The Energy News Digest: 05/25/10

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Energy News Digest for May 25, 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 SIX STORIES

Grant PUD Considering $511 Million Supplemental Gas Plant - The plant would provide a hedge to back up two dams (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/may/24/grant-pud-considering-511-million-supplemental/

Vancouver City Council Says Keep Power Lines out of City - Resolution urges BPA to choose alternate route for project (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/may/25/Vancouver-BPA-power-lines-council/

One Meeting on Mason County Biomass Projects Down; Two More This Week (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2237-one-meeting-on-biomass-projects-down-two-more-this-week

Radar Ridge Wind - Testing of Bird Radar System Could be Key to Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/05/24/local_news/doc4bfae249c5eef988762096.txt

Google’s Washington State Impact: $2.8 Billion (Google – Links to PDF File)

http://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Feconomicimpact%2Fpdf%2Fgoogle_economicimpact_washington.pdf&pli=1

Dino Rossi to Declare Run for Senate This Week; Key Staff Hired (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2011942043_rossitodeclarerunforsenatethisweekkeystaffhired.html?syndication=rss

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

· Grant PUD Considering $511 Million Supplemental Gas Plant

· Vancouver City Council Says Keep Power Lines out of City

· Wenatchee World Editorial - Audits Speak Well for Chelan PUD

· Feds Name New Director for Hanford Project

· Tennessee Valley Authority Eyes Older Nuke Option

· Ohio - Area Power Plant Uses Controversial CO2 Method

· Competition Could Bring Cheaper Electricity to Pennsylvanians

Dual Strategy Ramps Up to Increase Columbia River Fish Survival
Oregon - Salmon Fishing Again This Year in Powder River
UN Fish Stocks Review Opens With Dire Outlook
Chicago Poisoning Operation Finds No Asian Carp
Migrating Thousands of Miles With Nary a Stop
Gregoire Criticizes Puget Sound Cleanup Agency
Shelton City Commission to Hold Hearing on Sewer Moratorium Next Month
Carlsborg Sewer, Water Treatment Plant Could be Running by Late 2012
Olympia-Area Water & Wastewater Organization Changes Name & Identity
Tri-City Herald Editorial - Public Outreach Improves Between Yakima River Sewage Spills
One Meeting on Mason County Biomass Projects Down; Two More This Week
Wisconsin - Biomass Suppliers Line Up for Charter Street Project
Fired Up for Jobs - Wood Scraps Go Up in Smoke to Create Electricity, Money for County
Xcel Rethinking Wisconsin Biomass Project
Radar Ridge Wind - Testing of Bird Radar System Could be Key to Project
Massachusetts - Governor Deval Patrick: Cape Wind Energy Will be Worth It
Proposed Wyoming Power Line Names Wind Farm Customers
Five Turbines in the Works for Wind Power Project in Lake Erie
Kansas’ Potential for New Energy is Getting Lost in the Wind
Federal Standard for Renewable Energy Sought
Wind Advocates Rally in Dallas
Ohio State Lawmakers Push Competing Tax Break Bills for Green Energy
Florida – Lake Wales News Editorial: US Playing Catch-Up in the Clean Energy Race

· Minnesota - Zoning Laws Collide: Private Turbine Comes Down

· Solar Company to Install LED-Light Poles on Boise State Campus

· Biogas - Scotch Distillery Turns Whisky into Watts

· European Union - New Plans Try to Revive Carbon Trading

New Zealand

- Green Law Pushes Up Power Price

United Kingdom

- Birmingham Zero Carbon House Wins RIBA Award

· Google’s Washington State Impact: $2.8 Billion

· Google’s Oregon Impact: $512 Million

· 1996 Communications Law to be Reviewed

· String of Suicides Continues at Electronics Supplier in

China

· Dino Rossi to Declare Run for Senate This Week; Key Staff Hired

· Ex-City of Bremerton Employee’s Age Discrimination Case Now in the Hands of Jury

· Website Lures Oregon, Washington Businesses to Idaho

· 3.4 Quake at 5:21 AM Tuesday near Duvall

· Quilcene Couple’s Killer Gets 118 Years in Prison

· ‘Prince of Pot’ Pleads Guilty, Accepts 5 Year Prison Sentence

· Weather Radar to Improve Wash Coast Forecasts

· Winlock Store Manager Accused of Stealing $100K in Scratch Tickets

· New Washington Cell Phone Law Creating New Hazard

· Paint Shortage Causing Road Striping Work to Stall

WORD OF THE DAY

Foppery • \FAHP-uh-ree\ • noun - *1: foolish character or action: folly 2: the behavior or dress of a fop

The pressure was mounting in the small utility’s outage center. What started out as a trickle of calls from customers had quickly become a torrent of whining and abuse for the harried phone operators. It was at that critical moment that Belvedere set the stage for his eventual firing, as he jumped on the table and started belting out “I Will Survive” in front of the astonished dispatchers and engineers. Needless to say, his foppery was about as welcome as a beer belch in church.

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

Grant PUD Considering $511 Million Supplemental Gas Plant - The plant would provide a hedge to back up two dams (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/may/24/grant-pud-considering-511-million-supplemental/

Vancouver City Council Says Keep Power Lines out of City - Resolution urges BPA to choose alternate route for project (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/may/25/Vancouver-BPA-power-lines-council/

Wenatchee World Editorial - Audits Speak Well for Chelan PUD

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/may/25/audits-speak-well-for-chelan-pud/

Feds Name New Director for Hanford Project (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/94801224.html

Tennessee Valley Authority Eyes Older Nuke Option (Chattanooga Times Free Press, TN)

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/may/25/tva-eyes-older-nuke-option/

Ohio - Area Power Plant Uses Controversial CO2 Method (The Athens News, OH)
http://athensnews.com/news/regional-news/31204-area-power-plant-uses-controversial-co2-method

Competition Could Bring Cheaper Electricity to Pennsylvanians (Pittsburgh Tribune, PA – that is, after “competition” drove up prices)

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_682731.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Dual Strategy Ramps Up to Increase Columbia River Fish Survival (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/05/23/1026748/dual-strategy-ramps-up-to-increase.html

Oregon - Salmon Fishing Again This Year in Powder River (Baker City Herald, OR)

http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Salmon-fishing-again-this-year-in-Powder-River

UN Fish Stocks Review Opens With Dire Outlook (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/05/24/international/i105238D64.DTL&feed=rss.business

Chicago Poisoning Operation Finds No Asian Carp (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011945040_apmiasiancarpgreatlakes.html?syndication=rss

Migrating Thousands of Miles With Nary a Stop (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/science/25migrate.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Gregoire Criticizes Puget Sound Cleanup Agency (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=7314

Shelton City Commission to Hold Hearing on Sewer Moratorium Next Month (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2238-shelton-city-commission-to-hold-hearing-on-sewer-moratorium-next-month

Carlsborg Sewer, Water Treatment Plant Could be Running by Late 2012 - Clallam PUD to be the Operator (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100525/news/305259984/carlsborg-sewer-water-treatment-plant-could-be-running-by-late-2012

Olympia-Area Water & Wastewater Organization Changes Name & Identity (LOTT)

http://www.lottonline.org/news.htm#name

Tri-City Herald Editorial - Public Outreach Improves Between Yakima River Sewage Spills

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/05/25/1027562/public-outreach-improves-between.htm

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

One Meeting on Mason County Biomass Projects Down; Two More This Week (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2237-one-meeting-on-biomass-projects-down-two-more-this-week

Wisconsin - Biomass Suppliers Line Up for Charter Street Project (The Daily Reporter, Milwaukee, WI)

http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2010/05/24/biomass-suppliers-line-up-for-charter-street-project/

Fired Up for Jobs - Wood Scraps Go Up in Smoke to Create Electricity, Money for County (Hickory Record, NC)

http://www2.hickoryrecord.com/content/2010/may/25/fired-jobs/news/

Xcel Rethinking Wisconsin Biomass Project (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, WI)

http://www.jsonline.com/business/94792404.html

Radar Ridge Wind - Testing of Bird Radar System Could be Key to Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/05/24/local_news/doc4bfae249c5eef988762096.txt

Massachusetts - Governor Deval Patrick: Cape Wind Energy Will be Worth It (Boston Herald, MA)

http://bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1257039&position=0

Proposed Wyoming Power Line Names Wind Farm Customers (Associated Press)

http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_0c40add1-a7c5-5dc9-8bbc-77f35f678ee6.html

Five Turbines in the Works for Wind Power Project in Lake Erie (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)

http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2010/05/5_wind_turbines_are_in_the_wor.html

Kansas’ Potential for New Energy is Getting Lost in the Wind (Kansas City Star, MO)

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/23/1966098/kansas-potential-for-new-energy.html

Federal Standard for Renewable Energy Sought – by Wind Power Advocates (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TX)

http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/05/24/2212160/federal-standard-for-renewable.html

Wind Advocates Rally in Dallas “…Currently, renewables other than dams supply 3.5 percent of the nation’s electricity…” (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/wind-advocates-rally-in-dallas/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Ohio State Lawmakers Push Competing Tax Break Bills for Green Energy “…funnels the tax break to projects from renewable energy sources…also extends the state handout to clean coal, advanced nuclear & co-generation projects…” (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/05/state_lawmakers_push_competing.html

Florida – Lake Wales News Editorial: US Playing Catch-Up in the Clean Energy Race

http://www.lakewalesnews.com/articles/2010/05/22/opinion/letters/doc4bf6d1552f5ed383139155.txt

Minnesota - Zoning Laws Collide: Private Turbine Comes Down (Winona Post, MN)

http://www.winonapost.com/stock/functions/VDG_Pub/detail.php?choice=36451&home_page=1&archives=

Solar Company to Install LED-Light Poles on Boise State Campus (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/05/24/1204792/solar-company-to-install-led-light.html

Biogas - Scotch Distillery Turns Whisky into Watts (CNN Environment)

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/20/whisky.biogas.distillery.scotland/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

European Union - New Plans Try to Revive Carbon Trading (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/business/global/25carbon.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

New Zealand

- Green Law Pushes Up Power Price (

New Zealand

Herald)

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10647457

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

United Kingdom - Birmingham Zero Carbon House Wins RIBA Award “…Wood-burning stove: top-up space & water heating fuelled by wood from the garden…regrowth of trees captures the carbon dioxide emitted by the stove…” (Green Building Press)

http://www.greenbuildingpress.co.uk/article.php?category_id=1&article_id=587

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google’s Washington State Impact: $2.8 Billion (Google – Links to PDF File)

http://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Feconomicimpact%2Fpdf%2Fgoogle_economicimpact_washington.pdf&pli=1

Google’s Oregon Impact: $512 Million (Portland Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/05/24/daily11.html

1996 Communications Law to be Reviewed (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/technology/25broadband.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

String of Suicides Continues at Electronics Supplier in

China

(NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/26/technology/26suicide.html?partner=rss&emc=rss