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.
Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices: http://twitter.com/energydigest
HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES
Class Action Lawsuit Against LEED & US Green Building Council Evolves “…claims…green building rating system makes false promises about the energy performance…” (Washington Business Journal)
Obama Touts Plan to Get Wireless Internet to 98 Percent of US (Washington Post)
Editorial - Participants in TransAlta Dispute Need to Clear the Air (Olympian, WA)
Mason County PUD 3 Releases Operations Center Costs (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Thurston County Group to Set Biomass Base - It will help county review proposed projects; moratorium stays (Olympian, WA)
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
· Editorial - Participants in TransAlta Dispute Need to Clear the Air
· TransAlta to End Power Purchase Agreement with Large Canadian Coal Plant
· Analysis: More US Utilities Switch from Coal to Natgas
· Throughout the Rockies, Utility Companies Reluctantly Reconsider Coal Plants
· Texas - Blackouts: Another Failure of Deregulation
· Mason County PUD 3 Releases Operations Center Costs
· Mukilteo City Staff Says Inspection of Utility Poles Unnecessary
· British Columbia - Copper Thieves Shutting Off Lights Across the Okanagan
· Wind, Hydro, Biomass May Cover 36% of European Energy Needs by 2020
· Columbia River Chinook & Sturgeon Seasons Reduced
· Columbia River Hatchery System Future Still in Limbo
· Wood Debris from Sandy River Flood Will Return to Nature, Become Habitat for Salmon & Trout
· Feds Give Preliminary OK to Kill Wolves
· Oregon Lawmaker Tells Europeans to Butt Out of Pacific Northwest Wolf Issues
· US Proposes Aquaculture Guidelines
· Hooking Up Homes Next Phase of Belfair Sewer Project
· Washington State DNR Chief: Timber-Harvest Rules Compliance Must Improve
· Farmers’ Project Goal? To Clean Dairy Air
· Thurston County Group to Set Biomass Base
· Vancouver City Councilors Lukewarm on Proposed Downtown Biomass Plant
· Canada - BC Hydro Rejects Williams Lake Area Biomass Plan
· Oversupply Causes Drop in Wind Turbine Prices
· Gulf Coast Wind Farms Spring Up, as Do Worries
· Washington Invests in Making Wind Pay
· La Niña Significantly Influences Wind Speeds in Q4 2010
· Renewable Cost Parity: Is Wind Competitive with Gas?
· New York City Is Looking at Sewage Treatment as a Source of Energy
· Class Action Lawsuit Against LEED & US Green Building Council Evolves
· Study: Tiny LED Holiday Bulbs Contain Lead, Arsenic
· Facebook Should ‘Unfriend Coal,’ Says Greenpeace
· Wayback Machine Says: Facebook Tells Greenpeace: ‘We’re Just as Green as You’
· GOP Lawmakers Take Obama Admin’s Side in Supreme Court Greenhouse Gas Case
· Bush’s EPA Chief Urged Regulating Carbon Emissions in 2008, Letter Shows
· Seattle Pushing for More Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
· EPA’s Power Plant Rules Would Spur Job Creation – Report
· The $8-Trillion Clean-Energy Bill
· Obama Touts Plan to Get Wireless Internet to 98 Percent of US
· White House Outlines Wireless Spending & Bandwidth Sales
· Washington State Retains Microsoft Permit for Data Center Backup Generators
· Amazon Closing Texas Distribution Center Amid Tax Dispute
· Microsoft Readies Internet Explorer 9 for Release
· Clearwire Retail Retreat May Raise Prospect of Sprint Investment
· Being Prepared: Cantwell Sees $18 Million Campaign
· Washington State Bill Would Up Regulation for Signature Gatherers
· On the Skokomish River, Rain Can Mean Flooding
· Mason County Taxable Retail Sales Up
· Inmate Confesses to Killing Monroe Corrections Officer, Sources Say
· Forest Service Eyes Rules to Increase Control
· Oregon’s Knight Arena Passes Audit Muster – Now, if they could just do something about that floor!
WORD OF THE DAY
Unctuous • \UNK-chu-wus\ • Adjective - 1a: fatty, oily b: smooth & greasy in texture or appearance 2: insincerely smooth in speech & manner
Freddie’s encounter with the gold-toothed “miracle oil” salesman left him feeling like he needed a good, hot shower: literally. After extolling its virtues, in unctuous tones, the salesman start spraying the gathered potential customers with the oil additive…laughing maniacally the whole time.
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Editorial - Participants in TransAlta Dispute Need to Clear the Air (Olympian, WA)
TransAlta to End Power Purchase Agreement with Large Canadian Coal Plant (Electric Light & Power)
Analysis: More US Utilities Switch from Coal to Natgas (Reuters)
Throughout the Rockies, Utility Companies Reluctantly Reconsider Coal Plants (New West)
Texas - Blackouts: Another Failure of Deregulation…New plants aren’t built because profit margins are low (San Antonio Express-News, TX)
Mason County PUD 3 Releases Operations Center Costs (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Mukilteo City Staff Says Inspection of Utility Poles Unnecessary (Mukilteo Beacon, WA)
British Columbia - Copper Thieves Shutting Off Lights Across the Okanagan (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
Wind, Hydro, Biomass May Cover 36% of European Energy Needs by 2020 (Bloomberg)
FISH & WILDLIFE
Columbia River Chinook & Sturgeon Seasons Reduced (Longview Daily News, WA)
Columbia River Hatchery System Future Still in Limbo (Vancouver Columbian, WA)
Wood Debris from Sandy River Flood Will Return to Nature, Become Habitat for Salmon & Trout (Oregonian, Portland)
Feds Give Preliminary OK to Kill Wolves (Associated Press)
Oregon Lawmaker Tells Europeans to Butt Out of Pacific Northwest Wolf Issues (Associated Press)
US Proposes Aquaculture Guidelines (NY Times)
WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT
Hooking Up Homes Next Phase of Belfair Sewer Project (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
Washington State DNR Chief: Timber-Harvest Rules Compliance Must Improve (Olympian, WA)
Farmers’ Project Goal? To Clean Dairy Air (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Thurston County Group to Set Biomass Base - It will help county review proposed projects; moratorium stays (Olympian, WA)
Vancouver City Councilors Lukewarm on Proposed Downtown Biomass Plant (Oregonian, Portland)
Canada - BC Hydro Rejects Williams Lake Area Biomass Plan (Williams Lake Tribune, BC)
Oversupply Causes Drop in Wind Turbine Prices (Renewable Energy World)
Gulf Coast Wind Farms Spring Up, as Do Worries (NY Times)
Washington Invests in Making Wind Pay (NY Times)
La Niña Significantly Influences Wind Speeds in Q4 2010 (Renewable Energy World)
Renewable Cost Parity: Is Wind Competitive with Gas? It Depends on how you define it (Climate Central)
New York City Is Looking at Sewage Treatment as a Source of Energy (NY Times)
CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY
Class Action Lawsuit Against LEED & US Green Building Council Evolves “…claims…green building rating system makes false promises about the energy performance…” (Washington Business Journal)
Study: Tiny LED Holiday Bulbs Contain Lead, Arsenic (USA Today)
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Facebook Should ‘Unfriend Coal,’ Says Greenpeace (Washington Post)
Wayback Machine Says: Facebook Tells Greenpeace: ‘We’re Just as Green as You’ (TGDaily)
GOP Lawmakers Take Obama Admin’s Side in Supreme Court Greenhouse Gas Case (NY Times)
Bush’s EPA Chief Urged Regulating Carbon Emissions in 2008, Letter Shows (Bloomberg)
BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI
Seattle Pushing for More Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (KING-TV, Seattle)
EPA’s Power Plant Rules Would Spur Job Creation – Report (NY Times)
The $8-Trillion Clean-Energy Bill (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Obama Touts Plan to Get Wireless Internet to 98 Percent of US (Washington Post)
White House Outlines Wireless Spending & Bandwidth Sales (NY Times)
Washington State Retains Microsoft Permit for Data Center Backup Generators (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
Amazon Closing Texas Distribution Center Amid Tax Dispute (Associated Press)
Microsoft Readies Internet Explorer 9 for Release (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Clearwire Retail Retreat May Raise Prospect of Sprint Investment (Seattle Times)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
Being Prepared: Cantwell Sees $18 Million Campaign (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Washington State Bill Would Up Regulation for Signature Gatherers (Associated Press)
GENERAL NEWS
On the Skokomish River, Rain Can Mean Flooding (Seattle Times)
Mason County Taxable Retail Sales Up (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
Inmate Confesses to Killing Monroe Corrections Officer, Sources Say (KING-TV, Seattle)
Forest Service Eyes Rules to Increase Control (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
Oregon’s Knight Arena Passes Audit Muster – Now, if they could just do something about that floor! (Portland Business Journal)
DIVERSIONS
Turn Off & Unplug at Typewriter ‘Type-In’
Happy Birthday Julius Pierpont Patches - Iconic Kids’ Show Debuted 53 Years Ago
Diet Pepsi ‘Skinny’ Can Stirs Up Big Controversy
Is the Southern Accent in Danger?
SONG OF THE DAY
Charlie Daniels Band - The South’s Gonna do it Again
