The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for February 4, 2011

Friday, February 4, 2011

Energy News Digest for February 4, 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

Washington State Bill Would Move TransAlta’s Deadline for Changes at Centralia Coal Power Plant - Bill would require using cleaner energy sources by late 2015, rather than 2025 (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/02/04/1531547/bill-would-move-transaltas-deadline.html

Energy Northwest Considers Mixed Plutonium Fuel for Columbia Generating Station (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/02/04/1354173/energy-northwest-considering-mixed.html

California cap-trade plan dealt blow by San Francisco judge (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/04/MNOO1HIDT2.DTL

Columbia River Sturgeon Numbers Decline; Hungry Sea Lions Apparent Cause (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014129669_sealions05m.html

Idaho Wind-Farm Complex Completed - Dozens of new windmills are now spread across 10,000 acres of south-central Idaho (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/02/04/1514153/idaho-wind-farm-complex-completed.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

· Washington State Bill Would Move TransAlta’s Deadline for Changes at Centralia Coal Power Plant

· Energy Northwest Considers Mixed Plutonium Fuel for Columbia Generating Station

· Repairs Continue After Chehalis Power Blast

· State Oks Process for Transferring East Jefferson Electrical Service from Puget Sound Energy to PUD

· Chelan County PUD Might Raise Water Rates, Extend Surcharge

· Power Lines Across Truck in Issaquah Trap Driver

· Thousands in New Mexico Without Natural Gas Service

· Cold Exposes Jumble of Flaws in Texas Electric Policies

· Report Backs Massive Canadian Oil Sands Pipeline to Gulf of Mexico

· Ohio – American Electric Power Electricity Rate Plan Has Surprises in Store for Many Customers

· Columbia River Sturgeon Numbers Decline; Hungry Sea Lions Apparent Cause

· Op/Ed - Winning the Future: Salmon Country Needs Science & Innovation, Too

· Western Wolverines Threatened by Climate Change

· Idaho Wind-Farm Complex Completed

· Norwegian Solar Energy Firm Renewable Energy Corporation Breaks Ground on Italian Solar Plant

· McMinnville Water & Light Offers Incentives

· Penguin Windows Jobs in Vancouver Are Safe for Now

· California Cap-Trade Plan Dealt Blow by San Francisco Judge

· United Kingdom Allowed to Restart Spot Carbon Trading

· Climatologist Claims Climate Change Denier Defamed

· Area’s First All-Electric Leaf Lands in Olympia

· Oregon State University’s New Energy Center Makes a Platinum Statement

· The Root: Trying to Find the Rumored Green Jobs

· Analysis: US Biodiesel on Life Support, But Smiling

· Verizon Stops Taking Iphone Pre-Orders After Setting Unspecified ‘Record’

· Ahead of iPhone, Verizon Says It May Slow Data

· Speculation of Alliance with Microsoft Lifts Nokia Shares

· Depletion of Internet Addresses Reflects Wired World

· Survey: 32% Admit Mooching Neighbor’s Wi-Fi

· Huge Debt Handcuffs Washington State in Bad Times

· Seattle Woman Quits Luxembourg Ambassador Job amid Criticism

· Three-Year-Old Saves Father’s Life

· Weyerhaeuser Posts Fourth Quarter Profit

· Panel Rejects Pricey, Innovative Design for Portland-to-Vancouver Bridge

· Washington State’s Banking Regulator Steps Down to Run San Juan Island Bank

· Norfolk Pulls Website Similar to Seattle’s

· Underdog Shelton ‘Climbers Like Role in Bowling Tournament

WORD OF THE DAY

Julienne • \jool-ee-ENN\ • - To slice into thin strips about the size of matchsticks

“Now, this ought to take care of that backlog of ‘Vegematics’ in the store-room,” cackled the opportunistic renewable energy entrepreneur. Looking for a way to make a more readily burned woody biomass processor, the “network marketing” enthusiast decided that julienne wood chips would be just the ticket.

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

Washington State Bill Would Move TransAlta’s Deadline for Changes at Centralia Coal Power Plant - Bill would require using cleaner energy sources by late 2015, rather than 2025 (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/02/04/1531547/bill-would-move-transaltas-deadline.html

Energy Northwest Considers Mixed Plutonium Fuel for Columbia Generating Station (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/02/04/1354173/energy-northwest-considering-mixed.html

Repairs Continue After Chehalis Power Blast (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?Repairs-continue-after-Chehalis-Power-bl=1&blockID=403325&feedID=410

State Oks Process for Transferring East Jefferson Electrical Service from Puget Sound Energy to PUD (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110204/news/302049981/state-oks-process-for-transferring-east-jefferson-electrical-service

Chelan County PUD Might Raise Water Rates, Extend Surcharge (Lake Chelan Mirror, WA)

http://www.lakechelanmirror.com/main.asp?SectionID=5&SubSectionID=5&ArticleID=3487

Power Lines Across Truck in Issaquah Trap Driver (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/26743524/detail.html

Thousands in New Mexico Without Natural Gas Service (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014125233_apusnaturalgasoutages.html

Cold Exposes Jumble of Flaws in Texas Electric Policies (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TX)

http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/02/03/2822392/cold-exposes-jumble-of-flaws-in.html

Report Backs Massive Canadian Oil Sands Pipeline to Gulf of Mexico (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014126147_apusoilpipeline.html

Ohio – American Electric Power Electricity Rate Plan Has Surprises in Store for Many Customers (Business First, Ohio)

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/02/04/aep-rate-plan-has-surprises-in-store.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Columbia River Sturgeon Numbers Decline; Hungry Sea Lions Apparent Cause (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014129669_sealions05m.html

Op/Ed - Winning the Future: Salmon Country Needs Science & Innovation, Too (Oregonian, Portland – Pay no attention to those return numbers…nothing to see here…move along…)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/02/winning_the_future_salmon_coun.html

Western Wolverines Threatened by Climate Change (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/02/wolverine-climate-change.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho Wind-Farm Complex Completed - Dozens of new windmills are now spread across 10,000 acres of south-central Idaho (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/02/04/1514153/idaho-wind-farm-complex-completed.html

Norwegian Solar Energy Firm Renewable Energy Corporation Breaks Ground on Italian Solar Plant (BusinessGreen)

http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2024134/rec-breaks-ground-italian-solar-plant

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

McMinnville Water & Light Offers Incentives (Yamhill County News-Register, McMinnville, OR)

http://www.newsregister.com/article/46836-mac+water+amp+light+offers+incentives

Penguin Windows Jobs in Vancouver Are Safe for Now (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/feb/04/penguin-windows-jobs-vancouver-are-safe-now/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

California Cap-Trade Plan Dealt Blow by San Francisco Judge (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/02/04/MNOO1HIDT2.DTL

United Kingdom Allowed to Restart Spot Carbon Trading - The UK has been cleared to begin spot carbon trading again on Friday after the European Union shut the whole market for two weeks (The Telegraph, UK)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/8301727/UK-allowed-to-restart-spot-carbon-trading.html

Climatologist Claims Climate Change Denier Defamed Him (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/02/04/33907.htm

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Area’s First All-Electric Leaf Lands in Olympia (Olympian, WA – Small farm & residential charging exchange program anyone?)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/02/04/1531204/areas-first-all-electric-leaf.html

Oregon State University’s New Energy Center Makes a Platinum Statement (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/02/oregon_states_new_energy_cente.html

The Root: Trying to Find the Rumored Green Jobs (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/04/133491234/the-root-trying-to-find-the-rumored-green-jobs

Analysis: US Biodiesel on Life Support, But Smiling (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/04/us-usa-bi0diesel-idUSTRE7130H920110204