Energy News Digest for May 21, 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

Feds: No Major Changes for Columbia Basin Salmon Plan (Associated Press)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVHqpN4fS24gXTU5aKEEetn4wMtwD9FQU3000

Jefferson PUD to Meet With Power Suppler Officials Friday (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=26938

Microsoft Starts Data Center’s Phase Three in Quincy (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/05/20/news/doc4bf5be7a15e71143790962.txt

Clallam among PUDs Reviewing Roles in Costly Wind Project (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100521/news/305219980/clallam-among-puds-reviewing-roles-in-costly-wind-project

Study Says Kerry-Lieberman Climate Bill Would Prompt Decade of Job Growth (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/05/20/20greenwire-study-kerry-lieberman-climate-bill-would-promp-31963.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Jefferson PUD to Meet With Power Suppler Officials Friday

·         Areva Nuclear Project in Idaho Snags Federal Loan Guarantee

·         New Nuclear Energy Grapples with Costs

·         California – Pacific Gas & Electric Reduces Its Highest Rates Following Outcry

·         California Limits What Utilities Can Say About Community Electric Power Efforts

·         Georgia – Atlanta Gas & Light Surcharge Prevails in Court

·         Energy Adviser: Put Safety First With Outdoor Electricity

·         Feds: No Major Changes for Columbia Basin Salmon Plan

·         Obama Administration Says Climate Change Has Already Hurt Salmon

·         Obama Administration Presents Plan for Columbia Basin Salmon

·         Feds Submit Revised Salmon Plan for Columbia, Snake Rivers

·         California - Will Controlling Sacramento Pikeminnow Help Salmonids?

·         Nisqually Indian Activist Wins Wilderness Award

·         Washington State Fines Yakima Valley Dairy for Runoff

·         Lower Yakima Valley Residents Clean Own Well Water While Awaiting Help

·         Artesian Well May Soon Belong to City of Olympia

·         Report Says OK to Swim, Boat in Portland Harbor, but Avoid Eating Certain Fish

·         One in Eight Public Pools Closed, Fecal Matter Common in Kids’ Swim Area

·         Clallam among PUDs Reviewing Roles in Costly Wind Project

·         Bellingham Herald Op/Ed - America’s Energy Future: The Answer Isn’t Blowin’ in the Wind

·         Wind Turbine Parts Maker to Build Arkansas Plant

·         Iowa - Windmill Blade Maker Gains Incentives if It Builds Sioux City Plant

·         United Kingdom - Fatal Windmill Blade Transport Accident in Harwich

·         Solexant Plans Massive Oregon Solar Plant

·         Kentucky - Wood-Burning Power Plant Approved at Hazard

·         Study Suggests US Power Grid Could Tap More Wind, Solar

·         US Presses Beijing on Clean-Energy Market Access

·         Warming Up? Large-Scale Solar Water Heating in North America

·         Canada - BC Hydro Offers Industry $80 Million for Energy Savings

·         Study Says Kerry-Lieberman Climate Bill Would Prompt Decade of Job Growth

·         Foes of California Global Warming Law Seek Government E-Mails

·         Toyota Invests $50M in Tesla Electric Car Plant

·         Cruise Lines Fail to Make the Green Grade, Enviros Say

·         It’s Love-Hate: Plants & Carbon Dioxide

·         Six-Acre Meadow on Top of Vancouver, BC, Building

·         Microsoft Starts Data Center’s Phase Three in Quincy

·         Microsoft Expands Data Center in Quincy

·         Check Your Washington State Broadband Options, With New Interactive Map

·         Feds: Worker at Wireless Industry Group Took $700K

·         Google Announces Television Initiative

·         dustry Uncompetitive

·         CenturyTel Changes Its Name to Match CenturyLink Brand

·         Palin Tweets Support for WA GOP Senate Candidate Clint Didier

·         Rodent Scurries by as Obama Lauds Wall Street Vote

·         Three Teens Injured in Crash near Belfair

·         Vandals Smash Lacey School Windows, Trash Classrooms

·         Weather Service Confirms Tornado Struck Near Moses Lake

·         After Unusual May Storm, Problems with Weather Buoys Come to Light

·         Washingtonians Are Smoking Less in Their Homes

·         Union Opens Visitor Information Center for Travelers & Artists

·         More Americans Will Travel This Memorial Day

·         The Identity Theft Threat from Copiers

·         Grammarian Alert: ‘So’ Pushes to the Head of the Line

WORD OF THE DAY

Diphthong • \DIFF-thong\ • noun – A sound in a word that is made by two vowel sounds in one syllable (boil: boy-ul – smile: smie-ul – etc…)

Diana was flummoxed. Her first outing in a new bathing suit in Rio de Janeiro was fraught with language and cultural barriers. For example, a friendly woman on a nearby beach towel offered in a heavy accent “did you know that the word ‘Rio’ is a diphthong?” Diana spent the rest of the sunny afternoon constantly checking her skimpy swimsuit for a “wardrobe malfunction.”

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

Jefferson PUD to Meet With Power Suppler Officials Friday (Port Townsend Leader, WA)

http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=26938

Areva Nuclear Project in Idaho Snags Federal Loan Guarantee (Chillicothe Gazette, OH)

http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20100521/NEWS01/5210311

New Nuclear Energy Grapples with Costs - Exelon Sees Weak Market, Others Think Climate Concerns Will Propel Industry (National Geographic Magazine)

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/102005-new-nuclear-energy-grapples-with-costs/

California – Pacific Gas & Electric Reduces Its Highest Rates Following Outcry (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/21/BULD1DI3IL.DTL&feed=rss.business

California Limits What Utilities Can Say About Community Electric Power Efforts – I’m lookin’ at you PG&E (San Francisco Business Times)

http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/05/17/daily58.html

Georgia – Atlanta Gas & Light Surcharge Prevails in Court (Atlanta Business Chronicle)

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2010/05/17/daily48.html

Energy Adviser: Put Safety First With Outdoor Electricity (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/may/20/put-safety-first-with-electricity-outdoors/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Feds: No Major Changes for Columbia Basin Salmon Plan (Associated Press)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hVHqpN4fS24gXTU5aKEEetn4wMtwD9FQU3000

Obama Administration Says Climate Change Has Already Hurt Salmon - Calls for more studies & monitoring (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/05/20/1200596/obama-administration-says-climate.html

Obama Administration Presents Plan for Columbia Basin Salmon (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/05/obama_administration_backs_bus.html

Feds Submit Revised Salmon Plan for Columbia, Snake Rivers (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/7392-feds-submit-revised-salmon-plan-columbia-snake-rivers/

California - Will Controlling Sacramento Pikeminnow Help Salmonids? (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2010/05/fish-1.html

Nisqually Indian Activist Wins Wilderness Award (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/05/21/1245780/indian-activist-wins-wilderness.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Washington State Fines Yakima Valley Dairy for Runoff (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011912390_apwadairyfine.html?syndication=rss

Lower Yakima Valley Residents Clean Own Well Water While Awaiting Help (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/05/18/lower-valley-residents-clean-own-well-water-while-awaiting-help

Artesian Well May Soon Belong to City of Olympia (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/05/20/1245210/artesian-well-may-soon-belong.html

Report Says OK to Swim, Boat in Portland Harbor, but Avoid Eating Certain Fish (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/05/report_ok_to_swim_boat_in_port.html

One in Eight Public Pools Closed, Fecal Matter Common in Kids’ Swim Area (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-05-20-swimming-pool_N.htm

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Clallam among PUDs Reviewing Roles in Costly Wind Project (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100521/news/305219980/clallam-among-puds-reviewing-roles-in-costly-wind-project

Bellingham Herald Op/Ed - America’s Energy Future: The Answer Isn’t Blowin’ in the Wind (Hurray! another 25 cent royalty payment to Bob Zimmerman)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/05/21/1442071/americas-energy-future-the-answer.html

Wind Turbine Parts Maker to Build Arkansas Plant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011912309_aparwindpowerosceola.html?syndication=rss

Iowa - Windmill Blade Maker Gains Incentives if It Builds Sioux City Plant: Announcement comes a day after TPI of Arizona cut 237 workers, dropping its work force to 233 (Des Moines Register, IA)

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100521/BUSINESS/5210346/1029/

United Kingdom - Fatal Windmill Blade Transport Accident in Harwich (Vertikal Net)

http://vertikal.net/en/news/story/10145/

Solexant Plans Massive Oregon Solar Plant (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/05/17/daily37.html

Kentucky - Wood-Burning Power Plant Approved at Hazard (Associated Press)

http://www.kentucky.com/2010/05/20/1272620/wood-burning-power-plant-approved.html

Study Suggests US Power Grid Could Tap More Wind, Solar (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64J6W320100520

US Presses Beijing on Clean-Energy Market Access (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011917661_apaschinaustrade.html?syndication=rss

Warming Up? Large-Scale Solar Water Heating in North America (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/05/warming-up-large-scale-solar-water-heating-in-north-america?cmpid=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Canada - BC Hydro Offers Industry $80 Million for Energy Savings: Four-year Power Smart program targets conservation (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/thewest/Hydro+offers+industry+million+energy+savings/3053535/story.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Study Says Kerry-Lieberman Climate Bill Would Prompt Decade of Job Growth (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/05/20/20greenwire-study-kerry-lieberman-climate-bill-would-promp-31963.html

Foes of California Global Warming Law Seek Government E-Mails (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/05/20/state/n174500D62.DTL&feed=rss.business

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Toyota Invests $50M in Tesla Electric Car Plant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011915454_apusteslatoyota.html?syndication=rss

Cruise Lines Fail to Make the Green Grade, Enviros Say (Spot.US)

http://spot.us/pitches/402-how-green-are-cruise-ship-tourism-dollars/posts/435

It’s Love-Hate: Plants & Carbon Dioxide (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/its-love-hate-plants-and-carbon-dioxide/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Six-Acre Meadow on Top of Vancouver, BC, Building (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/6-acre-meadow-on-top-of-Vancouver-BC-building-94501879.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Microsoft Starts Data Center’s Phase Three in Quincy (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/05/20/news/doc4bf5be7a15e71143790962.txt

Microsoft Expands Data Center in Quincy (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoftpri0/2011912344_microsoftexpandsdatacenterinquincy.html?syndication=rss

Check Your Washington State Broadband Options, With New Interactive Map (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2011915897_check_your_broadband_options_w.html?syndication=rss

Here’s a Link to the State Site (WA Department of Information Services – Holy Smokes! This is one slow web site – Shelton missing a few broadband providers in its listing)

http://www.broadband.dis.wa.gov/

Feds: Worker at Wireless Industry Group Took $700K (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/05/20/1245338/feds-worker-at-wireless-industry.html

Google Announces Television Initiative (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_15127920

FCC Unable/Unwilling to Conclude Wireless Industry Uncompetitive (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-UnableUnwilling-To-Conclude-Wireless-Industry-Uncompetitive-108499

CenturyTel Changes Its Name to Match CenturyLink Brand (Kansas City Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2010/05/17/daily48.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Palin Tweets Support for WA GOP Senate Candidate Clint Didier (Associated Press)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/05/20/1194357/palin-tweets-support-for-wa-gop.html

Rodent Scurries by as Obama Lauds Wall Street Vote (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011915513_apusobamarodent.html?syndication=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Three Teens Injured in Crash near Belfair (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/94581384.html

Vandals Smash Lacey School Windows, Trash Classrooms (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23621494/detail.html

Weather Service Confirms Tornado Struck Near Moses Lake (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23623421/detail.html

After Unusual May Storm, Problems with Weather Buoys Come to Light (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/After-unusual-May-stormproblems-with-weather-buoys-off-coast-come-to-light-94522219.html

Washingtonians Are Smoking Less in Their Homes (Associated Press - Take your personal biomass incinerator outside!)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12518294

Union Opens Visitor Information Center for Travelers & Artists (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/may/20/union-opens-visitor-information-center-travelers-a/?partner=RSS

More Americans Will Travel This Memorial Day (Associated Press)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100520/BIZ/705209782/-1/RSS03

The Identity Theft Threat from Copiers (NY Times)

http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/the-identity-theft-threat-from-copiers/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Grammarian Alert: ‘So’ Pushes to the Head of the Line (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/22/us/22iht-currents.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

DIVERSIONS

Crowd Boos Calls for McDonald’s to Retire Ronald

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2010-05-20-ronald-mcdonald_N.htm

Ninja Good Samaritans Help Mugging Victim - Australian Ninja Students Had Just Left Class

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23615948/detail.html

School Bus Takes Wrong Students on Field Trip

http://www.kirotv.com/education/23617463/detail.html

Sunnyvale Foundation Buys 1794 Silver Dollar for Nearly $8 Million

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_15129014

SONG OF THE DAY

Kingston Trio - Greenback Dollar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Jh4KjPP-o