Energy News Digest for August 6, 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

Connecticut - Firms Involved in Power Plant Blast that Killed Six Workers Fined $16 Million (Associated Press)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2010-08-05-power-plant-explosion-fines_N.htm

Portland General Electric Rates Set to Increase an Average of 3 Percent in 2011 (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/08/pge_rates_set_to_increase_3_pe.html

Idaho - Sockeye to Swim into Redfish Lake under Own Power (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/aug/06/sockeye-swim-redfish-lake-under-own-power/

Port Townsend - Biomass ‘Greenness’: Program to Address Pollution Created by ‘Incinerators’ (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100806/news/308069987/biomass-greenness-program-to-address-pollution-created-by

New Data Center to Open in Puyallup - The Seattle area (sic), rife with hydroelectric power, is about to get another data center (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/217063.asp

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Connecticut - Firms Involved in Power Plant Blast that Killed Six Workers Fined $16 Million

·         Idaho - Nampa Excavator Criticizes Power Project for Hiring Out of State Contractors

·         Chelan/Grant PUDs to Sue State for Tax Collections

·         Portland General Electric Sales Get a Cool Weather Bump

·         Portland General Electric Rates Set to Increase an Average of 3 Percent in 2011

·         Power Outage at US Bank Holds Up Unemployment Benefits for 118,000 Oregonians

·         Collaboration Key to Solving Transmission Congestion

·         Editorial - Wisconsin Power Line Needs Serious Look

·         Feds Sue Michigan Utility over Coal-Fired Plant

·         US Energy Department Alters FutureGen Plans in Illinois

·         Idaho - Sockeye to Swim into Redfish Lake under Own Power

·         Lake Wenatchee Set to Reopen for Sockeye

·         Industry Group Comes Forward to Keep Hood Canal Hatchery Open

·         Bellevue - Fish Count Shows Kelsey Creek Is Healthy

·         Editorial - Are Oysters Canaries in the Coal Mine?

·         Scientist: Carp May Have Been Planted Near Lake Michigan

·         Fungus on Track to Extinguish Bats in Northeast

·         Kittitas Groundwater Rule Comment Period Extended

·         Environmentalists Outraged over Dump of Dredge Spoils on Hayden Island

·         Port Townsend - Biomass ‘Greenness’: Program to Address Pollution Created by ‘Incinerators’

·         Wood into Power - Washington Biomass Plant is Similar to One Planned for Eugene

·         Wisconsin - Charter Street Coal Plant Embarks on Its Transition to Cleaner Biofuels

·         North Dakota - Otter Tail Electric Bills Rise With Wind Power

·         Can Huge Mojave Wind Farm Boost Faltering Wind Power Industry?

·         Dissecting the US Wind Market

·         Polysilicon Maker Hoku’s Loss Bigger Than Year-Ago Period

·         Study: Over Long Term, Cars Worse for Climate than Planes

·         Electric Filling Station Opens in Oregon

·         Let the Chevrolet Volt Buyer Beware, as Some Dealers Mark Up Price

·         Meet Bio-Bug, a VW Beetle That Runs on Human Waste

·         Arbor Anger: City of Seattle, Tree Preservation Panel at Odds

·         New Data Center to Open in Puyallup

·         $1.2 Billion in Broadband Stimulus Funding

·         Remaining Schedule of Grant Announcements - USDA & the Commerce Department Supporting Broadband Access & Economic Opportunity Across America through the Recovery Act

·         Kentucky Utilities Get $246 Million for Broadband Project

·         Ohio Lands $14 Million in Stimulus for Broadband Capacity

·         Most of Portland’s Wi-Fi Gear Is Gone, but Several Dozen Units Remain

·         FCC Abandons Efforts at Net Neutrality Compromise

·         FCC: No More Closed-Door Neutrality Meetings

·         Google Denies Selling Out on Net Neutrality

·         FCC Chief Opposes Fees for Internet Priority

·         Editorial - The Broadband Gap

·         Cable Focuses on Internet & Satellite TV Grows

·         How to Finance a Community Broadband Network When Incumbents Fight Back

·         How Fast Will Your Internet be in 2020?

·         US Senate - Murray Spent $3.9 Million in July

·         State Municipal Bonds Are Offering Decent Rates Now

·         Washington Congressional Delegation Demands Obama Stop NOAA Move

·         WA Supreme Court: Rude King County Judge Suspended for Five Days

·         Russia - Planes Diverted & Offices Close as Smoke Chokes Moscow

·         British Columbia Fires Continue to Send Smoke into the Wenatchee Valley

·         Mason County - Ballots Missing for Some Belfair Voters

·         Anonymous Source Says Lewis County Deputy Coroner Had Morphine Overdose at Work

·         Video Shows Disabled Seattle Firefighter Dancing

·         La Nina Forecast; Snowy, Wet Winter Ahead?

·         Two Teens Arrested in $100,000 School Bus Vandalism Case

WORD OF THE DAY

Extrinsic • \eck-STRIN-zick\ • adjective - 1a: not forming part of or belonging to a thing: extraneous b: originating from or on the outside; especially: originating outside a part and acting upon the part as a whole

Mel gazed upon the unidentifiable auto part in his hand, his brows furrowed in perplexed wonderment as to where it belonged inside his newly rebuilt engine. He puzzled over the odd-shaped widget all afternoon, absently lathing his hands with ‘Goop’ cleaner, hoping that the spare part was an extrinsic cog for the motor.

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

Connecticut - Firms Involved in Power Plant Blast that Killed Six Workers Fined $16 Million (Associated Press)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2010-08-05-power-plant-explosion-fines_N.htm

Idaho - Nampa Excavator Criticizes Power Project for Hiring Out of State Contractors (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/08/05/1293048/nampa-excavator-criticizes-power.html

Chelan/Grant PUDs to Sue State for Tax Collections (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/aug/05/puds-to-sue-state-for-tax-collections/

Portland General Electric Sales Get a Cool Weather Bump (Portland Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/08/02/daily39.html

Portland General Electric Rates Set to Increase an Average of 3 Percent in 2011 (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/08/pge_rates_set_to_increase_3_pe.html

Power Outage at US Bank Holds Up Unemployment Benefits for 118,000 Oregonians (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/08/power_outage_at_us_bank_holds.html

Collaboration Key to Solving Transmission Congestion (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/848031/

Editorial - Wisconsin Power Line Needs Serious Look (Wisconsin State Journal)

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/editorial/article_be7033d0-329d-5a76-9273-c2350bdc1123.html

Feds Sue Michigan Utility over Coal-Fired Plant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2012546955_apmicoalplantpollution.html

US Energy Department Alters FutureGen Plans in Illinois (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2012545305_apusfuturegen.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Idaho - Sockeye to Swim into Redfish Lake under Own Power (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/aug/06/sockeye-swim-redfish-lake-under-own-power/

Lake Wenatchee Set to Reopen for Sockeye (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/aug/06/lake-wenatchee-set-to-reopen-for-sockeye/

Industry Group Comes Forward to Keep Hood Canal Hatchery Open (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/aug/05/industry-group-comes-forward-to-keep-hood-canal/

Bellevue - Fish Count Shows Kelsey Creek Is Healthy (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/bellevueblog/2012546467_fishcountshowskelseycreekishealthy.html

Editorial - Are Oysters Canaries in the Coal Mine? (The Daily Astorian, OR)

http://www.dailyastorian.com/Main.asp?SectionID=23&ArticleID=72367

Scientist: Carp May Have Been Planted Near Lake Michigan (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/discoveries/2010-08-05-asian-carp_N.htm

Fungus on Track to Extinguish Bats in Northeast (NY Times)

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/05/fungus-on-track-to-extinguish-bats-in-northeast/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Kittitas Groundwater Rule Comment Period Extended (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12932826

Environmentalists Outraged over Dump of Dredge Spoils on Hayden Island (Northwest Cable News)

http://www.nwcn.com/news/Environmentalists-outraged-over-dump-on-Hayden-Island-100120239.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port Townsend - Biomass ‘Greenness’: Program to Address Pollution Created by ‘Incinerators’ (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100806/news/308069987/biomass-greenness-program-to-address-pollution-created-by

Wood into Power - Washington Biomass Plant is Similar to One Planned for Eugene (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/business/25130851-41/energy-biomass-power-mill-pacific.csp

Wisconsin - Charter Street Coal Plant Embarks on Its Transition to Cleaner Biofuels (Wisconsin State Journal)

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/article_c1ecce5a-a105-11df-b121-001cc4c03286.html

North Dakota - Otter Tail Electric Bills Rise With Wind Power (The Daily Caller)

http://dailycaller.com/2010/08/05/otter-tail-electric-bills-rise-with-wind-power/

Can Huge Mojave Wind Farm Boost Faltering Wind Power Industry? (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0806/Can-huge-Mojave-wind-farm-boost-faltering-wind-power-industry

Dissecting the US Wind Market (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/08/dissecting-the-u-s-wind-market

Polysilicon Maker Hoku’s Loss Bigger Than Year-Ago Period (Pacific Business News)

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2010/08/02/daily24.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Study: Over Long Term, Cars Worse for Climate than Planes (United Press International)

http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/08/04/Study-Cars-warm-climate-more-than-planes/UPI-14821280953226/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Electric Filling Station Opens in Oregon (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/08/06/1327755/portland-electric-filling-station.html

Let the Chevrolet Volt Buyer Beware, as Some Dealers Mark Up Price (NY Times)

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/05/let-the-chevrolet-volt-buyer-beware-as-some-dealers-mark-up-price/

Meet Bio-Bug, a VW Beetle That Runs on Human Waste (NY Times)

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/05/meet-bio-bug-a-vw-beetle-that-runs-on-human-waste/

Arbor Anger: City of Seattle, Tree Preservation Panel at Odds (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/424603_trees05.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

New Data Center to Open in Puyallup - The Seattle area (sic), rife with hydroelectric power, is about to get another data center (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/archives/217063.asp

$1.2 Billion in Broadband Stimulus Funding - 126 projects, most of which focus on rural wireless & DSL expansion: $4.8 billion remaining to be distributed (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/12-Billion-In-Broadband-Stimulus-Funding-109774

Remaining Schedule of Grant Announcements - USDA & the Commerce Department Supporting Broadband Access & Economic Opportunity Across America through the Recovery Act (White House)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/04/usda-and-commerce-department-supporting-broadband-access-and-economic-opportunity-ac

Kentucky Utilities Get $246 Million for Broadband Project (Business First of Louisville)

http://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/stories/2010/08/02/daily43.html

Ohio Lands $14 Million in Stimulus for Broadband Capacity (Business First of Columbus)

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/08/02/daily31.html

Most of Portland’s Wi-Fi Gear Is Gone, but Several Dozen Units Remain (Oregonian, Portland)

http://blog.oregonlive.com/siliconforest/2010/08/most_of_portlands_wi-fi_gear_i.html

FCC Abandons Efforts at Net Neutrality Compromise (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2010-08-05-fcc-net-neutrality_N.htm

FCC: No More Closed-Door Neutrality Meetings - Didn’t create ‘robust framework’ of openness. No kidding? (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-No-More-Closed-Door-Neutrality-Meetings-109765

Google Denies Selling Out on Net Neutrality - Though it is clear they’re now fighting real neutrality rules (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Google-Denies-Selling-Out-On-Net-Neutrality-109760

FCC Chief Opposes Fees for Internet Priority

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/technology/internet/06fcc.html

Editorial - The Broadband Gap (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/opinion/06fri3.html

Cable Focuses on Internet & Satellite TV Grows (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67405Z20100805

How to Finance a Community Broadband Network When Incumbents Fight Back (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/08/05/how-to-finance-a-community-broadband-network-when-incumbents-fight-back/

How Fast Will Your Internet be in 2020? (Newsweek Magazine)

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/08/05/how-fast-will-your-internet-be-in-2020.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

US Senate - Murray Spent $3.9 Million in July (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100806/NEWS01/708069877/-1/RSS02

State Municipal Bonds Are Offering Decent Rates Now (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/waggon/2010-08-06-investing06_ST_N.htm

Washington Congressional Delegation Demands Obama Stop NOAA Move (Puget Sound Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2010/08/02/daily44.html

WA Supreme Court: Rude King County Judge Suspended for Five Days (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=12932518

GENERAL NEWS

Russia - Planes Diverted & Offices Close as Smoke Chokes Moscow (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6751T820100806

British Columbia Fires Continue to Send Smoke into the Wenatchee Valley (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/aug/06/bc-fires-continue-to-send-smoke-into-the/

Mason County - Ballots Missing for Some Belfair Voters (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/2903-ballots-missing-for-some-belfair-voters

Anonymous Source Says Lewis County Deputy Coroner Had Morphine Overdose at Work (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/08/06/1291986/anonymous-source-lewis-county.html

Video Shows Disabled Seattle Firefighter Dancing (Northwest Cable News)

http://www.nwcn.com/news/Video-shows-disabled-Seattle-firefighter-dancing-100116939.html

La Nina Forecast; Snowy, Wet Winter Ahead? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/424615_nina05.html

Two Teens Arrested in $100,000 School Bus Vandalism Case (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/100046274.html

DIVERSIONS

Multnomah County Chief Apologizes for Health Inspectors Who Shut Down 7-Year-Old’s Lemonade Stand at Local Art Show

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/08/multnomah_county_chief_apologi.html

Pink Floyd Anthem Rewritten for Young Iranians

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2012542853_apuspeoplerogerwaters.html

Nebraska’s Move a Sour Note for KU Fight Song

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/08/05/sports/s125952D34.DTL

Germany’s Attack of the Radioactive Boars!

http://www.examiner.com/x-53826-Palm-Springs-Environmental-News-Examiner~y2010m8d3-Attack-of-the-Radioactive-Boars

SONG OF THE DAY

Johnny Cash - Heart of Gold 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-isEdSq7ECg

Neil Young - Heart of Gold (Disregard the five second dopey intro)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFNqj3RGUuM