The Energy News Digest: 04/25/11

Monday, April 25, 2011

Energy News Digest for April 25, 2011

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Winter Returns to the Pacific Northwest with Wind, Rain, & Snow (Seattle Post Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Winter-returns-Wind-rain-snow-1351199.php

EPA Takes Control of North Dakota’s Air Quality Program (Bismarck Tribune, ND)

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_9265480e-6d12-11e0-a956-001cc4c03286.html

Invasive Species: Are Scientists Fighting a Losing Battle? (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014867172_invasive25m.html

Amazon’s Cloud is Back, But Still Hazy (CNN Money)

http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/25/technology/amazon_cloud/index.htm

New York Internet Case Underscores Importance Of Secure Wi-Fi (Associated Press)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/25/1639035/case-underscores-importance-of.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

· Port Townsend Paper Mill Locks in Low-Cost Power for Another Two Years

· SW Washington State Coal Plant Will Shut Down in 14 Years

· Southern Montana Electric Increases Wholesale Rates for Co-Op Members

· Portland General Electric Seeks Input on Power Request

· Illinois - Clinton Nuclear Plant Running Out of Space for Spent Fuel

· Nuclear Reactors, Residents & Risk

· Apples ‘n Oranges - Japan Needs $150 Billion in Solar Panels by 2020 – To Replace Nuclear

· Tennessee Valley Authority Showcases Melton Hill Dam Enhancements

· Big Battery - The Landing Mall Display Harbinger of Power Storage Project in Port Angeles

· Invasive Species: Are Scientists Fighting a Losing Battle?

· Inland Waterbird Colonies Show Unexpectedly High Predation Rate on Specific, Listed Salmonid Stocks

· Dredging vs. Salmon in Portland’s Willamette Harbor

· Cold, Rushing Rivers Likely to Create Frigid Start to Chinook Season

· What the Federal Delisting for Wolves Means for Oregon’s Packs, Ranchers

· Dam Leak Leaves Sultan Reservoir Dry

· Corps of Engineers Approves Hanford Reach Interpretive Center

· Urban Buildings Unplug from Water Grid

· Alaska - Wind Farm Struggles to Sign Up Energy Utilities

· Idaho PUC Considers What’s Next for Idaho’s Green Energy

· Wisconsin Loves Wind Power, But for the Right Reasons?

· General Electric Says Wind Turbine Demand Fell Last Year

· Solar: California’s New Gold Rush

· Environmentalists, Green Industries at Odds over San Bernardino County Desert Development

· Wind & Solar - Upside to Duke Energy from Renewable Projects

· Easier To Track Renewable Energy Sources at New Cal Independent System Operator HQ

· Op/Ed - Save Money with the Help of a Free Energy Savings Kit

· On Earth Day, More Green Light Bulbs

· Richland School District Finding Energy Efficient Ways to Balance Its Budget

· EPA Takes Control of North Dakota’s Air Quality Program

· A Separation on Power - For Six states, regulating greenhouse gas is a matter for the courts, but the Supreme Court thinks it’s the EPA’s job

· Texas Fires Push Climate Change Hot Buttons

· Forget Carbon Dioxide; This Pollution Fight is Over Noise

· French Project to Turn Dog Poop into Fertilizer

· Amazon’s Cloud is Back, But Still Hazy

· Wireless Carriers Grapple with Spectrum Shortage

· Vancouver, Clark County Review Comcast Deals

· New York Internet Case Underscores Importance of Secure Wi-Fi

· Port Angeles Fiber Optics - State Attorney General Will Take No Action against Former Mayor after State Auditor’s Report

· AT&T Starts Selling ‘Cell Tower in a Suitcase’

· Microhoo? - Might Microsoft be Interested (Again) in Buying Yahoo?

· Olympia’s Odd Couple Craft Bipartisan Washington State Budget

· Washington State Legislature’s Special Session to Start with Two Plans Full of Cuts

· End-of-Session Washington State Legislative Summary

· Winter Returns to the Pacific Northwest with Wind, Rain, & Snow

· Wind Advisory for South Puget Sound & Hood Canal

· Six Dead in Early Easter Fire in Vancouver, WA

· Washington State - Time to Remove Studded Tires

· Fire Ravages Downtown Olympia Warehouse; Fireworks Heard Hours before Blaze

· Pot Wars: Private Land New Frontier in California

· Vatican Investigating Possible Miracle in Washington State

WORD OF THE DAY

Irreprehensible • \ih-rep-ree-HENSE-ih-bull\ • Adjective - Beyond reproach: deserving no censure

“Your irreprehensible comment about my motives was unwarranted, irregardless of its intent,” intoned the hard-pressed administrative assistant to the manager. Somewhere in the distance a dog barked…followed by the popping sound of a grammarian’s head exploding.

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

Port Townsend Paper Mill Locks in Low-Cost Power for Another Two Years (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA – A ‘Thank You’ note to public power would be nice here…)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110424/news/304249984/port-townsend-paper-mill-locks-in-low-cost-power-for-another-two-years

SW Washington State Coal Plant Will Shut Down in 14 Years (Northwest Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=8693

Southern Montana Electric Increases Wholesale Rates for Co-Op Members (Associated Press)

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20110425/NEWS01/110425006/SME-increases-wholesale-rates-co-op-members

Portland General Electric Seeks Input on Power Request (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/04/pge-seeks-input-on-power-request.html

Illinois - Clinton Nuclear Plant Running Out of Space for Spent Fuel (Peoria Journal-Star, IL)

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x128432495/Nuclear-plant-in-Clinton-running-out-of-space-for-spent-fuel

Nuclear Reactors, Residents & Risk - A world population analysis reveals the locations that could put the most people in danger should a nuclear accident occur (Nature)

http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110421/full/472400a.html

Apples ‘n Oranges - Japan Needs $150 Billion in Solar Panels by 2020 – To Replace Nuclear (Bloomberg News)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/24/BUK21J5K8K.DTL

Snake Causes Easter Sunday Power Outage for Thousands of Pepco Customers (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/snake_causes_easter_sunday_power_outage_for_thousands_of_pepco_customers/2011/04/24/AFEuDPdE_story.html

Tennessee Valley Authority Showcases Melton Hill Dam Enhancements (WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN)

http://www.wbir.com/news/article/167065/2/TVA-showcases-Melton-Hill-Dam-enhancements

Big Battery - The Landing Mall Display Harbinger of Power Storage Project in Port Angeles (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110424/NEWS/304249998/the-landing-mall-display-harbinger-of-power-storage-project-in-port

FISH & WILDLIFE

Invasive Species: Are Scientists Fighting a Losing Battle? (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014867172_invasive25m.html

Inland Waterbird Colonies Show Unexpectedly High Predation Rate on Specific, Listed Salmonid Stocks (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/407842.aspx

Dredging vs. Salmon in Portland’s Willamette Harbor (Oregon Public Radio)

http://news.opb.org/article/dredging-vs-salmon-portlands-willamette-harbor/

Cold, Rushing Rivers Likely to Create Frigid Start to Chinook Season (Yakima Herald-Republic, WA)

http://sportsyakima.com/2011/04/cold-rushing-rivers-likely-to-create-frigid-start-to-chinook-season/

What the Federal Delisting for Wolves Means for Oregon’s Packs, Ranchers (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/04/what_the_federal_delisting_for_wolves_means_for_oregons_packs_ranchers.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Dam Leak Leaves Sultan Reservoir Dry (Everett Herald, WA)

http://heraldnet.com/article/20110423/NEWS01/704239965

Corps of Engineers Approves Hanford Reach Interpretive Center (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/story/14487414/hanford-reach-interpretive-center-closer-to

Urban Buildings Unplug from Water Grid (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/04/24/1627592/urban-buildings-unplug-from-water.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Alaska - Wind Farm Struggles to Sign Up Energy Utilities (Anchorage Daily News, AK)

http://www.adn.com/2011/04/23/1825086/wind-farm-struggles-to-sign-up.html

Idaho PUC Considers What’s Next for Idaho’s Green Energy (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

http://www.renewablesbiz.com/article/11/04/idaho-puc-considers-whats-next-idahos-green-energy

Wisconsin Loves Wind Power, But for the Right Reasons? (Midwestern Energy News)

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2011/04/22/poll-wisconsin-loves-wind-power-but-for-the-right-reasons/

General Electric Says Wind Turbine Demand Fell Last Year (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/24/idUS51840164220110424

Solar: California’s New Gold Rush - Green energy offers the prospect of an economic boon, but some worry the environmental, cultural cost is too high (The Desert Sun, Palm Springs, CA)

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20110424/NEWS07/104240320/1013/news07/Solar-California-s-new-gold-rush

Environmentalists, Green Industries at Odds over San Bernardino County Desert Development (San Bernardino Sun, CA)

http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_17913058

Wind & Solar - Upside to Duke Energy from Renewable Projects (NASDAQ)

http://community.nasdaq.com/News/2011-04/upside-to-duke-energy-from-renewable-projects.aspx?storyid=72396

Easier To Track Renewable Energy Sources at New Cal Independent System Operator HQ (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/04/23/3573198/easier-to-track-renewable-enery.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Op/Ed - Save Money with the Help of a Free Energy Savings Kit (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://tdn.com/news/opinion/article_fee1e152-6dfa-11e0-b598-001cc4c002e0.html

On Earth Day, More Green Light Bulbs (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2011/04/green-lighting-earth-day/1?csp=34money

Richland School District Finding Energy Efficient Ways to Balance Its Budget (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/story/14498182/rsd-finding-energy-efficient-ways-to-balance-its-budget

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

EPA Takes Control of North Dakota’s Air Quality Program (Bismarck Tribune, ND)

http://www.bismarcktribune.com/news/local/article_9265480e-6d12-11e0-a956-001cc4c03286.html

A Separation on Power - For Six states, regulating greenhouse gas is a matter for the courts, but the Supreme Court thinks it’s the EPA’s job. (Bend Bulletin, OR)

http://www.bendbulletin.com/article/20110424/NEWS0107/104240316/

Texas Fires Push Climate Change Hot Buttons (Hamilton Spectator, Ontario)

http://www.thespec.com/news/world/article/521512--texas-fires-push-climate-change-hot-buttons

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Forget Carbon Dioxide; This Pollution Fight is Over Noise - Mount Rainier National Park Flight Fight Hits Turbulence

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/25/1639007/park-flight-fight-hits-turbulence.html

French Project to Turn Dog Poop into Fertilizer (Bloomberg News – Guess the movie: “Monsieur, I have to poop!” Answer: the small, white poodle in “What Women Want”)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/23/BU9Q1J5A9B.DTL

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Amazon’s Cloud is Back, But Still Hazy (CNN Money)

http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/25/technology/amazon_cloud/index.htm

Wireless Carriers Grapple with Spectrum Shortage (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/24/1638191/wireless-carriers-grapple-with.html

Vancouver, Clark County Review Comcast Deals - 15-year agreements due to expire at end of 2012; early resolution targeted (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/apr/25/city-county-review-comcast-deals/

New York Internet Case Underscores Importance of Secure Wi-Fi (Associated Press)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/25/1639035/case-underscores-importance-of.html

Port Angeles Fiber Optics - State Attorney General Will Take No Action against Former Mayor after State Auditor’s Report (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110421/NEWS/110429996/state-attorney-general-will-take-no-action-against-former-pa-mayor

AT&T Starts Selling ‘Cell Tower in a Suitcase’ (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014868460_apustectechbitcelltowerinasuitcase.html

Microhoo? - Might Microsoft be Interested (Again) in Buying Yahoo? (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/2011/04/22/might-microsoft-be-interested-again-in-buying-yahoo/

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Olympia’s Odd Couple Craft Bipartisan Washington State Budget (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014859069_oddcouple24m.html

Washington State Legislature’s Special Session to Start with Two Plans Full of Cuts (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/24/1638055/special-session-to-start-with.html

End-of-Session Washington State Legislative Summary (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/04/24/1627327/end-of-session-legislative-summary.html