Energy News Digest for July 21, 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

The Bonneville Power Administration Punches Back in Wind Versus Water Fight (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/07/the_bonneville_power_administr.html

Heat ‘Dome’ Makes Much of US Feel Like Steam Bath (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015665187_apusheatwavethedome.html

New Worry for Orcas in Puget Sound – Inbreeding (NW Cable News Network)

http://www.nwcn.com/news/Puget-Sound-orcas-inbreeding-125951254.html

House Republicans Send Letter Raising Concerns over President Obama’s Nominee for Fish, Wildlife & Parks Assistant Secretary (US House Natural Resources Committee)

http://naturalresources.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=252876

Editorial - In Our View: A Win for Clean Air: Environmentalists, PGE announce agreement; shift to coal-free power production continues (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jul/21/in-our-view-a-win-for-clean-air/

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Editorial - In Our View: A Win for Clean Air
• Montana - Exxon Spill Highlights Gaps in Pipeline Oversight
• Montana - Whitefish Seals Deal with Flathead Electric Cooperative for Hydroelectric Plant Output
• Los Angeles Granted Delay to Comply with Power Plant Rule
• Federal Transmission Ruling Expected Today
• The Dirty Little Secret Behind the ‘Transmission Debate’
• Split Within Nuclear Regulatory Agency
• New York - Power Plant Water Rule Threatens Indian Point Reactors
• France Delays New Generation Nuclear Plant
• Can Europe Find a Safe Place for Nuclear Waste?
• Boulder Aims for Energy Independence in the Name of Clean Power
• Progress Energy Responds to Terrorism Threat on Utilities
• Vermont Utilities Enter Smart Grid-Broadband Deal
• Philly Electric Company Loses Power at Downtown HQ
• House Republicans Send Letter Raising Concerns over President Obama’s Nominee for Fish, Wildlife & Parks Assistant Secretary
• New Worry for Orcas in Puget Sound – Inbreeding
• Rocky Reach Dam Getting Heavy Traffic
• California - Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta Smelt Population Up
• Nisqually River - Seeing Trends, Coalition Works to Help a River Adapt
• Nisqually River - As a River Warms, Hope Beckons
• Centralia Levee System Getting $267,000 Makeover
• The Bonneville Power Administration Punches Back in Wind Versus Water Fight
• Bonneville Power Administration Defends Wind Curtailment in FERC Filing
• Solar Power Works, But Slow to Win Favor in Seattle
• Solar Power Boom Shines for Consumers
• Canada - Ontario’s Power Trip: Power Dumping
• Editorial - I’m Environmentally Enlightened, But the New Bulbs Turn Me Off
• Ohio Leads Nation in Toxic Air Pollution
• Michael Bloomberg Gives $50 Million to Sierra Club’s Anti-Coal Campaign
• Ethanol Industry Torn over Losing Subsidy Billions
• California Ends $5,000 Electric-Car Rebates
• Oregon - Clean Water Services Turns Liquid Sewage into Fertilizer; And an Energy Tax Credit
• Tulalip Tribes Question Microsoft About Name for Company’s Social Media Project
• Google+: The Numbers Driving Its Growth
• FCC Delays AT&T, T-Mobile Merger
• Why New York’s ‘Silicon Alley’ May Never Match Silicon Valley
• Editorial - California: Amazon Trying to Buy Its Way Out of Paying Taxes
• Aaron’s Rental Wants Pennsylvania Spyware Computer Suit Tossed
• Washington State Worker Health Costs to Rise 5 Percent, on Average, in 2012
• 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Reversed Again
• $866 or $617,467? Theft Amount Issue in Trial of Former Clallam County Treasurer’s Office Cashier
• Heat ‘Dome’ Makes Much of US Feel Like Steam Bath
• Sun Dependent Businesses Take Hit During Puget Sound’s Bummer Summer
• Washington State Jobs Figures Show Mixed Signals
• Washington’s Jobs Losses in May an Error
• Cause of Huge I-90 Crash Disputed by Semi Driver
• Atlantis Has Landed, Ending NASA’s Shuttle Era
• CenturyLink Field Gets Roof Makeover
• On the East Coast, Fireflies Make a Brilliant Return

WORD OF THE DAY

Sagacious • \suh-GAY-shus\ • adjective - 1: of keen and farsighted penetration and judgment: discerning 2: caused by or indicating acute discernment

Abercrombie’s sagacious manner held the entire room spellbound. He could speak for hours on the topic of energy trading and the benefits of electricity deregulation and every audience would be on the edge of their seats. But, like trying to photograph a vampire, after the applause died away, every attendee could not mention one substantive comment Abercrombie made during his presentation.

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

Editorial - In Our View: A Win for Clean Air: Environmentalists, PGE announce agreement; shift to coal-free power production continues (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/jul/21/in-our-view-a-win-for-clean-air/

Montana - Exxon Spill Highlights Gaps in Pipeline Oversight (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015678690_apusoilspillstreamcrossing.html

Montana - Whitefish Seals Deal with Flathead Electric Cooperative for Hydroelectric Plant Output (Daily Interlake, Kalispell, MT)

http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_d2aa4070-b256-11e0-9ab2-001cc4c03286.html

Los Angeles Granted Delay to Comply with Power Plant Rule - A cooling process at its coastal power plants is blamed for killing sea life (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/07/20/state/n191817D91.DTL

Federal Transmission Ruling Expected Today (Midwest Energy News)

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2011/07/21/transmission-ruling-expected-today/

The Dirty Little Secret Behind the ‘Transmission Debate’ (Grist Online)

http://www.grist.org/energy-policy/2011-07-20-the-dirty-little-secret-behind-the-transmission-debate

Split Within Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/science/earth/21nuke.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

New York - Power Plant Water Rule Threatens Indian Point Reactors (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/20/us-utilities-entergy-indianpoint-idUSTRE76J6NB20110720

France Delays New Generation Nuclear Plant (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/France-delays-new-generation-nuclear-plant-1473508.php

Can Europe Find a Safe Place for Nuclear Waste? (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2011/0720/Can-Europe-find-a-safe-place-for-nuclear-waste

Boulder Aims for Energy Independence in the Name of Clean Power (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/21/idUS198518186620110721

Progress Energy Responds to Terrorism Threat on Utilities (Triangle Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2011/07/21/progress-responds-to-terrorism-threat.html

Vermont Utilities Enter Smart Grid-Broadband Deal (Bloomberg Businessweek)

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9OJN2600.htm

Philly Electric Company Loses Power at Downtown HQ (Associated Press)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Philly-electric-company-loses-apf-1876505946.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

House Republicans Send Letter Raising Concerns over President Obama’s Nominee for Fish, Wildlife & Parks Assistant Secretary (US House Natural Resources Committee)

http://naturalresources.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=252876

New Worry for Orcas in Puget Sound – Inbreeding (NW Cable News Network)

http://www.nwcn.com/news/Puget-Sound-orcas-inbreeding-125951254.html

Rocky Reach Dam Getting Heavy Traffic (Wenatchee World Blog, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/weblogs/hot-links/2011/jul/18/rocky-reach-dam-getting-heavy-traffic/

California - Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta Smelt Population Up; Wet Winter Appears to Have Helped (Sacramento Bee, CA)

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/21/3783726/delta-smelt-population-up-wet.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Nisqually River - Seeing Trends, Coalition Works to Help a River Adapt (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/science/earth/21river.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Nisqually River - As a River Warms, Hope Beckons (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/as-a-river-warms-hope-beckons/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Centralia Levee System Getting $267,000 Makeover (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/07/21/1732508/centralia-levee-system-getting.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

The Bonneville Power Administration Punches Back in Wind Versus Water Fight (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2011/07/the_bonneville_power_administr.html

Bonneville Power Administration Defends Wind Curtailment in FERC Filing (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/20/utilites-bonneville-ferc-idUSN1E76J26320110720

Solar Power Works, But Slow to Win Favor in Seattle (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=517741

Solar Power Boom Shines for Consumers (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2011-07-21-solar-power-boom-lowers-prices_n.htm

Canada - Ontario’s Power Trip: Power Dumping: Billions are wasted buying subsidized wind & solar power that ends up being exported at fire-sale prices (Financial Post, Canada)

http://opinion.financialpost.com/2011/07/20/ontarios-power-trip-power-dumping/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Chelan PUD Earns Efficiency Award (Lake Chelan Mirror, WA)

http://lakechelanmirror.com/main.asp?SectionID=42&SubSectionID=138&ArticleID=4459

Editorial - I’m Environmentally Enlightened, But the New Bulbs Turn Me Off (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/jul/21/im-environmentally-enlightened-but-the-new-bulbs/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Ohio Leads Nation in Toxic Air Pollution (Dayton Business Journal, OH)

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/news/2011/07/20/ohio-leads-nation-in-toxic-air-pollution.html

Michael Bloomberg Gives $50 Million to Sierra Club’s Anti-Coal Campaign (The Guardian, UK)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jul/21/michael-bloomberg-sierra-club-coal

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Ethanol Industry Torn over Losing Subsidy Billions (National Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/21/138543233/ethanol-industry-torn-over-losing-subsidy-billions?ft=1&f=3

California Ends $5,000 Electric-Car Rebates (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/07/california-ends-5000-electric-car-rebates/1?csp=34money

Oregon - Clean Water Services Turns Liquid Sewage into Fertilizer; And an Energy Tax Credit (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/hillsboro/index.ssf/2011/07/clean_water_services_turns_liquid_sewage_into_fertilizer_--_and_an_energy_tax_credit.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Tulalip Tribes Question Microsoft About Name for Company’s Social Media Project (Everett Herald, WA)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110721/news01/707219957/-1/rss02

Google+: The Numbers Driving Its Growth (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2011/07/google-the-numbers-driving-its-growth/1?csp=34tech

FCC Delays AT&T, T-Mobile Merger (SF Business Times, CA)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/morning_call/2011/07/fcc-delays-att-t-mobile-merger.html

Why New York’s ‘Silicon Alley’ May Never Match Silicon Valley (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0720/Why-New-York-s-Silicon-Alley-may-never-match-Silicon-Valley

Editorial - California: Amazon Trying to Buy Its Way Out of Paying Taxes (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/20/ED971KC9BT.DTL

Aaron’s Rental Wants Pennsylvania Spyware Computer Suit Tossed (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2015681288_apusrentalcomputerspyware.html

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State Worker Health Costs to Rise 5 Percent, on Average, in 2012 (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/07/20/1752536/state-worker-health-costs-to-rise.html

9th Circuit Court of Appeals Reversed Again (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/jul/20/9th-circuit-reversed-again/

$866 or $617,467? Theft Amount Issue in Trial of Former Clallam County Treasurer’s Office Cashier (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110721/NEWS/307219992/-866-or-617467-theft-amount-issue-in-trial-of-former

GENERAL NEWS

Heat ‘Dome’ Makes Much of US Feel Like Steam Bath (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2015665187_apusheatwavethedome.html

Sun Dependent Businesses Take Hit During Puget Sound’s Bummer Summer (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=517519

Washington State Jobs Figures Show Mixed Signals (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015669764_apwawashjobless1stld.html

Washington’s Jobs Losses in May an Error (Northwest Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=9148

Cause of Huge I-90 Crash Disputed by Semi Driver (KIRO Broadcasting, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/traffic/28615641/detail.html

Atlantis Has Landed, Ending NASA’s Shuttle Era (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/21/us-space-shuttle-idUSTRE76I11420110721

CenturyLink Field Gets Roof Makeover (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/CenturyLink-Field-gets-roof-make-over--125906099.html

On the East Coast, Fireflies Make a Brilliant Return (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/jul/21/on-the-east-coast-fireflies-make-a-brilliant/

DIVERSIONS

Entire Apple Stores Being Faked in China

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Entire-Apple-stores-being-faked-in-China-1496901.php

Amputee Tortoise Regains Mobility with Prosthetic Wheel – Looks like the wheel came from the corner hardware store!

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/125920009.html

Vanity Project Gone Wild - Rich Shiekh’s Name Can be Seen from Space

http://www.kirotv.com/entertainment/28620834/detail.html

Thurston County Man Married, Arrested 1 Hour Later

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/07/20/1731714/thurston-county-man-married-arrested.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Django Reinhardt - The Sheik of Araby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6jwvS0mHwo