The Energy News Digest: Energy News Digest for March 29, 2011

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Energy News Digest for March 29, 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

Heavy Rains on the Way, Some Flooding Possible (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/theweatherbeat/2014627354_rainy29.html

Pacific Power Customers to See Increase in Utility Bill – Average of 12 Percent per Month (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=14334838

Op/Ed - The Facts about Replacing Power from Snake River Dams (Oregonian, Portland)

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

LOCKS OPEN: Columbia-Snake River Barging Resumes (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/03/29/1427421/locks-open-columbia-snake-barging.html

State of Oregon’s Greenhouse Gas Goals Could Increase Driving Costs (Portland Tribune, OR)

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=130125074623806100

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

· Pacific Power Customers to See Increase in Utility Bill – Average of 12 Percent per Month

· Op/Ed - The Facts about Replacing Power from Snake River Dams

· Transformer Troubles - Power Outage Still Disrupting Boeing Auburn Plant

· Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Kent, Washington; Reward Offered

· BPA’s New High-Voltage Power Line to Carry Wind Power

· Grant County Sheriff Discusses Wire Theft

· Canada - BC Hydro’s Planned Rate Hike on Hold - For Now

· Arkansas - Rich Hunters, Poor Town Clash over Coal-Fired Power Plant

· Electricity in Japan May Not be Back to Normal for Months

· Power Saved to Have Same Price as Power Generated

· Oregonians Split on Nuclear Power, Not Concerned About Radiation from Japan

· Are Nuclear Plants Safe? Environmentalists Are Split

· Iowa - Nuclear Power Debated in Packed Hearing Room

· Energy CEO: Costs, Not Safety, Block New Nukes

· Power Group: China Lowering Nuclear Power Target

· Radiation & Climate Change Drive Islanders to the Pacific Northwest

· The Small World of Big Nuclear Worries

· Another Contract Awarded for Elwha Dam Demolition

· Oregon - Some Deschutes County Property Owners Abusing Wildlife Habitat Tax Breaks

· Oregon Ranchers Seek Right to Shoot Wolves

· Report: Native Fish Species Decline at Lake Tahoe

· LOCKS OPEN: Columbia-Snake River Barging Resumes

· Brightwater Sewer Tunneling Project Blamed for another Sinkhole

· City of Shelton Holds Hearing on Water Rates

· Japan Orders British Columbia Water after Fears of Radioactive Contamination

· Idaho - Avista, Kootenai Electric’s Fight Cut from Energy Rebate Bill

· Idaho Power Considering Solar Energy to Meet Summer Demands

· Economic Effect of Oregon’s Renewable Portfolio Standard

· Portland School Goes Green with Wind Turbine

· TransAlta Corp. Takes First Step on 66-Megawatt Quebec Wind Farm

· Does Solar Energy Hurt the Grid?

· EPA Plans to Put off Need for Carbon Dioxide Permits to Burn Biomass

· Wisconsin Biomass Fight a Matter of Trust

· South Carolina Lawmakers Take a Dim View of New Light Bulbs

· State of Oregon’s Greenhouse Gas Goals Could Increase Driving Costs

· The Week Ahead: Senate to Vote on Proposal to Block EPA Climate Rules

· European Union to Ban Cars from Cities by 2050

· Northwest Group Gets Charge from Converting Cars to Electric Power

· Garbage: To Burn or to Bury

· US Energy Department Program to Cut Costs for Start-Ups

· Enron Broadband Exec Gets Two Years on Probation

· Data Center Construction to Grow to $18 Billion in 2020

· Bob Kimball Resigns Abruptly as CEO of RealNetworks

· How Do You Convince the Cable Co to Lay Broadband to a Semirural Area?

· How Germany’s Greens Rose from Radical Fringe to Ruling Power

· Heavy Rains on the Way, Some Flooding Possible

· Chinese Demand Boosting Peninsula Log Exports to ‘Astronomical’ Levels

· Tacoma Man, Four Others Sentenced for Bangor Break-In & Nuke Protest

· City of Shelton Sets Hearing on Shelton Hills Rezone

· NASA: Mars Rover, Phone Home after Yearlong Sleep

· Will You Pay to Read News Online?

WORD OF THE DAY

Gibbous • \JIB-buss\ • Adjective - 1a: marked by convexity or swelling b of the moon or a planet: seen with more than half but not the entire apparent disk illuminated 2: having a hump: humpbacked

“Young Frankenstein – 1974”

The scene opens; Gene Wilder, as Doctor Frankenstein addresses his “googly-eyed” gibbous assistant Igor, played by Marty Feldman:

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: You know, I’m a rather brilliant surgeon. Perhaps I can help you with that hump.

Igor: What hump?

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

Pacific Power Customers to See Increase in Utility Bill – Average of 12 Percent per Month (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=14334838

Op/Ed - The Facts about Replacing Power from Snake River Dams (Oregonian, Portland)

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

Transformer Troubles - Power Outage Still Disrupting Boeing Auburn Plant

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=14340618

Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Kent, Washington; Reward Offered (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/1051275/

BPA’s New High-Voltage Power Line to Carry Wind Power (Renew Grid)

http://www.renewgridmag.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.6558

Grant County Sheriff Discusses Wire Theft (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/news/article_93655710-595a-11e0-8a0a-001cc4c03286.html

Canada - BC Hydro’s Planned Rate Hike on Hold - For Now (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/Hydro+planned+rate+hike+hold/4521271/story.html

Arkansas - Rich Hunters, Poor Town Clash over Coal-Fired Power Plant (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014624991_apushuntersparadise.html

Electricity in Japan May Not be Back to Normal for Months (LA Observed, CA)

http://www.laobserved.com/biz/2011/03/electricity_in_japan.php

Power Saved to Have Same Price as Power Generated (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/03/28/35299.htm

NUCLEAR SCIENCE READING ROOM

Oregonians Split on Nuclear Power, Not Concerned About Radiation from Japan (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/91779-oregonians-split-nuclear-power-not-concerned-about-radiation-japan/

Are Nuclear Plants Safe? Environmentalists Are Split (North Country Public Radio, NY)

http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/npr/134863507/are-nuclear-plants-safe-environmentalists-are-split

Iowa - Nuclear Power Debated in Packed Hearing Room (Des Moines Register, IA)

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110329/NEWS10/103290365/1001/

Energy CEO: Costs, Not Safety, Block New Nukes (CNET News)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20046783-54.html?tag=nl.e703

Power Group: China Lowering Nuclear Power Target (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/03/28/financial/f213538D06.DTL

Radiation & Climate Change Drive Islanders to the Pacific Northwest (Northwest Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=8578

The Small World of Big Nuclear Worries (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014602608_radiation26m.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Another Contract Awarded for Elwha Dam Demolition (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.konp.com/local/6746

Oregon - Some Deschutes County Property Owners Abusing Wildlife Habitat Tax Breaks, Inspections Find (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/03/some_property_owners_abusing_w.html

Oregon Ranchers Seek Right to Shoot Wolves (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014623006_aporxgrwolfbills2ndldwritethru.html

Report: Native Fish Species Decline at Lake Tahoe (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/03/27/state/n170802D83.DTL

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

LOCKS OPEN: Columbia-Snake River Barging Resumes (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/03/29/1427421/locks-open-columbia-snake-barging.html

Brightwater Sewer Tunneling Project Blamed for another Sinkhole (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/118819179.html

City of Shelton Holds Hearing on Water Rates (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/3498-city-holds-hearing-on-water-rates

Japan Orders British Columbia Water after Fears of Radioactive Contamination (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Japan+orders+water+after+fears+radioactive+contamination/4512218/story.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Idaho - Avista, Kootenai Electric’s Fight Cut from Energy Rebate Bill; Dustup Had Stalled Compromise (Canadian Business Online)

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/market_news/article.jsp?content=D9M8FUHG0

Idaho Power Considering Solar Energy to Meet Summer Demands (via the Idaho Statesman, Boise)

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/e4998ad294c041ecab9a5c768898710f/ID--Idaho-Power-Solar/

Economic Effect of Oregon’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (National Center for Policy Analysis)

http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=20472

Portland School Goes Green with Wind Turbine (KPTV-TV, Portland, OR)

http://www.kptv.com/news/27355499/detail.html

TransAlta Corp. Takes First Step on 66-Megawatt Quebec Wind Farm (Calgary Herald, Alberta)

http://www.canada.com/business/TransAlta+Corp+approved+megawatt+Quebec+wind+farm/4515460/story.html?

Does Solar Energy Hurt the Grid? (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2011/03/does-solar-energy-hurt-the-grid

EPA Plans to Put off Need for Carbon Dioxide Permits to Burn Biomass (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/03/23/35197.htm

Wisconsin Biomass Fight a Matter of Trust - A Closer Look at the Proposed Rothschild Biomass Plant (Wausau Daily Herald, WI)

http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20100725/WDH0101/7250435/0/WDH0205/Biomass-fight-matter-trust?odyssey=nav|head

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

South Carolina Lawmakers Take a Dim View of New Light Bulbs (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014622659_apuslightbulbsstates.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

State of Oregon’s Greenhouse Gas Goals Could Increase Driving Costs (Portland Tribune, OR)

http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=130125074623806100

The Week Ahead: Senate to Vote on Proposal to Block EPA Climate Rules (The Hill)

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/152089-the-week-ahead-senate-to-vote-on-proposal-to-block-epa-climate-rules

European Union to Ban Cars from Cities by 2050 - Cars will be banned from London & all other cities across Europe under a draconian EU master plan to cut CO2 emissions by 60 per cent over the next 40 years (The Telegraph, UK)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8411336/EU-to-ban-cars-from-cities-by-2050.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Northwest Group Gets Charge from Converting Cars to Electric Power (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014624325_electriccars29m.html

Garbage: To Burn or to Bury - Europe burns heaps of garbage, getting lots of electricity & some heat. The United States does not. (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/03/garbage-to-burn-or-to-bury?cmpid=rss

US Energy Department Program to Cut Costs for Start-Ups (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014624873_apusenergyinnovation.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Enron Broadband Exec Gets Two Years on Probation (Associated Press)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2011-03-28-enron-broadband.htm?csp=34money

Data Center Construction to Grow to $18 Billion in 2020 (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoftpri0/2014523237_datacenterconstructionwillgrow.html

Bob Kimball Resigns Abruptly as CEO of RealNetworks (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014623833_real29.html

How Do You Convince the Cable Co to Lay Broadband to a Semirural Area? (Consumerist)

http://consumerist.com/2011/03/how-do-you-convince-cable-co-to-lay-broadband-to-semirural-area.html