Energy News Digest for February 17, 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

Feinstein Says GOP Bill Would Halt Renewable Energy Projects (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014247752_apcafeinsteinrenewableenergy1stldwritethru350.html

In Pacific Northwest, a Clash over a Coal Operation (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/us/15coal.html

Opponents Square Off in Legislature over Washington State’s Coal-Fired Plant (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_transalta.html

Qwest, CenturyLink Expect Merger by April 1 (Puget Sound Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2011/02/15/qwest-centurylink-expect-merger-by.html

Puget Sound Chinook Management Plan Up for Review (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2014225065_puget_sound_chinook_management.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         In Pacific Northwest, a Clash over a Coal Operation

·         Opponents Square Off in Legislature over Washington State’s Coal-Fired Plant

·         Jobs & Revenue from Mason PUD 3 Project - Port of Shelton Contracts with Rushforth Construction

·         Chelan PUD Cuts Trim Year’s Loss to $19.9 Million

·         Franklin PUD Warns of Check Scam

·         Seattle City Light: More Than 200 Contact-Voltage Incidents Found

·         Mason PUD 3 Tree Trimming on Mission Creek Road- Project Begins February 28

·         Benton PUD Board Names New Officers

·         Seattle City Light Resumes Diablo Lake Tours

·         Avista Corp. Completes New $400 Million Line of Credit

·         News Release – Portland General Electric & BPA Agree to Discuss Mutual Interests in Transmission Projects

·         And the (Snohomish) PUD Linemen…Are Still on the Line

·         Report: Texans Overpay for Electricity - Study Blasts Deregulation, Power Grid Operator

·         Obama Would Triple Guarantees for Nuclear Reactors

·         Energy Department Wants Natural Gas at Hanford

·         Puget Sound Chinook Management Plan Up for Review

·         Op/Ed - Protecting Salmon from Sea Lions

·         Sea Lice Spreading from Farmed Salmon to Fraser River Sockeye, Study Finds

·         Cattlemen Sue Fish & Wildlife over Gray Wolves

·         Birders Prepare for Count Mindful of Mass Die-Offs

·         Grays Harbor Officials Vote Down Flood District

·         Proposed Bill Would Require Washington State to Maintain Capitol Lake as a Lake

·         Conservation groups put up $9.4-million to save Flathead Valley

·         Feinstein Says GOP Bill Would Halt Renewable Energy Projects

·         Oregon Governor Announces Biomass Grant Program

·         California Biomass Plants Absorb Huge Air Pollution Fines

·         California - Redding Cancels Power Deal; Wood-Based Generator Stuck in Legal Battle

·         Oregon Wave Energy Trust Launches Commercialization Program

·         Wind Industry Group Opposes Federal Guidelines to Protect Birds

·         Staying Put? Iberdrola to Portland: “No Promises”

·         Philips 60-Watt LED Replacement Bulb Earns Energy Star Label

·         Tennessee Valley Authority TVA Rate Change a Signal to Conserve

·         Soaking Up the Sun to Squeeze Bills to Zero

·         Extreme Rain & Snow Events Linked to Global Warming, Study Finds

·         Thousands Wrongly Claimed Electric Car Tax Credit

·         Austin Is Awesome, Plans $50-Per-Year Electric Car Charging

·         Greenest Cars? Not All Are Electric or Hybrids

·         Qwest, CenturyLink Expect Merger by April 1

·         Data Seen Overwhelming Cell Networks

·         Drumming Up More Addresses on the Internet

·         Video Calling Ready to Take Leap into Mainstream

·         Egypt Leaders Found ‘Off’ Switch for Internet

·         Washington State’s Legal Notice Bill Gets a Hearing

·         Washington State Lawmakers Consider Cutting Presidential Primary

·         Murray, Smith Seek to End Automatic Pay Raises in Congress

·         The Snow: Light So Far & Mixed with Rain

·         Winter Storms Prompt Gregoire to Declare Emergency in 17 Counties, Including Mason

·         Flood Victims Worry as Army Corp of Engineers Faces Huge Cut

·         Mason County Residents Fight Rising Property Taxes

·         Theft: Copper Thieves Targeting Mid-Columbia Farms

WORD OF THE DAY

Tautology • \tot-TALL-uh-jee\ • Noun - 1: Needless repetition of the same sense in different words; redundancy 2: An empty or vacuous statement composed of simpler statements in a fashion that makes it logically true whether the simpler statements are factually true or false; for example, the statement Either it will rain tomorrow or it will not rain tomorrow.

“My building is a work of art, and it represents the art of building” drawled the street corner architect in his daily tautological missive…between frequent drags on his “Camel” unfiltered cigarette.

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

In Pacific Northwest, a Clash over a Coal Operation (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/us/15coal.html

Opponents Square Off in Legislature over Washington State’s Coal-Fired Plant (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_transalta.html

Jobs & Revenue from Mason PUD 3 Project - Port of Shelton Contracts with Rushforth Construction (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=996:port-contracts-with-rushforth-construction-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=106

Chelan PUD Cuts Trim Year’s Loss to $19.9 Million - Market prices for energy continue well below average (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/feb/15/pud-cuts-trim-years-loss-to-199-million-market/

Franklin PUD Warns of Check Scam (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=14037422

Seattle City Light: More Than 200 Contact-Voltage Incidents Found (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/435597_citylight16.html

Mason PUD 3 Tree Trimming on Mission Creek Road- Project Begins February 28 (Mason County PUD No. 3

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=831

Benton PUD Board Names New Officers (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/02/16/1370613/benton-pud-board-names-new-officers.html

Seattle City Light Resumes Diablo Lake Tours (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_diablo_lake_tours.html

Avista Corp. Completes New $400 Million Line of Credit (Yahoo! Finance)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Avista-Corp-Completes-New-400-prnews-3687002194.html?x=0&.v=1

News Release – Portland General Electric & BPA Agree to Discuss Mutual Interests in Transmission Projects (BusinessWire)

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110217005459/en/PGE-BPA-Agree-Discuss-Mutual-Interests-Transmission

And the (Snohomish) PUD Linemen…Are Still on the Line (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110217/NEWS01/702179943/-1/news01&SectionCat=NEWS01

Report: Texans Overpay for Electricity - Study Blasts Deregulation, Power Grid Operator (NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, TX)

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/business/Report-Texans-Overpay-for-Electricity-116136814.html

Obama Would Triple Guarantees for Nuclear Reactors (Bloomberg)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-14/obama-would-triple-guarantees-for-building-nuclear-reactors.html

Energy Department Wants Natural Gas at Hanford (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_hanford_natural_gas.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Puget Sound Chinook Management Plan Up for Review (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2014225065_puget_sound_chinook_management.html

Op/Ed - Protecting Salmon from Sea Lions (Othello Outlook, WA)

http://othellooutlook.com/?p=17454

Sea Lice Spreading from Farmed Salmon to Fraser River Sockeye, Study Finds (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/lice+spreading+from+farmed+salmon+Fraser+River+sockeye+study+finds/4269449/story.html

Cattlemen Sue Fish & Wildlife over Gray Wolves (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=14044184

Birders Prepare for Count Mindful of Mass Die-Offs (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014222032_apusbackyardbirds.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Grays Harbor Officials Vote Down Flood District (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_bc_wa_chehalis_flood.html

Proposed Bill Would Require Washington State to Maintain Capitol Lake as a Lake - Estuary Debate Lands in House (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/02/17/1546952/delegation-seeks-to-preserve-lake.html

Conservation groups put up $9.4-million to save Flathead Valley (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/bc-montana-move-forward-with-agreement-to-protect-flathead-valley/article1908556/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Feinstein Says GOP Bill Would Halt Renewable Energy Projects (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014247752_apcafeinsteinrenewableenergy1stldwritethru350.html

Oregon Governor Announces Biomass Grant Program (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/02/kitzhaber-announced-biomass-grant.html

California Biomass Plants Absorb Huge Air Pollution Fines (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/02/15/1369829/biomass-plants-absorb-huge-air.html

California - Redding Cancels Power Deal; Wood-Based Generator Stuck in Legal Battle (Redding Record Searchlight, CA)

http://www.redding.com/news/2011/feb/15/redding-cancels-power-deal/

Oregon Wave Energy Trust Launches Commercialization Program (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/02/wave-energy-trust-launches.html

Wind Industry Group Opposes Federal Guidelines to Protect Birds (Penn Energy)

http://www.pennenergy.com/index/power/display/0355924858/articles/powergenworldwide/renewables/wind/2011/02/awea-birds.html

Staying Put? Iberdrola to Portland: “No Promises” (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/02/iberdrola-to-portland-no-promises.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Philips 60-Watt LED Replacement Bulb Earns Energy Star Label (ZD-Net News)

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/green/philips-60-watt-led-replacement-bulb-earns-energy-star-label/16362

Tennessee Valley Authority TVA Rate Change a Signal to Conserve (Decatur Daily News, AL)

http://decaturdaily.com/stories/TVA-rate-change-a-signal-to-conserve,75324?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=&sub_type=stories&town_id=

Soaking Up the Sun to Squeeze Bills to Zero

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/science/15building.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Extreme Rain & Snow Events Linked to Global Warming, Study Finds (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2011/0216/Extreme-rain-and-snow-events-linked-to-global-warming-study-finds

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Thousands Wrongly Claimed Electric Car Tax Credit - About $33 Million in Credits Erroneously Claimed (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/26733250/detail.html

Austin Is Awesome, Plans $50-Per-Year Electric Car Charging (Wonkette – Note the possibility of PG-13 content in comments section)

http://wonkette.com/438067/austin-is-awesome-plans-50-per-year-electric-car-charging

Greenest Cars? Not All Are Electric or Hybrids (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2011/02/greenest-cars-not-all-are-electric-or-hybrids/1

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Qwest, CenturyLink Expect Merger by April 1 (Puget Sound Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2011/02/15/qwest-centurylink-expect-merger-by.html

Data Seen Overwhelming Cell Networks (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/technology/17static.html

Drumming Up More Addresses on the Internet (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/technology/15internet.html

Video Calling Ready to Take Leap into Mainstream (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/technology/14iht-srvideo14.html

Egypt Leaders Found ‘Off’ Switch for Internet (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/technology/16internet.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State’s Legal Notice Bill Gets a Hearing (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

http://www.kpq.com/2-17-11---Legal-Notice-Bill--more-/9223779

Washington State Lawmakers Consider Cutting Presidential Primary (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_xgr_presidential_primary.html

Murray, Smith Seek to End Automatic Pay Raises in Congress (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/02/16/1547905/sen-murray-rep-smith-seek-to-end.html

GENERAL NEWS

The Snow: Light So Far & Mixed with Rain (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theweatherbeat/2014253723_snowrain17.html

Winter Storms Prompt Gregoire to Declare Emergency in 17 Counties, Including Mason (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/435515_emergency15.html

Flood Victims Worry as Army Corp of Engineers Faces Huge Cut (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/116280899.html

Mason County Residents Fight Rising Property Taxes (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/money/26862359/detail.html

Theft: Copper Thieves Targeting Mid-Columbia Farms (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/02/15/1369110/theft-copper-thieves-targeting.html

DIVERSIONS

Computer Wins on ‘Jeopardy!’: Trivial, It’s Not

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/science/17jeopardy-watson.html

“Ax Men” Reality Actor Pleads Not Guilty to L&I Theft

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/02/16/1545393/reality-actor-pleads-not-guilty.html

10 Meals You Can Make in a Coffeemaker

http://consumerist.com/2011/02/10-foods-you-can-allegedly-make-in-a-coffeemaker.html

Iowa store chain fights Subway over ‘footlong’

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014222695_apusfootlongfight.html

SONG OF THE DAY

The Police - Rehumanize Yourself (from the album “Ghost in the Machine”)

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