Energy News Digest for June 3, 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

Gregoire: Second Special Session May Be Needed - Medicare funding figured into state budget stalled in Congress (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/jun/02/gregoire-second-special-session-may-be-needed/

Chehalis River Dams Could Take Decades – Fourteen year investigation might cost $24 million (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/06/03/1258757/chehalis-dams-could-take-decades.html

Fisheries Managers Lower Spring Chinook Prediction (Indian Country News – It’s still a pretty good estimate)

http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9262&Itemid=118

Proposed Portland General Electric Transmission Line Raises Questions (Daily Journal of Commerce, Oregon)

http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/06/02/proposed-pge-transmission-line-raises-questions/

Mason County at the Center of ‘Green Rush’ for Biopower Plants (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/02/mason-county-center-green-rush-biopower-plants/?partner=RSS

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Proposed Portland General Electric Transmission Line Raises Questions

·         Mason PUD 3 Celebrates the Rebuild of the Mountain View Substation

·         California - Debate Over the Proper Role of Public Power Drives Proposition 16

·         Vermont Lawmakers Call For Repairs at Entergy Nuclear Plant

·         North Dakota Power Plant to Unveil Dried-Coal Technology

·         Pennsylvania - Citizens’ Electric Residential Bills Could Increase by About $9 a Month

·         California - Pacific Gas & Electric Adds to Borrowed Power Supply

·         Smart-Grid Companies Feel Growing Pains

·         Fisheries Managers Lower Spring Chinook Prediction

·         Shelton-Area Creek Provides Preview to Elwha Dam Removal

·         Oregon State University Salmon Migration Study Back On Track

·         British Columbia Sockeye Salmon Return Still Uncertain

·         Chehalis River Dams Could Take Decades

·         EPA Tightens Its Sulfur-Dioxide Limits

·         Oregon Declares Victory in NOAA Fleet Decision

·         Snohomish PUD Opens New Water Operations Facility in Lake Stevens

·         Grays Harbor PUD OKs More Money for Radar Ridge Wind Project

·         Clallam PUD May Opt In For Radar Ridge Wind Farm Study

·         Daily News Editorial - Utilities Shouldn’t Walk Away From Radar Ridge Wind Farm Project

·         Mason County at the Center of ‘Green Rush’ for Biopower Plants

·         Is It Actually Green? A Proposed Biomass Incinerator Next to Puget Sound

·         Allyn Community Association Voices Support of ADAGE Project

·         Evergreen State College Biomass Project - Bio-mass (sic) Gasification

·         Biomass Generates 32% of All Energy in Sweden

·         Boise Mayor Reveals Plans for Solar Energy Facility

·         San Diego Gas & Electric Ramping Up Solar Energy Projects

·         Wind Turbine Gearbox Reliability

·         Areva Acquires Remaining 49% of German Wind Turbine Manufacturer

·         Oregon Renewable Energy Trends

·         Cities Lead the Way with LED Lighting

·         Michigan - 20,000 Free Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs to Be Offered

·         Obama Hopes Oil Spill Boosts Support for Climate Bill

·         Texas Governor Says State a Model for Clean Air

·         Energy Giant Mirant Fights Maryland County’s CO2 Tax

·         Oregon - New Boardman Facility to Create Jobs & Produce Biofuel

·         The Big Question: Could Bioenergy Power the World?

·         Green Building Company Expanding in Spokane

·         Heaviest Users of Phone Data Will Pay More

·         Oregon – Baker City’s Free Downtown Wifi Service Expanded

·         Google Sets “Late Fall” Release for Chrome

·         Gregoire: Second Special Session May Be Needed

·         State Candidates Can Begin to File for Office Monday

·         Mason County Treasurer to Seek another Term

·         Flood of Statewide Initiatives Is A Sign of Anxious Times

·         2,300 Running For Congress, Most In Decades

·         Two Climbers Overdue on Mount St. Helens are Safe

·         BP Cuts Pipe, Plans to Lower Cap over Gulf Spill

·         Evergreen ‘Student’ Accused of Fraud

·         17-Year-Old Girl Charged In Seattle Stun Gun Attacks

·         Shelton’s Evergreen Square Parking Open to All Again with a 2 hour limit

·         Cantwell: Washington State To Get New Storm Radar One Year Early

·         Maytag Recalls Dishwashers Due To Fire Risk

·         Ford to Eliminate Mercury Brand

·         Ken Griffey Jr. Retiring At Age 40

·         Rare Sky Show: Saturn, Mars, & Venus Appear Together This Week

WORD/MUSIC MYSTERY OF THE DAY

“On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair, warm smell of colitas rising up through the air.”

Colitas • \coe-LEET-uhs\ • - Tail, tail end, end

Wikipedia: The term “colitas” in the first stanza of the song is a Spanish term for “little tails” and a reference to the buds of the Cannabis plant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_California_%28song%29

From the Straight Dope: This E-mail just in from Eagles management honcho Irving Azoff: “In response to your [recent] memo, in 1976, during the writing of the song ‘Hotel California’ by Messrs. Henley and Frey, the word `colitas’ was translated for them by their Mexican-American road manager as ‘little buds.’ You have obviously already done the necessary extrapolation. Thank you for your inquiry.”

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1053/in-the-song-hotel-california-what-does-colitas-mean

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

Proposed Portland General Electric Transmission Line Raises Questions (Daily Journal of Commerce, Oregon)

http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/06/02/proposed-pge-transmission-line-raises-questions/

Mason PUD 3 Celebrates the Rebuild of the Mountain View Substation (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2311-pud-3-celebrates-the-rebuild-of-the-mountain-view-substation

California - Debate Over the Proper Role of Public Power Drives Proposition 16 (Southern California Public Radio)

http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/06/03/public-power/

Vermont Lawmakers Call For Repairs at Entergy Nuclear Plant (Dow Jones News Wire)

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201006021234dowjonesdjonline000541&title=vermont-lawmakers-call-for-repairs-at-entergy-nuclear-plant

North Dakota Power Plant to Unveil Dried-Coal Technology (Bloomberg News)

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9G3AIL80.htm

Pennsylvania - Citizens’ Electric Residential Bills Could Increase by About $9 a Month (The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA – So, how’s that Dereg working out for ya!)

http://dailyitem.com/0100_news/x1910023519/Citizens-Electric-residential-bills-could-go-up-about-9-a-month

California - Pacific Gas & Electric Adds to Borrowed Power Supply (San Francisco Business Times)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/05/31/daily22.html

Smart-Grid Companies Feel Growing Pains (CNET News)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20006463-54.html?tag=nl.e703

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fisheries Managers Lower Spring Chinook Prediction (Indian Country News – It’s still a pretty good estimate)

http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9262&Itemid=118

Shelton-Area Creek Provides Preview to Elwha Dam Removal (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Shelton-Area-Creek-Provides-Preview-to-Elwha-Dam-Removal--95454479.html

Oregon State University Salmon Migration Study Back On Track (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=7355

British Columbia Sockeye Salmon Return Still Uncertain (Straight.com)

http://www.straight.com/article-326796/vancouver/bc-sockeye-salmon-return-still-uncertain

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Chehalis River Dams Could Take Decades – Fourteen year investigation might cost $24 million (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/06/03/1258757/chehalis-dams-could-take-decades.html

EPA Tightens Its Sulfur-Dioxide Limits (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/science/earth/04sulfur.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Oregon Declares Victory in NOAA Fleet Decision (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/7502-oregon-declares-victory-noaa-fleet-decision/

Snohomish PUD Opens New Water Operations Facility in Lake Stevens (Snohomish County Business Jounral)

http://www.snohomishcountybusinessjournal.com/article/20100602/SCBJ02/100609965/-1/SCBJ

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Grays Harbor PUD OKs More Money for Radar Ridge Wind Project (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/06/02/local_news/doc4c069a8ad719b469144291.txt

Clallam PUD May Opt In For Radar Ridge Wind Farm Study (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100603/news/306039989/clallam-pud-may-opt-in-for-wind-farm-study

Daily News Editorial - Utilities Shouldn’t Walk Away From Radar Ridge Wind Farm Project

http://tdn.com/news/opinion/article_4dd6754e-6e9b-11df-8bbc-001cc4c002e0.html

Mason County at the Center of ‘Green Rush’ for Biopower Plants (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/02/mason-county-center-green-rush-biopower-plants/?partner=RSS

Is It Actually Green? A Proposed Biomass Incinerator Next to Puget Sound Is Being Promoted as “Carbon Neutral,” but the EPA Isn’t So Sure (The Stranger)

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/is-it-actually-green/Content?oid=4180408

Allyn Community Association Voices Support of ADAGE Project (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2312-allyn-community-association-voices-support-of-adage-project

Evergreen State College Biomass Project - Bio-mass (sic) Gasification - What is bio-mass (sic) gasification? (The Evergreen State College)

http://www.evergreen.edu/sustainability/biomass%20gasification.htm

Biomass Generates 32% of All Energy in Sweden (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/06/biomass-generates-32-of-all-energy-in-sweden?cmpid=rss

Boise Mayor Reveals Plans for Solar Energy Facility (Examiner Online)

http://www.examiner.com/x-41021-Boise-City-Buzz-Examiner~y2010m6d2-Boise-mayor-reveals-plans-for-solar-energy-facility

San Diego Gas & Electric Ramping Up Solar Energy Projects (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jun/02/sdge-ramping-solar-energy-projects/

Wind Turbine Gearbox Reliability (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/06/wind-turbine-gearbox-reliability?cmpid=rss

Areva Acquires Remaining 49% of German Wind Turbine Manufacturer (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/06/areva-acquires-remaining-49-of-multibrid?cmpid=rss

Oregon Renewable Energy Trends (Natural Resources Report)

http://naturalresourcereport.com/2010/05/data-analysis-on-oregons-renewable-energy/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Cities Lead the Way with LED Lighting (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_15217585?nclick_check=1

Michigan - 20,000 Free Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs to Be Offered to Residents in Select Grand Rapids Neighborhoods (Grand Rapids Press, MI)

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/06/20000_free_compact_fluorescent.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Obama Hopes Oil Spill Boosts Support for Climate Bill (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/02/AR2010060200380.html

Texas Governor Says State a Model for Clean Air (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2012011365_apusepavstexas.html?syndication=rss

Energy Giant Mirant Fights Maryland County’s CO2 Tax (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/06/03/27774.htm

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Oregon - New Boardman Facility to Create Jobs & Produce Biofuel (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/06/02/1037765/biorefinery-new-boardman-facility.html

The Big Question: Could Bioenergy Power the World? (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/06/the-big-question-could-bioenergy-power-the-world?cmpid=rss

Green Building Company Expanding in Spokane (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12587824

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Heaviest Users of Phone Data Will Pay More (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/03/technology/03phone.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Oregon – Baker City’s Free Downtown Wifi Service Expanded (Baker City Herald, OR)

http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Free-downtown-WiFi-service-expanded

Google Sets “Late Fall” Release for Chrome (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65112220100602

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Gregoire: Second Special Session May Be Needed - Medicare funding figured into state budget stalled in Congress (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/jun/02/gregoire-second-special-session-may-be-needed/

State Candidates Can Begin to File for Office Monday (Associated Press)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jun/02/state-candidates-can-begin-to-file-for-office/

Mason County Treasurer to Seek another Term (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2314-mason-county-treasurer-to-seek-another-term

Flood of Statewide Initiatives Is A Sign of Anxious Times (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2012015813_joni03.html

2,300 Running For Congress, Most In Decades (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/politics/23764797/detail.html

GENERAL NEWS

Two Climbers Overdue on Mount St. Helens are Safe (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012017135_apussthelenssearch10thldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

BP Cuts Pipe, Plans to Lower Cap over Gulf Spill (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/03/AR2010060300416.html?nav=rss_email/components

Evergreen ‘Student’ Accused of Fraud - Prosecutor says he got student aid, didn’t attend classes (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/06/03/1258739/evergreen-student-accused-of-fraud.html

17-Year-Old Girl Charged In Seattle Stun Gun Attacks (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23771014/detail.html

Shelton’s Evergreen Square Parking Open to All Again with a 2 hour limit (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2313-evergreen-square-parking-open-to-all-again-with-a-2-hour-limit

Cantwell: Washington State To Get New Storm Radar One Year Early (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/95486189.html

Maytag Recalls Dishwashers Due To Fire Risk (NW Cable News)

http://www.nwcn.com/news/Maytag-recall-17-million-dishwashers-due-to-fire-risk-95512019.html

Ford to Eliminate Mercury Brand (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE65156T20100602

Ken Griffey Jr. Retiring At Age 40 (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/sports/23773988/detail.html

Rare Sky Show: Saturn, Mars, & Venus Appear Together This Week (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2010/0602/Rare-sky-show-Saturn-Mars-and-Venus-appear-together-this-week

DIVERSIONS

Blown Call on Last Out Ruins Perfect Game

http://www.kirotv.com/sports/23774752/detail.html

Q&A: Astoria Marks 25th Anniversary of ‘The Goonies’

http://news.opb.org/article/7499-q-astoria-marks-25th-anniversay-goonies/

Sir Patrick Stewart? Queen of England Makes It So

http://tinyurl.com/25py8lq

D’oh! Homer Simpson Named the Best TV Character in 20 Years

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2010/0602/D-oh!-Homer-Simpson-named-the-best-TV-character-in-20-years

SONG OF THE DAY

The Eagles - Hotel California (Live)

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