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
TransAlta Plans to End Burning Coal by 2025, Convert to Natural Gas (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
Hawaii - Deal Reached to End Hawaiian Electric Company Strike, Workers Say (Honolulu Advertiser, HI)
California Utilities Miss Green Energy Deadline (SF Chronicle, CA)
Water Forecast Indicates There’s Enough to Go Around (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2011/03/07/water-forecast-indicates-there-s-enough-to-go-around
More Douglas PUD Power, Tenants for Data Center (Wenatchee World, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· TransAlta Plans to End Burning Coal by 2025, Convert to Natural Gas
· Hawaii - Deal Reached to End Hawaiian Electric Company Strike, Workers Say
· Bonneville Power Administration Rate Hike Looms for Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative
· Hydropower ‘Stealing’ Share from Natural Gas: Energy Markets
· Editorial - As It Reaches a Century of Service, Eugene Water & Electricity Board Has Grown at the Direction of the Community
· City of Great Falls Seeks to Leave Montana Power Cooperative
· Juj Named Vice President BPA Transmission Planning & Asset Management
· Raven Who Knocked Out Anchorage Power ‘Nevermore’
· Tennessee Valley Authority - 20-Year Power Plan Adds Nuclear, Natural Gas, Cuts Coal
· Op/Ed - Stopping Coal at the Coast
· Editorial - The Grand Canyon Uranium Rush
· Georgia - As the Cobb Electric Co-Op Turns
· Washington DC’s Electricity - Pepco Reliability Plan ‘Cobbled Together’ Without Detailed Study
· Dams Power Turkey’s Future, But Drown Its Rich History
· Study Says British Columbia Killer Whales Choking on Boat Exhaust
· Grizzly’s Threatened Status Appealed in Oregon Court
· Idaho Caviar & High Desert Aquaculture
· Water Forecast Indicates There’s Enough to Go Around
· Tidewater Brings Back Employees as Columbia River Locks Reopen
· Longview Pulp Mill Spills Bleach into Columbia River
· Clallam County to Sign New Sewer Agreement With PUD for Carlsborg
· Farmers, EPA Clash over Chesapeake Bay Regulations
· California Utilities Miss Green Energy Deadline
· Montana Bill Classifies Hydroelectricity as Renewable Energy
· Companies Examine the Alternatives for Clean-Energy Credit in Idaho
· Wind Farm Siting - Wyoming Legislature Fails to Settle Eminent Domain Issue
· Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Pushes Affordable Batteries to Store Green Power
· Op/Ed – Pacific Gas & Electric’s Real Problem: Resisting a Clean Energy Future
· Inspector Faults Energy Department over Renewable Energy Loan Program
· Deep in the Biomass Belt
· Washington State University Applying for Federal Biomass Grant
· Many in the Dark on Incandescent Light Bulb Phase-Out
· Ground Source Heat Pump - Digging Up Energy Savings Right in Your Backyard
· China Reportedly Plans Strict Goals to Save Energy
· European Union Plans to Double Energy Efficiency by 2020
· North Korea Wants to Trade Carbon Credits – By selling UN-backed carbon offsets from hydro-power projects
· Coastal Cities Prepare for Rising Sea Levels
· Wording Change Softens Global Warming Skeptics
· Friends without Benefits - Behind the Feud between Greenpeace & Facebook over Renewable Energy
· Ethanol Industry Feels Squeeze as Congress Tightens Belt
· Ecoroofs: Industry Grows, Costs Come Down
· More Douglas PUD Power, Tenants for Data Center
· Oregon - Clearwire Withdraws Controversial Wireless Site Applications After Northeast Portland Neighbors & Others Push Back
· Microsoft to write $1 billion check to phone-maker
· Washington State Lawmakers Reach Key Legislative Deadline
· Coal & Fertilizers - Environment Bills Get Past Important Deadline
· State Senate Overwhelmingly OKs Bill Limiting Eminent Domain
· Congressional Office? Not in Thurston County
· Shelton Mayor John Tarrant Not Seeking Re-Election
· Gary Locke to be Named New Ambassador to China
· AAA: Gas Prices in Washington Average $3.60
WORD OF THE DAY
Raffish • \RAFF-ish\ • Adjective - 1: marked by or suggestive of flashy vulgarity or crudeness 2: marked by a careless unconventionality: rakish
Abner loved his propeller beanie. He felt that the raffish tilt he applied to the iconic headgear lent him a “devil may care” look as he strutted down the street. Unfortunately for his love life, it was interpreted by the sorority row residents as a look that said “fool without a clue.”
SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
TransAlta Plans to End Burning Coal by 2025, Convert to Natural Gas (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
Hawaii - Deal Reached to End Hawaiian Electric Company Strike, Workers Say (Honolulu Advertiser, HI)
Bonneville Power Administration Rate Hike Looms for Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative (The Blue Mountain Eagle, Grant County, OR)
Hydropower ‘Stealing’ Share from Natural Gas: Energy Markets (Bloomberg News)
Editorial - As It Reaches a Century of Service, Eugene Water & Electricity Board Has Grown at the Direction of the Community (Eugene Register-Guard, OR)
City of Great Falls Seeks to Leave Montana Power Cooperative (Associated Press)
Juj Named Vice President BPA Transmission Planning & Asset Management (Bonneville Power Administration)
Raven Who Knocked Out Anchorage Power ‘Nevermore’ (Associated Press)
Tennessee Valley Authority - 20-Year Power Plan Adds Nuclear, Natural Gas, Cuts Coal (Reuters)
Op/Ed - Stopping Coal at the Coast: Plans to Export More Coal to China Will Only Hurt Efforts to Combat Climate Change (Los Angeles Times, CA)
Editorial - The Grand Canyon Uranium Rush (NY Times)
Georgia - As the Cobb Electric Co-Op Turns: The co-op wants to rehire its former CEO while he awaits trial on a 31-count RICO indictment (Courthouse News Service)
Washington DC’s Electricity - Pepco Reliability Plan ‘Cobbled Together’ Without Detailed Study, Report Finds (Washington Post)
Dams Power Turkey’s Future, But Drown Its Rich History (Christian Science Monitor)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Study Says British Columbia Killer Whales Choking on Boat Exhaust (Vancouver Sun, BC)
Grizzly’s Threatened Status Appealed in Oregon Court (Associated Press)
Idaho Caviar & High Desert Aquaculture (Northwest Public Radio)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Water Forecast Indicates There’s Enough to Go Around (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2011/03/07/water-forecast-indicates-there-s-enough-to-go-around
Tidewater Brings Back Employees as Columbia River Locks Reopen - Barge Company Had Laid Off 100 Workers (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Longview Pulp Mill Spills Bleach into Columbia River (Associated Press)
Clallam County to Sign New Sewer Agreement With PUD for Carlsborg (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)
Farmers, EPA Clash over Chesapeake Bay Regulations (Christian Science Monitor)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
California Utilities Miss Green Energy Deadline (SF Chronicle, CA)
Montana Bill Classifies Hydroelectricity as Renewable Energy (KXLH-TV, Helena, MT)
Companies Examine the Alternatives for Clean-Energy Credit in Idaho (Idaho Statesman, Boise)
Wind Farm Siting - Wyoming Legislature Fails to Settle Eminent Domain Issue (Associated Press)
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Pushes Affordable Batteries to Store Green Power (Tri-City Herald, WA)
Op/Ed – Pacific Gas & Electric’s Real Problem: Resisting a Clean Energy Future (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
Inspector Faults Energy Department over Renewable Energy Loan Program (NY Times)
Deep in the Biomass Belt - Southeast pursues renewable woody biomass for baseload power despite uncertain market conditions (Renewable Energy World)
Washington State University Applying for Federal Biomass Grant (Puget Sound Business Journal)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Many in the Dark on Incandescent Light Bulb Phase-Out (Everett Herald, WA)
Ground Source Heat Pump - Digging Up Energy Savings Right in Your Backyard (NY Times)
China Reportedly Plans Strict Goals to Save Energy (NY Times)
European Union Plans to Double Energy Efficiency by 2020 (Associated Press)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
North Korea Wants to Trade Carbon Credits – By selling UN-backed carbon offsets from hydro-power projects (The Guardian, UK)
Coastal Cities Prepare for Rising Sea Levels (Los Angeles Times, CA)
Wording Change Softens Global Warming Skeptics (Grist)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Friends without Benefits - Behind the Feud between Greenpeace & Facebook over Renewable Energy (Slate Magazine)
Ethanol Industry Feels Squeeze as Congress Tightens Belt (NY Times)
Ecoroofs: Industry Grows, Costs Come Down (Sustainable Business Oregon)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
More Douglas PUD Power, Tenants for Data Center (Wenatchee World, WA)
Oregon - Clearwire Withdraws Controversial Wireless Site Applications After Northeast Portland Neighbors & Others Push Back (Oregonian, Portland)
Microsoft to Write $1 Billion Check to Phone-Maker (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Washington State Lawmakers Reach Key Legislative Deadline (Associated Press)
Coal & Fertilizers - Environment Bills Get Past Important Deadline (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
State Senate Overwhelmingly OKs Bill Limiting Eminent Domain (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Congressional Office? Not in Thurston County (Olympian, WA)
GENERAL NEWS
Shelton Mayor John Tarrant Not Seeking Re-Election (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Gary Locke to be Named New Ambassador to China (Reuters)
AAA: Gas Prices in Washington Average $3.60 (Associated Press)
DIVERSIONS
Police Find Field of Money in US Highway Median
Want to Date Your Doppelgänger? There’s a Site for That
Intruder Calls Police When Southwest Portland Homeowner Returns
Sick Groom Marries Bride in Skype Wedding
SONG OF THE DAY
For the Love of Money - O’ Jays
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll3uipTO-4A
