Energy News Digest for June 14, 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

Swollen Columbia River Churns So Much Electricity BPA Is Giving Some Away (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/06/swollen_columbia_river_churns.html

Jefferson PUD Signs Pact to Become Electrical Provider; Expected to Complete Switch in 2013 (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100613/news/306139990/jefferson-pud-signs-pact-to-become-electrical-provider-expected-to

Fitch Releases US Public Power 2010 Midyear Review “…conservative business model of the US public power sector will continue to allow public utilities & electric cooperatives to perform well…and provide investors with a generally stable credit environment…” (Earth Times)

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/press/16-2pm-edt,1343118.html

Radar Ridge Wind Farm Hearings This Week (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/06/13/local_news/doc4c146698e315d026619287.txt

Potentially Lethal Levels of Red Tide Hits Clallam County, May be Moving East to Jefferson (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100613/news/306139989/potentially-lethal-levels-of-red-tide-hits-clallam-county-may-be

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Swollen Columbia River Churns So Much Electricity BPA Is Giving Some Away
• Jefferson PUD Signs Pact to Become Electrical Provider
• PUD 3 to Call for Bids on Water Line Extension Tuesday Morning
• Balloons Cause “Boom,” Minor Power Outage
• Fitch Releases US Public Power 2010 Midyear Review
• Olympia Gives PUD Commissioners a Raise
• Pacific Power Execs Coming to Town (Yakima) for 100th Anniversary
• Portland General Electric Wins Industry’s Highest Honor
• Flir Can See Things in the Dark
• California - Commercial Customers Max Out Pacific Gas & Electric Opt-Outs
• Florida - Oil in Seaside Cooling/Desal Water? Bay Area Utility Shut Downs Could Lead to Rate Increases
• Natural gas company shareholders make final push for disclosure of risks related to hydraulic shale fracturing
• N.Y. Power Authority Completes Four-Year Upgrade of Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Project
• Canada - Forum to Explore Vancouver Island’s Growing Energy Needs
• Judge Redden Lays Out Months-Long Briefing Schedule on Supplemental Salmon BiOp
• Expect a Large Number of King Salmon to Return This Summer
• Canada - Environmentalists Go to Court to Extend Habitat Protection for Killer Whales
• Preserving a Giant (Sturgeon)
• Sea Lion Murder? - Habeas Corpus for Animals; Why Not?
• Potentially Lethal Levels of Red Tide Hits Clallam County, May be Moving East to Jefferson
• Utah - Chevron Oil Spill in Salt Lake City Contained
• Emerging Ocean Concern: Tiny Plastic Particles
• Radar Ridge Wind Farm Hearings This Week
• Massachusetts Wind Project the Equivalent of the BP Gulf Oil Spill?
• More Than 12 Wind Farms Operating or Planned in SD
• DeKalb County Wind Farm Lawsuit Moves Forward
• United Kingdom - Does Money Grow in Wind Farms?
• Finding Profitable Use for Trees Destroyed by Pine Beetles – Biomass Energy?
• Texas - Cushing Biomass Plant on Schedule for Start-Up Date
• Study Finds Biomass Power Not Carbon Neutral
• Editorial - Benefits of Biomass Fuels Overlooked
• Oregon - Port of St. Helens Pursues Renewable Energy Projects
• Missouri Utilities Limited to 1% Rate Rise to Hit Clean Energy Targets
• Homes Waste Watts of Power, Study Finds
• Do-It-Yourself Energy Audits
• Editorial - Gov. Gregoire has it wrong on energy code delay
• Delaware Utilities: Decoupling Leaves ‘Unanswered Questions’
• Electric Resistance Heating May be Banned by 2012
• Trees Shift Upward as Climate Warms, Data Show
• United Kingdom - Greenhouse Gas Threat from Wind Farms on Peatland Goes Unchecked
• Utilities Brace for Electric Cars
• For Safety, Nissan Adds Sound to Electric Leaf
• Republican Warns Energy Bill Means Sickness & Death
• Revealing Their ‘Inner Geek’ - Tech leaders boost work, personal lives online
• Pew Parts the Clouds & Sees the Obvious - Says the Future of Computing is Internet-Based
• Experts Say Internet Users Will Flee Desktop for the Cloud Within 10 Years
• Fairpoint Thinks It’s a Good Time to Ask for Less Regulation
• Is the World Cup Bringing Down Twitter?
• Op/Ed - The Implications of Bellwether California Joining Washington in the Top-Two Club
• Water Rights Poised to Bring New Homes, Businesses to Allyn
• New Group to Focus on Downtown Belfair Improvements
• Feds: Accused Heroin Ring Would Take Telephone Orders

WORD OF THE DAY

Vexillology • \vek-suh-LAH-luh-jee\ • noun - The study of flags

Alfred was flummoxed. He was the foremost authority on vexillology in the village. However when people used flag patterns for clothing he couldn’t help trying to determine the country and vintage of the flags so used. This led to a short jail stint after an unfortunate visit to the beach on an extremely hot day. The mayor’s wife was not amused by his attention to her starts and stripes swimsuit.

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

Swollen Columbia River Churns So Much Electricity BPA Is Giving Some Away (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/06/swollen_columbia_river_churns.html

Jefferson PUD Signs Pact to Become Electrical Provider; Expected to Complete Switch in 2013 (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100613/news/306139990/jefferson-pud-signs-pact-to-become-electrical-provider-expected-to

PUD 3 to Call for Bids on Water Line Extension Tuesday Morning (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2415-pud-3-to-call-for-bids-on-water-line-extension-tuesday-morning

Balloons Cause “Boom,” Minor Power Outage (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jun/11/balloons-cause-boom-minor-power-outage/

Fitch Releases US Public Power 2010 Midyear Review “…conservative business model of the US public power sector will continue to allow public utilities & electric cooperatives to perform well…and provide investors with a generally stable credit environment…” (Earth Times)

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/press/16-2pm-edt,1343118.html

Olympia Gives PUD Commissioners a Raise (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/06/13/local_news/doc4c14665e275c3068379271.txt

Pacific Power Execs Coming to Town (Yakima) for 100th Anniversary (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/06/12/pacific-power-execs-coming-to-town-for-100th-annivarsary

Portland General Electric Wins Industry’s Highest Honor (Portland Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/06/14/daily2.html

Flir Can See Things in the Dark (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2012074057_flir13.html?syndication=rss

California - Commercial Customers Max Out Pacific Gas & Electric Opt-Outs (San Francisco Business Times)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/06/14/story5.html

Florida - Oil in Seaside Cooling/Desal Water? Bay Area Utility Shut Downs Could Lead to Rate Increases (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2010/06/14/story2.html

Natural Gas Company Shareholders Make Final Push for Disclosure of Risks Related to Hydraulic Shale Fracturing (Pittsburgh Business Times)

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2010/06/14/story7.html

N.Y. Power Authority Completes Four-Year Upgrade of Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Project (ElectricNet)

http://www.electricnet.com/article.mvc/NY-Power-Authority-Completes-Four-Year-0001?VNETCOOKIE=NO

Blenheim-Gilboa - Pumped Storage Power Project (NY Power Authority)

http://www.nypa.gov/facilities/blengil.htm

Canada - Forum to Explore Vancouver Island’s Growing Energy Needs; Vancouver Island produces only a third of the electricity it uses (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Forum+explore+Island+growing+energy+needs/3148818/story.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Judge Redden Lays Out Months-Long Briefing Schedule on Supplemental Salmon BiOp (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/389220.aspx

Expect a Large Number of King Salmon to Return This Summer

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2012102285_outn13.html

Canada - Environmentalists Go to Court to Extend Habitat Protection for Killer Whales (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Environmentalists+court+extend+habitat+protection+killer+whales/3147902/story.html

Preserving a Giant - Legendary for longevity, uncanny size & revered tribal status, sturgeon need a little help when it comes to future generations (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/jun/13/preserving-a-giant/

Sea Lion Murder? - Habeas Corpus for Animals; Why Not? (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/11/AR2010061105310.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Potentially Lethal Levels of Red Tide Hits Clallam County, May be Moving East to Jefferson (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100613/news/306139989/potentially-lethal-levels-of-red-tide-hits-clallam-county-may-be

Utah - Chevron Oil Spill in Salt Lake City Contained (Epoch Times)

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/37360/

Emerging Ocean Concern: Tiny Plastic Particles (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12639259

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Radar Ridge Wind Farm Hearings This Week (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/06/13/local_news/doc4c146698e315d026619287.txt

Massachusetts Wind Project the Equivalent of the BP Gulf Oil Spill? - Cape Wind opponents draw environmental & political parallels to Gulf oil disaster (Indian Country Today)

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/95614619.html

More Than 12 Wind Farms Operating or Planned in SD (iStock Analyst)

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4207477

DeKalb County Wind Farm Lawsuit Moves Forward (Chicago Tribune, IL)

http://www.chicagobreakingbusiness.com/2010/06/dekalb-county-wind-farm-lawsuit-moves-forward.html

United Kingdom - Does Money Grow in Wind Farms? Wind turbines are a poor way to harness energy - but a very good way to generate public subsidies (The Telegraph, UK)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/7823681/Does-money-grow-in-wind-farms.html

Finding Profitable Use for Trees Destroyed by Pine Beetles – Biomass Energy? (Denver Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2010/06/14/focus1.html

Texas - Cushing Biomass Plant on Schedule for Start-Up Date (KTRE-TV, Nacogdoches, TX)

http://www.ktre.com/Global/story.asp?S=12636868

Study Finds Biomass Power Not Carbon Neutral (CNET News)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20007484-54.html

Editorial - Benefits of Biomass Fuels Overlooked (Watertown Daily News, NY)

http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20100614/OPINION02/306149990

Oregon - Port of St. Helens Pursues Renewable Energy Projects: Officials eye the 900-acre Port Westward development (Portland Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/06/14/story6.html

Missouri Utilities Limited to 1% Rate Rise to Hit Clean Energy Targets (Brighter Energy)

http://www.brighterenergy.org/11943/news/legislation/missouri-utilities-limited-to-1-rate-rise-to-hit-clean-energy-targets/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Homes Waste Watts of Power, Study Finds (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, WI)

http://www.jsonline.com/business/96229054.html

Do-It-Yourself Energy Audits (Wall Street Journal)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB127638001643404909.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Editorial - Gov. Gregoire has it wrong on energy code delay (NW Energy Coalition)

http://efficiencyworks.org/2010/06/gov-gregoire-has-it-wrong-on-energy-code-delay/

Delaware Utilities: Decoupling Leaves ‘Unanswered Questions’ - Critics say it protects profits more than it aids conservation (The News Journal, Wilmington, DE)

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100613/BUSINESS/6130323/1003

Electric Resistance Heating May be Banned by 2012 (Appliance Magazine)

http://www.appliancemagazine.com/news.php?article=1404514&zone=0&first=1

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Trees Shift Upward as Climate Warms, Data Show (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/12/BAVN1DRUGU.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

United Kingdom - Greenhouse Gas Threat from Wind Farms on Peatland Goes Unchecked (The Scotsman, UK)

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Greenhouse-gas-threat-from-wind.6357775.jp

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Utilities Brace for Electric Cars - Power grid needs upgrades as transportation future looms (North County Times, Escondido, CA)

http://www.nctimes.com/business/article_c2b1a23b-093b-5791-8e94-cb95dc56cfd8.html

For Safety, Nissan Adds Sound to Electric Leaf (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/13/BUNR1DU2DN.DTL&feed=rss.business

Republican Warns Energy Bill Means Sickness & Death (CBS News)

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20007515-503544.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Revealing Their ‘Inner Geek’ - Tech leaders boost work, personal lives online (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jun/12/revealing-their-inner-geek/

Pew Parts the Clouds & Sees the Obvious - Says the Future of Computing is Internet-Based (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/06/11/pew-future-of-cloud-computing/

Experts Say Internet Users Will Flee Desktop for the Cloud Within 10 Years (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/421677_cloud12.html?source=pimail

Fairpoint Thinks It’s a Good Time to Ask for Less Regulation - We can screw up all by ourselves! (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Fairpoint-Thinks-Its-A-Good-Time-To-Ask-For-Less-Regulation-108875

Is the World Cup Bringing Down Twitter? (NewTeeVee)

http://newteevee.com/2010/06/11/is-the-world-cup-bringing-down-twitter/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Op/Ed - The Implications of Bellwether California Joining Washington in the Top-Two Club (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2012093484_broder13.html?syndication=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Water Rights Poised to Bring New Homes, Businesses to Allyn (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/11/water-rights-poised-to-bring-new-homes-to-allyn/?partner=RSS

New Group to Focus on Downtown Belfair Improvements (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/11/new-group-focus-downtown-belfair-improvements/?partner=RSS

Feds: Accused Heroin Ring Would Take Telephone Orders (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?Feds-Accused-Heroin-Ring-Would-Take-Tele=1&blockID=251727&feedID=410

DIVERSIONS

Sausage King, Country Singer Jimmy Dean Dies

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/06/14/BAAU1DUOIS.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

Driver in Vietnam Returns $26K Left in Taxi

http://www.kirotv.com/money/23889704/detail.html

California Pair Weds at Home Depot - Wedding Arbor, Stage Built from Store’s Lumber Supplies

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23884796/detail.html

Ouch: Oregon Man Runs 102 Miles Barefoot

http://www.kirotv.com/news/23833747/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Jimmy Dean - Big Bad John

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx59fmP7jYE