The Energy News Digest: 05/10/11

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Energy News Digest for May 10, 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

Third Plan for Columbia Basin Dams & Wild Salmon May Still Have Holes, Judge James A. Redden Warns (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/05/governments_third_plan_for_col.html

Oregonian Editorial Board - What We’re Thinking & Writing About “…We think Redden ought to approve the biop, which is the best plan the feds…have ever produced for Columbia salmon…” (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/05/editorial_board_what_were_thin_12.html

Microsoft Buying Skype for $8.5 Billion in Its Biggest Deal Ever (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-05-10-microsoft-skype_n.htm

‘Fracking’ for Natural Gas is Polluting Ground Water, Study Concludes (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2011/0509/Fracking-for-natural-gas-is-polluting-ground-water-study-concludes

Feds Rank Portland General Electric No. 1 in US for Number of Renewable Power Customers (Bradenton.com)

http://www.bradenton.com/2011/05/09/3179914/doe-ranks-pge-no-1-in-us-for-number.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

· ‘Fracking’ for Natural Gas is Polluting Ground Water, Study Concludes

· Montana – Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Makes Request for Local Tax Cut

· Ratepayers Will Pay for Removal of PacifiCorp’s Klamath Basin Dams

· Pacific Gas & Electric’s Underground Electrical Gear Blamed for Fires, Explosions, Power Outages

· Tacoma Utility Workers to Get Raises

· May 17 - Planned Power Outage for Shelton-Matlock Road Area

· Power Outages Affect Large Swath of Venezuela, Raising Concerns about Recurring Problem

· Chile Approves Huge Dam Project in Wild Patagonia

· Planting the Right Tree in the Right Place Prevents Risk of Injury, Power Outages

· PJM Region Grows, But Ready For Hot Weather Power Demand

· Third Plan for Columbia Basin Dams & Wild Salmon May Still Have Holes, Judge James A. Redden Warns

· BiOp Oral Arguments - Redden Asks About Accountability if Future Survival Evaluations Fall Short

· Lawyers Argue Columbia River Salmon Numbers

· Judge Redden Hears Perhaps His Final Arguments in Salmon vs. Dams Debate

· Oregonian Editorial Board - What We’re Thinking & Writing About

· Columbia River Restoration Off to Good Start

· Columbia River Spring Chinook Count Looks to Be on Par With Preseason Forecast

· Columbia River - Four Days Added to Spring Chinook Season

· Hood Canal Council Could Get Millions from Navy for Mitigation Projects

· Feds Rank Portland General Electric No. 1 in US for Number of Renewable Power Customers

· Austin Energy Top Green Power Seller in US

· Ocean Power Technologies Testing New Wave Power Device

· Solar Power A Natural Deep in the Mojave Desert

· Massachusetts - Opponent of Planned Springfield Biomass Plant

· British Columbia - Carbon Offset Target ‘Will Be Met’

· Ice Flows - What Do 28,000 Time-Lapse Photos Tell Us About Everest’s Melting Glaciers?

· Electric Car Grid Balancing Options Limited: Study

· Utility Price Hikes Push Demand for Wood in Tanzania

· Goats Enlisted to Help with Work on Oregon Levees

· Backyard Beehives the New Buzz in Town

· Microsoft Buying Skype for $8.5 Billion in Its Biggest Deal Ever

· Google to Launch Cloud Music Service

· San Francisco’s Digital Realty Gains on Data-Center Frenzy

· Wi-Fi Networks Could be Disrupted by Climate Change

· Congressman Doc Hastings Hospitalized

· State Budget Negotiators Look to Outsource Some Government Functions

· An Environmental Scorecard from Olympia

· North Mason School District to Lay Off Librarians, Other Teachers

· Gas Price to Drop as Oil Joins Commodities Plunge

· No Federal Stimulus Money to Stop Washington State Railroad Mudslides

· Mason General Hospital Gets New Name & Logo

WORD OF THE DAY

Decalogue • \DECK-uh-log\ • Noun – 1: capitalized: ten commandments 2: a basic set of rules carrying binding authority

Here’s My Decalogue

God said to trembling Moses

Now, use them wisely

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

‘Fracking’ for Natural Gas is Polluting Ground Water, Study Concludes (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2011/0509/Fracking-for-natural-gas-is-polluting-ground-water-study-concludes

Montana – Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Makes Request for Local Tax Cut (KPAX-TV, Missoula, MT)

http://www.kpax.com/news/cfac-make-request-for-tax-cut/

Ratepayers Will Pay for Removal of PacifiCorp’s Klamath Basin Dams (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/ratepayers-will-pay-removal-pacificorps-klamath-basin-dams/

Pacific Gas & Electric’s Underground Electrical Gear Blamed for Fires, Explosions, Power Outages (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_18020802

Tacoma Utility Workers to Get Raises (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/05/10/1659159/city-utility-workers-to-get-raises.html

May 17 - Planned Power Outage for Shelton-Matlock Road Area (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=861

Power Outages Affect Large Swath of Venezuela, Raising Concerns about Recurring Problem (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/power-outages-affect-large-swath-of-venezuela-raising-concerns-about-recurring-problem/2011/05/09/AFl5o4bG_story.html

Chile Approves Huge Dam Project in Wild Patagonia (Associated Press)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gjJHQ6wvG-m0b51ImWx9I-FbB-3A?docId=d04c24f5797d4faebeea10c37a745d11

Planting the Right Tree in the Right Place Prevents Risk of Injury, Power Outages (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=154533

PJM Region Grows, But Ready For Hot Weather Power Demand - Recession Continues to Impact Summer Demand (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=154561

FISH & WILDLIFE

Third Plan for Columbia Basin Dams & Wild Salmon May Still Have Holes, Judge James A. Redden Warns (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/05/governments_third_plan_for_col.html

BiOp Oral Arguments - Redden Asks About Accountability if Future Survival Evaluations Fall Short (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

http://www.cbbulletin.com/408275.aspx

Lawyers Argue Columbia River Salmon Numbers (Associated Press)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/may/10/lawyers-argue-salmon-numbers/

Judge Redden Hears Perhaps His Final Arguments in Salmon vs. Dams Debate (Oregon Public Radio)

http://news.opb.org/article/judge-redden-hears-perhaps-his-final-arguments-salmon-vs-dams-debate/

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/05/editorial_board_what_were_thin_12.html

Columbia River Restoration Off to Good Start (Oregon Business)

http://www.oregonbusiness.com/high-five/10-high-five/5252-columbia-restoration-off-to-good-start

Columbia River Spring Chinook Count Looks to Be on Par With Preseason Forecast - Sport fishery in lower river could reopen soon (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2015005935__just_ask_anyone_who.html

Columbia River - Four Days Added to Spring Chinook Season (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/nwhookandbullet/fishing/regulations/article_e77ee95a-7819-11e0-a712-001cc4c03286.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Hood Canal Council Could Get Millions from Navy for Mitigation Projects (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/may/09/hood-canal-council-could-get-millions-from-navy/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Feds Rank Portland General Electric No. 1 in US for Number of Renewable Power Customers (Bradenton.com)

http://www.bradenton.com/2011/05/09/3179914/doe-ranks-pge-no-1-in-us-for-number.html

Austin Energy Top Green Power Seller in US (Austin Business Journal, TX)

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2011/05/09/austin-energy-top-green-power-seller.html

Ocean Power Technologies Testing New Wave Power Device (Electric Light & Power)

http://www.elp.com/index/display/article-display.articles.electric-light-power.renewable-energy.wave-title.2011.05.Ocean_Power_Technologies_testing_new_wave_power_device.QP129867.dcmp=rss.page=1.html

Solar Power A Natural Deep in the Mojave Desert (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110510/biz/705109947/-1/rss03

Massachusetts - Opponent of Planned Springfield Biomass Plant: Project ‘Full Steam Ahead’ Despite Proposed New Massachusetts Regulations (Springfield Republican, MA)

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/05/opponent_of_planned_springfield_biomass_plant_project_full_steam_ahead.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

British Columbia - Carbon Offset Target ‘Will Be Met’ (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Carbon+offset+target+will/4756020/story.html

Ice Flows - What Do 28,000 Time-Lapse Photos Tell Us About Everest’s Melting Glaciers? (Slate Magazine)

http://www.slate.com/id/2292964/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Electric Car Grid Balancing Options Limited: Study (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/10/us-automobiles-electricity-idUSTRE7492ZD20110510

Utility Price Hikes Push Demand for Wood in Tanzania (AlertNet)

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/utility-price-hikes-push-demand-for-wood-in-tanzania

Goats Enlisted to Help with Work on Oregon Levees (Seattle Times)