The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for March 11, 2011

Friday, March 11, 2011

Energy News Digest for March 11, 2011

The energy news digest will be on vacation March 14-18. Sand in the shoes time.

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

Japan Earthquake Shuts Nuclear Power Plants, Leaves Residents in Dark (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2011/0311/Japan-earthquake-shuts-nuclear-power-plants-leaves-residents-in-dark

Critics Say Bonneville Power Administration Drops Ball While Juggling Its Power (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/25981251-46/power-wind-bonneville-fish-bpa.html.csp

Doc Hastings & Pete DeFazio - Saving Columbia River Salmon: Time to Get Out of the Courtroom & into the River (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/03/saving_columbia_river_salmon_t.html

Progress Denied: A Study on the Potential Economic Impact of Permitting Challenges Facing Proposed Energy Projects (US Chamber of Commerce)

http://www.uschamber.com/reports/progress-denied-study-potential-economic-impact-permitting-challenges-facing-proposed-energy

Light Bulb Law Stokes Fury in US Senate Hearing (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/03/10/10greenwire-light-bulb-law-stokes-fury-in-senate-hearing-90938.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

· Japan Earthquake Shuts Nuclear Power Plants, Leaves Residents in Dark

· Critics Say Bonneville Power Administration Drops Ball While Juggling Its Power

· Report: TransAlta Legislation Not a Done Deal

· Editorial - TransAlta Agreement Shows the Power of Compromise

· Wind Disrupts Mason County Power

· FERC to Use Texas Outage Inquiry to Evaluate Energy Issues Nationally

· California PUC Orders Pacific Gas & Electric to Let Customers Opt Out of Smartmeter Program

· Oregon - Clatsop County Closer to Killing Second Liquefied Natural Gas Project

· Natural Gas, Scrutinized, Pushes for Growth

· Showdown on Vermont Nuclear Plant’s Fate

· Regulators Say Northeast US Utility Mergers Must Benefit Environment

· Doc Hastings & Pete DeFazio - Saving Columbia River Salmon: Time to Get Out of the Courtroom & into the River

· Montana - Hungry Horse Dam Operated in Favor of Fish

· Canada - Study Rules Out Usual Suspects in Decline of Fraser Sockeye

· California - 65 Tons of Dead Fish Removed from Redondo Beach Marina, 30 Stinking Tons Left

· Progress Denied: A Study on the Potential Economic Impact of Permitting Challenges Facing Proposed Energy Projects

· Montana Bill Aims to Lift 2005 Renewable Energy Provision

· Danish Battery Company Eyes Oregon for US Base

· Pennsylvania Capital Gets Offer to Buy Costly Incinerator

· Light Bulb Law Stokes Fury in US Senate Hearing

· Op/Ed - Let There be More Efficient Light

· Energy-Efficient Laundromats Keep Popping Up in Oregon

· House Panel Votes to Strip EPA of Power to Regulate Greenhouse Gases

· Interest in Renewable Energy May Stick as Oil Prices Surge

· Deaconess Severs Ties With Inland Northwest Health Service as Part of Lawsuit Settlement

· FCC Boss Plans to Stay - ‘Very Happy at the FCC,’ Says Spokesman

· CEO of Kirkland-Based Clearwire to Step Down

· Hundreds Killed in Tsunami after 8.9 Japan Quake

· Japan’s Earthquake Ranks as the Fifth Strongest in the World Since 1900

· Weather Service Confirms Tsunami on Washington State Coast

· California Surfers Waited in Water for Tsunami

· Spokane - Finders of MLK Bomb Say They Were Fired for Actions

· La Nina Climate Condition Weakening

· 51 Died Under Washington State Death With Dignity Act Last Year

WORD OF THE DAY

Enigmatic • \enn-igg-MATT-tick\ • Adjective - Of, relating to, or resembling an enigma: mysterious

Ishmael strode confidently past the screaming crowds lining the stage entrance to the local theater. Smiling slightly, he knew why they were there. They wanted to get a glimpse of him. The enigmatic king of the professional tiddlywinks circuit, who had parleyed a disturbingly large right thumb into his secret weapon while wielding the colorful plastic chips that danced at his command.

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

Japan Earthquake Shuts Nuclear Power Plants, Leaves Residents in Dark (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2011/0311/Japan-earthquake-shuts-nuclear-power-plants-leaves-residents-in-dark

Critics Say Bonneville Power Administration Drops Ball While Juggling Its Power (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)

http://www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/25981251-46/power-wind-bonneville-fish-bpa.html.csp

Report: TransAlta Legislation Not a Done Deal (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?Report-TransAlta-legislation-not-a-done-=1&blockID=437499&feedID=410

Editorial - TransAlta Agreement Shows the Power of Compromise (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/03/11/1574719/transalta-agreement-shows-the.html

Wind Disrupts Mason County Power (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2331:wind-disrupts-power&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=106

FERC to Use Texas Outage Inquiry to Evaluate Energy Issues Nationally (Dallas Morning News, TX)

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/20110310-ferc-to-use-texas-outage-inquiry-to-evaluate-energy-issues-nationally.ece

California PUC Orders Pacific Gas & Electric to Let Customers Opt Out of Smartmeter Program (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_17587382

Oregon - Clatsop County Closer to Killing Second Liquefied Natural Gas Project (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/03/clatsop_county_closer_to_killi.html

Natural Gas, Scrutinized, Pushes for Growth (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/us/11ttgas.html

Showdown on Vermont Nuclear Plant’s Fate (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/science/earth/11nuke.html

Regulators Say Northeast US Utility Mergers Must Benefit Environment (Boston Herald, MA)

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20110310regulators_utility_mergers_must_benefit_environment/srvc=home&position=recent

FISH & WILDLIFE

Doc Hastings & Pete DeFazio - Saving Columbia River Salmon: Time to Get Out of the Courtroom & into the River (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/03/saving_columbia_river_salmon_t.html

Montana - Hungry Horse Dam Operated in Favor of Fish (The Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_c951befc-4b92-11e0-a008-001cc4c03286.html

Canada - Study Rules Out Usual Suspects in Decline of Fraser Sockeye (Globe & Mail, Canada)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/study-rules-out-usual-suspects-in-decline-of-fraser-sockeye/article1937903/

California - 65 Tons of Dead Fish Removed from Redondo Beach Marina, 30 Stinking Tons Left (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_17586449

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Progress Denied: A Study on the Potential Economic Impact of Permitting Challenges Facing Proposed Energy Projects (US Chamber of Commerce)

http://www.uschamber.com/reports/progress-denied-study-potential-economic-impact-permitting-challenges-facing-proposed-energy

Montana Bill Aims to Lift 2005 Renewable Energy Provision (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20110311/NEWS01/103110324/1002/news01/Bill-aims-lift-2005-renewable-energy-provision

Danish Battery Company Eyes Oregon for US Base (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/03/danish-battery-company-eyes-oregon-for.html

Pennsylvania Capital Gets Offer to Buy Costly Incinerator (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014459982_apusharrisburgfinancialwoes.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Light Bulb Law Stokes Fury in US Senate Hearing (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/03/10/10greenwire-light-bulb-law-stokes-fury-in-senate-hearing-90938.html

Op/Ed - Let There be More Efficient Light (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/opinion/11pielke.html

Energy-Efficient Laundromats Keep Popping Up in Oregon; Save Money & the Planet All at Once (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/03/energy-efficient_laundromats_p.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

House Panel Votes to Strip EPA of Power to Regulate Greenhouse Gases (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/science/earth/11climate.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Interest in Renewable Energy May Stick as Oil Prices Surge (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-oil-alternate-20110311,0,5837265.story

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Deaconess Severs Ties With Inland Northwest Health Service as Part of Lawsuit Settlement – Dispute over license to operate acclaimed electronic medical records network (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/mar/10/deaconess-severs-ties-inhs/

FCC Boss Plans to Stay - ‘Very Happy at the FCC,’ Says Spokesman (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Boss-Plans-To-Stay-113119

CEO of Kirkland-Based Clearwire to Step Down (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/27152895/detail.html

GENERAL NEWS

Hundreds Killed in Tsunami after 8.9 Japan Quake (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/03/10/1574607/79-magnitude-quake-strikes-japan.html

Japan’s Earthquake Ranks as the Fifth Strongest in the World Since 1900 (Time Magazine)

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/11/japans-earthquake-ranks-as-the-fifth-strongest-in-the-world-since-1900/

Weather Service Confirms Tsunami on Washington State Coast (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014466073_apwatsunamiwarningwash4thld.html