Energy News Digest for March 24, 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)

·         Avista Seeks 13 Percent Electric Rate Hike

·         Southern Montana Electric Cooperative Holding Four Public Meetings

·         California - Pacific Gas & Electric Proposes Electricity Rate Cut for Some Users

·         Mayor Warns of Bankruptcy if LA City Council Blocks Electricity Rate Hike

·         Nevada - With Summer Approaching, Some Sweating out How to Pay Power Bills

·         North American Grid Operators Assess Impact of Electric Vehicles

·         Venezuela Punishes 80 Firms for Failing to Cut Power Use

·         Tim Weaver, Advocate for Native American Salmon Rights, Succumbs to Colon Cancer

·         Cooler Ocean This Year Means a Little Better Salmon Fishing for All of Us

·         Gresham Outlook Editorial - Smelt Listing Raises Difficult Questions

·         California - Red Bluff Dam Project to Aid Salmon, Farmers

·         $185 Million to Clean Tacoma’s Clean Water

·         City of Centralia Delays Vote in Support of Lewis County Dams & Levees

·         Jefferson County Commissioners Discuss State’s Sewer Line Plans in Brinnon

·         Green Energy Powers Washington State Coastal Community Services

·         Maryland - Endangered Species a Factor in Wind Power

·         Scottish Wind Farm Shut over Safety Fears after 150ft Turbine Blade Falls Off

·         Wisconsin - Neighbors Organize Against Biomass Plant

·         Austin Clean Energy Initiative Unveils Playbook

·         Helena Independent Record Op/Ed - Energy Efficiency Key to Clean Energy Future

·         University of Washington Scientist Thinks Global Warming Will be Worse

·         The Real Climate Scandal - Imagine another IPCC Mistake

·         EPA to Seek More Data on Emissions

·         United Kingdom - Carbon Trading Scheme Raises Cost Threat for Public Sector

·         California Forecast: Green Jobs Not Likely to Fuel Recovery

·         Global Warming as Peacemaker? Disputed Island Disappears Under Rising Sea

·         Data Center Bill Approved by Washington State House, Gives Sales Tax Break

·         Wireless Executives Expect Growing Demand for Mobile Internet

·         Mobile Milestone: Data Surpasses Voice Traffic

·         ‘Hey Google’ Effort to Hold Rally Wednesday in Spokane

·         Niagara County: Officials Hope Google Clicks on Us

·         Illinois - Bringing Google High Speed Internet to Quincy

·         NOAA Review Finds Oregon Still Best Site for Fleet

·         Lumber Demand Expected to Increase

·         Como se Llama? - Salmon Center in Belfair Gets Alpaca Permit

·         City of Olympia Considers More Highway 101 Exits

·         Amid Cloud – Hyer Out; Olympia Council Chooses Buxbaum as Mayor Pro Tem

·         I Carry an Idea Notebook. Maybe You Should, Too

WORD OF THE DAY

Soughing • \SOW-ing – sounds like COW-ing\ • verb – A moaning or sighing sound

The wind whispered through the riotous tropical vegetation, the soughing sounds providing a dark accompaniment to the nearly final words spoken by Kurtz on the dark, mysterious Congo, “the horror, the horror.”

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

Avista Seeks 13 Percent Electric Rate Hike “…for improvements to its dams, transmission systems, distribution lines, & locking in new long-term contracts…” (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/mar/23/avista-seeks-13-percent-electric-rate-hike/

Southern Montana Electric Cooperative Holding Four Public Meetings (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20100323/DC5/3230339

California - Pacific Gas & Electric Proposes Electricity Rate Cut for Some Users (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14747720

Los Angeles City Council Taking Look at Utility Rate Hike (Associated Press – Interesting story, but it the utility increase for water, power or both…the story doesn’t really say…)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/03/23/state/n141132D98.DTL&feed=rss.business

Ah…It IS Electricity - Mayor Warns of Bankruptcy if LA City Council Blocks Electricity Rate Hike (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/03/villaraigosa-warns-of-bankruptcy-if-la-council-blocks-power-rate-hike.html

Nevada - With Summer Approaching, Some Sweating out How to Pay Power Bills (Las Vegas Sun, NV)

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/mar/24/recession-worn-summer-bills-loom/

North American Grid Operators Assess Impact of Electric Vehicles (Electric Light & Power)

http://www.elp.com/index/display/article-display/articles/electric-light-power/renewable-energy/phev/2010/03/North_American_grid_operators_assess_impact_of_electric_vehicles.html

Venezuela Punishes 80 Firms for Failing to Cut Power Use (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2150251320100321

FISH & WILDLIFE

Tim Weaver, Advocate for Native American Salmon Rights, Succumbs to Colon Cancer (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/tim_weaver_advocate_for_native.html

Cooler Ocean This Year Means a Little Better Salmon Fishing for All of Us (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Cooler+ocean+this+year+means+little+better+salmon+fishing/2720085/story.html

Gresham Outlook Editorial - Smelt Listing Raises Difficult Questions

http://www.theoutlookonline.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=126939561246643300

California - Red Bluff Dam Project to Aid Salmon, Farmers (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/24/BA6K1CKB20.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

$185 Million to Clean Tacoma’s Clean Water (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/03/24/1121394/185-million-to-clean-tacomas-clean.html

City of Centralia Delays Vote in Support of Lewis County Dams & Levees (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

http://chronline.com/news/article_3813bdcc-376c-11df-a18d-001cc4c002e0.html

Jefferson County Commissioners Discuss State’s Sewer Line Plans in Brinnon (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=26581

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Green Energy Powers Washington State Coastal Community Services (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/environment/Green-Energy-Powers-Coastal-Community-Services-88960222.html

Maryland - Endangered Species a Factor in Wind Power (Associated Press)

http://www.dailymail.com/ap/ApTopStories/201003230844

Scottish Wind Farm Shut over Safety Fears after 150ft Turbine Blade Falls Off (The Daily Record, UK)

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2010/03/23/scots-wind-farm-shut-after-150ft-turbine-blade-falls-off-86908-22132234/

Wisconsin - Neighbors Organize Against Biomass Plant (Wausau Daily Herald, WI)

http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20100324/CWS03/303240035/-1/WDH03/Neighbors-organize-against-biomass-plant

Austin Clean Energy Initiative Unveils Playbook (The Austin Statesman, TX)

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/clean-energy-initiative-unveils-playbook-438479.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Helena Independent Record Op/Ed - Energy Efficiency Key to Clean Energy Future

http://www.helenair.com/news/opinion/article_934df988-3702-11df-9016-001cc4c002e0.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

University of Washington Scientist Thinks Global Warming Will be Worse (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12190502

The Real Climate Scandal - Imagine another IPCC Mistake. Where’s the outrage when the agency lowballs the threat? (Newsweek Magazine)

http://www.newsweek.com/id/235366?from=rss

EPA to Seek More Data on Emissions (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/science/earth/24epa.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

United Kingdom - Carbon Trading Scheme Raises Cost Threat for Public Sector (The Guardian, UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/carbon-reduction-commitment

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

California Forecast: Green Jobs Not Likely to Fuel Recovery (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2543055~Forecast__Green_jobs_not_likely_to_fuel_recovery.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Global Warming as Peacemaker? Disputed Island Disappears Under Rising Sea. (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0324/Global-warming-as-peacemaker-Disputed-island-disappears-under-rising-sea.

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Data Center Bill Approved by Washington State House, Gives Sales Tax Break - Businesses Eyeing Quincy (The Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/03/24/news/doc4ba9416db3927928078171.txt

Wireless Executives Expect Growing Demand for Mobile Internet (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14741726

Mobile Milestone: Data Surpasses Voice Traffic (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/03/24/mobile-milestone-data-surpasses-voice-traffic/

GA-GA FOR GOOGLE

‘Hey Google’ Effort to Hold Rally Wednesday in Spokane (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/mar/23/hey-google-effort-hold-rally-wednesday/

Niagara County: Officials Hope Google Clicks on Us (Niagara Falls Gazette, NY)

http://niagara-gazette.com/local/x58341686/NIAGARA-COUNTY-Officials-hope-Google-clicks-on-us

Illinois - Bringing Google High Speed Internet to Quincy (KHQA-TV, Quincy, IL)

http://www.connecttristates.com/news/story.aspx?id=433931

GENERAL NEWS

NOAA Review Finds Oregon Still Best Site for Fleet (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/88952817.html

Lumber Demand Expected to Increase (Portland Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/03/22/daily21.html

Como se Llama? - Salmon Center in Belfair Gets Alpaca Permit (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/23/salmon-center-in-belfair-gets-alpaca-permit/?partner=RSS

City of Olympia Considers More Highway 101 Exits (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/24/1182802/olympia-considers-more-exits.html

Amid Cloud – Hyer Out; Olympia Council Chooses Buxbaum as Mayor Pro Tem

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/24/1183272/olympia-council-chooses-buxbaum.html

I Carry an Idea Notebook. Maybe You Should, Too (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/The-Simple-Dollar/2010/0324/I-carry-an-idea-notebook.-Maybe-you-should-too

DIVERSIONS

Bellingham School Cancels Classes for ‘Sun Day’

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12195126

Elusive Monkey Romps in Tampa Bay Area - Has 16,000 Facebook Fans

http://www.kirotv.com/family/22927230/detail.html

Elderly Connecticut Sisters Take Lottery Feud to Court

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/mar/24/elderly-connecticut-sisters-take-lottery-feud-to/

Pricey Seats from Old Yankee Stadium Aren’t the Real Thing, Diehard Fan Says

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/03/24/25830.htm

SONG OF THE DAY

The Beatles - Sun King

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23n7O6cwJis

The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZtQh5EIgWQ