The Energy News Digest: 07/26/10

Monday, July 26, 2010

Energy News Digest for July 26, 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

Scaled-Back Energy Plan Disappoints Some Utilities (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-23/scaled-back-energy-plan-disappoints-some-utilities.html

Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce Endorses ADAGE Biopower Plant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2789-shelton-mason-county-chamber-of-commerce-endorses-adage-biopower-plant

Ellensburg - Desert Claim Wind Farm Delayed: Construction Starts Spring 2011 (The Daily Record, Ellensburg, WA)

http://dailyrecordnews.com/news/article_8232b126-95cf-11df-97db-001cc4c002e0.html

Chelan PUD’s Outgoing GM Says Scene Is Set for Stable Future (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jul/24/chelan-puds-outgoing-gm-says-scene-is-set-for/

Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Chehalis, Washington; Reward Offered (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/818503/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

· Scaled-Back Energy Plan Disappoints Some Utilities

· No Renewable Energy Standard, No Cap & Trade in Scaled Back Federal Energy Bill

· Chelan PUD’s Outgoing GM Says Scene Is Set for Stable Future

· Mason PUD 3 Sells Bonds for Capital Projects & Refinancing of Debt

· Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Chehalis, Washington; Reward Offered

· Streetlights Again Top Shelton City Commission Meeting Agenda

· Montana - NorthWestern, Conservationists Propose ‘Decoupling’ Rate Structure

· Editorial - Awaiting Special Permit, Southern Montana Electric Should Hit the Brakes

· Montana/Alberta - MATL Seeks to Condemn Land for Power Line

· Bonneville Power Administration Pole Spared for Birds

· Baltimore Gas & Electric Smart-Grid Program Faces Regulatory Hurdle

· Smart Home Meters Draw Consumer Complaints

· New Idaho Hatchery Site Purchased to Substantially Boost Efforts to Rebuild Endangered Snake River Sockeye

· With Low-Water Conditions Libby Dam Spill Test Didn’t Move Many Kootenai River Sturgeon

· Record Number of Sockeye Salmon on View at Washington Dam

· Oregon - At Round Butte Dam near Madras a Fish-Passage Project Has Heated up the River

· Retired Wenatchee Man Gets Paid to Fish

· California - New Yuba River Fish Study on Dam Impacts Ordered

· Kodiak Salmon Plant to Tout Sustainable Energy Tie

· Towering Northwest Forests Stand Out in Global Map

Senate OKs $44 Million for Repairs at Hanson Dam

· Calculating the Economic Value of Puget Sound Ecosystems

· Farmers Rush to Buy Tractors Before Emissions Rules Kick In

· Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce Endorses ADAGE Biopower Plant

· Iberdrola’s Oregon Biomass Project Appealed

· Cheers & Jeers - Biomass Shows Promise

· Lake Tahoe - Basin-Based Biomass Plant Deemed ‘A Real Possibility’

· Arizona Biomass Plant May Shut Down Amid Lost Deal

· New York - Biomass Project Awaits Fed’s OK for Funding

· Ellensburg - Desert Claim Wind Farm Delayed: Construction Starts Spring 2011

· Environmentalists, Developers Compromise over Bend Area Wind Farm

· Montana Lagging When It Comes to Wind Power

· Massive California Wind Farm Gets $1.2 Billion in Financing

· New Arizona Wind Farm Shows Power of Innovative Policymaking

· Texas Longhorn Athletics Expanding into Renewable Energy Business

· Snohomish County PUD Hosts Meetings to Explain Solar-Energy Systems & Incentives

· Top Five Mistakes When Considering Solar Power for Your Home

· Outlook Dims for Popular Federal Energy-Efficiency Loans

· Smart Meters Alone Not Enough to Save

· Energy Waste the Size of

Japan

· Experts Illuminate the Future of Lighting

· Carbon Capture - Montana-Saskatchewan Climate Project Shelved

· Oregon Joins Greenhouse Gas Lawsuit

· California Climate Law Adds Jobs to State Payroll

· Housewatch: Building Green Without Losing Greenbacks

· House Panel Wants Half of US Cars Electric by 2030

· FCC, Public Safety at Odds over Broadband Plan

· Wireless Industry Challenges San Fran’s Cell Phone Radiation Law

· Cynic Watch - Report Says Special Interests Control Washington Ballot Measures

· It Pays to Gather Signatures - 2010 has Been a Bonanza for Paid Signature Gatherers

· Union Issue Could Change Rules for Olympia City Contracts

· City of Vancouver Bid Plan Could Backfire

· Employee to Kennewick Irrigation District: I Did Not Cheat the Company

· Pierce County Officials Spent $30,000 on Golf Trips

· GOP Puts Democrat Murray on Defensive for Federal Projects

· 90-Year-Old Man Dies in Crash off Olympia Bluff

· Editorial - Fix Dangerous Intersection with SR 101 & Stop the Carnage

· Reopened Lucky Dog Casino North of Shelton Seeks More Workers

· ‘Horrible’ Growing Season Hits Western Washington Farmers

· Olympia Food Co-Op Ban on Israeli Products Stirs Protest

· Alleged ‘Barefoot Bandit’ Not Interested in Selling Story

· The Green File: No Matter the Name, It’s a Great Little Fair

WORD OF THE DAY

Screed • \SKREED\ • noun - 1a: a lengthy discourse b: an informal piece of writing c: a ranting piece of writing 2: a strip laid on as a guide 3: a leveling device drawn over freshly poured concrete

“Hoo boy,” sighed the new apprentice, as his foreman strode to the edge of the newly poured concrete sidewalk. As the roll of parchment containing the intricate screed written by the self-important rolled over the forms containing the viscous, but rapidly hardening liquid, the fresh-faced recruit settled himself for a long discourse on the proper use of a screed on sidewalks and the dressing of the edges. “My job will be hardened into place long before he finishes this thing,” mused the apprentice…who promptly began to daydream of sunny, far away places as his boss droned on.

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

Scaled-Back Energy Plan Disappoints Some Utilities (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-23/scaled-back-energy-plan-disappoints-some-utilities.html

No Renewable Energy Standard, No Cap & Trade in Scaled Back Federal Energy Bill (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/07/renewable-industry-critical-of-reid-energy-bill

Chelan PUD’s Outgoing GM Says Scene Is Set for Stable Future (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jul/24/chelan-puds-outgoing-gm-says-scene-is-set-for/

Mason PUD 3 Sells Bonds for Capital Projects & Refinancing of Debt - Will be used for new operations center & projects for electrical reliability (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal)

http://kpbj.com/business_weekly/2010-07-26/mason_pud_3_sells_bonds_for_capital_projects_and_refinancing_of_debt

Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Chehalis, Washington; Reward Offered (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/818503/

Streetlights Again Top Shelton City Commission Meeting Agenda (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2802-streetlights-again-top-shelton-city-commission-meeting-agenda

Montana - NorthWestern, Conservationists Propose ‘Decoupling’ Rate Structure (Billings Gazette, MT)

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_8dbddb08-96bd-11df-b104-001cc4c03286.html

Editorial - Awaiting Special Permit, Southern Montana Electric Should Hit the Brakes (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20100723/OPINION01/7230320/Awaiting+special+permit++SME+should+hit+the+brakes

Montana/Alberta - MATL Seeks to Condemn Land for Power Line (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2741548~MATL_seeks_to_condemn_land_for_power_line.html

Bonneville Power Administration Pole Spared for Birds (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/jul/25/pole-spared-for-birds/

Baltimore Gas & Electric Smart-Grid Program Faces Regulatory Hurdle (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/23/AR2010072304386.html

Smart Home Meters Draw Consumer Complaints (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/07/smart-meters-draw-complaints/1

FISH & WILDLIFE

New Idaho Hatchery Site Purchased to Substantially Boost Efforts to Rebuild Endangered Snake River Sockeye (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/393124.aspx

With Low-Water Conditions Libby Dam Spill Test Didn’t Move Many Kootenai River Sturgeon (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/393118.aspx

Record Number of Sockeye Salmon on View at Washington Dam (

USA

Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2010-07-26-sockeye-salmon-rocky-reach-dam_N.htm

Oregon - At Round Butte Dam near Madras a Fish-Passage Project Has Heated up the River, Which Hurts Steelhead Catch Rates (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/07/post_17.html

Retired Wenatchee Man Gets Paid to Fish (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jul/24/retired-wenatchee-man-gets-paid-to-fish/

California - New Yuba River Fish Study on Dam Impacts Ordered (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/26/2914082/new-yuba-river-fish-study-ordered.html

Kodiak Salmon Plant to Tout Sustainable Energy Tie (Associated Press)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j3OhoJebp5zYphzJ92YC5Vf7Wy2gD9H4DD981

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Towering Northwest Forests Stand Out in Global Map (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/07/towering_northwest_forests_sta.html

Senate OKs $44 Million for Repairs at Hanson Dam (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/24368959/detail.html

Calculating the Economic Value of Puget Sound Ecosystems (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1679114

Farmers Rush to Buy Tractors Before Emissions Rules Kick In (Northwest Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=7586

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce Endorses ADAGE Biopower Plant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2789-shelton-mason-county-chamber-of-commerce-endorses-adage-biopower-plant

Iberdrola’s Oregon Biomass Project Appealed (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/national-135/1279818249118020.xml

Cheers & Jeers - Biomass Shows Promise (The Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jul/24/cheers-jeers/

Lake Tahoe - Basin-Based Biomass Plant Deemed ‘A Real Possibility’ (Tahoe Daily Tribune, South Lake Tahoe, CA)

http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/article/20100725/NEWS/100729874/1003

Arizona Biomass Plant May Shut Down Amid Lost Deal (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2010/07/23/20100723biz-biobankruptcy0723.html

New York - Biomass Project Awaits Fed’s OK for Funding (Westfair Communications, White Plains, NY)

http://www.westfaironline.com/component/zine/article/8192-biomass-project-awaits-feds-ok-for-funding.html

Ellensburg - Desert Claim Wind Farm Delayed: Construction Starts Spring 2011 (The Daily Record, Ellensburg, WA)

http://dailyrecordnews.com/news/article_8232b126-95cf-11df-97db-001cc4c002e0.html

Environmentalists, Developers Compromise over Bend Area Wind Farm (Daily Journal of Commerce, OR)

http://djcoregon.com/news/2010/07/22/environmentalists-wind-developers-strike-compromise/

Montana Lagging When It Comes to Wind Power (The Missoulian, MT)

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_2d3b2446-979b-11df-b2a4-001cc4c03286.html

Massive California Wind Farm Gets $1.2 Billion in Financing (CNET News)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20011338-54.html

New Arizona Wind Farm Shows Power of Innovative Policymaking (Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff, AZ)

http://www.azdailysun.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_8673fd51-e24a-546d-995c-bb6a9cbb7898.html

Texas Longhorn Athletics Expanding into Renewable Energy Business (San Antonio Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2010/07/26/daily4.html

Snohomish County PUD Hosts Meetings to Explain Solar-Energy Systems & Incentives (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100726/NEWS01/707269956

Top Five Mistakes When Considering Solar Power for Your Home (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2010/07/top-five-mistakes-when-considering-solar-power-for-your-home

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Outlook Dims for Popular Federal Energy-Efficiency Loans (Nat’l Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128700648&ft=1&f=3

Smart Meters Alone Not Enough to Save (Associated Press)

http://durangoherald.com/sections/News/Business/2010/07/25/Smart_meters_alone_not_enough_to_save/

Energy Waste the Size of

Japan

(Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2010/07/energy-waste-the-size-of-japan

Experts Illuminate the Future of Lighting (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2010%2F07%2F25%2FHODL1EAQIE.DTL

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Carbon Capture - Montana-Saskatchewan Climate Project Shelved (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2012445887_apusclimateprojectstalled.html

Oregon Joins Greenhouse Gas Lawsuit (Portland Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/07/19/daily40.html

California Climate Law Adds Jobs to State Payroll (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/26/2914294/climate-law-adds-jobs-to-state.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Housewatch: Building Green Without Losing Greenbacks (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/23/AR2010072300085.html

House Panel Wants Half of US Cars Electric by 2030 (

USA

Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/07/house-panel-wants-half-of-us-cars-electric-by-2030/1

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC, Public Safety at Odds over Broadband Plan (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2012446045_apustecpublicsafetybroadband.html

Wireless Industry Challenges San Fran’s Cell Phone Radiation Law (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/07/26/29119.htm

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Cynic Watch - Report Says Special Interests Control Washington Ballot Measures (Northwest Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=7584

It Pays to Gather Signatures - 2010 has Been a Bonanza for Paid Signature Gatherers (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Done’ forget to ask how much your signature is worth…it’s easy & fun!)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/07/25/1276216/it-pays-to-gather-signatures.html

Union Issue Could Change Rules for Olympia City Contracts (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/07/23/1313223/union-issue-could-change-rules.html

City of Vancouver Bid Plan Could Backfire - policy to give an edge to Vancouver-based businesses competing for government contracts (The Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jul/25/city-bid-plan-could-backfire/

Employee to Kennewick Irrigation District: I Did Not Cheat the Company (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.keprtv.com/news/99069114.html

Pierce County Officials Spent $30,000 on Golf Trips (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/99204199.html

GOP Puts Democrat Murray on Defensive for Federal Projects (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=346778

GENERAL NEWS

90-Year-Old Man Dies in Crash off Olympia Bluff (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012452000_apwaolympiafatality1stld.html

Editorial - Fix Dangerous Intersection with SR 101 & Stop the Carnage (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/07/26/1315657/fix-dangerous-intersection-with.html