The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for February 25, 2011

Friday, February 25, 2011

Energy News Digest for February 25, 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

Tanker Shocker: Boeing ‘Clear Winner’ (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/boeingaerospace/2014320058_tanker25.html

Bonneville Power to Wind Generators - Shut Down, and You Get Free Power (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2011/02/25/25climatewire-bonneville-power-to-wind-generators-shut-dow-22723.html

Tacoma Power to Lower Level of Lake Cushman (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1502:lower-lake-cushman-level-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=106

New EPA Data Show Futility of US Carbon Dioxide Restrictions - China’s emissions alone will make reduced emissions in the Western Hemisphere moot (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/2011/02/23/china-carbon-dioxide-emissions-opinions-contributors-james-taylor.html

DOE Finalizes $96.8 Million Guarantee for Oregon Geothermal Project (Sustainable Business Oregon – Just don’t break the planet…)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/02/doe-finalizes-968m-guarantee-for.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

· Bonneville Power to Wind Generators - Shut Down, and You Get Free Power

· Tacoma Power to Lower Level of Lake Cushman

· Cowlitz Coal - Millennium Internal Email Reveals Goal of 80 Million Tons in Annual Coal Exports

· National Transportation Safety Board Chief Concerned About Rash of Pipeline Cases

· Newspaper: Oil ‘Megaloads’ Will be Downsized

· California - Final Environmental Impact Statement for the McCloud-Pit Hydroelectric Project

· Poll: Nuclear Energy Enjoys Majority Support Among Americans

· Hackers in China Hit Six Petrochemical Energy Companies

· Weak Chum Salmon Runs - Starving British Columbia Eagles Swarm to Dumps

· Salmon Can Once Again Explore Marsh Mapped by Lewis & Clark

· Canada - Cargo Ships & Freighters Called Threat to Local Sea Life

· A Small Compromise in California’s Water Wars

· California Water Company Auditor Guilty of Stealing $9.2 Million

· DOE Finalizes $96.8 Million Guarantee for Oregon Geothermal Project

· Jerry Brown’s Tough Choice: Green Energy in Hard Economic Times

· Solar Projects Pit Green against Green

· Solar Workers in Denver Protest Xcel Energy’s Decision to Scale Back Rebates

· New Guidelines Would Temper Wind Energy Development Effects

· GE & Alstom Prepare for Larger Wind Turbines

· Paper Maker Turns Waste Wood to Biofuel, Jobs

· Editorial - A Land Grab for Renewable Energy?

· Renewable Energy & the Smart Grid

· New EPA Data Show Futility of US Carbon Dioxide Restrictions

· Severe Weather, Forecasting Could Prompt Force Majeure Rethink

· Can Geo-Engineering Put the Freeze on Global Warming?

· Using Solar Power to Extract Oil

· Clinton: Too Much Ethanol Could Spark Food Riots

· Interview: Rob Bernard, The Man Driving Microsoft’s Green Agenda

· On Hiring Spree, Google Expands in Seattle & Kirkland

· Editorial - Why the Web May Unleash the Largest Construction Boom in History

· Tanker Shocker: Boeing ‘Clear Winner’

· Politicians Jubilant at Unexpected Boeing Victory

· Intel Survey: Mobile Etiquette Appalling

WORD OF THE DAY

Dilettante • \DILL-luh-tont\ • Noun - 1: an admirer or lover of the arts 2: a person having a superficial interest in an art or a branch of knowledge: dabbler

Barty was proud of his resume…the prospective employer was not. “It says here that you are ‘familiar’ with many software programs,” the interviewer intoned. “What we wanted was ‘proficiency.’ Instead of being an expert in these areas, I can only conclude that you are an expert dilettante.”

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 to Wind Generators - Shut Down, and You Get Free Power (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2011/02/25/25climatewire-bonneville-power-to-wind-generators-shut-dow-22723.html

Tacoma Power to Lower Level of Lake Cushman (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1502:lower-lake-cushman-level-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=106

Cowlitz Coal - Millennium Internal Email Reveals Goal of 80 Million Tons in Annual Coal Exports (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/local/article_8a86fa28-4072-11e0-b60d-001cc4c002e0.html

National Transportation Safety Board Chief Concerned About Rash of Pipeline Cases (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_17475680

Newspaper: Oil ‘Megaloads’ Will be Downsized (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014329768_apusmegaloads1stld.html

California - Final Environmental Impact Statement for the McCloud-Pit Hydroelectric Project (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)

http://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/enviro/eis/2011/02-25-11.asp

Poll: Nuclear Energy Enjoys Majority Support Among Americans (Electric Light & Power)

http://www.elp.com/index/display/article-display.articles.electric-light-power.generation.nuclear.2011.02.Poll__Nuclear_energy_enjoys_majority_support_among_Americans.QP129867.dcmp=rss.page=1.html

Hackers in China Hit Six Petrochemical Energy Companies (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/25/BUUG1HTM44.DTL

FISH & WILDLIFE

Weak Chum Salmon Runs - Starving British Columbia Eagles Swarm to Dumps (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/02/24/bc-starving-eagles-dump.html

Salmon Can Once Again Explore Marsh Mapped by Lewis & Clark (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/67725-salmon-can-now-explore-marsh-mapped-lewis-and-clark/

Canada - Cargo Ships & Freighters Called Threat to Local Sea Life (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Cargo+ships+freighters+called+threat+local+life/4345774/story.html

A Small Compromise in California’s Water Wars (NY Times - Mmmm, Smoked Smelt)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/25/a-mini-compromise-in-californias-water-wars/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

California Water Company Auditor Guilty of Stealing $9.2 Million (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/24/BA3L1HU15T.DTL

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

DOE Finalizes $96.8 Million Guarantee for Oregon Geothermal Project (Sustainable Business Oregon – Just don’t break the planet…)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/02/doe-finalizes-968m-guarantee-for.html

Jerry Brown’s Tough Choice: Green Energy in Hard Economic Times (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2011/0224/Jerry-Brown-s-tough-choice-green-energy-in-hard-economic-times

Solar Projects Pit Green against Green (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/solar-projects-pit-green-against-green/

Solar Workers in Denver Protest Xcel Energy’s Decision to Scale Back Rebates (Associated Press)

http://www.kdvr.com/news/sns-ap-co-xgr--xcelenergy-solarincentives,0,734130.story

New Guidelines Would Temper Wind Energy Development Effects (Twin Falls Times-News, ID)

http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/twin-falls/article_9fb5f3b7-c022-5e33-904e-02548e8cb002.html

GE & Alstom Prepare for Larger Wind Turbines - Big is better in wind technology, judging by two recent developments in the industry (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/02/ge-and-alstom-prepare-for-larger-wind-turbines?cmpid=rss

Paper Maker Turns Waste Wood to Biofuel, Jobs (Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, MA)

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_17477557

Editorial - A Land Grab for Renewable Energy? (Denver Post, CO)

http://www.denverpost.com/ditmer/ci_17476154

Renewable Energy & the Smart Grid - New techniques in renewable energy forecasting can lead to a smarter, more reliable grid (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/02/smart-grid-renewable-energy-and-the-smart-grid

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

New EPA Data Show Futility of US Carbon Dioxide Restrictions - China’s emissions alone will make reduced emissions in the Western Hemisphere moot (Forbes Magazine)

http://www.forbes.com/2011/02/23/china-carbon-dioxide-emissions-opinions-contributors-james-taylor.html

Severe Weather, Forecasting Could Prompt Force Majeure Rethink (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/25/us-climate-contracts-idUSTRE71O1VE20110225

Can Geo-Engineering Put the Freeze on Global Warming? (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2011-02-25-geoengineering25_CV_N.htm?csp=34money

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Using Solar Power to Extract Oil (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/using-solar-power-to-extract-oil/

Clinton: Too Much Ethanol Could Spark Food Riots (Associated Press)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110225/ap_on_re_us/us_clinton_biofuels

Interview: Rob Bernard, The Man Driving Microsoft’s Green Agenda (The Guardian, UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/24/microsoft-green-agenda