The Energy News Digest: 05/17/11

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Energy News Digest for May 17, 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

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Avista requests gas, electrical rate hikes in Washington – 9.3 percent for electricity; 5.1 percent for natural gas (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/may/16/avista-requests-gas-electrical-rate-hikes-washingt/

How the Pacific Northwest Power Grid is Getting Smarter (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://ecotrope.opb.org/2011/05/how-the-northwest-power-grid-is-getting-smarter/

Sea Lions Caught at Bonneville Dam Monday Not Eligible to be Euthanized (Oregonian, Portland)

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

LED Bulbs Hit 100 Watts as Federal Incandescent Bulb Ban Looms (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2011-05-17-LED-lighting_n.htm

Oregon - Central Electric Cooperative Helps Fund Wave Power Project (The Bend Bulletin, OR – Via MySanAntonio.com)

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/C-Ore-utility-helps-fund-wave-power-project-1381381.php

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

Avista requests gas, electrical rate hikes in Washington
Bonneville Power Administration Decision May Prompt Wind Shutdown Soon
Chelan PUD Transmission Line Study
How the Pacific Northwest Power Grid is Getting Smarter
A New Place to Store Wind Power: Your Bathwater
Montana - Smart Meters Take Utility Monitoring Into the Future
Oregon’s Midstate Electric to Present Benefits of Prepaid Utility Services at CS Week Conference
Kathy Vaughn, Snohomish PUD Commissioner Plans to Run for Lynnwood (sic – should be Snohomish) County Council
Sen. Bingaman: Outlook Bleak for Passing 'Clean Energy' Standard, Repealing Oil Subsidies
Texas - Ex-Pedernales Electric Cooperative Attorney Heads to Trial
Drought Worsens China Power Supply Crunch
Sea Lions Caught at Bonneville Dam Monday Not Eligible to be Euthanized
Let the Hype Begin - First Alaska Copper River Salmon Arrive in Seattle
Critics Say Obama Abandons Science in Forest Rule
Reichert, House Dems: Protect Fish, Critters
Naturalists Fear Overuse of Birdcall Apps
Clallam PUD Approves Water Rate Increase in Some Unincorporated Areas
Oregon - Central Electric Cooperative Helps Fund Wave Power Project
Oregon’s Perpetua Power Closes $4 Million Investment, Plans Expansion
Tidal Turbines: New Sparks of Hope for Green Energy from Beneath the Waves
Editorial – Oregon Bill on Biofuel Needs to be More Specific
Franklin County Commissioners Moving Toward Planning a Solar Project
Editorial – California: Locals Should Level Playing Field for Solar
What Happens When the Incentives Expire?
Op/Ed - Wind Energy: Its Time Has Come (Back) for California
Wisconsin - We Energies Decides to Move Forward With Biomass Project
United Kingdom - Grangemouth Biomass Protesters in Court
New Air Pollutant ‘Discovered’: Biomass Industry and Fire Targeted for Extinction?
LED Bulbs Hit 100 Watts as Federal Incandescent Bulb Ban Looms
Scalding Hot Water - Dad Sues Whirlpool over Bath Time Tragedy
Germany to Invest $1.4 Billion in Electric Cars
Too Much Fertilizer - Fields of Watermelon Burst in China Farm Fiasco
Telcos, Utilities Look for Harmony
Want Broadband? Odds Are, You’ll Choose Cable
Google Expands Superfast Kansas City, KS, Internet to Kansas City, MO
Bloomberg Suggests CenturyLink Might Acquire Sprint
FCC Commissioner Turned Comcast Flunky Defends Herself
Washington State Governor Gregoire Signs Transportation Budget
Washington State Government Preps for July Shutdown as Budget Talks Stall
AAA Thinks Puget Sound Gas Prices Have Peaked

WORD OF THE DAY

Mucilaginous • \myoo-suh-LAJ-uh-nuss\ • Adjective - 1: sticky, viscid 2: of, relating to, full of, or secreting mucilage

“OK, who ate my lettuce to the ground,” growled the gnarled farmer McDonald to his empty backyard. The only evidence to the culprit’s identity was a slimy, mucilaginous trail that ran from the tiny, remaining nubs of lettuce to the underside of an immovable granite boulder. “Next time, I’ll have a nice tuna tin full of beer for you,” the farmer muttered to the rock, and the apparent tenant which lived beneath it.

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

Avista requests gas, electrical rate hikes in Washington – 9.3 percent for electricity; 5.1 percent for natural gas (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/may/16/avista-requests-gas-electrical-rate-hikes-washingt/

Bonneville Power Administration Decision May Prompt Wind Shutdown Soon (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/05/bpa-decision-may-prompt-wind-shutdown.html

Chelan PUD Transmission Line Study (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

http://www.kpq.com/5-16-11---Chelan-PUD-Line-Study--more-/9849667

How the Pacific Northwest Power Grid is Getting Smarter (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://ecotrope.opb.org/2011/05/how-the-northwest-power-grid-is-getting-smarter/

A New Place to Store Wind Power: Your Bathwater (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://ecotrope.opb.org/2010/09/a-new-place-to-store-wind-power-your-bathwater/

Montana - Smart Meters Take Utility Monitoring Into the Future (West Yellowstone News, MT)

http://www.westyellowstonenews.com/news/article_dc0759be-7f6b-11e0-9093-001cc4c03286.html

Oregon’s Midstate Electric to Present Benefits of Prepaid Utility Services at CS Week Conference (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/17/3632464/midstate-electric-to-present-benefits.html

Kathy Vaughn, Snohomish PUD Commissioner Plans to Run for Lynnwood (sic – should be Snohomish) County Council (Everett Herald, WA – OK, this whole story needs a re-write SNOHOMISH County Council…oops)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110517/news01/705179849/-1/rss02

Sen. Bingaman: Outlook Bleak for Passing 'Clean Energy' Standard, Repealing Oil Subsidies (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/05/16/16greenwire-sen-bingaman-outlook-bleak-for-passing-clean-e-38941.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Texas - Ex-Pedernales Electric Cooperative Attorney Heads to Trial (Austin American Statesman, TX)

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/ex-pedernales-electric-cooperative-attorney-heads-to-trial-1477301.html

Drought Worsens China Power Supply Crunch (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Drought-worsens-China-power-supply-crunch-1382442.php

FISH & WILDLIFE

Sea Lions Caught at Bonneville Dam Monday Not Eligible to be Euthanized (Oregonian, Portland)

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

Let the Hype Begin - First Alaska Copper River Salmon Arrive in Seattle (Seattle Times, WA)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015075560_apwacopperriversalmon1stld.html

Critics Say Obama Abandons Science in Forest Rule (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=14654473

Reichert, House Dems: Protect Fish, Critters (Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA)

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/05/16/reichert-house-dems-protect-fish-critters/

Naturalists Fear Overuse of Birdcall Apps (Seattle Times, WA)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015072324_birdcalls17m.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Clallam PUD Approves Water Rate Increase in Some Unincorporated Areas (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110517/news/305179990/clallam-pud-approves-water-rate-increase-in-some-unincorporated-areas

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon - Central Electric Cooperative Helps Fund Wave Power Project (The Bend Bulletin, OR – Via MySanAntonio.com)

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/C-Ore-utility-helps-fund-wave-power-project-1381381.php

Oregon’s Perpetua Power Closes $4 Million Investment, Plans Expansion (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/05/perpetua-power-closes-4m-investment.html

Tidal Turbines: New Sparks of Hope for Green Energy from Beneath the Waves (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Tech/2011/0516/Tidal-turbines-New-sparks-of-hope-for-green-energy-from-beneath-the-waves

Editorial – Oregon Bill on Biofuel Needs to be More Specific (Salem Statesman Journal, OR)

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20110517/OPINION/105170316/Bill-biofuel-needs-more-specific

Franklin County Commissioners Moving Toward Planning a Solar Project (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2011/05/17/1493082/franklin-commissioners-moving.html

Editorial – California: Locals Should Level Playing Field for Solar (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/16/3629130/editorial-locals-should-level.html

What Happens When the Incentives Expire? (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/05/financial-trends-what-happens-when-the-incentives-expire?cmpid=rss

Op/Ed - Wind Energy: Its Time Has Come (Back) for California (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_18061908

Wisconsin - We Energies Decides to Move Forward With Biomass Project (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WI)

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/121952144.html

United Kingdom - Grangemouth Biomass Protesters in Court: Seven people have appeared in court after a protest against a proposed biomass power station (British Broadcasting Corporation, UK)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-13431657

New Air Pollutant ‘Discovered’: Biomass Industry and Fire Targeted for Extinction? (Canada Free Press)

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/36560

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

LED Bulbs Hit 100 Watts as Federal Incandescent Bulb Ban Looms (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2011-05-17-LED-lighting_n.htm

Scalding Hot Water - Dad Sues Whirlpool over Bath Time Tragedy (Courthouse News Service)

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/05/17/36628.htm

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Germany to Invest $1.4 Billion in Electric Cars (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_18074617

Too Much Fertilizer - Fields of Watermelon Burst in China Farm Fiasco (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/05/17/international/i030801D13.DTL

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Telcos, Utilities Look for Harmony “…Regional electric utilities themselves…(including) Washington State-based Mason PUD No. 3, are also driving the smart grid trend. (Motley Fool)

http://www.fool.com/investing/fiercemarkets/2011/05/17/telcos-utilities-look-for-harmony.aspx

Want Broadband? Odds Are, You’ll Choose Cable (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/broadband/want-broadband-odds-are-youll-choose-cable/

Google Expands Superfast Kansas City, KS, Internet to Kansas City, MO (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_18079763

Bloomberg Suggests CenturyLink Might Acquire Sprint - After its Recent Embarq, Qwest Acquisition Spree (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Bloomberg-Suggests-CenturyLink-Might-Acquire-Sprint-114248

FCC Commissioner Turned Comcast Flunky Defends Herself (Consumerist)

http://consumerist.com/2011/05/fcc-commissioner-turned-comcast-flunky-defends-herself.html

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State Governor Gregoire Signs Transportation Budget (Washington Governor’s Office)

http://www.governor.wa.gov/news/news-view.asp?pressRelease=1707&newsType=1