Energy News Digest for April 12, 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)

·         Lawmakers Will Have Say on Centralia Coal Plant

·         Vancouver Columbian Editorial - Cleaner Air: Portland General Electric Takes a Step in the Right Direction

·         Covington Reporter Op/Ed - Hydropower the Key to Washington State’s Future

·         News Tribune Columnist - Cheap Power Can be Magnet for Industries

·         Ontario Green Power Plan Sparks Cost Concerns

·         Toronto Star Editorial - Ontario’s Green Energy, at a Price

·         Stormwater Bill Pits City of Vancouver Versus Bonneville Power Administration

·         Bainbridge, Puget Sound Energy Still at Odds over Need for Second Substation

·         Washington State Smart-Grid Training Programs Get $11 Million

·         Unintended Consequences – Pacific Gas & Electric’s New Rates Could Help Marin Green Power

·         State on the Hook for $768 for Every Salmon Caught in Puget Sound

·         Tribes Help Haze Sea Lions to Save Salmon on Columbia

·         Seals, Sea Lions Devastating West Coast Salmon Runs

·         Will Dam Removal Return Salmon to the Elwha River?

·         Low Flows Likely to Result in Less Water Spilled to Help Salmon Passage at Bonneville Dam

·         Vancouver Columbian Op/Ed - Local View: Protect Fish to Protect Fisheries

·         Seattle Times Op/Ed - Dams, Dikes & Dredging: Can We ‘Fix’ Our Rivers?

·         Wallace River Hatchery Helps Recreational Fishing Live on

·         Squid Invasion Hitting Oregon Coast & Scientists Are Concerned

·         Orcas Attack Gray Whale in Puget Sound

·         California Gray Whale-Watchers Fear Dip in Population

·         British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest Threatened by Power Project, Say Critics

·         Water Rights at Issue - Ecology Withdraws Appeal of Proposed Brewster Development

·         Snowpack Well above Normal in Olympics - 132 percent of normal

·         Sewer Fight: King County, Contractor Squabble over $48 Million

·         Los Angeles Billionaires Sued over California Water Sales

·         Nuts! Desert Squirrels Bury Large Solar Project

·         Neighborhoods Often Slow to Accept Solar Panels on Homes

·         Edison Blankets Warehouse Roofs with Solar Panels

·         Dow Jones Plans Large Solar System for Its New Jersey Campus

·         Water Power via Canals Hearkens to Phoenix’s Past

·         Duke Study Says Energy Efficiency Would Save $41B, Create 380,000 Jobs

·         Taking the LEED in Housing

·         Energy-Saving Tips - Change Your Bulbs

·         GE Unveils New LED Bulb - 17 Year Life Span & $50 Price Tag

·         How to Motivate People to Make Homes Energy-Efficient

·         Supreme Court Fight Adds Confusion to Senate Climate Effort

·         Cantwell - Cash for Climate

·         How Costly Is Building a Green Economy?

·         Are Oysters a Vegan-Friendly Food?

·         Satellite Broadband Users Reach 1 Million - And most of them wish they weren’t

·         Intel’s New Fiber-Optic Connector to Speed Up Downloads

·         Cyber Attacks: The Next Big Security Threat?

·         Legislature Heads toward Special Session Finish

·         Local Legislators Report on Current Session – Sheldon Praises ADAGE Project

·         Olympia City Council Member Hyer Will Quit

·         Pension Promises Threaten California Cities, Counties

·         Microsoft Accounts for 13.6 Percent of Washington State Economy

·         Small Plane Lands on I-5 near Kalama

·         Severe Defects Force Demolition of Nine-Year-Old Seattle Highrise

·         150 Collisions Caused by Cell Phone Use in Tri-Cities

·         Chehalis River Barges - Satsop Business Shipping Tanks to Alaska

·         Contented California Cows to Flee? States Woo Calif. Dairymen with Less Regulation

WORD OF THE DAY

Diametric • \die-uh-MET-trick\ • Adjective - 1: of, relating to, or constituting a diameter: located at the diameter 2: completely opposed: being at opposite extremes

Derwood had a dizzying intellect…and not in a good way. “I am diametrically opposed to your opposition to my opposition to my opposition,” he blustered to his opposing candidate for the school board. Predictably, Derwood lost the election by a large margin.

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

Lawmakers Will Have Say on Centralia Coal Plant - Task force to seek reduced emissions (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/04/12/1203194/lawmakers-will-have-say-on-coal.html

Vancouver Columbian Editorial - Cleaner Air: Portland General Electric Takes a Step in the Right Direction, Vowing to Close Boardman Plant in 2020

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/apr/12/cleaner-air/

Covington Reporter Op/Ed - Hydropower the Key to Washington State’s Future

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/cmv/business/90582849.html

News Tribune Columnist - Cheap Power Can be Magnet for Industries “…the region’s historic advantage in power costs could be eroded in the drive to add more expensive alternatives including wind & solar…”

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/04/11/1143588/cheap-power-can-be-magnet-for.html

Ontario Green Power Plan Sparks Cost Concerns (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/ontario-green-power-plan-sparks-cost-concerns/article1529704/

Toronto Star Editorial - Ontario’s Green Energy, at a Price

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/article/793121--green-energy-at-a-price

Stormwater Bill Pits City of Vancouver Versus Bonneville Power Administration - Agency no longer paying $8,500 monthly fee (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/apr/12/stormwater-bill-pits-city-versus-bpa/

Bainbridge, Puget Sound Energy Still at Odds over Need for Second Substation (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/apr/11/while-pse-moves-ahead-with-substation-bainbridge/?partner=RSS

Washington State Smart-Grid Training Programs Get $11 Million (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/apr/10/smart-grid/

Unintended Consequences – Pacific Gas & Electric’s New Rates Could Help Marin Green Power (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14862834?source=most_emailed

FISH, WATER & WILDLIFE

State on the Hook for $768 for Every Salmon Caught in Puget Sound (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011571859_fishaudit10m.html

Tribes Help Haze Sea Lions to Save Salmon on Columbia (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011585750_sealions12m.html

Seals, Sea Lions Devastating West Coast Salmon Runs (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/seals-sea-lions-devastating-west-coast-salmon-runs/article1530966/

Will Dam Removal Return Salmon to the Elwha River? (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/04/12/1144470/will-dam-removal-return-salmon.html

Low Flows Likely to Result in Less Water Spilled to Help Salmon Passage at Bonneville Dam (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/382595.aspx

Vancouver Columbian Op/Ed - Local View: Protect Fish to Protect Fisheries. Management plan, spills necessary to sustain runs, family-wage jobs

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/apr/11/protect-fish-to-protect-fisheries/

Seattle Times Op/Ed - Dams, Dikes & Dredging: Can We ‘Fix’ Our Rivers?

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2011570522_guest11freitag.html?syndication=rss

Wallace River Hatchery Helps Recreational Fishing Live on (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100412/NEWS01/704129917/-1/rss02

Squid Invasion Hitting Oregon Coast & Scientists Are Concerned - Could there be a silver lining? (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/04/squid_invasion_hitting_oregon.html

Orcas Attack Gray Whale in Puget Sound (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011586897_apwaorcaattack.html?syndication=rss

California Gray Whale-Watchers Fear Dip in Population (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011582534_apuswhalemystery.html?syndication=rss

British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest Threatened by Power Project, Say Critics (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/business/Great+Bear+rainforest+threatened+power+project+critics/2787449/story.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Water Rights at Issue - Ecology Withdraws Appeal of Proposed Brewster Development (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/apr/10/ecology-withdraws-appeal-of-proposed-brewster/

Snowpack Well above Normal in Olympics - 132 percent of normal (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100412/news/304129997

Sewer Fight: King County, Contractor Squabble over $48 Million (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/418216_brightwater12.html?source=rss

Los Angeles Billionaires Sued over California Water Sales (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011575336_apuswesternwaterbaron.html?syndication=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Nuts! Desert Squirrels Bury Large Solar Project (San Francisco Business Times)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/04/12/story7.html

Neighborhoods Often Slow to Accept Solar Panels on Homes (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20100412/GREEN/4120312/1001/NEWS

Edison Blankets Warehouse Roofs with Solar Panels (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2010-04-12-rooftopsolar12_CV_N.htm

Dow Jones Plans Large Solar System for Its New Jersey Campus (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2010-04-12-dowsolar12_ST_N.htm

Water Power via Canals Hearkens to Phoenix’s Past (Phoenix Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2010/04/12/focus1.html?

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Duke Study Says Energy Efficiency Would Save $41B, Create 380,000 Jobs in South (Triangle Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2010/04/12/daily6.html

Taking the LEED in Housing - Homes, businesses will open their environmentally friendly doors (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/04/12/1203186/taking-the-leed-in-housing.html

Energy-Saving Tips - Change Your Bulbs (WCVB-TV, Boston, MA)

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/mostpopular/23082973/detail.html

GE Unveils New LED Bulb - 17 Year Life Span & $50 Price Tag (Tree Hugger)

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/04/ge-unveils-new-led-bulb-17-year-life-span-and-50-price-tag.php

How to Motivate People to Make Homes Energy-Efficient (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/08/AR2010040806409.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Supreme Court Fight Adds Confusion to Senate Climate Effort (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/04/12/12climatewire-court-fight-adds-confusion-to-senate-climate-84270.html

Cantwell - Cash for Climate (Living on Earth)

http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=10-P13-00015&segmentID=3

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

How Costly Is Building a Green Economy? (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/04/how-costly-is-building-a-green-economy/1?loc=interstitialskip

Are Oysters a Vegan-Friendly Food? (Consumerist)

http://consumerist.com/2010/04/are-oysters-a-vegan-food.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Satellite Broadband Users Reach 1 Million - And most of them wish they weren’t satellite broadband users (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Satellite-Broadband-Users-Reach-1-Million-107843

Intel’s New Fiber-Optic Connector to Speed Up Downloads (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011571022_btintelfiberoptics12.html

Cyber Attacks: The Next Big Security Threat? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/connelly/418225_joel12.html?source=rss

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Legislature Heads toward Special Session Finish (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/90613244.html

Local Legislators Report on Current Session – Sheldon Praises ADAGE Project (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/the-green-file/1833-local-legislators-report-on-current-session

Olympia City Council Member Hyer Will Quit - Under Fire: He cites toll of public service (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/04/10/1201481/hyer-will-quit-council.html

Pension Promises Threaten California Cities, Counties (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/11/2670020/pension-promises-threaten-california.html

GENERAL NEWS

Microsoft Accounts for 13.6 Percent of Washington State Economy (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/90578359.html

Small Plane Lands on I-5 near Kalama (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Small-plane-lands-on-I-5-near-Kalama-90542019.html

Severe Defects Force Demolition of Nine-Year-Old Seattle Highrise (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23123687/detail.html

150 Collisions Caused by Cell Phone Use in Tri-Cities (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/90423829.html

Chehalis River Barges - Satsop Business Shipping Tanks to Alaska (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011587430_apwasatsopbarge.html?syndication=rss

Contented California Cows to Flee? States Woo Calif. Dairymen with Less Regulation (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011586246_apusfoodandfarmcourtingcows.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

Zombie Central? - Corpse Was Still Alive at Airport, Wife Says

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6383RN20100409

‘Wet Bandits’ Who Left Water Running Ordered to Pay $200,000 Restitution

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/04/09/1142083/chelan-county-wet-bandits-who.html

Idaho Girl Plays Boys Lacrosse; Coach Penalized

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/apr/11/girl-plays-boys-lacrosse-coach-penalized/

SONG OF THE DAY

Van Morrison - Days like This 

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