor Editorial - FCC Broadband Plan: It Must Spur Competition

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2010/0308/FCC-broadband-plan-It-must-spur-competition

Broadband Too Pricey? There May be Options (Nat’l Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124464005&ft=1&f=2

Consumers in the Dark over Their Broadband Speeds (Nat’l Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124455624&ft=1&f=2

100Mbps Broadband May be Closer Than You Think (C/NET News)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-10465098-266.html

Net a “Fundamental Right,” Four out of Five Say (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/03/07/net-a-fundamental-right-four-out-of-five-say/

GOOGLE BANDWAGON

The Crazy Things Cities Do to Get Broadband from Google (Paid Content)

http://paidcontent.org/article/419-the-crazy-things-cities-do-to-get-broadband-from-google/

Google, Search No More. Greensboro Is Here for You (Greensboro News & Record, NC)

http://www.news-record.com/content/2010/03/09/article/google_search_no_more_greensboro_is_here_for_you

Tempe Aims to be Test Location for Google’s Ultra-High Speed Internet (The State Press, Tempe, AZ)

http://www.statepress.com/2010/03/08/tempe-aims-to-be-test-location-for-google%E2%80%99s-ultra-high-speed-internet/

GENERAL NEWS

Shelton Winery (Walter Dacon) Says Twitter Has Boosted Business (Video – KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/video/22780889/index.html

Boeing Sole Bidder for Tanker Contract After EADS Drops out (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/money/22785829/detail.html

Aerospace Tax Breaks Often Left Unclaimed in Washington (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100308/BIZ/703089966/-1/rss03

Washington House Approves $680M Package of Tax Hikes (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Wash-House-approves-680M-package-of-tax-hikes-87110122.html

Tax-Package Deal Could Extend Legislative Session, Lawmakers Say (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011292938_olympia09m.html?syndication=rss

Thurston County Hiker Dies in Olympic National Forest (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/09/1166190/thurston-county-hiker-dies-in.html

Innocent Plea Entered - Lawyer suggests Olympia Council Member Entrapped (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/09/1166183/lawyer-suggests-joe-hyer-entrapped.html

New Principal Hired for North Mason High School (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/09/new-principal-hired-for-north-mason-high-school/?partner=RSS

DIVERSIONS

Verizon Bills the Dead, Laughs at Relative

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Verizon-Bills-The-Dead-Laughs-At-Relative-107239

For Sympathy & Money - Woman Admits to Faking Breast Cancer

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22785887/detail.html

NZ Woman Sells ‘Bottled Ghosts’ at Auction - ‘Souls’ Fetch $1,983 in Online Auction

http://www.kirotv.com/money/22781554/detail.html

Couple Returns Home, Finds Family of Strangers Living Inside (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/87093742.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Mel Torme - Fascinating Rhythm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2eUF3sPL_w