Energy News Digest for January 12, 2011

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.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

EPA Puts Off Regulating Biomass for Now (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/e-p-a-puts-off-regulating-biomass-for-now/

Montana Legislative Bill Would Count Existing Dams as Renewable Energy (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013905015_apmtxgrrenewableenergy.html

Saskatchewan - Land Fizzing Like Soda Pop: Farmer Says Carbon Dioxide Injected Underground is Leaking (The Canadian Press)

http://www.660news.com/news/national/article/167861--land-fizzing-like-soda-pop-farmer-says-co2-injected-underground-is-leaking

In China, Residents Shiver as Government Shutters Power Plants to Save Energy (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2011/0112/In-China-residents-shiver-as-government-shutters-power-plants-to-save-energy

Washington’s Forest Biomass Initiative to Pilot Bio-Aviation Fuel (Biomass Magazine)

http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/5218/washingtonundefineds-forest-biomass-initiative-to-pilot-bio-aviation-fuel

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Montana Legislative Bill Would Count Existing Dams as Renewable Energy

·         PacifiCorp Warns Klamath Dam Removal Could be Delayed – Over Adequate Water Flows for Energy Production

·         Idaho Power Worker Zapped by 20,000 Volts Recovering in Burn Center

·         Federal Court Sides with Chelan PUD in Land Fee Fight - Disagreement over Fees Charged Hydroelectric Utilities “For the Use, Occupancy & Enjoyment” of Federal Lands

·         Alcoa’s Third Line to Restart This Spring, When Power is Cheapest

·         National Hydropower Association President Andrew Munro Plans New Year

·         Army Corps of Engineers Hosts Electrifying Event at Bonneville Dam

·         TransAlta, Cascade West Earn Centralia-Chehalis Chamber Kudos

·         Illinois - Clean Coal: Tenaska Fails Again, Project’s Future in Jeopardy

·         Department of Energy Orders Environmental Study on Coal Gasification Plant

·         Minnesota Lawmakers Move Toward Nuclear, Coal Power Approval

·         Oil Pipeline in Alaska Has Plan to Restart

·         In China, Residents Shiver as Government Shutters Power Plants to Save Energy

·         Lower Columbia River Coho Salmon & Puget Sound Steelhead - Threatened Salmon Will Get Protected Habitat

·         Editorial - Reducing River Toxics without Pain or Job Loss

·         Montana Fish, River Projects May Gain Bonneville Power Administration Funding

·         Ecology Wants to Set Record Straight on Rainwater Collection Policy

·         EPA Recommends Nationwide Tests for Hexavalent Chromium in Drinking Water

·         Boulders Shore Up Elwha Levee to Prepare for Dams’ Demolition

·         EPA Puts Off Regulating Biomass for Now

·         Washington Biomass Proposal at Evergreen Similar to University of Montana Project Hits Roadblock

·         Snohomish County - Qualco Energy Biogas Project is Paying Off

·         Solar Company That Got $58 Million in Massachusetts Incentives Leaving the State

·         Saskatchewan - Land Fizzing Like Soda Pop: Farmer Says Carbon Dioxide Injected Underground is Leaking

·         Editorial - Reported Weyburn Carbon Capture Project Failure in Canada Is Bad News for the World

·         Money out of Air - Weather Monitoring Company Turns to Greenhouse Gases

·         United Kingdom – Bad Weather Forecast: The Met Office Fries While the Rest of the World Freezes

·         Washington’s Forest Biomass Initiative to Pilot Bio-Aviation Fuel

·         Wood Makes a Comeback from Seattle to Bristol

·         Mushroom Experts Share Tips at ‘Fungus Fair’

·         Mobile Broadband Users to Exceed 1 Billion This Year - You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby

·         State of the State - Gregoire: Washington State Lawmakers Need to be ‘Bold’

·         Federal Judge Upholds Washington State’s ‘Top Two’ Primary Voting

·         California Man Arrested in Threats Against Washington Congressman McDermott

·         Poll: Pacific Northwesterners Say Public Employees Have Too Much Influence

·         The Day of Reckoning for Public Employees’ Unions is Here

·         Search for Missing Men Underway in Olympic National Forest

·         Two Horses Found Dead West of Shelton

·         Weyerhaeuser Railroads Sold

·         California Governor Orders Shut Off for 48,000 State Employee Cell Phones

·         Secondhand Smoke Tied to High Blood Pressure in Kids

WORD OF THE DAY

Mendacity • \men-DASS-utt-tee \ • Noun - The quality or state of being mendacious, or a liar

“The veracity of your mendacity lies before us,” barked the grizzled police detective to the stone-faced burglary suspect. Upon the arrest of the fleeing miscreant, the evidence of his theft was apparent for all to see: the victim’s heirloom wedding dress, draped over the willowy frame of the felon.

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

Montana Legislative Bill Would Count Existing Dams as Renewable Energy (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013905015_apmtxgrrenewableenergy.html

PacifiCorp Warns Klamath Dam Removal Could be Delayed – Over Adequate Water Flows for Energy Production (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/01/pacificorp_warns_dam_removal_could_be_delayed.html

Idaho Power Worker Zapped by 20,000 Volts Recovering in Burn Center (Associated Press)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/01/idaho_power_worker_zapped_by_20000_volts_recovering_in_burn_center.html

Federal Court Sides with Chelan PUD in Land Fee Fight - Disagreement over Fees Charged Hydroelectric Utilities “For the Use, Occupancy & Enjoyment” of Federal Lands (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/jan/12/federal-appeals-court-sides-with-chelan-pud/

Alcoa’s Third Line to Restart This Spring, When Power is Cheapest (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/jan/12/alcoas-third-line-to-restart-this-spring-when/

National Hydropower Association President Andrew Munro Plans New Year (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/article_cac97782-1cfa-11e0-9efc-001cc4c03286.html

Army Corps of Engineers Hosts Electrifying Event at Bonneville Dam (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jan/12/army-corps-electrifying-event/

TransAlta, Cascade West Earn Centralia-Chehalis Chamber Kudos (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?TransAlta-Cascade-West-earn-Chamber-kudo=1&blockID=389081&feedID=410

Illinois - Clean Coal: Tenaska Fails Again, Project’s Future in Jeopardy (Springfield State Journal-Register, IL)

http://www.sj-r.com/state/x1314138819/Tenaska-fails-again-projects-future-in-jeopardy

Department of Energy Orders Environmental Study on Coal Gasification Plant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013905182_aputgasplant.html

Minnesota Lawmakers Move Toward Nuclear, Coal Power Approval (Grand Forks Herald, ND)

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/189723/

Oil Pipeline in Alaska Has Plan to Restart (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/business/12pipeline.html

In China, Residents Shiver as Government Shutters Power Plants to Save Energy (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2011/0112/In-China-residents-shiver-as-government-shutters-power-plants-to-save-energy

FISH & WILDLIFE

Lower Columbia River Coho Salmon & Puget Sound Steelhead - Threatened Salmon Will Get Protected Habitat (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/01/11/33229.htm

Editorial - Reducing River Toxics without Pain or Job Loss (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/01/reducing_river_toxics_without.html

Montana Fish, River Projects May Gain Bonneville Power Administration Funding (Missoulian, MT)

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_de6b41a8-1dfe-11e0-baad-001cc4c03286.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Ecology Wants to Set Record Straight on Rainwater Collection Policy (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=13826619

EPA Recommends Nationwide Tests for Hexavalent Chromium in Drinking Water (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2011/01/epa_recommends_testing_for_nat.html

Boulders Shore Up Elwha Levee to Prepare for Dams’ Demolition (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110112/news/301129987/boulders-shore-up-elwha-levee-to-prepare-for-dams-demolition

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

EPA Puts Off Regulating Biomass for Now (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/e-p-a-puts-off-regulating-biomass-for-now/

Washington Biomass Proposal at Evergreen Similar to University of Montana Project Hits Roadblock (The Missoulian, MT)

http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_bceccdc2-1d44-11e0-8e8c-001cc4c002e0.html

Snohomish County - Qualco Energy Biogas Project is Paying Off (Biomass Magazine)

http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/5217/qualco-energy-biogas-project-is-paying-off

Solar Company That Got $58 Million in Massachusetts Incentives Leaving the State (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/01/11/financial/f151300S76.DTL

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Saskatchewan - Land Fizzing Like Soda Pop: Farmer Says Carbon Dioxide Injected Underground is Leaking (The Canadian Press)

http://www.660news.com/news/national/article/167861--land-fizzing-like-soda-pop-farmer-says-co2-injected-underground-is-leaking

Editorial - Reported Weyburn Carbon Capture Project Failure in Canada Is Bad News for the World (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/innovation/archive/2011/01/11/reported-weyburn-carbon-capture-project-failure-is-bad-news-for-the-world.aspx

Money out of Air - Weather Monitoring Company Turns to Greenhouse Gases (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/12/business/12monitor.html

United Kingdom – Bad Weather Forecast: The Met Office Fries While the Rest of the World Freezes (The Telegraph, UK)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/8248146/The-Met-Office-fries-while-the-rest-of-the-world-freezes.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Washington’s Forest Biomass Initiative to Pilot Bio-Aviation Fuel (Biomass Magazine)

http://www.biomassmagazine.com/articles/5218/washingtonundefineds-forest-biomass-initiative-to-pilot-bio-aviation-fuel

Wood Makes a Comeback from Seattle to Bristol (Treehugger)

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/wood-makes-comeback-seattle-bristol.php

Mushroom Experts Share Tips at ‘Fungus Fair’ (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/2011-01-12-FungiONLINE12_ST_N.htm?csp=34news

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Mobile Broadband Users to Exceed 1 Billion This Year - You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Mobile-Broadband-Users-To-Exceed-1-Billion-This-Year-112185

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

State of the State - Gregoire: Washington State Lawmakers Need to be ‘Bold’ (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013907679_apwastateofthestate3rdldwritethru.html

Federal Judge Upholds Washington State’s ‘Top Two’ Primary Voting (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013907861_primary12m.html

California Man Arrested in Threats Against Washington Congressman McDermott (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=13831160

Poll: Pacific Northwesterners Say Public Employees Have Too Much Influence (Oregon Public Radio)

http://news.opb.org/article/39324-poll-northwesterners-say-public-employees-have-too-much-influence/

The Day of Reckoning for Public Employees’ Unions is Here (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/11/AR2011011107237.html

GENERAL NEWS

Search for Missing Men Underway in Olympic National Forest (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/news/4312-search-for-missing-men-underway-in-olympic-national-forest

Two Horses Found Dead West of Shelton (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/01/12/1503702/two-horses-found-dead-west-of.html

Weyerhaeuser Railroads Sold (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/01/12/1503800/weyerhaeuser-railroads-sold.html

California Governor Orders Shut Off for 48,000 State Employee Cell Phones (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_17067041

Secondhand Smoke Tied to High Blood Pressure in Kids (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health/medical/heartdisease/2011-01-11-high-blood-pressure-kids_N.htm?csp=34news

DIVERSIONS

Rare, Stolen Cello Recovered from Longview Garbage Can

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_b19fb0b4-1df4-11e0-878a-001cc4c03286.html

Virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro Takes Ukulele Seriously

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/01/132549838/Virtuoso-Shimabukuro-Takes-Ukulele-Seriously?ft=1&f=7

See Your Universe: Behold the High-Def, Trillion-Pixel Image of the Cosmos

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/12/see-your-universe-behold-the-high-def-trillion-pixel-image-of-the-cosmos/

SONG OF THE DAY

Pablo Casals - Bach Suite 1 (In his time, Bach was considered one of the best organists in the world. You can kinda hear that in his compositions, even on other instruments)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIzKdmDxdD0