The Energy News Digest: 03/31/10

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Energy News Digest for March 31, 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)

· Why Centralia Matters - Everyone Has a Stake in Washington's Coal Plant

· Clallam economic summit to focus on jobs creation

· Grant County Helps Fund New PUD Substation - For BMW Parts Manufacturer

· Oregon - City of Dalles City Backs Off PUD Fee Hike: Wireless fee could be in city’s future

· California Public Utility Commission Picks Firm to Investigate PG&E Smart Meters

· Los Angeles Leaders to Consider Smaller Electricity Rate Hike

· Wyoming - Rocky Mountain Power Agrees to Trim Rate Increase

· Second Radioactive Substance at Vermont Yankee Nuke Plant

· Fire Reported at Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant

· Calvert Cliffs - New Maryland Nuclear Reactor Depends on Loan Guarantee Constellation

· Nuclear Power: Obama Team Touts Mini-Nukes to Fight Global Warming

· Solar, Wind Power Groups Becoming Prominent Washington Lobbying

· Sea Lions Cause a Stir at Willamette Falls

· California Sport Salmon Fishermen Ready Their Reels

· Field & Stream Columnist - Some Dams Are Better Than Others

· Second Bald Eagle Found Shot Dead in Spokane’s Riverside State Park

· California Sea Otter Population in Decline

· Study Seconds Army's Plans for Hanson Dam

· PUD Commissioners from Clallam, Grays Harbor, Pacific & Mason 3 to Meet With Energy Northwest in Joint Workshop on Radar Ridge Wind Project

· Guest Column: (Radar Ridge) Wind Project Deserves Fair, Timely Review

· Grayland Turbines Go Up to Keep Prices Down

· Check Sequim School Solar Harvest on Web - Photovoltaic Stats Uploaded Live to the Internet

· Washington State Energy Projects Get $16.5M in Stimulus Funds

· Biofuels Company Will Mean New Toppenish Jobs

· Here’s a list of the funded projects, includes in Clark & Pend Oreille Counties

· Gone With the Wind: Capital for

China

’s Turbine Makers

· Michigan - Grand Rapids Community College Will Train Students in Jobs to Manufacture, Maintain Wind Energy Turbines

· Kansas - Big Biomass Plans Sink in Lane County: Prairie Fire plant

· California Solar Projects Rush to Beat Deadline for Subsidies

· Santa Clara County, Cities Team on Renewable Energy Project

· Missouri Considers Animal Waste Gas as Renewable Energy

· Seattle City Light’s “Company Towns” to Get Energy Upgrades

· California - On the Money: Stimulus Funds Going Out of State?

· Ed Begley Says $10 of Insulation Helped Shrink Utility Bills by Half

· Harford Courant Op/Ed - Why Sabotage Effort to Save Energy?

United Kingdom

Panel Calls Climate Data Valid

· Carbon Trading & the Great Recession

· Washington State among First to Get Nissan's New Leaf

· Ford, Microsoft to Work on Electric-Car Charging

· Profit from Backyard 'Green Power' – Feed-In Tariffs & the ‘Great Leap Forward’

· German Film Offers Answers to Gore Climate Concerns

· Plan Would Help Subsidize Access to Broadband

· Verizon iPhone Report Sends Apple Shares to All-Time High

· Verizon, Google Pretend They Don't Want Government Help

· Microsoft, Google in Coalition to Boost 'Cloud' Privacy

· State House Plans to be Back in Session Friday

· State Lawmakers Debrief Bremerton Chamber Members on Special Session

· Once-Underestimated, Sen. Patty Murray is Northwest's Most Powerful Politician

· Asphalt Has Become So Expensive That Some States Are Going Back to Gravel

· Washington Governor Signs $8.5B Transportation Budget

· Once Envied, America's Aging Infrastructure is in Alarming Shape

· Two-Vehicle Crash Injures Tumwater Man, Shelton Teen

· Hate groups, militias on the rise in Washington State

· Thousands May Receive Settlement Money in Indian Trust Lawsuit

· Copper Prices Rise on Improving Economic News

· Washington Wine Industry Tops 650 Wineries

· Costco & the Paradox of Choice

· Remove studded tires by April 11

WORD OF THE DAY

Reprobate • \REP-ruh-bait\ • noun - 1: a person foreordained to damnation *2: a depraved person: scoundrel

“Rooster, you reprobate,” shrilled Miss Hannigan at her hoodlum brother.

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

Why Centralia Matters - Everyone Has a Stake in Washington's Coal Plant (Sightline Daily)

http://daily.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2010/03/30/why-centralia-matters

Clallam economic summit to focus on jobs creation “…the hospital is a big economic driver in Clallam County, & so is the PUD when it comes to infrastructure…” (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100331/news/303319980

Grant County Helps Fund New PUD Substation - For BMW Parts Manufacturer (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/03/30/news/doc4bb275ecf3476219025690.txt

Oregon - City of Dalles City Backs Off PUD Fee Hike: Wireless fee could be in city’s future (The Dalles Chronicle, OR)

http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2010/03/news03-30-10-01.shtml

California Public Utility Commission Picks Firm to Investigate PG&E Smart Meters (San Francisco Business Times)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/03/29/daily37.html

Los Angeles Leaders to Consider Smaller Electricity Rate Hike – Original increase was 37% to pay for green projects (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14784861

Wyoming - Rocky Mountain Power Agrees to Trim Rate Increase (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)

http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_428ffac5-91c0-5829-9674-82749f14c332.html

Second Radioactive Substance at Vermont Yankee Nuke Plant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011482433_apusvermontyankee.html?syndication=rss

Fire Reported at Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant (WECT-TV, Wilmington, NC)

http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=12221607

Calvert Cliffs - New Maryland Nuclear Reactor Depends on Loan Guarantee Constellation (NASDAQ)

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201003291304dowjonesdjonline000317&title=new-maryland-nuclear-reactor-depends-on-loan-guarantee-constellation

Nuclear Power: Obama Team Touts Mini-Nukes to Fight Global Warming (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0330/Nuclear-power-Obama-team-touts-mini-nukes-to-fight-global-warming

Solar, Wind Power Groups Becoming Prominent Washington Lobbying (Open Secrets)

http://209.190.229.100/news/2010/03/solar-wind-power-becoming-prominent.html

FISH, WATER & WILDLIFE

Sea Lions Cause a Stir at Willamette Falls - Officials will try to scare the massive mammals with explosives (Oregon City News, OR)

http://www.oregoncitynewsonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=126997866815858600

California Sport Salmon Fishermen Ready Their Reels (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011481319_apcadisappearingsalmon1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Field & Stream Columnist - Some Dams Are Better Than Others

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/where-fish-trout/2010/03/deeter-some-dams-are-better-others

Second Bald Eagle Found Shot Dead in Spokane’s Riverside State Park (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/mar/31/in-brief-second-bald-eagle-found-shot-dead/

California Sea Otter Population in Decline (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2554540~Sea_otter_population_in_decline.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Study Seconds Army's Plans for Hanson Dam (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/89564952.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

PUD Commissioners from Clallam, Grays Harbor, Pacific & Mason 3 to Meet With Energy Northwest in Joint Workshop on Radar Ridge Wind Project (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=702

Guest Column: (Radar Ridge) Wind Project Deserves Fair, Timely Review (Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA)

http://www.chinookobserver.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=33428

Grayland Turbines Go Up to Keep Prices Down (Chinook Observer, Long Beach, WA)

http://www.chinookobserver.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=33434

Check Sequim School Solar Harvest on Web - Photovoltaic Stats Uploaded Live to the Internet (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100331/news/303319986

Washington State Energy Projects Get $16.5M in Stimulus Funds (Puget Sound Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/03/29/daily14.html

Biofuels Company Will Mean New Toppenish Jobs (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/03/30/biofuels-company-will-mean-new-toppenish-jobs

Here’s a list of the funded projects, includes in Clark & Pend Oreille Counties (Links to PDF File)

http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/SEP_Projects.pdf

Gone With the Wind: Capital for

China

’s Turbine Makers (Wall Street Journal)

http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/03/31/gone-with-the-wind-capital-for-chinas-turbine-makers/

Michigan - Grand Rapids Community College Will Train Students in Jobs to Manufacture, Maintain Wind Energy Turbines (Grand Rapids Press, MI)

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/03/grand_rapids_community_college_38.html

Kansas - Big Biomass Plans Sink in Lane County: Prairie Fire plant, designed to boost economy, has officially closed down (Trading Markets)

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/fsce_big-biomass-plans-sink-in-lane-county-prairie-fire-plant-designed-to-boost-economy-has-officially-882555.html

California Solar Projects Rush to Beat Deadline for Subsidies (

USA

Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2010-03-31-californiasolar31_CV_N.htm?csp=34

Santa Clara County, Cities Team on Renewable Energy Project (Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/03/29/daily29.html

Missouri Considers Animal Waste Gas as Renewable Energy (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011482418_apmoxgrmethanepower.html?syndication=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Seattle City Light’s “Company Towns” to Get Energy Upgrades (Puget Sound Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/03/29/daily21.html

California - On the Money: Stimulus Funds Going Out of State? Millions Could be Going to Oregon (KOVR-TV, Sacramento, CA)

http://cbs13.com/onthemoney/on.the.money.2.1600825.html

Ed Begley Says $10 of Insulation Helped Shrink Utility Bills by Half (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/03/29/1127639/ed-begley-says-10-of-insulation.html

Harford Courant Op/Ed - Why Sabotage Effort to Save Energy?

http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-lopez-trinity-energy-saving.artmar31,0,4245119.story

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

United Kingdom

Panel Calls Climate Data Valid (Associated Press)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/31/science/earth/31climate.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Carbon Trading & the Great Recession (NY Times)

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/carbon-trading-and-the-great-recession/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Washington State among First to Get Nissan's New Leaf (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/0/13/1630411/Top.Stories/State.Among.First.to.Get.Nissan’s.New..Leaf

Ford, Microsoft to Work on Electric-Car Charging (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011487820_apusfordelectricity.html?syndication=rss

Profit from Backyard 'Green Power' – Feed-In Tariffs & the ‘Great Leap Forward’ (Money Week)

http://www.moneyweek.com/investments/commodities/profit-from-backyard-green-power-01305.aspx

German Film Offers Answers to Gore Climate Concerns (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62U1TR20100331

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Plan Would Help Subsidize Access to Broadband (Nat’l Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125361296&ft=1&f=2

Verizon iPhone Report Sends Apple Shares to All-Time High (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2553203~Verizon_report_sends_Apple_shares_to_all_time_high.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Verizon, Google Pretend They Don't Want Government Help - Push publicly for limited government, privately for regulation of one another (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Verizon-Google-Pretend-They-Dont-Want-Government-Help-107643

Microsoft, Google in Coalition to Boost 'Cloud' Privacy (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011483055_netprivacy31.html

GOVERNANCE & POLITICS

State House Plans to be Back in Session Friday (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/30/1190293/state-house-plans-to-be-back-in.html

State Lawmakers Debrief Bremerton Chamber Members on Special Session (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/30/state-lawmakers-debrief-chamber-members-on/?partner=RSS

Once-Underestimated, Sen. Patty Murray is Northwest's Most Powerful Politician (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/03/once-underestimated_sen_patty.html

Asphalt Has Become So Expensive That Some States Are Going Back to Gravel (Kiplinger)

http://www.kiplinger.com/businessresource/forecast/archive/states-will-use-gravel-for-roads-less-traveled.html