Energy News Digest for January 21, 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

Bonneville Power Administration Transmission Line Could be Delayed Five Years (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_e6f7ede2-24ef-11e0-bf92-001cc4c03286.html

Pasco Resident Sues Washington State Governor Gregoire over Climate Change (Bellingham Herald, WA)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/07/22/1536796/pasco-resident-sues-gregoire-vs.html

Is Biomass Clean or Dirty Energy? We Won’t Know for Three Years (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS247207368220110113

Buzz Builds for ‘Clean Energy’ Standard, but Passage Won’t be Easy (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/01/20/20greenwire-buzz-builds-for-clean-energy-standard-but-pass-96369.html

Highest Tides of Year This Weekend in Washington State (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=13885043

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Bonneville Power Administration Transmission Line Could be Delayed Five Years

·         Bonneville Power Administration Considers Alternatives to New Transmission Line

·         New Bonneville Power Administration Transmission Line Will Leave Somebody Unhappy

·         Too Much Odor Added to Woodland Natural Gas

·         Idaho Approves Giant Refinery Shipments

·         California - SmartMeter Installation to Begin Soon in San Francisco

·         As Energy Demand Rises, Is Investing in Natural Gas a Good Bet?

·         Buzz Builds for ‘Clean Energy’ Standard, but Passage Won’t be Easy

·         Debate over Financial Risks for Georgia Nuclear Plant

·         In New York University Power Plant, a Collateral Carbon Benefit

·         Virtual Power Plants Set to Potentially Change Power Structure

·         Editorial - Science, Salmon Pose Dilemma

·         Editorial - Salmon, Lawsuits & Stop Farming

·         Bye Bye Blackbird: USDA Acknowledges a Hand in One Mass Bird Death

·         Feathering Their Nests with Plastic, & Getting Ahead

·         Highest Tides of Year This Weekend in Washington State

·         US Army Corps of Engineers Releases Report on Pollution at Bonneville Dam

·         Washington State Coast - NOAA Says Olympic Sanctuary Is Not a Toilet

·         Runoff Turns Elliott Bay into Murky Stew

·         Is Biomass Clean or Dirty Energy? We Won’t Know for Three Years

·         Editorial – Biomass Ruling Delay: Good start, EPA

·         Florida - American Renewables, Rayonier in Biomass Fuel Source Deal

·         California May Slow Oregon Clean Energy Market

·         Fed Grant Will Help Promote Green Energy in Idaho

·         Hydro Energy Making Comeback in Micro Plants

·         Lack of Transmission Lines Is Restricting Wind Power

·         Company Wants Public Utility Status for Wind Power Transmission Project

·         Cape Wind Could Begin Construction This Year

·         Nebraska Utility Skeptical about Wind Power’s Potential

·         Leveraging Wind Power into Nebraskan Data Centers & Jobs

·         Offshore Wind Booming in Europe

·         Herds of Turtles Threatened - Conservation Group Sues to Stop California Solar Plant

·         Idaho - Should ‘Green’ Code be Mandatory?

·         Mayors Scramble to Preserve Block Grant Funding for Energy Projects

·         California Utility Says Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Burning Out Faster Than Expected

·         Snohomish PUD Tips for Protecting Water Pipes

·         Pasco Resident Sues Washington State Governor Gregoire over Climate Change

·         Climate Study Hugely Flawed - Food Shortages, Rising Temperature Miscalculated

·         Experts Criticize Evidence Used to Diagnose a Suspected Leak at One of the World’s Largest Carbon Dioxide Storage Sites

·         Love Affair with Fireplace Cools with Health Concerns

·         EPA Approves More Ethanol in Fuel for Cars

·         Green Jobs Continue to Grow Amid the Economic Downturn

·         After Cutting Value of Life, EPA Ditching the Term

·         Hardware Upgrade Takes Down AT&T Wireless Service in Seattle

·         Verizon Challenges FCC Rules on Net Neutrality

·         TV Broadcasters Resist FCC Proposal to Surrender More Airwaves

·         Washington State Court: Out-of-State Companies Subject to B&O Tax

·         Oregon, Washington Consider Public Records Overhaul

·         Washington State Public Records Agency a Tough Sell - What’s the cost?

·         A Path Is Sought for States to Escape Their Debt Burdens

·         Five Reasons Why Investors Shouldn’t Fear Muni Bonds

·         Heavy Rain Ahead Pushes Up Landslide Danger

·         Unemployment Rate Up Slightly in Mason County

·         Part of South Kitsap Fire District May Merge into North Mason

·         New Superintendent Appointed at Washington Corrections Center

·         Illegal tree harvests bring arrests in Lower Chehalis Forest

·         Canadian Carbon-Composite Manufacturer Coming to Bremerton

·         SR 18 Cost Overruns - Audit Finds State Transportation Department Grossly Mismanaged Taxpayer Funds

·         Cantwell: Air Force Must Answer Questions about Tanker Flub

WORD OF THE DAY

Soupçon • \SOOP-sawn \ • Noun - A little bit: trace

“Ahh that was a GREAT bowl of soup. Absolutely outstanding,” the florid-faced admiral barked as his split pea soup was whisked away by the white-gloved cabin boy. During the succeeding technical discussion about an upcoming amphibious assault, the fresh faced lieutenant heard nothing…fascinated as he was of the soupçon of green peas that remained at the corners of the Admiral’s mouth. “And what’s your opinion of your duties tomorrow night Barkely,” the superior officer shouted. “Pease porridge!” was the wide-eyed underling’s involuntary response.

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

Bonneville Power Administration Transmission Line Could be Delayed Five Years (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_e6f7ede2-24ef-11e0-bf92-001cc4c03286.html

Bonneville Power Administration Considers Alternatives to New Transmission Line (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jan/20/bpa-considers-alternatives-to-new-transmission-lin/

New Bonneville Power Administration Transmission Line Will Leave Somebody Unhappy (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2011/01/20/new-power-line-will-leave-somebody-unhappy

Too Much Odor Added to Woodland Natural Gas (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/114338184.html

Idaho Approves Giant Refinery Shipments (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/idaho-approves-giant-oil-shipments/

California - SmartMeter Installation to Begin Soon in San Francisco (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/20/BUG11HBPQU.DTL

As Energy Demand Rises, Is Investing in Natural Gas a Good Bet? (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/krantz/2011-01-19-natural-gas-etfs_N.htm?csp=34money

Buzz Builds for ‘Clean Energy’ Standard, but Passage Won’t be Easy (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/01/20/20greenwire-buzz-builds-for-clean-energy-standard-but-pass-96369.html

Debate over Financial Risks for Georgia Nuclear Plant (Associated Press)

http://www.ajc.com/business/debate-over-financial-risks-809992.html

In New York University Power Plant, a Collateral Carbon Benefit (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/in-new-n-y-u-plant-a-collaterial-carbon-benefit/

Virtual Power Plants Set to Potentially Change Power Structure (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/01/virtual-power-plants-set-to-potentially-change-power-structure?cmpid=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Editorial - Science, Salmon Pose Dilemma (The World, Coos Bay, OR)

http://theworldlink.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_1063ffd6-860e-5d4e-860d-98f93b5ced5f.html

Editorial - Salmon, Lawsuits & Stop Farming (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/jan/18/salmon-lawsuits-and-stop-farming/

Bye Bye Blackbird: USDA Acknowledges a Hand in One Mass Bird Death (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2011/0120/Bye-Bye-Blackbird-USDA-acknowledges-a-hand-in-one-mass-bird-death

Feathering Their Nests with Plastic, & Getting Ahead (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/25/science/25obnest.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Highest Tides of Year This Weekend in Washington State (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=13885043

US Army Corps of Engineers Releases Report on Pollution at Bonneville Dam (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jan/21/corps-bonneville-report-pollution-dam/

Washington State Coast - NOAA Says Olympic Sanctuary Is Not a Toilet (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/01/19/33445.htm

Runoff Turns Elliott Bay into Murky Stew (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013981790_elliottbay20m.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Is Biomass Clean or Dirty Energy? We Won’t Know for Three Years (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS247207368220110113

Editorial – Biomass Ruling Delay: Good start, EPA (Baker City Herald, OR)

http://www.bakercityherald.com/Editorials/Good-start-EPA

Florida - American Renewables, Rayonier in Biomass Deal: For supply of fuel for a 100MW power plant due to begin 2013 commercial operation in Gainesville, Florida (Jacksonville Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2011/01/20/rayonier-to-sell-wood-waste-to-biomass.html

California May Slow Oregon Clean Energy Market (Portland Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/news/2011/01/20/calif-may-slow-ore-clean-energy-market.html

Fed Grant Will Help Promote Green Energy in Idaho (Associated Press)

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9KRJG602.htm

Hydro Energy Making Comeback in Micro Plants (Denver Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/print-edition/2011/01/21/hydro-energy-making-comeback-in-micro.html

Lack of Transmission Lines Is Restricting Wind Power (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/us/21tttransmission.html

Company Wants Public Utility Status for Wind Power Transmission Project (Associated Press)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-21/company-wants-public-utility-status-for-project.html

Cape Wind Could Begin Construction This Year (Brockton Enterprise, MA)

http://www.enterprisenews.com/news/x1254714519/Cape-Wind-could-begin-construction-this-year

Nebraska Utility Skeptical about Wind Power’s Potential (Scottsbluff Star-Herald, NE)

http://starherald.com/articles/2011/01/19/news/local_news/doc4d371b286b6f3354846597.txt

Leveraging Wind Power into Nebraskan Data Centers & Jobs (PR Newswire)

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leveraging-wind-power-into-nebraskan-data-centers-and-jobs-113002939.html

Offshore Wind Booming in Europe (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/01/offshore-wind-booming-in-europe?cmpid=rss

Herds of Turtles Threatened - Conservation Group Sues to Stop California Solar Plant (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70G0V420110118

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Idaho - Should ‘Green’ Code be Mandatory? Ketchum City Council reviews new building regulations (Idaho Mountain Express & Guide, Sun Valley)

http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005135041

Mayors Scramble to Preserve Block Grant Funding for Energy Projects (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/01/20/20greenwire-mayors-scramble-to-preserve-block-grant-fundin-70540.html

California Utility Says Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Burning Out Faster Than Expected (Consumer Reports)

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2011/01/pge-california-utility-claims-cfls-burning-out-faster-than-expected.html

Snohomish PUD Tips for Protecting Water Pipes (Edmonds Beacon, WA)

http://www.edmondsbeacon.com/news/article.exm/2011-01-21_pud_tips_for_protecting_water_pipes_

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Pasco Resident Sues Washington State Governor Gregoire over Climate Change (Bellingham Herald, WA)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/07/22/1536796/pasco-resident-sues-gregoire-vs.html

Climate Study Hugely Flawed - Food Shortages, Rising Temperature Miscalculated (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Climate+study+hugely+flawed/4138897/story.html

Experts Criticize Evidence Used to Diagnose a Suspected Leak at One of the World’s Largest Carbon Dioxide Storage Sites (Scientific American)

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=weyburn-carbon-storage-alleged-leak

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Love Affair with Fireplace Cools with Health Concerns (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/homegarden/2013990781_fireplaceguilt20.html

EPA Approves More Ethanol in Fuel for Cars (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/21/AR2011012103163.html

Green Jobs Continue to Grow Amid the Economic Downturn (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_17132711

After Cutting Value of Life, EPA Ditching the Term (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2013991152_apusscivalueoflife.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Hardware Upgrade Takes Down AT&T Wireless Service in Seattle (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Brief-ATT-wireless-service-outage-in-Seattle-114361089.html

Verizon Challenges FCC Rules on Net Neutrality (Washington Post)

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2011/01/verizon_challenges_fcc_rules_o.html

TV Broadcasters Resist FCC Proposal to Surrender More Airwaves (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011907265.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Court: Out-of-State Companies Subject to B&O Tax (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013986876_apwascowbusinesstax.html

Oregon, Washington Consider Public Records Overhaul (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/48882-oregon-washington-consider-public-records-overhaul/

Washington State Public Records Agency a Tough Sell - What’s the cost? Tight budget creates critics (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/01/21/1513868/records-agency-a-tough-sell-records.html

A Path Is Sought for States to Escape Their Debt Burdens - including pensions promised to retired public workers (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/business/economy/21bankruptcy.html

Five Reasons Why Investors Shouldn’t Fear Muni Bonds (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_17141100

GENERAL NEWS

Heavy Rain Ahead Pushes Up Landslide Danger (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/433800_landslides.html

Unemployment Rate Up Slightly in Mason County (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/news/4402-unemployment-rate-up-slightly-in-mason-county

Part of South Kitsap Fire District May Merge into North Mason (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jan/20/part-south-kitsap-fire-district-may-merge-north-ma/

New Superintendent Appointed at Washington Corrections Center (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/news/4400-new-superintendent-appointed-at-washington-corrections-center

Illegal tree harvests bring arrests in Lower Chehalis Forest (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/01/20/1513206/illegal-tree-harvests-bring-arrests.html

Canadian Carbon-Composite Manufacturer Coming to Bremerton (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/jan/20/canadian-carbon-composite-manufacturer-coming-to/

SR 18 Cost Overruns - Audit Finds State Transportation Department Grossly Mismanaged Taxpayer Funds (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/politics/2011/01/18/audit-finds-state-transportation-department-grossly-mismanaged-taxpayer-funds/

Cantwell: Air Force Must Answer Questions about Tanker Flub (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/archives/236435.asp

DIVERSIONS

Would You Eat a Lion-Meat Taco?

http://consumerist.com/2011/01/would-you-try-lion-meat-taco.html

Baby Yoga: The Internet’s Latest Petrifying Craze

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/20/baby-yoga-the-internets-latest-petrifying-craze/

Missing Daypack Makes Its Way Back to Oregon via Paris Cabbie

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

Jersey Error Makes Roosevelt High Team the Rough “Ryders”

http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Jersey-error-makes-Roosevelt-High-team-the-Rough?urn=highschool-309886

SONG OF THE DAY

The American Breed - Bend Me Shape Me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku3BcEgjzgE