Monday, April 27, 2009

Energy News Digest for April 27, 2009

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

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- An Aged Electric Grid Looks to a Brighter Future
- Engineering a Smart Grid for Energy's Future
- Power, And Pitfalls, Of an Electrical Smart Grid
- Supply Glut Sends Natural Gas Prices Crashing On Nymex
- Battle Lines Drawn Over Clean Coal
- Republicans Push Nuclear Energy to Lower Costs
- Idaho - Hundreds Attend Nuke Hearing
- Southern Company's Miss. IGCC Plant Faces New Challenge
- Missouri - Study to Begin On Possible Tenn-Tom Hydroelectric Plant
- Bill Introduced to Return Yucca Money to Electricity Consumers
- Car hits power pole = big blackout, but how?
- Tree-Planter Breaks Natural Gas Line at His Camas Home
- Agreement Gives Cheney More Control over Power
- Chelan PUD commissioners could approve rate hike Monday
- Sacramento Bee Op/Ed - John Distasio: SMUD's Rate Hike Means Brighter Future
- San Francisco Moves Closer to Selling Power to Residents
- Highway 3 Tree Trimming Postponed Until June
- Walden calls Obama's energy bill 'an Oregon job killer'
- At Constellation Energy, Not a Star Performance
- Salmon Standoff
- And Now a Word about Salmon Fishing
- Fishermen Lose Millions Saving Weakest Fish Stocks
- 'Bad Boy' Orcas Have Arrived Off the Oregon Coast
- Tribe Gathering Small Fish to Save Dwindling Stillaguamish River Run
- Walleye at Low Densities in Lake Pend Oreille
- Shrimp Season Gets Underway May 2
- Environmental group pulls out of Klamath talks
- Oregon's water issues run deep
- Oregon Water Demand Opens Door to Special Interests
- Small Water System near Seabeck to Get Upgrade before the Kitsap PUD Takes over
- Latest Storm Headache: Seattle Sand Clogs Sewer Plant
- No Out of State Renewables under CA Energy Mandates
- Columbian Editorial - Harnessing Currents
- A Green Challenge: Make Renewables Reliable
- Ocean power surges forward
- Plug-In Cars Create Challenges
- St. Petersburg Times Opinion – Trying Not To Tilt At Wind Turbines
- Oregon Company Studying Possible Hawaiian Wind Farm
- New Searchable Map of the Green Energy World
- Business Group Calls for Energy Cuts in Buildings
- In Tough Economic Times, Companies Eager to Conserve
- Democrats May Ease Bill's Emissions Rules
- Gore, Gingrich Face Off On Global Warming Bill
- NY Times Op-Ed - Don’t Waste Time Cutting Emissions
- A Green Trade War?
- Washington Post Op/Ed - Selling the Green Economy
- Carbon Swaps = Big Bucks - Green cash
- Wildfires Add to Speed of Global Warming
- Air Pollution Helps Plants Blunt Climate Change
- Canada - Go Green on Top, Or Face $100,000 Fine
- Tennessee Well-Positioned For Broadband Funding
- One Internet Village, Divided
- Typical Lost Laptop Can Cost $50,000
- US Declares Public Health Emergency for Swine Flu
- Pandemic Alert! What Happens During a "Public Health Emergency"
- Lawmakers Pass Budget - Grim Blueprint
- Budget-Weary Washington Legislature Adjourns
- Wash. Lawmakers May Go To Special Session
- Wash. Lawmakers Delay Family Leave Program
- Cowlitz County Judge Says Tax Increase Should Have Been Considered To Balance County's Budget
- $500 Million for Tribes
- Shot Clock Approved for Boys’ High-School Basketball

WORD OF THE DAY

Inveterate • \in-VET-uh-rut\ • adjective - 1: firmly established by long persistence 2: confirmed in a habit: habitual

“I’m not a video game addict,” huffed the pizza-faced hoodlum to his glowering mother. “I’m an inveterate human-digital interface practicioner.”

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and 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

An Aged Electric Grid Looks to a Brighter Future (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103327321&ft=1&f=3

Engineering a Smart Grid for Energy's Future (NY Times)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/26/AR2009042602628.html?wprss=rss_technology

Power, And Pitfalls, Of an Electrical Smart Grid (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-smartgrid27-2009apr27,0,4261187.story

Supply Glut Sends Natural Gas Prices Crashing On Nymex (Purchasing.Com)
http://www.purchasing.com/article/CA6654186.html?nid=4016

Battle Lines Drawn Over Clean Coal (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/environment/2009/april/Battle-Lines-Drawn-Over-Clean-Coal.html

Republicans Push Nuclear Energy to Lower Costs (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009120717_apusrepublicansenergy.html?syndication=rss

Idaho - Hundreds Attend Nuke Hearing (Mountain Home News, ID)
http://www.mountainhomenews.com/story/1533611.html

Southern Company's Miss. IGCC Plant Faces New Challenge (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN2416524420090424

Missouri - Study to Begin On Possible Tenn-Tom Hydroelectric Plant (Commercial Dispatch, Columbus MO)
http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=1178

Bill Introduced to Return Yucca Money to Electricity Consumers (Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV)
http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/43593592.html

Car hits power pole = big blackout, but how? (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/43655242.html

Tree-Planter Breaks Natural Gas Line at His Camas Home – “Call before you dig” isn't just for construction companies (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090425/NEWS02/704259960/

Agreement Gives Cheney More Control over Power (Cheney Free Press, WA)
http://www.cheneyfreepress.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=4356&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2058&hn=cheneyfreepress&he=.com

Chelan PUD commissioners could approve rate hike Monday (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090425/NEWS04/704259950?Chelan-PUD-commissioners-could-approve-rate-hike-Monday

Sacramento Bee Op/Ed - John Distasio: SMUD's Rate Hike Means Brighter Future
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/story/1808350.html

San Francisco Moves Closer to Selling Power to Residents (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/cityinsider/detail?entry_id=39056

Highway 3 Tree Trimming Postponed Until June (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7078/reftab/1632/t/HIGHWAY-3-TREE-TRIMMING-POSTPONED-UNTIL-JUNE/Default.aspx

Walden calls Obama's energy bill 'an Oregon job killer' - GOP congressman said the bill defines woody biomass as not renewable (Mail Tribune, Medord, OR)http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090426/NEWS/904260335

At Constellation Energy, Not a Star Performance - It's been a rough year for Mayo Shattuck (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/23/AR2009042304509.html?wprss=rss_business

FISH & WILDLIFE

Salmon Standoff - The Columbia's spring Chinook run is one of the river's most endangered, most prized and most unpredictable. That spells trouble for the people who count on the fish (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/special/index.ssf/2009/04/chinook_salmon.html

And now a word about salmon fishing (Idaho Statesman, Boise)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/idahooutdoors/story/744336.html

Fishermen Lose Millions Saving Weakest Fish Stocks (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/04/25/financial/f092543D25.DTL&feed=rss.business

'Bad Boy' Orcas Have Arrived Off The Oregon Coast - That's not good news for the gray whales, seals or sea lions that hang out there (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/bad_boy_orcas_have_arrived_off.html

Tribe Gathering Small Fish to Save Dwindling Stillaguamish River Run - Effort to restore Chinook run in the Stillaguamish depends on handful of baby fish (The Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090425/NEWS01/704259839/-1/RSS02

Walleye at Low Densities in Lake Pend Oreille (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/831724.html

Shrimp Season Gets Underway May 2 (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2009122662_outn26.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Environmental group pulls out of Klamath talks (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/04/environmental_group_pulls_out.html

Oregon's water issues run deep (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/oregons_water_issues_run_deep.html

Oregon Water Demand Opens Door to Special Interests (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/oregon_water_demand_opens_door.html

Small Water System near Seabeck to Get Upgrade before the Kitsap PUD Takes over Operation of the System (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/apr/24/small-water-system-near-seabeck-to-get-upgrade/

Latest Storm Headache: Seattle Sand Clogs Sewer Plant (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009127486_sand27m.html

RENEWABLE & ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

No Out of State Renewables under CA Energy Mandates (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/stoel-rives-6442/news/article/2009/04/out-of-state-wind-and-solar-generation-could-be-excluded-from-participating-in-californias-renewable-portfolio-standard?src=rss

Columbian Editorial - Harnessing Currents: Tidal energy project in Puget Sound could expand future of alternative forms
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090427/OPINION02/704279992

A Green Challenge: Make Renewables Reliable (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103526574&ft=1&f=2

Ocean power surges forward - Wave power and tidal power are still experimental, but may be little more than five years away from commercial development. (Christian Science Monitor)
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/04/24/ocean-power-surges-forward/

Plug-In Cars Create Challenges (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/business/story/831267.html

St. Petersburg Times Opinion – Trying Not To Tilt At Wind Turbines
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/article994808.ece

Oregon Company Studying Possible Hawaiian Wind Farm (Associated Press)
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/national-8/124071253964740.xml&storylist=orlocal

New Searchable Map of the Green Energy World (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/reeep-6222/news/article/2009/04/55343?src=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Business Group Calls for Energy Cuts in Buildings (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/04/26/financial/f150436D40.DTL&feed=rss.business

In Tough Economic Times, Companies Eager to Conserve (Las Vegas Sun, NV)
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/apr/24/tough-economic-times-companies-eager-conserve/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Democrats May Ease Bill's Emissions Rules (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/24/AR2009042402148.html?wprss=rss_politics

Gore, Gingrich Face Off On Global Warming Bill - Ex-VP cites environment, security; ex-House speaker focuses on costs (MSNBC)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30386828/

NY Times Op-Ed - Don’t Waste Time Cutting Emissions
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/25/opinion/25lomborg.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

A Green Trade War? The US coming around on climate change was supposed to be good news. Instead, it's trouble. (Newsweek)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/195096

Washington Post Op/Ed - Selling the Green Economy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/26/AR2009042601515.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

Carbon Swaps = Big Bucks - Green cash: Salt Lake partners broker global credits (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_12220540

Wildfires add to speed of global warming (San Francisco Chronicle – Isn’t biomass supposed to be carbon neutral?)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/23/MN6N177UFJ.DTL&feed=rss.news

Air pollution helps plants blunt climate change (Macau Daily Times)
http://www.macaudailytimesnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26406&Itemid=33

Canada - Go Green on Top, Or Face $100,000 Fine, City Proposes: Make high-rise bylaw voluntary, developers urge (Canada.Com)
http://www.canada.com/business/fp/green+face+fine+city+proposes/1496803/story.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Tennessee Well-Positioned For Broadband Funding (Memphis Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2009/04/27/story3.html?ana=from_rss

One Internet Village, Divided: In Developing Countries, Web Grows Without Profit (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/technology/start-ups/27global.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Typical Lost Laptop Can Cost $50,000 - A typical lost or stolen laptop costs employers $49,246, mostly from the value of the missing intellectual property (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009127178_btstolenlaptop27.html?syndication=rss

GENERAL NEWS

US Declares Public Health Emergency for Swine Flu (Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090426/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_swine_flu_emergency_7

Pandemic Alert! What Happens During A "Public Health Emergency," And What's A "Pandemic Alert Level"? (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2216999/?from=rss

Lawmakers Pass Budget - Grim Blueprint: Democrats Hold Sway As Session Draws To Close (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/government/story/721575.html

Budget-Weary Washington Legislature Adjourns (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009129082_apwaxgrgregoire.html?syndication=rss

Wash. Lawmakers May Go To Special Session (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009128023_apwaxgradjournment4thldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Wash. Lawmakers Delay Family Leave Program (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/832555.html

Cowlitz County Judge Says Tax Increase Should Have Been Considered To Balance County's Budget (The Daily News, Longview, WA)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2009/04/26//area_news/doc49f3fcc1d2732375545899.txt

$500 Million for Tribes (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/us/26tribes.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Shot Clock Approved for Boys’ High-School Basketball - Boys games will use a 35-second clock; the girls’ clock will remain at 30 seconds (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2009117541_wiaa25.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

The Community at Stinky's Corner - In a Sinking Economy, Locals from All Walks Work to Build (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA – very near my old hometown, Onalaska)
http://www.outdoorslc.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1240646626&archive=&start_from=&ucat=5&

Connecticut Man Finds 'Little Polliwogs' In Town's Water - Officials Say Organisms Not Harmful (Just drink it. I ‘double-dog dare you!)
http://www.kirotv.com/health/19264012/detail.html

Man Pretending To Fall Off Bridge Actually Falls
http://www.kirotv.com/news/19266207/detail.html

Swiss Heartland Voters Ban Nude Hiking
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12234131

John King - Famed Ukulele Player - Dies
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/27/BAIA179IF8.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

SONG OF THE DAY

John King plays the Spanish Fandango (RIP)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo5T2JB-Scs

Friday, April 24, 2009

Energy News Digest for Apri 24, 2009

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

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- Power Restored In Massive Outage
- Mason County: Kamilche-Area Outage Update: Electricity Restored
- Blame The Balloon For Longview Outage
- U.S. May Raise Cap on Grants for High-Tech Power Grid
- BPA Seeks Stimulus Partners
- New BPA Transmission Product Helps Customers Move Power
- Burns named BPA’s acting deputy
- Okanogan PUD, Tribe Ink Deal On Enloe Dam Project
- Another PUD Joins Energy Northwest
- Fitch Rates Snohomish County PUD Electric System Rev Notes
- Idaho - New Nuke Power Plant Alternately Praised, Panned
- Will the U.S. need to build another coal or nuke plant again?
- Call Before You Dig - Customers Can Avoid Danger, Expense and Frustration
- Seattle Times Op/ed - Scientists Light the Way on Columbia River Hatchery Reform
- To Save The Oyster Or The Salmon?
- Long-Planned Removal of Condit Dam to Wait another Year
- Sewage release prompts health warnings in Budd Inlet
- Group Threatens City Of Vancouver, WA with Stormwater Lawsuit
- Washington Post Editorial - Saving Chesapeake Bay
- Otter signs SE Idaho aquifer management bill
- Cement Plants - EPA Seeks Tighter Lid on Kiln Emissions in Oregon
- Washington Post Op/Ed - Getting Real on Wind and Solar
- Billings looks at power plant idea to burn wood chips and sewage sludge
- News Release - Green, Clean, Sustainable Benefits Flow from Hydropower
- John Deere to Develop 12-MW Wind Farm in Greensburg, Kansas
- San Jose Street Lights Get Smarter
- Holdouts for Humble Light Bulb Defy a Government Phase-Out
- Wall Street Journal Op/Ed - Global Warming Overreach
- Utilities Press House Panel for Free Emission Credits
- Green Ink: Cap-and-Haggle
- Arizona Republic Editorial - If Carbon Has A Price, Someone Has To Pay It
- Will Carbon Capture Work?
- Student Activists Accuse Newt Gingrich of Flip Flopping on Global Warming
- Rural Riddle: Do Jobs Follow Broadband Access?
- Hack Against ISP Hijacks Brazilian Bank, Google Adsense
- Hackers Paying $32K for Old Nokia Phones
- As Verizon Goes, So Goes Metered Billing
- Black-And-White Printing Goes Green with Soy Toner
- 25 Libraries to Cut Back Hours

WORD OF THE DAY

Argosy • \AHR-guh-see\ • noun - 1: a large ship; especially: a large merchant ship 2: a rich supply

“My ship has come in,” exclaimed the gleeful, dancing organic farmer. Unfortunately for his neighbors, his ship was a truck loaded with fresh, steaming chicken manure; a veritable argosy of hot nitrogen and fiber.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and 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

Power Restored In Massive Outage (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_042409WAB-power-outage-LJ.107460bd5.html?rss

Mason County: Kamilche-Area Outage Update: Electricity Restored (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=538

Blame The Balloon For Longview Outage (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10236683

U.S. May Raise Cap on Grants for High-Tech Power Grid (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/23/AR2009042302577.html?wprss=rss_technology

BPA Seeks Stimulus Partners (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/04/20/daily46.html?ana=from_rss

New BPA Transmission Product Helps Customers Move Power, Including Wind Energy - Conditional Firm fills in as customers wait for new infrastructure (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/269425/

Burns named BPA’s acting deputy (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/269558/

Okanogan PUD, Tribe Ink Deal On Enloe Dam Project (Omak Chronicle, WA) s
http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n090423a.shtml

Another PUD Joins Energy Northwest (Seattle Times)
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_energy_northwest.html?source=mypi

Fitch Rates Snohomish County PUD $180M Electric System Rev Notes 'F1+' (Businesswire)
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090423006097&newsLang=en

Idaho - New Nuke Power Plant Alternately Praised, Panned (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/4840-new-nuke-power-plant-alternately-praised-panned/

Will the U.S. need to build another coal or nuke plant again? (Electricity Forum)
http://www.electricityforum.com/news/apr09/Wellinghoffquestionsneedformorecoalornuclear.html

Call Before You Dig - Customers Can Avoid Danger, Expense and Frustration (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&id=110106

FISH & WILDLIFE

Seattle Times Op/ed - Scientists Light the Way on Columbia River Hatchery Reform
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2009112483_opinb24waldo.html

To Save The Oyster Or The Salmon? (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/43605132.html

Long-Planned Removal of Condit Dam to Wait another Year (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://www.columbian.com/article/20090424/NEWS02/704249954

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Sewage release prompts health warnings in Budd Inlet (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/829913.html

Environmental Group Threatens City Of Vancouver, WA with Stormwater Lawsuit (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090424/NEWS02/704249950/

Washington Post Editorial - Saving Chesapeake Bay: Maryland's septic-tank law will help clean the great waterway
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/22/AR2009042203463.html?nav=rss_opinions

Otter signs SE Idaho aquifer management bill (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/829519.html

Cement Plants - EPA Seeks Tighter Lid on Kiln Emissions in Oregon, Elsewhere (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/04/rules_would_limit_mercury_from.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Washington Post Op/Ed - Getting Real on Wind and Solar “…At locations without…hydroelectric dams… solar and wind electricity systems must be backed up 100 percent by other forms of generation to ensure against blackouts. In today's world, that backup power can only come from fossil fuels…”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/04/23/ST2009042303815.html

Billings looks at power plant idea to burn wood chips and sewage sludge(Billings Gazette, MT)
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/04/23/news/local/35-megawatt.txt

News Release - Green, Clean, Sustainable Benefits Flow from Hydropower on Earth Day (National Hydropower Association)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/national-hydropower-association/news/article/2009/04/green-clean-sustainable-benefits-flow-from-hydropower-on-earth-day?src=rss

John Deere to Develop 12-MW Wind Farm in Greensburg, Kansas (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/04/john-deere-to-develop-12-mw-wind-farm-in-kansas?src=rss

CONSERVATION

San Jose Street Lights Get Smarter - With expectations of cutting energy costs up to 40 percent, the city unveils plan for a "smart light" system. (Fortune Magazine)
http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/24/technology/street_lights_echelon.fortune/?postversion=2009042410

Holdouts for Humble Light Bulb Defy a Government Phase-Out (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/world/europe/24bulbs.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Wall Street Journal Op/Ed - Global Warming Overreach
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124052841876150301.html

Utilities Press House Panel for Free Emission Credits (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/04/23/23greenwire-utilities-press-house-panel-for-free-allowance-10646.html

Green Ink: Cap-and-Haggle (Wall Street Journal)
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2009/04/24/green-ink-cap-and-haggle/

Arizona Republic Editorial - If Carbon Has A Price, Someone Has To Pay It
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/2009/04/23/20090423robb24.html

Will Carbon Capture Work? (THE BBC)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8015676.stm

Student Activists Accuse Newt Gingrich of Flip Flopping on Global Warming (Washington Examiner)
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/Examiner-Opinion-Zone/Student-Activists-Accuse-Newt-Gingrich-of-Flip-Flopping-on-Global-Warming--43616732.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Rural Riddle: Do Jobs Follow Broadband Access? Two Hamlets That Got High-Speed Lines Show Wildly Different Results (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/22/AR2009042203637.html?wprss=rss_business

Hack Against ISP Hijacks Brazilian Bank, Google Adsense (Washington Post)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/04/hack_against_isp_hijacks_bank.html

Hackers Paying $32K for Old Nokia Phones (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/technologybrierdudleysblog/2009109840_hackers_paying_32k_for_old_nok.html?syndication=rss

As Verizon Goes, So Goes Metered Billing - Baby bell holds the key to your wallet in their hands (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/As-Verizon-Goes-So-Goes-Metered-Billing-102097

Black-And-White Printing Goes Green with Soy Toner (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12211889

GENERAL NEWS

25 Libraries to Cut Back Hours - Timberland Regional district looks to trim costs ahead of projected $2.5 million shortfall (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/830168.html

DIVERSIONS

Geocaching: Local Devotee Has Unearthed More Than 10,000 Little Treasures
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2009102905_nwwgeocache230.html?syndication=rss

Students Looking To Make Big Impact By Building, Launching Tiny Satellite
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12209951

'Spunky' Elderly-Man Groin Kicks Carjacker Away
http://www.kirotv.com/news/19265504/detail.html

Scientists Make Super-Strong Metallic Spider Silk
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE53M5OG20090423?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Energy News Digest for April 23, 2009

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

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- BPA Transmission Upgrades in Shelton - Delays Possible On Olympic Highway North
- Two Earth-Friendly Bills Headed To Governor
- FERC Chief Says New Coal, Nuclear Plants May Be Unnecessary
- How Smart Can The Grid Get?
- Oregon AG Wants Increased Use of Domestic Natural Gas
- Is the Near-Record Columbia River Spring Chinook Run Late or Just Not Coming
- Alliances Changing In Battle to Save Salmon
- Obama: Good News for Columbia River Salmon
- Thompson Bill Charts Policy for Wild Pacific Salmon
- Puget Sound Rockfish May Get Federal Protection
- Federal Stimulus Money Accelerates Elwha Dam Project
- Washington Lowland Lakes Trout Opener Is Saturday
- Mason County TO Celebrate Completion of Rustlewood Sewer Upgrades
- Major Shift on Tap For Walla Walla River Basin Water Management
- Planting a Garden in That Parking Strip Could Cost You A Bunch of Green
- Tidal Turbines Destined for Admiralty Head
- Offshore Wind Farms Get Green Light
- Help, I’m On Fire! - Do-It-Yourself Biodiesel Trend Brings Fire Risk
- Cowlitz Co. Man Fined For Alleged Water Power Device
- Lower Your Energy Bills With Kill A Watt!
- A Greener Home Could Save Your Money and Your Health
- Seattle Residents Get Break On Energy Evaluation
- West Linn Tidings Op/Ed – An Oregon State Carbon Cap Costly, Not Needed
- Cantwell on Cap and Dividend
- EPA: Greenhouse gas limits would lead to 'modest' electricity price increases
- Who’s going to get the Carbon Pollution Credits?
- US Carbon Giveaways and Spending the Proceeds
- Lisa Jackson: The New Head of the EPA
- Time Warner Cable Cannot Possibly Compete With the Small City of Wilson, NC
- No, Broadband Is Not an Economic Magic Wand
- Earthlink Struggles with Earth Day Outage
- MySpace Co-Founder DeWolfe to Step down
- State Workers’ Four-Day Week Saves A Bit
- Alaska to Charge for First Bag after First Quarter Loss
- Leader in Tribal Fishing, Gaming Issues Dies

WORD OF THE DAY

Eidetic • \eye-DET-ik\ • adjective - Marked by or involving extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall especially of visual images

At once a blessing and a curse, Marco’s eidetic memory was the wonder of the manufacturing floor at Barty’s “Eclectic Tiddlywinks Factory.” Although Marco could recall in intricate detail the texture, color, even the smell of each tiddlywink that he inspected for final shipping…that was the ONLY thing he could recall, which made his talent slightly less impressive to tiddlywind “outsiders.”

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and 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

BPA Transmission Upgrades in Shelton - Delays Possible On Olympic Highway North Today (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7044/reftab/1632/t/DELAYS-POSSIBLE-ON-OLYMPIC-HIGHWAY-NORTH-TODAY-/Default.aspx

Two Earth-Friendly Bills Headed To Governor - Gregoire signs a third aimed at renewable energy (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090423/NEWS02/904229973/

FERC Chief Says New Coal, Nuclear Plants May Be Unnecessary “…renewables like wind, solar and biomass will provide enough energy to meet baseload capacity and future energy demands…” (Baseload demands, huh? NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/04/22/22greenwire-no-need-to-build-new-us-coal-or-nuclear-plants-10630.html

How Smart Can The Grid Get? (MSNBC)
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/22/1903394.aspx

Oregon AG Wants Increased Use of Domestic Natural Gas (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/4830-oregon-ag-wants-increased-use-domestic-natural-gas/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Is The Near-Record Columbia River Spring Chinook Run Late Or Just Not Coming Back Like Expected? (Seattle Times)
http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/reeltimenorthwest/2009/04/22/is_the_near-record_columbia_ri.html

Alliances Changing In Battle to Save Salmon (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/4828-alliances-changing-battle-save-salmon/

Obama: Good News for Columbia River Salmon (Crosscut Seattle)
http://crosscut.com/2009/04/23/federal/18967/

Thompson Bill Charts Policy for Wild Pacific Salmon (The Times-Standard, Eureka, CA)http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_12207596

Puget Sound Rockfish May Get Federal Protection (Associated Press)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/43473272.html

Federal Stimulus Money Accelerates Elwha Dam Project (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/apr/22/federal-stimulus-money-accelerates-elwha-dam/?partner=RSS

Washington Lowland Lakes Trout Opener Is Saturday (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2009104003_fish23.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason County TO Celebrate Completion of Rustlewood Sewer Upgrades (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7054/reftab/1632/t/COUNTY-TO-CELEBRATE-COMPLETION-OF-RUSTLEWOOD-SEWER-UPGRADES/Default.aspx

Major shift on tap for Walla Walla River basin water management (The Union Bulletin, Walla Walla, WA)
http://union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/04/22/local_news/090422local02watershedbill.txt

In Seattle, Planting A Garden in That Parking Strip Could Cost You A Bunch of Green (Seattle Post-Globe)
http://seattlepostglobe.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=153:it-could-cost-you-to-plant-a-garden-in-that-parking-strip-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Tidal Turbines Destined for Admiralty Head (Whidbey Examiner, WA)
http://www.whidbeyexaminer.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=2468&TM=71812.3

Offshore Wind Farms Get Green Light - The federal government has cleared the way for developers to plant wind farms in offshore waters on the outer continental shelf (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009106951_wind23.html?syndication=rss

Help, I’m On Fire! - Do-It-Yourself Biodiesel Trend Brings Fire Risk (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/718367.html

Cowlitz Co. Man Fined For Alleged Water Power Device (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/828199.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Lower Your Energy Bills With Kill A Watt! (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/43493107.html

A Greener Home Could Save Your Money and Your Health (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10232616

Seattle Residents Get Break On Energy Evaluation - Seattle is offering 5,000 discounted home energy-use evaluations as part of a new initiative to cut energy use (Seattle Times – Hurray for free PUD energy audits!)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009106644_webenergy23m.html?syndication=rss

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

West Linn Tidings Op/Ed – An Oregon State Carbon Cap Costly, Not Needed
http://www.westlinntidings.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=124043258440292900

Cantwell on Cap and Dividend (Sightline Daily)
http://daily.sightline.org/daily_score/archive/2009/04/22/cantwell-on-cap-and-dividend

EPA: Greenhouse gas limits would lead to 'modest' electricity price increases (Dallas Morning News, TX)http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/042309dnbusgreenhouse.fd9dc04c.html

Who’s going to get the Carbon Pollution Credits? (Christian Science Monitor)
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/04/14/whos-going-to-get-the-carbon-pollution-credits/

US Carbon Giveaways and Spending the Proceeds (Financial Times Of London)
http://blogs.ft.com/energy-source/2009/04/23/us-carbon-giveaways-and-spending-the-proceeds/

Lisa Jackson: The New Head of the EPA (Time Magazine)
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1893155,00.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Time Warner Cable Cannot Possibly Compete With the Small City of Wilson, NC (The Consumerist)
http://consumerist.com/5224578/time-warner-cable-cannot-possibly-compete-with-the-small-city-of-wilson-nc

No, Broadband Is Not an Economic Magic Wand - A tale of two rural Western Virginia towns (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/No-Broadband-Is-Not-An-Economic-Magic-Wand-102078

Earthlink Struggles With Earth Day Outage - Pasadena power outage takes websites, e-mail offline (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Earthlink-Struggles-With-Earth-Day-Outage-102059

MySpace Co-Founder DeWolfe to Step down (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009105401_apnewscorpmyspace.html?syndication=rss

GENERAL NEWS

Four-Day Week Saves A Bit - Six-month test: State workers love it, use fewer sick days, report says (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/829016.html

Alaska to Charge for First Bag after First Quarter Loss (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/829449.html

Leader in Tribal Fishing, Gaming Issues Dies (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090422/NEWS04/704229921

DIVERSIONS

Judge Orders Defendant's Mouth Taped Shut - ACLU Refrains From Commenting
http://www.kirotv.com/news/19241894/detail.html

Judge Taking Names, Seeking To Ban Odd Ones
http://www.kirotv.com/news/19245007/detail.html

John Curley: Local TV Host Aiming for a New Life in Politics
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/43491772.html

Colbert: Does Bill Gates Ever Talk About Me?
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/43492797.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Carly Simon – You’re So Vain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B7bVD_DkM4

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Energy News Digest for April 22, 2009

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

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- Seattle Times Editorial - Washington Lawmakers Should Negotiate Remedies to Initiative 937's Flaws
- Tough Choices: Salmon, Nukes, and Taxes
- Oregon - Peter Defazio: Congressman takes on cap-and-trade
- PSE to Help Customers Put Green Back into Their Wallets on Earth Day
- ISO New England - Manager Backtracks On Claims of $85M in False Billing
- Kansas City Power & Light Agrees To Settle Missouri Rate Case
- New York - Con Edison Gets $523.4 Million Increase in Delivery Rates
- NY Regulators Approve Constellation Reactor Sale to French Firm
- Energy needs go on Iowa stage
- Smart Grid Stimulus Bill: DOE Snubs IOUs and Meters
- Engineer Shortage Puts Green Economy and Smart Grid at Risk
- US Biologists Say 3 Pesticides Harm Salmon
- California & Oregon Governors Seek Salmon Disaster Declaration
- Skagit Chinook Run to Open to All
- $94M for Eastern Washington Water Projects
- Mason County, City & College Celebrating Earth Day Today At Civic Center
- Environmental challenges remain long after first Earth Day
- Seattle Times Editorial - Lake Tapps, Water for Fish, Cities and Recreation
- Wenatchee World Editorial - When renewable is not renewable
- Seattle Company Floats Idea for Floating Wind Farms
- U.S. To Clear Way for Offshore Wind Farms
- Regional wind projects discussed in Clarkston
- Murray Explores Plan for Green Jobs
- Will Renewable Energy Cost Vermonters?
- Progress Energy Will Offer Solar Water Heating Benefit
- Green and Mean: The Downside Of Clean Energy
- City of Olympia cuts greenhouse gas output
- Science Taking Backseat to Cost In Climate Debate
- High Cost Of Addressing Climate Challenged
- Con Ed Shrugs Off Carbon Tax
- U.S. Prices Carbon Dioxide at More Than $13 a Ton in Draft Plan
- The Gospel of Green
- Deloitte Survey: Energy Regulators in a Green State of Mind
- Net Tool Tracks Carbon Footprint by ZIP Code
- Yahoo to Shed 600 To 700 Jobs after First-Quarter Results
- Oracle's Purchase of Sun Would Pose New Challenge for Microsoft
- Microsoft's Negotiations with Yahoo Intensify
- Profit Declined 9.7% in Quarter for AT&T
- AT&T to Shut down Internet Phone Service
- Hood Canal Bridge Closure Looms
- Seattle Times Online Traffic Grows, PI.Com’s Questioned

WORD OF THE DAY

Piebald • \PYE-bawld\ • adjective - 1: of different colors; especially: spotted or blotched with black and white *2: composed of incongruous parts

Expecting to see a sleek, streamlined example of a deregulated electricity market, the fresh-faced energy regulator was shocked by what he had wrought. Instead of lower prices for electricity; customers that had become better dancers (as well as taller and slimmer) he was delivered a piebald amalgam of disjointed service territories, high prices and a VERY angry Grandma Millie.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and 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

Seattle Times Editorial - Washington Lawmakers Should Negotiate Remedies to Initiative 937's Flaws
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2009097350_edita22wind.html

Tough Choices: Salmon, Nukes, and Taxes (Blue Oregon)
http://www.blueoregon.com/2009/04/tough-choices-salmon-nukes-and-coal.html?cid=6a00d8341c2c3f53ef0115703a215b970b

Oregon - Peter Defazio: Congressman takes on cap-and-trade, Obama and the Columbia River Crossing (Willamette Weekly, OR)
http://www.wweek.com/editorial/3524/12467/

News Release - PSE to Help Customers Put Green Back into Their Wallets on Earth Day and Every Day (BusinessWire)
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090421006195&newsLang=en

ISO New England - Electric Grid Manager Backtracks On Claims of $85M in False Billing (The Day, CT)
http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=1d07bd53-c764-4dd3-9998-46ea44b7459b

Kansas City Power & Light Agrees To Settle Missouri Rate Case (Kansas City Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2009/04/20/daily25.html?ana=from_rss

New York - Regulators Grant Con Edison a $523.4 Million Increase in Delivery Rates (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/nyregion/22coned.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

NY Regulators Approve Constellation Reactor Sale to French Firm (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009094730_apusconstellationenergyreactors.html?syndication=rss

Energy needs go on Iowa stage (Des Moines Register, IA)
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090422/NEWS/90422001/-1/SPORTS09

Smart Grid Stimulus Bill: DOE Snubs IOUs and Meters (Smart Grid News)
http://www.smartgridnews.com/artman/publish/commentary/Smart_Grid_Stimulus_Bill_DOE_Snubs_IOUs_and_Meters-570.html

Engineer Shortage Puts Green Economy and Smart Grid at Risk (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&id=109856

FISH & WILDLIFE

US Biologists Say 3 Pesticides Harm Salmon (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10222051

California & Oregon Governors Seek Salmon Disaster Declaration (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/827290.html

Skagit Chinook Run to Open to All (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090422/NEWS01/704229863/-1/RSS02

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

$94M for Eastern Washington Water Projects (KIRO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=158764

Mason County, City & College Celebrating Earth Day Today At Civic Center (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7037/reftab/1632/t/COUNTY-CITY--COLLEGE-CELEBRATING-EARTH-DAY-TODAY-AT-CIVIC-CENTER-/Default.aspx

Environmental challenges remain long after first Earth Day (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://www.seattlepi.com/connelly/405378_joel22.html?source=rss

Seattle Times Editorial - Lake Tapps, Water for Fish, Cities and Recreation
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2009097351_editb22water.html

RENEWABLE & ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Wenatchee World Editorial - When renewable is not renewable
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090421/OP02/704219875/1025/rss1025

Seattle Company Floats Idea for Floating Wind Farms (Voice of America)
http://www.voanews.com/english/AmericanLife/2009-04-21-voa63.cfm

U.S. To Clear Way for Offshore Wind Farms (Chicago Tribune, IL)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-windfarm_wedapr22,0,7616411.story

Regional wind projects discussed in Clarkston (KLEW-TV, Lewiston, ID)
http://www.klewtv.com/news/local/43396842.html

Murray Explores Plan for Green Jobs (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10224638

Will Renewable Energy Cost Vermonters? (WCAX-TV, Montpelier, VT)
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=10223262

Progress Energy Will Offer Solar Water Heating Benefit (News & Observer, NC)
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1495484.html

Green and Mean: The Downside Of Clean Energy (New Scientist)
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227041.300-green-and-mean-the-downside-of-clean-energy.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

City of Olympia cuts greenhouse gas output – Indulgences & Biofuels: Most of the 30 percent reduction comes from buying green power, use of biofuels in vehicles (The Olympian, Olympia, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/827726.html

Science Taking Backseat to Cost In Climate Debate (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009092859_apusclimatehearings.html?syndication=rss

High Cost Of Addressing Climate Challenged - Environmental group challenges claims that major reductions in greenhouse gases would lead to soaring energy costs (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009094697_apusclimatehearingscosts.html?syndication=rss

Con Ed Shrugs Off Carbon Tax (CNBC)
http://www.cnbc.com/id/30327946/

U.S. Prices Carbon Dioxide at More Than $13 a Ton in Draft Plan (Bloomberg News)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=an3CLLybVe8A&refer=canada

The Gospel of Green (Newsweek Magazine)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/194838?from=rss

Deloitte Survey: Energy Regulators in a Green State of Mind (Utility Automation And Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=359880&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

Net Tool Tracks Carbon Footprint by ZIP Code (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/22/BA9O176OMG.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Yahoo to Shed 600 To 700 Jobs after First-Quarter Results Fall Amid Worsening Slump (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009096169_apxearnsyahoo.html?syndication=rss

Oracle's Purchase of Sun Would Pose New Challenge for Microsoft (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoft/2009091731_oracleside21.html?syndication=rss

Microsoft's Negotiations with Yahoo Intensify (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoft/2009097778_msftyahoo22.html?syndication=rss

Profit Declined 9.7% in Quarter for AT&T (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/technology/companies/23phone.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

AT&T to Shut down Internet Phone Service (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/04/22/financial/f070525D00.DTL&feed=rss.business

GENERAL NEWS

Hood Canal Bridge Closure Looms (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009098251_hoodcanal22m.html?syndication=rss

Seattle Times Online Traffic Grows, PI.Com’s Questioned (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/04/20/daily19.html?ana=from_rss

DIVERSIONS

Man vs. Cunning, Destructive Neighbor
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/43405322.html

Olympia City Council Votes against City Hall Bubbles
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/827719.html

OMG —140,000 Text Messages Results In $26,000 T-Mobile Bill
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12195817

Readings Show Four Corners Marker Off By 2.5 Miles
http://www.kirotv.com/travelgetaways/19240434/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

Green Green - The New Christy Minstrels (Why am I having flashbacks to “A Mighty Wind?”)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NvLkBA9vsQ&feature=PlayList&p=B61A5984B07DCDBA&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=62

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Energy News Digest for April 21, 2009

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

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- Classifying Hydropower Becomes Hot Topic in Legislature
- ‘Smart Grid’ Uniting More Than Power
- New Tacoma Public Utilities Meter Reader Feels like One In A Million
- Wanapum Heritage Center Honors the River People
- Court Rejects Former Kan. Utility CEO's Appeal
- Nearly $200 Million Spent On Energy Ads since Obama’s Inauguration
- Columbia River May Face Threat Of Mussels
- Letting the Water Flow Allows The Salmon Chums To Grow
- Environmental Agency's Embarrassing Sewer Problem Fixed
- West Is Told to Expect Water Shortfalls
- How Drier I Am: Flow of Many Rivers in Decline
- NY Times Editorial - De-Watering Wyoming
- Politicians Accuse Each Other Of Playing Dirty Politics
- Skagit County - Bids on PUD Pipe Job Come in At Half the Estimate
- Washington Could Be Closer to Recognizing Hydropower as Renewable Resource
- Forestry briefing explores wood as renewable energy source
- Biomass Energy Could Be Carbon "Sinner"
- Residents Testify About REC Silicon’s Expansion
- Offshore Wind Energy Blows In To NW Coast
- Neverending Story - Bremerton Port Nears Deal on SEED Support Services
- Britain Falls Behind On Investment in 'Clean' Energy
- Palo Alto Leads Nation in Renewable Energy Participants
- Solar Power Cheaper than Utilities for First Time in Northeast
- Canada - Electronic vampires, be gone
- EPA Recognizes The Evergreen State College Green Power Champion
- Winning the War of Energy Words Takes Repetition
- Environmental Wars - Old Growth Logging With a Green Stamp of Approval?
- Carbon tax - S.C. utilities wary of proposal: could increase bills up to 50 percent
- Amazon breaks ground at new South Lake Union headquarters
- Internet Upstarts Left Sun In the Dust
- Can New York Save Broadband?
- Fiber Optics Brings Power and Speed to Tribe’s Computers
- Google Improves Image Search, Adds News Timeline
- Hood Canal Bridge Set To Close May 1 for 6 Weeks
- Legislature Overhauls Public Education

WORD OF THE DAY

Besotted • \bih-SAHT-edd\ • verb - 1: infatuated 2: to be made dull or stupid; especially: to muddle with drunkenness

Bartholomew’s pudgy, trembling fingers reached for another chocolate from the tray at his elbow. Besotted from his excellent feast of port and chocolates, he wavered on the edge of consciousness, sure that there was no better combination of treats than what he was enjoying at that very moment.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and 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

Classifying Hydropower Becomes Hot Topic in Legislature (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/715884.html

‘Smart Grid’ Uniting More Than Power (Idaho Business Review)
http://www.idahobusiness.net/archive.htm/2009/04/20/Smart-Grid-uniting-more--than-power

New Tacoma Public Utilities Meter Reader Feels like One In A Million (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/715677.html

Wanapum Heritage Center Honors the River People (Indian Country Today)
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/northwest/43279202.html

Court Rejects Former Kan. Utility CEO's Appeal (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009088284_apwittigsentence.html?syndication=rss

Nearly $200 Million Spent On Energy Ads since Obama’s Inauguration (Grist)
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-20-industry-groups-energy-ads/

FISH & WILDLIFE

Columbia River May Face Threat Of Mussels - A meeting Tuesday will focus on the potential invasion of zebra mussels in the Columbia River (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
http://union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/04/20/local_news/090420local01invasivespeciessemina.txt

Letting The Water Flow Allows The Salmon Chums To Grow - Grays River project returns pastureland to marsh (The Daily Astorian)
http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=60171&TM=54085.61

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Environmental agency's embarrassing sewer problem fixed (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/43326612.html

West Is Told to Expect Water Shortfalls (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/science/21obriver.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

How Drier I Am: Flow of Many Rivers in Decline (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2009093817_apusscishrinkingrivers.html?syndication=rss

NY Times Editorial - De-Watering Wyoming
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/opinion/21tues4.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Politicians Accuse Each Other Of Playing Dirty Politics (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/43322767.html

Skagit County - Bids on PUD Pipe Job Come in At Half the Estimate (Skagit Valley Herald)
http://www.goskagit.com/home/article/bids_on_pud_pipe_job_come_in_at_half_the_estimate/

RENEWABLE & ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Washington Could Be Closer to Recognizing Hydropower as Renewable Resource (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10217058

Forestry briefing explores wood as renewable energy source (The Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090420/NEWS02/704219986/

Biomass Energy Could Be Carbon "Sinner" (Reuters)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUKLL65478420090421

Residents Testify About REC Silicon’s Expansion - DOE Considering New Air Quality Permit “…Former plant neighbors…moved after two plant explosions in 1998. Claimed his wife’s skin began burning after the second explosion and paint peeled from their car...” (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/04/21/news/doc49edd6dfa7ec7193650133.txt

Offshore Wind Energy Blows In To NW Coast (Oregon Public Radio)
http://news.opb.org/article/4813-offshore-wind-energy-blows-nw-coast/

Neverending Story - Bremerton Port Nears Deal on SEED Support Services (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/apr/20/bremerton-port-nears-deal-on-seed-support/?partner=RSS

Britain Falls Behind On Investment in 'Clean' Energy (Financial Times Of London)
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b4c5b9f2-2e0c-11de-9eba-00144feabdc0.html

Palo Alto Leads Nation in Renewable Energy Participants (Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/04/20/daily14.html?ana=from_rss

Solar Power Cheaper than Utilities for First Time in Northeast (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/alteris-4286/news/article/2009/04/solar-power-cheaper-than-utilities-for-first-time-in-northeast?src=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Canada - Electronic vampires, be gone: Plasma TVs, microwaves, even your cell phone chargers suck up power when they're turned off, but there is a magic bullet for these phantoms (Canada.com)
http://www.canada.com/life/future-friendly/Electronic+vampires+begone/1452449/story.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

EPA Recognizes The Evergreen State College Green Power Champion (Earth Times)
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/epa-recognizes-the-evergreen-state,792227.shtml

Winning the War of Energy Words Takes Repetition (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/04/21/21greenwire-winning-the-war-of-words-takes-repetition-10615.html

Environmental Wars - Old Growth Logging With a Green Stamp of Approval? (Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090420.BCHUME20ART2225/TPStory//?page=rss&id=GAM.20090420.BCHUME20ART2225

Carbon tax - S.C. utilities wary of proposal: could increase bills up to 50 percent (The State, Columbia, SC)
http://www.scoop.com/remote/article/include/86015580/53616c7465645f5f9471cb928f6084200ece3f3cd1904240b95a81eb66a7fce0

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Amazon breaks ground at new South Lake Union headquarters (KIRO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=158176

Internet Upstarts Left Sun In the Dust (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/20/BU4I175SA3.DTL&feed=rss.business

Can New York Save Broadband? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/04/20/can-new-york-save-broadband/

Fiber Optics Brings Power and Speed to Tribe’s Computers (Indian Country Today)
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/plains/43277532.html

Google Improves Image Search, Adds News Timeline (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12186063

GENERAL NEWS

Hood Canal Bridge Set To Close May 1 for 6 Weeks (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/43302367.html

Legislature Overhauls Public Education (Associated Press)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=158370

DIVERSIONS

100-Year-Old Woman Rolls into Bowling History
http://www.kirotv.com/family/19224321/detail.html

Porterhouse Sizzles at Bulldog Beauty Contest
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090421/ap_on_fe_st/beautiful_bulldog_contest;_ylt=AqD6HltIQdYoWDT3jm0ITc3tiBIF

Indebted Spaniard Kidnaps His Banker
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090417/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_spain_bank_hostage;_ylt=Ar8IW9Ex6RZDGOCS1AUok9XtiBIF

Indian Politicians Demand Protection From Flying Shoes
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090417/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_india_election_shoes;_ylt=AgowKNN3zeB.rHI15BI999vtiBIF

SONG OF THE DAY

Debbie Harry & Kermit the Frog - The Rainbow Connection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRvhRhWWE44

Sarah Mclachlan - The Rainbow Connection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4GBnpS83As

Willie Nelson - Rainbow Connection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX9E_D_HjBo&feature=PlayList&p=80E68A06E34C054E&index=0&playnext=1

Monday, April 20, 2009

Energy News Digest for April 20, 2009

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

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

- WA Legis. Debates Clean-Energy Initiative Changes
- Power Deal Is Key to Intalco Survival
- Natural Gas: A Cleaner Option, But Still a Fossil Fuel
- Congress to Pass Energy Bill This Year: White House
- Mason County PUD No. 3 Has Clean Mix of Energy Sources
- PUD 3 Mix of Energy Resources a Breath of Fresh Air
- Energy NW Wash Columbia Reduced For Unplanned Work
- Chelan PUD is ready For another Rate Talk
- California May Warm To B.C. Private Power Producers
- Consumers Start Feeling Higher Costs Of Clean Fuel
- Memphians Pay Ninth Lowest COMBINED Utility Bill In U.S.
- California - Fearing Wildfires, Utility Plans Power Shutdowns
- TVA Seeks Dismissal of Lawsuits in Tenn. Ash Spill
- Texas Company: We Want Nation's Radioactive Waste
- Baltimore Sun Editorial - Deregulation Power Failure
- Texas - Locking In Electricity Prices: Save a Lot - Or Pay the Price
- Spring Chinook Return In Droves to Wind and Klickitat Rivers, Drano Lake
- Report: Judge Wants Dam Removal as an Option for Salmon
- Salmon Recovery Projects Praised
- Stimulus Money Pays For Klamath Dam Removal Study
- Columbia Salmon Harvest Solution Proposed By Congressman
- PBS Program 'Frontline' Takes a Look at Puget Sound
- Skookumchuck Dam - Any Flood Control Possibilities Come With Limits
- Omak Creek Project To Get Stimulus Money
- Chelan, WA - Aging of Water Mains Is Becoming Hard to Ignore
- For the Electric Grid, Renewable Goals Pose Daunting Task
- NERC Study: Operation/Planning Of Nation's Power System
- Montana - Schweitzer Signs Renewable Energy Bill
- Salem Statesman Op/Ed – Renewable Energy: Market intervention overkill
- Congressmen Will Look At Timber for Clean Energy, Jobs
- Idaho Wind Farm Gets 20-Year Purchase Agreement
- Desert Clash in West over Solar Potential, Water
- Solar Down But Not Out, Report Says
- Marine Power Not Ready For Prime Time, Experts Say
- Fat Burner - An Old Power Plant Site Is Getting New Life
- A (Mill) Wind Blows Afoul of Weather Radar
- Conservation Mandates: Hot Debate Ahead on Berkeley's Energy Plans
- Great Wolf Lodge Receives Green Seal
- The Stimulus Bill and Energy
- Carbon Emissions Pose Danger, EPA Finds
- No ‘Subprime Carbon’ Investments for Senator Cantwell
- Seattle Times Editorial - More Tools Pending For Climate Change
- Oregon - Climate changes in Capitol
- Studies Suggest Northwest Smog Could Ease As Warming Worsens
- A Plan for U.S. Emissions to Be Buried Under Sea
- Florida - The Great (Green) Debate in Churches
- Carriers Aim to Keep Rural Broadband under Their Thumb
- As Costs Fall, Companies Push to Raise Internet Price
- Rural Areas Increasingly Underserved By Telecommunications
- Manassas Tries to Keep Dying BPL Network Alive
- Deal Brings TV Shows and Movies to YouTube
- Oracle Agrees to Acquire Sun Microsystems
- Plugged-In Hotels Ring In More Guests
- London Data Center to Power Local Community
- Older Generations Adopting New Technologies Faster Than Young
- Port Of Shelton Hires Dobson as New Executive Director
- Belfair Celebrates Opening of New Branch of Harrison Hospital
- New Weather Tower Approved For Olympic Nat Park
- Olympia Rethinks Seattle Artist's Bronze 'Bubble' Art

WORD OF THE DAY

Scintilla • \sin-TILL-uh \ • noun – Spark, trace

Try as he might, Monty could not find a scintilla of evidence that ancient aliens were responsible for the Mima Mounds, or the “Earth Pimples” as he called them.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and 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

WA Legis. Debates Clean-Energy Initiative Changes - Environmentalists will have to reboot their compromise on changes to a voter-approved clean energy initiative (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008918002_apwaxgrrenewableenergy1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Power Deal Is Key to Intalco Survival – BPA proposal suggests Intalco bill be cut by 22 percent when aluminum prices are low. Alcoa wants a 42 percent cut (Bellingham Herald, WA – I thought Alcoa said it was market conditions and low commodity prices?)
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/876343.html

Natural Gas: A Cleaner Option, But Still a Fossil Fuel (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/4804-natural-gas-offers-am-cleaner-option-its-still-fossil-fuel/

Congress to Pass Energy Bill This Year: White House (Reuters)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/usPoliticsNews/idUKTRE53I1OO20090419

Mason County PUD No. 3 Has Clean Mix of Energy Sources (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7009/reftab/1632/Default.aspx

PUD 3 Mix of Energy Resources a Breath of Fresh Air (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=537

Energy NW Wash Columbia Reduced For Unplanned Work (Reuters)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN1735309820090417

Chelan PUD Is Ready For another Rate Talk (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090417/NEWS04/704179946/1001/NEWS04

California May Warm To B.C. Private Power Producers (Vancouver Sun, BC)
http://www.vancouversun.com/business/California+warm+private+power+producers/1508256/story.html

Consumers Start Feeling Higher Costs Of Clean Fuel - Clean energy has a dirty secret: It isn't cheap (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2009-04-19-higher-cost-clean-energy_N.htm

Memphians Pay Ninth Lowest COMBINED Utility Bill In U.S. (Memphis Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2009/04/13/daily40.html?ana=from_rss

A Link to the Summary of the Memphis Report is here (Links to PDF File)
http://www.mlgw.com/images/RateComparison.pdf

California - Fearing Wildfires, Utility Plans Power Shutdowns (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/us/17electric.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

TVA Seeks Dismissal of Lawsuits in Tenn. Ash Spill (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/04/17/national/a141140D11.DTL&feed=rss.business

Texas Company: We Want Nation's Radioactive Waste (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/04/17/financial/f122943D88.DTL&feed=rss.business

Baltimore Sun Editorial - Power failure: By rejecting re-regulation Maryland lawmakers have left the state's energy policies in a muddle
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.power19apr19,0,1289245.story

Texas - Locking In Electricity Prices: Save a Lot - Or Pay the Price (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009082610_aplockinginprices.html?syndication=rss

FISH & WILDLIFE

Spring Chinook Return In Droves to Wind and Klickitat Rivers, Drano Lake (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2009081930_outn19.html?syndication=rss

Report: Judge Wants Dam Removal as an Option for Salmon (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/04/report_judge_wants_dam_removal.html

Salmon Recovery Projects Praised (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/712093.html

Stimulus Money Pays For Klamath Dam Removal Study (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/823466.html

Lower Columbia River salmon harvest solution proposed by Oregon congressman (Seattle Times)
http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/reeltimenorthwest/2009/04/16/lower_columbia_river_salmon_ha.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

PBS Program 'Frontline' Takes a Look at Puget Sound (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_041609WAB-frontline-puget-sound-SW.dfbcca61.html?rss

Skookumchuck Dam - Any Flood Control Possibilities Come With Limits Upstream: TransAlta Spokesman Dispels Misconceptions (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.outdoorslc.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1239989995&archive=&start_from=&ucat=5&

Omak Creek Project To Get Stimulus Money (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/822109.html

Chelan, WA - Aging of Water Mains Is Becoming Hard to Ignore (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/18/us/18water.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

For the Electric Grid, Renewable Goals Pose Daunting Task (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/04/16/16climatewire-national-renewable-power-goals-pose-daunting-10547.html

NERC study: Operation/planning of nation's power system needs big changes to integrate intermittent energy sources (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=359453&C=ENVIR&dcmp=rss

Montana - Schweitzer Signs Renewable Energy Bill (The Missoulian, MT)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/04/17/news/mtregional/news20.txt

Salem Statesman Op/Ed – Renewable Energy: Market intervention overkill
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20090419/OPINION/90418016/1049/OPINION

Congressmen Will Look At Timber for Clean Energy, Jobs (The Oregonian, Portland)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/04/a_moribund_timber_industry_cou.html

Idaho Wind Farm Gets 20-Year Purchase Agreement (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/822294.html

Desert Clash in West over Solar Potential, Water (Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1968151~Desert_clash_in_West_over_solar_potential__water.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

Solar Down But Not Out, Report Says (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12168616

Marine Power Not Ready For Prime Time, Experts Say (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/04/15/15greenwire-marine-power-not-ready-for-prime-time-experts-10525.html

Fat Burner - An old power plant site is getting new life from a plan to create electricity by burning waste vegetable oil and animal byproducts (Houston Chronicle, TX)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6380763.html

A (Mill) Wind Blows Afoul of Weather Radar (Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN)
http://www.startribune.com/local/43253962.html?elr=KArks:DCiUHc3E7_V_nDaycUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

California - Hot Debate Ahead on Berkeley's Energy Plans - Within the next few years, the city is likely to mandate that all homes meet strict energy standards (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/18/MNLE174GD5.DTL&feed=rss.news

Great Wolf Lodge Receives Green Seal (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.outdoorslc.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1240059234&archive=&start_from=&ucat=5&

The Stimulus Bill and Energy (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103183502

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Carbon Emissions Pose Danger, EPA Finds - Agency’s move lays the foundation for expanding US regulation of thousands of companies (Christian Science Monitor)
http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/04/17/carbon-emissions-pose-danger-epa-finds/

No ‘Subprime Carbon’ Investments for Her - Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell is joining those questioning the consensus approach on climate change. She fears the effect of a carbon-trading market (The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/government/story/713839.html

Seattle Times Editorial - More Tools Pending For Climate Change
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2009086386_edita20climate.html?syndication=rss

Oregon - Climate changes in Capitol: The economic chill leaves lawmakers cool to such ideas for fighting global warming as a carbon cap or tax (Eugene Register Guard)
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/updates/11979633-55/story.csp

Studies Suggest Northwest Smog Could Ease As Warming Worsens (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009078930_airpollute18m.html?syndication=rss

A Plan for U.S. Emissions to Be Buried Under Sea (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/18/business/energy-environment/18clean.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Florida - The Great (Green) Debate in Churches: Some believers are balancing the green trend with "creation care." (Jacksonville Times Union, FL)
http://www.jacksonville.com/lifestyles/values_and_religion/2009-04-19/story/the_great_green_debate_in_churches

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Carriers Aim to Keep Rural Broadband under Their Thumb (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2009/04/17/carriers-aim-to-keep-rural-broadband-under-their-thumb/

As Costs Fall, Companies Push to Raise Internet Price (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/business/20isp.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Minnesota - Rural Areas Increasingly Underserved By Telecommunications (Timberjay Newspapers)
http://www.timberjay.com/current.php?article=5271

Manassas Tries to Keep Dying BPL Network Alive - BPL industry's poster child for technology now on life support (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Manassas-Tries-To-Keep-Dying-BPL-Network-Alive-101951

Deal Brings TV Shows and Movies to YouTube (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/business/media/17youtube.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Oracle Agrees to Acquire Sun Microsystems (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/technology/companies/21sun.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Plugged-In Hotels Ring In More Guests (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE53F42520090416?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology

London Data Center to Power Local Community (C/NET News)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10221437-54.html?tag=nl.e433

O'Brien: Older Generations Adopting New Technologies Faster Than Young (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12159990

GENERAL NEWS

Port Of Shelton Hires Dobson as New Executive Director (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1897/smid/3468/ArticleID/7010/reftab/1632/t/PORT-OF-SHELTON-HIRES-DOBSON-AS-NEW-EXECUTIVE-DIRECTOR-/Default.aspx

Belfair Celebrates Opening of New Branch of Harrison Hospital (The Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/apr/17/belfair-celebrates-opening-of-new-branch-of/?partner=RSS

New Weather Tower Approved For Olympic Nat Park (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10196068

Olympia Rethinks Seattle Artist's Bronze 'Bubble' Art (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009088042_webbubble20m.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

Baby Pythons Escape During Flight in Australia - Snakes on Plane Not Found
http://www.kirotv.com/travelgetaways/19194008/detail.html

Man Accused of Using Vet Headstones for Patio
http://www.kirotv.com/news/19196457/detail.html

English Village May Use Potholes For Speed Control
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/19195528/detail.html

SpongeBob: Still Soaking Up Ratings after 10 Years
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103170924&ft=1&f=3

SONG OF THE DAY

Perfect music for today:

Crystal Blue persuasion - Tommy James & the Shondells
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN38vED24Eg