The Energy News Digest: 04/20/10

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Energy News Digest for April 20, 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

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

British Columbia Liberals Issue Go-Ahead for $6.6 Billion Site C Dam on Peace River (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Liberals+issue+ahead+billion+Site/2925303/story.html

Fish ‘n Ships - Feds to Follow Panel’s Advice on Salmon Migration (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011648764_aporsalmondams.html

Steep Costs Scuttles Idea of Lewis County PUD Solar Project (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?Steep-Costs-Scuttles-Idea-of-PUD-Solar-P=1&blockID=219640&feedID=410

Plaintiff Says Moses Lake REC Silicon Lawsuit over Plant Expansion Settled “…suit claimed a pervasive history of permit violations, chemical releases, fires, & accidents...” (Puget Sound Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/04/19/daily2.html

Seattle Chosen to Lead LED Street Light Study (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/91569554.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

· British Columbia Liberals Issue Go-Ahead for $6.6 Billion Site C Dam on Peace River

· Bidding on Huge Amazon Dam Project Halted Again

· Montana - Gas-Fired Power Plant Near Great Falls Clears Hurdle

· Montana – Great Falls City Attorney Says Southern Montana Electric Coop Meetings Should be Open

· Colorado Pushes Natural Gas to Cut Power Plant Emissions

· Seattle Times Op/Ed - Safe, Secure Nuclear Energy Must be Part of Climate Change Solution

· California - Worker Electrocuted While Changing Light

· Fish ‘n Ships - Feds to Follow Panel’s Advice on Salmon Migration

· 9^th Court of Appeals - Pace V. Bonneville Power Administration

· California - First Fall-Run Chinook Salmon Fishing Since ‘07 Expected to be OK’d

· SF Chronicle Editorial - A Skimpy Salmon Season

· Researchers Say Dead Gray Whale Filled With Garbage

· Gray Whale Deaths Not Unusual, Experts Say

· Injured Sea Lion Found on Seattle Beach Dies

· Officer Says Quilcene Arrests Only Start of Bigger Shellfish Investigation

· Idaho - Do Sugar Plant Emissions Impair the View of Hells Canyon?

· Calculating Water Use, Direct & Indirect

· Steep Costs Scuttles Idea of Lewis County PUD Solar Project

· Plaintiff Says Moses Lake REC Silicon Lawsuit over Plant Expansion Settled

· REC Silicon Lawsuit Settled - Agreement Reached, Ending Litigation

· Gas-Industry Report Claims Wind-Energy Standards Lead to Pollution

· The Great Lakes - Offshore Turbines on the Horizon

Canada

- Wind Knocked out of Regional Ontario Green Power Project

· Oklahoma - Federal Panel Seeks to Ensure Wind Power is Green

· Solar Industry Remains a Bright Spot in the Economy

· Utah Homeowners Can Earn Thousands by Shifting to Solar, Wind

· Seattle Chosen to Lead LED Street Light Study

· Washington Dept. of Commerce Promotes Appliance Rebate on Earth Day

· Missouri Appliance Rebates - Crestwood Sears Sells $31,000 in Appliances in 3 Hours

· Environmental Protection Agency Announces New Guidelines for Energy Star Homes

· Companies Cut Energy Use as Rate Hikes Loom

· Seeking Carbon Offsets for Global Warming? Buyer Beware

· Carbon Offsets: Using the Green Cloak of ‘Certification’ to Sell

· Experts Predict More Volcanoes, Earthquakes Due To Warming

· The People vs. CO2 - The Coming Tide of International Climate Lawsuits

· State Capitol Grounds Crew Goes Electric

· How Much Energy Does a Tweet Consume?

· Easy Being Green for Students with List of Eco-Friendly Colleges

· Washington State Approves Sale of Verizon Landline Business to Frontier, With Conditions

· Eight Mason County Teachers Get Federal Technology Grants

· Manassas Shuts Off Program to Use Power Lines for Broadband Internet

· Cable Cut Disrupts Internet Traffic in Middle East, Europe

· Hewlett-Packard Brags about ‘Cisco-Free’ Data Center

· As Cloud Computing Grows, Customer Frustration Mounts

· ‘Cloud’ Music Plans No Longer Just Pie in the Sky

· iPad Too Much for Some Campus Networks

· Washington Attorney General Ready to Argue R-71 Case over Petition Confidentiality

· Snohomish County’s Information Technology Service Blasted

· Shelton Hills Rezone Approved

· Biomass & Zoning - Port of Shelton Holding Business Meeting This Afternoon

· More Ash Spewing out from Iceland Clouds Outlook

· Iceland Volcano Costs US Companies Millions of Dollars

· Onalaska Man Shoots & Kills Intruder

· Two Seattle-Area Men Accused of Defrauding Neighbors of Millions

· Goldman Sachs Earns $3.3B in 1Q as Fraud Case Looms

WORD OF THE DAY

Abash • \uh-BASH\ • verb - To destroy the self-possession or self-confidence of: disconcert; embarrass

See today’s diversions to get the “inside” joke…..

“Mmmm, smooth & fruity, good stuff,” murmured the high-toned coffee snob to his cuppa-joe seatmate. “This ‘Civet Brand’ coffee is expensive, but really worth it,” the know-it-all declared. That is, before his abashed response in the form of a spit take when he learned why the coffee was called “Civet Brand.”

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

British Columbia Liberals Issue Go-Ahead for $6.6 Billion Site C Dam on Peace River (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Liberals+issue+ahead+billion+Site/2925303/story.html

Bidding on Huge Amazon Dam Project Halted Again (ABC News)

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=10420121

Montana - Gas-Fired Power Plant Near Great Falls Clears Hurdle (Associated Press)

http://www.abcmontana.com/news/state/91461824.html

Montana – Great Falls City Attorney Says Southern Montana Electric Coop Meetings Should be Open (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20100420/NEWS01/4200309

Colorado Pushes Natural Gas to Cut Power Plant Emissions (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011646402_apcoxgrpowerplantscolorado.html?syndication=rss

Seattle Times Op/Ed - Safe, Secure Nuclear Energy Must be Part of Climate Change Solution

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2011648613_guest20dickerson.html

California - Worker Electrocuted While Changing Light (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/19/BA241D10M5.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fish ‘n Ships - Feds to Follow Panel’s Advice on Salmon Migration (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011648764_aporsalmondams.html

9^th Court of Appeals - Pace V. Bonneville Power Administration: Denial of a review of a BPA Record of Decision & endangered species (Leagle)

http://www.leagle.com/unsecure/page.htm?shortname=infco20100419158

California - First Fall-Run Chinook Salmon Fishing Since ‘07 Expected to be OK’d (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/04/20/2690649/first-fall-run-chinook-salmon.html

SF Chronicle Editorial - A Skimpy Salmon Season

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/17/EDEL1CVSU4.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

Researchers Say Dead Gray Whale Filled With Garbage (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23201826/detail.html

Gray Whale Deaths Not Unusual, Experts Say (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – the alternative would be immortal whales, I guess….)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/04/19/1155110/gray-whale-deaths-not-unusual.html

Injured Sea Lion Found on Seattle Beach Dies (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Injured-sea-lion-found-on-Seattle-beach-dies-91606344.html

Officer Says Quilcene Arrests Only Start of Bigger Shellfish Investigation (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100420/news/304209989

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Idaho - Do Sugar Plant Emissions Impair the View of Hells Canyon? (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/04/19/1160316/does-sugar-plant-impair-the-view.html

Calculating Water Use, Direct & Indirect (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/science/20obwater.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Steep Costs Scuttles Idea of Lewis County PUD Solar Project (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?Steep-Costs-Scuttles-Idea-of-PUD-Solar-P=1&blockID=219640&feedID=410

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/04/19/daily2.html

REC Silicon Lawsuit Settled - Agreement Reached, Ending Litigation (Columbia Bason Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/04/19/news/doc4bccdb38c1d2b019203054.txt

Gas-Industry Report Claims Wind-Energy Standards Lead to Pollution (Denver Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2010/04/19/daily11.html

The Great Lakes - Offshore Turbines on the Horizon (Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, NY)

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100418/NEWS01/4180366/1002/NEWS

Canada

- Wind Knocked out of Regional Ontario Green Power Project: possibly leaving taxpayers on the hook for $500,000 already spent on the project (St Catherine Standard,

Canada

)

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2536388

Oklahoma - Federal Panel Seeks to Ensure Wind Power is Green: Wildlife officials hope to preserve habitat while electricity is generated (Oklahoman, Oklahoma City)

http://newsok.com/panel-seeks-to-ensure-wind-power-is-green/article/3454235

Solar Industry Remains a Bright Spot in the Economy (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14891742?nclick_check=1

Utah Homeowners Can Earn Thousands by Shifting to Solar, Wind (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_14916393?source=most_viewed

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Seattle Chosen to Lead LED Street Light Study (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/91569554.html

Washington Dept. of Commerce Promotes Appliance Rebate on Earth Day (Tacoma Daily Index)

http://www.tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1753853&more=0

Missouri Appliance Rebates - Crestwood Sears Sells $31,000 in Appliances in 3 Hours (St. Louis Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2010/04/19/daily16.html

Environmental Protection Agency Announces New Guidelines for Energy Star Homes (Environmental Protection Agency)

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/88dd7090decf495e8525770a005bc165?OpenDocument

Companies Cut Energy Use as Rate Hikes Loom (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2010/04/companies_cut_energy_use_as_rate_hikes_loom.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Seeking Carbon Offsets for Global Warming? Buyer Beware (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2010/0420/Seeking-carbon-offsets-for-global-warming-Buyer-beware

Carbon Offsets: Using the Green Cloak of ‘Certification’ to Sell (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2010/0420/Carbon-offsets-Using-the-green-cloak-of-certification-to-sell

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Experts Predict More Volcanoes, Earthquakes Due To Warming (TopNews – Dogs & cats, living together: MASS HYSTERIA!)

http://www.topnews.in/experts-predict-more-volcanoes-earthquakes-due-warming-2259213

The People vs. CO2 - The Coming Tide of International Climate Lawsuits (Slate Magazine)

http://www.slate.com/id/2251153/?from=rss

State Capitol Grounds Crew Goes Electric - New Trucks: Move aims to save money, reduce emissions (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/04/20/1211919/capitol-grounds-crew-goes-electric.html

How Much Energy Does a Tweet Consume? (Fast Company)

http://www.fastcompany.com/1620676/how-much-energy-does-a-tweet-consume

Easy Being Green for Students with List of Eco-Friendly Colleges (USA Today – and another 25 cents goes to the Henson Muppet Estate)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-04-20-greencolleges20_ST_N.htm

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Washington State Approves Sale of Verizon Landline Business to Frontier, With Conditions (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011628025_verizonfrontier17.html

Eight Mason County Teachers Get Federal Technology Grants (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.net/news/1916-100-washington-teachers-get-technology-grants-8-in-mason-county

Manassas Shuts Off Program to Use Power Lines for Broadband Internet (Washington Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2010/04/19/story11.html

Cable Cut Disrupts Internet Traffic in Middle East, Europe (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/04/19/cable-cut-disrupts-internet-traffic-in-middle-east-europe/

Hewlett-Packard Brags about ‘Cisco-Free’ Data Center (San Francisco Business Times)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/04/19/daily5.html

As Cloud Computing Grows, Customer Frustration Mounts (ComputerWorld)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/04/19/urnidgns852573C4006938800025770A00377DAC.DTL&feed=rss.news

‘Cloud’ Music Plans No Longer Just Pie in the Sky (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14899299

iPad Too Much for Some Campus Networks (Washington Post)

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/campus-overload/2010/04/ipad_too_much_for_some_campus.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington Attorney General Ready to Argue R-71 Case over Petition Confidentiality (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12337574

Snohomish County’s Information Technology Service Blasted - Politics is preventing information services from effectively serving all county offices, a $50,000 audit finds (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100420/NEWS01/704209907/-1/rss02

GENERAL NEWS

Shelton Hills Rezone Approved (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.net/news/1917-shelton-hills-rezone-approved

Biomass & Zoning - Port of Shelton Holding Business Meeting This Afternoon (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.net/news/1914-port-of-shelton-holding-business-meeting-this-afternoon

More Ash Spewing out from

Iceland

Clouds Outlook (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/world/europe/21cloud.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Iceland Volcano Costs US Companies Millions of Dollars (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/2010/0419/Iceland-volcano-costs-US-companies-millions-of-dollars