Energy News Digest for April 28, 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.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

The news digest is also available at the following web site:

http://www.energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Exelon to Buy Constellation Energy for $7.9 Billion (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/28/us-constellation-exelon-idUSTRE73Q8BS20110428

US Metro Areas with Dirtiest Air Get Cleaner (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2011-04-27-city-smog-epa-dirty-air_n.htm?csp=34news

Mason County PUD No. 1 Honored by State for Water System Efforts (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/5538-pud1-honored-by-state

Clark County Taking Green ‘To the Masses’ - Planet Clark trailer will travel to tout benefits of energy efficiency (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/apr/27/taking-green-to-the-masses/

Solar Panels Rise Pole by Pole, Followed by Gasps of ‘Eyesore’ “…part of a $515 million investment in solar projects…a state renewable energy mandate…” (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/science/earth/28solar.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Exelon to Buy Constellation Energy for $7.9 Billion

·         Shattuck: Constellation/Exelon Merger Will Result in ‘Net Jobs’ Gain for Baltimore

·         Price of Power is Going Up - Umatilla Electric Will Introduce New Rates to Customers Oct. 1

·         Bellingham’s first debate on coal-for-China project reflects growing tensions

·         Chelan & Douglas PUDs to Offer Paperless Billing

·         Tacoma Power Plans Mossyrock Dam Open House

·         Fitch Affirms Chelan PUD’s $200.3 Million Revenue Bonds at ‘AA+’

·         Storms Knock Out Tennessee Valley Authority Nuclear Units, Power Lines

·         Fill ‘Er Up - Exxon Earns Nearly $11 Billion in First Quarter

·         Shell Oil Makes $8.78 Billion Profit in First Quarter

·         At $7.1 Billion, BP First Quarter Profit Climbs 17% Despite Expenses From Gulf Oil Spill

·         Yakama Nation Prepares to Release Sturgeon

·         Canada - Metro Vancouver Development Not Responsible for Sockeye Decline: Study

·         Stillaguamish Tribe Deploys Hydrolab in Port Susan

·         Op/Ed - California-Sized Problem on the Willamette

·         Mason County PUD No. 1 Honored by State for Water System Efforts

·         Water Rates - Clallam County PUD to Hold Rate Increase Hearings

·         Belfair Water Lines Broken

·         New Stormwater Bill Raises Concerns

·         BC Hydro Monitors Snow Melt

·         Soap is Crusting Up Sewers, But It’s Not the Clean Kind

·         Solar Panels Rise Pole by Pole, Followed by Gasps of ‘Eyesore’

·         Environmental Fight: Tortoises vs Solar Energy

·         Interior Alaska Villages Making Plans to Increase Biomass Use

·         Winds of Change: Challenges in an Ongoing Wind Boom in Texas

·         Wind Farm Growth Also a Windfall for Truckers

·         Google Says Investment in Renewable Energy is Long-Term Effort

·         France Set to Miss Green Energy Goal

·         California Plant Gets Biogas from Sewage

·         Green Mountain Solar Leases Give Homeowners Bragging Rights

·         Clark County Taking Green ‘To the Masses’

·         Biodegradable Envelope, Please - How Did Readers Do on Slate’s Energy Consumption Quiz?

·         When Refrigerators Warm the Planet

·         Mabton Students Protest Ban on Water Bottles

·         Electric, Hybrid, Diesel Cars Won’t Sell Big Despite Hype

·         Going Green & Getting Rich Doing It

·         South Africa’s New Internet Cable Link Could Bring Economic Boom

·         San Francisco Delays Vote on AT&T Utility Boxes

·         US Metro Areas with Dirtiest Air Get Cleaner

·         Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia No. 18 on Pollution Scale

·         Tacoma to Blame for Puget Sound’s High Pollution Rank?

·         Southern Storms: ‘I Don’t Know How Anyone Survived’

·         Interior Secretary Salazar Visits Washington State

·         3,000 Hopefuls Apply for 20 Firefighter Jobs in Tacoma

·         Voice Mail? That’s So Last Century

·         Scotch Broom, That Pesky Noxious Weed, Carries an Economic Cost

WORD OF THE DAY

Accretion • \uh-KREE-shun\ • Noun – 1: the process of growth or enlargement by a gradual buildup: as a: increase by external addition or accumulation b: the increase of land by the action of natural forces 2: a product of accretion; especially: an extraneous addition

See this story below: “Soap is Crusting Up Sewers, But It’s Not the Clean Kind” for a graphic and gooey example of accretion…if you dare!

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

Exelon to Buy Constellation Energy for $7.9 Billion (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/28/us-constellation-exelon-idUSTRE73Q8BS20110428

Shattuck: Constellation/Exelon Merger Will Result in ‘Net Jobs’ Gain for Baltimore (Baltimore Business Journal, MD)

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2011/04/28/shattuck-merger-will-create-baltimore.html

Price of Power is Going Up - Umatilla Electric Will Introduce New Rates to Customers Oct. 1 (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR)

http://www.eastoregonian.com/news/price-of-power-is-going-up/article_0f404508-7106-11e0-ac9f-001cc4c002e0.html

Bellingham’s first debate on coal-for-China project reflects growing tensions (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/blog/crosscut/20272/Bellingham-s-first-debate-on-coal-for-China-project-reflects-growing-tensions/

Chelan & Douglas PUDs to Offer Paperless Billing - Utilities could save thousands of dollars every month (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/apr/27/chelan-and-douglas-puds-to-offer-paperless/

Tacoma Power Plans Mossyrock Dam Open House (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?Tacoma-Power-plans-Mossyrock-Dam-open-ho=1&blockID=511795&feedID=410

Fitch Affirms Chelan PUD’s $200.3 Million Revenue Bonds at ‘AA+’ (BusinessWire)

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110427007371/en/Fitch-Affirms-Chelan-PUDs-WA-200.3MM-Consolidated

Storms Knock Out Tennessee Valley Authority Nuclear Units, Power Lines (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/27/us-utilities-tva-storms-idUSTRE73Q98920110427

Fill ‘Er Up - Exxon Earns Nearly $11 Billion in First Quarter (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/04/28/financial/f051143D72.DTL

Shell Oil Makes $8.78 Billion Profit in First Quarter (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014896402_apeunetherlandsearnsshell.html

At $7.1 Billion, BP First Quarter Profit Climbs 17% Despite Expenses From Gulf Oil Spill (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014895491_bpprofit28.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Yakama Nation Prepares to Release Sturgeon (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=14533087

Canada - Metro Vancouver Development Not Responsible for Sockeye Decline: Study (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.vancouversun.com/Metro+Vancouver+development+responsible+sockeye+decline+study/4683932/story.html

Stillaguamish Tribe Deploys Hydrolab in Port Susan (Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission)

http://nwifc.org/2011/04/stillaguamish-tribe-deploys-hydrolab-in-port-susan/

Op/Ed - California-Sized Problem on the Willamette: California sea lions are a serious threat to Willamette River fish & sport fishing. (West Linn Tidings, OR)

http://www.westlinntidings.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=130393189863140200

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason County PUD No. 1 Honored by State for Water System Efforts (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/5538-pud1-honored-by-state

Water Rates - Clallam County PUD to Hold Rate Increase Hearings (Sequim Gazette, WA)

http://www.sequimgazette.com/news/article.exm/2011-04-27_pud_to_hold_rate_increase_hearings

Belfair Water Lines Broken (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/5449-water-lines-broken

New Stormwater Bill Raises Concerns (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/story/14529700/new-storm-water-bill-raises-concerns

BC Hydro Monitors Snow Melt (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Hydro+monitors+snow+melt/4688310/story.html

Soap is Crusting Up Sewers, But It’s Not the Clean Kind (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/environment/2011-04-27-clogged-sewers_n.htm?csp=34money

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Solar Panels Rise Pole by Pole, Followed by Gasps of ‘Eyesore’ “…part of a $515 million investment in solar projects…a state renewable energy mandate…” (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/science/earth/28solar.html

Environmental Fight: Tortoises vs Solar Energy (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_17944609

Interior Alaska Villages Making Plans to Increase Biomass Use (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK)

http://mobile.newsminer.com/bookmark/12972662-Interior-Alaska-villages-making-plans-to-increase-biomass-use

Winds of Change: Challenges in an Ongoing Wind Boom in Texas (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/german-american-chamber-of-commerce-inc-6496/news/article/2011/04/winds-of-change-challenges-in-an-ongoing-wind-boom-in-texas?cmpid=rss

Wind Farm Growth Also a Windfall for Truckers (Des Moines Register, IA)

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110427/BUSINESS/104270346/1029/

Google Says Investment in Renewable Energy is Long-Term Effort (Reuters)

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/google-says-investment-in-renewable-energy-is-long-term-effort/articleshow/8104243.cms

France Set to Miss Green Energy Goal (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/26/us-france-renewable-targets-idUSTRE73P3VV20110426

California Plant Gets Biogas from Sewage (Earth Techling)

http://www.earthtechling.com/2011/04/california-plant-gets-biogas-from-sewage/

Green Mountain Solar Leases Give Homeowners Bragging Rights (Dallas Morning News)

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/20110427-green-mountain-solar-leases-give-homeowners-bragging-rights.ece

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Clark County Taking Green ‘To the Masses’ - Planet Clark trailer will travel to tout benefits of energy efficiency (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/apr/27/taking-green-to-the-masses/

Biodegradable Envelope, Please - How Did Readers Do on Slate’s Energy Consumption Quiz? (Slate Magazine)

http://www.slate.com/id/2292313/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

When Refrigerators Warm the Planet (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/when-refrigerators-warm-the-planet/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Mabton Students Protest Ban on Water Bottles (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/story/14528638/mabton-high-school-students-protest-over-ban

Electric, Hybrid, Diesel Cars Won’t Sell Big Despite Hype (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/04/jd-power-alternative-powered-cars-wont-sell-big/1?csp=34money

Going Green & Getting Rich Doing It (TIME Magazine)

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/27/going-green-and-getting-rich-doing-it/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

South Africa’s New Internet Cable Link Could Bring Economic Boom (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2011/0428/South-Africa-s-new-Internet-cable-link-could-bring-economic-boom

San Francisco Delays Vote on AT&T Utility Boxes (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/27/BA301J844B.DTL

GENERAL NEWS

US Metro Areas with Dirtiest Air Get Cleaner (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2011-04-27-city-smog-epa-dirty-air_n.htm?csp=34news

Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia No. 18 on Pollution Scale (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/28/1643430/seattle-tacoma-olympia-no-18-on.html

Tacoma to Blame for Puget Sound’s High Pollution Rank? (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=470792

American Lung Association State of the Air Report

http://www.stateoftheair.org/

Southern Storms: ‘I Don’t Know How Anyone Survived’ (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/weather/27698341/detail.html

Interior Secretary Salazar Visits Washington State (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/apr/27/interior-secretary-salazar-visits-washington-state/

3,000 Hopefuls Apply for 20 Firefighter Jobs in Tacoma (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/120823649.html

Voice Mail? That’s So Last Century (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014879263_voice28.html

Scotch Broom, That Pesky Noxious Weed, Carries an Economic Cost (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/04/27/1630537/scotch-broom-that-pesky-noxious.html

DIVERSIONS

Follow-Up File - Goldfish Racing Returns to Tacoma Bar

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=470865

Special Place in Hell Edition - Ann Arbor Man, 19, Uses Hummer to Run Over Ducklings

http://www.freep.com/article/20110427/NEWS05/110427006/Cops-Ann-Arbor-man-19-uses-Hummer-run-over-ducklings

Austrian Authorities Reveal Find of Buried Treasure

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_austria_buried_treasure

Does Your Name Spell Power? LinkedIn Reveals Top CEO Names

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/28/does-your-name-spell-power-linkedin-reveals-top-ceo-names/

SONG OF THE DAY

Linda Ronstadt - Silver Threads & Golden Needles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsiXcS-glAU