Energy News Digest for January 15, 2010

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)

•  TransAlta Under Fire - Despite Technological Efforts, Legal & Political Wrangling Makes Future Uncertain for Coal-Fired Facility

•  Portland General Electric Plan Suggests Shorter Time Frame to Close Boardman Coal Plant

•  Commission Adopts Idaho Power Rate Moratorium Agreement

•  Downed Power Lines Stop Issaquah School Bus

•  Mason PUD 3 to Conduct Tree Trimming

•  British Columbia Firms Wasting Power to Get Cheaper Rates, Says Utility

•  Turmoil in Power Sector - Falling Electricity Demand Trips Up Utilities’ Plans for Infrastructure Projects

•  Entergy Corp. Sues Fed Agency in Katrina Flooding

•  Virginia Regulators OK Appalachian Power Surcharge for Environmental Compliance & Reliability

•  Forget Wind; Pickens Turns Focus to Gas

•  Two Former Electric Providers Face Hefty Texas Fines

•  United Kingdom - Efforts to Halt Salmon Decline

•  Judge Voids Landmark California Water Agreement

•  Oregon - EPA Says No to Portland’s Open Reservoirs

•  Water Conservation – The Why & How for Homeowners

•  US Energy Department Probing Hanford Waste Burial

•  Seattle P-I Columnist - Vanquishing Victoria’s POOP Problem

•  Biomass - Stevens County Company Has State Energy Tie

•  Olympian Editorial - Everyone Wins With Biomass Initiatives

•  Not in Anyone’s Backyard - Protect the environment or create renewable energy?

•  Iberdrola Signs Biggest Wind Power Deal Yet

•  Ill Wind Buffets General Electric Energy Unit

•  Wind Turbines Don’t Operate in Cold

•  Adobe Systems Goes for Wind Power

•  Micron Cuts Deal With Australian Solar Energy Company

•  E-Waste Recycler Lights up Path to Strong Profits

•  Illinois Utilities Can’t Seem to Get Consumers to Track Electricity Use

•  SMUD Rewards Sacramento State for Energy Efficiency

•  How to Keep the Cold from Icing up Profit

•  North Dakota vs. Minnesota: Dust-Up over Carbon

•  US Official Says Talks on Emissions Show Promise

•  Oregon - Local Expert Ready to Talk about Climate Change

•  Australia - A Wholesale Climate Fraud? Not Here

•  Latest in Environmental Standards: Green Roads

•  FCC Looks at Ways to Assert Authority Over Web Access

•  Microsoft’s Browser Flaw Exposed Google to Hackers

•  Follow the Law, China Tells Internet Companies

•  Google Gobbles Ever More of Search Share

•  Verizon: Talk Is Cheap, Data Is Mandatory for Most

•  Skype to FCC: Keep Internet Open & Neutral

•  New York - Wyoming County May Create a Fiber-Optic System

•  As Predicted, Comcast Usage Meter Expands

•  No Injuries When Pioneer School Bus Slides into Ditch

•  Heavy Rain Brings Flood Watch to Western Washington

•  Haitian Earthquake - Good News for One Family, More Waiting for Another

•  Mason County Deputies Capture Kidnapping Suspect

•  Life Sentence for Seattle Jewish Office Shooting

•  Taxable Retail Sales Down in Mason County

•  Marijuana Bills: ‘It’s Not about Fighting for Your Right to Party’

•  High-Speed Jet Keeps Eye on West Coast Storms

WORD OF THE DAY

Doldrums • \DOLE-drums\ • noun - 1: a spell of listlessness or despondency 2: often capitalized: a part of the ocean near the equator abounding in calms, squalls, and light shifting winds 3: a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or slump

The drops of rain splattered against Donny’s office window. The rhythm of the pelting deluge worked as a hypnotic drug, dragging the usually energetic accountant into a listless bout of the doldrums.

WEATHER

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

TransAlta Under Fire - Despite Technological Efforts, Legal & Political Wrangling Makes Future Uncertain for Coal-Fired Facility (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)

http://www.chronline.com/articles/2010/01/15/news//doc4b4f5e1c56ebd535240605.txt

Portland General Electric Plan Suggests Shorter Time Frame to Close Boardman Coal Plant (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/01/pge_moves_to_close_boardman_co.html

Commission Adopts Idaho Power Rate Moratorium Agreement (Idaho Business Review)

http://www.idahobusiness.net/archive.htm/2010/01/14/Commission-adopts-Idaho-Power-rate-moratorium-agreement

Downed Power Lines Stop Issaquah School Bus “…They (were kept) inside the bus, which is the safest place…” (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Downed-power-lines-stop-Issaquah-SD-school-bus-81718187.html

Mason PUD 3 to Conduct Tree Trimming on Turnow Dr, Ford Rd, & Spaulding Rd (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=664

British Columbia Firms Wasting Power to Get Cheaper Rates, Says Utility (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/firms+wasting+power+cheaper+rates+says+utility/2443159/story.html

Turmoil in Power Sector - Falling Electricity Demand Trips Up Utilities’ Plans for Infrastructure Projects (Wall Street Journal)

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704675104575001322373417024.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5

Entergy Corp. Sues Fed Agency in Katrina Flooding (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010795024_apusentergykatrinadamages.html

Virginia Regulators OK Appalachian Power Surcharge for Environmental Compliance & Reliability (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010802119_apussccapcosurchargevirginia.html

Forget Wind; Pickens Turns Focus to Gas (NY Times)

http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/forget-wind-pickens-turns-focus-to-gas/

Two Former Electric Providers Face Hefty Texas Fines (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010802296_apustexaspucpenalties.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

United Kingdom - Efforts to Halt Salmon Decline (British Broadcasting Corporation, UK)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/8461380.stm

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Judge Voids Landmark California Water Agreement (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010800693_apuscaliforniawater.html

Oregon - EPA Says No to Portland’s Open Reservoirs (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/01/epa_says_no_to_portlands_open.html

Water Conservation – The Why & How for Homeowners (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Bright-Green/2010/0114/Water-conservation-the-why-and-how-for-homeowners

US Energy Department Probing Hanford Waste Burial (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010802409_apwahanfordburialmystery.html

Seattle P-I Columnist - Vanquishing Victoria’s POOP Problem

http://www.seattlepi.com/connelly/414247_joel15.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Biomass - Stevens County Company Has State Energy Tie (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/jan/15/stevens-county-company-has-state-energy-tie/

Olympian Editorial - Everyone Wins With Biomass Initiatives

http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/1102223.html

Not in Anyone’s Backyard - Protect the environment or create renewable energy? A new bill shows they’re far from the same thing (Newsweek)

http://www.newsweek.com/id/230681

Iberdrola Signs Biggest Wind Power Deal Yet (Portland Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/01/11/daily35.html

Ill Wind Buffets General Electric Energy Unit - Company loses patent ruling & a big turbine order is cut in half (The Times Union, Albany, NY)

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=888705&category=BUSINESS

Wind Turbines Don’t Operate in Cold - Though wind turbines utilize North Dakota’s plentiful gusts to generate energy, some agency officials say they are shut down in times of extreme temperature (Dickinson Press, ND)

http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/event/article/id/31387/

Adobe Systems Goes for Wind Power (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/15/BUO71BI9AT.DTL

Micron Cuts Deal With Australian Solar Energy Company (Idaho Statesman, Boise, ID)

http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/1042301.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

E-Waste Recycler Lights up Path to Strong Profits (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010797330_apakerecyclingbusiness.html

Illinois Utilities Can’t Seem to Get Consumers to Track Electricity Use (Chicago Tribune, IL)

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-electric-use-jan13-,0,6684769.story

SMUD Rewards Sacramento State for Energy Efficiency (MSNBC Money)

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=ACBJ&date=20100115&id=10990689

How to Keep the Cold from Icing up Profit (Associated Press)

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100115/BIZ/701159914/1005

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

North Dakota vs. Minnesota: Dust-Up over Carbon - North Dakota is none too pleased with Minnesota as a deadline nears for what North Dakota claims will be a tax on coal-fired electricity (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, MN)

http://www.startribune.com/business/81606907.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:UUUHDYaGEP7eyckcUr

US Official Says Talks on Emissions Show Promise (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/science/earth/15climate.html

Oregon - Local Expert Ready to Talk about Climate Change (The World, Bandon, OR)

http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2010/01/13/news/local_expert_ready_to_talk_about_climate_change_30b.txt

Australia - A Wholesale Climate Fraud? Not Here (The Australian)

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/a-wholesale-climate-fraud-not-here/story-e6frg6zo-1225819884224

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Latest in Environmental Standards: Green Roads (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kplu/news.newsmain/article/0/1/1599246/KPLU.Local.News/Latest.in.Environmental.Standards.Green.Roads

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Looks at Ways to Assert Authority Over Web Access (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/14/AR2010011404717.html

Microsoft’s Browser Flaw Exposed Google to Hackers (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/14/financial/f163159S37.DTL

Follow the Law, China Tells Internet Companies (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/world/asia/15beijing.html

Google Gobbles Ever More of Search Share (San Francisco Business Times)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2010/01/11/daily62.html

Verizon: Talk Is Cheap, Data Is Mandatory for Most (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/01/15/verizon-talk-is-cheap-data-is-mandatory-for-most/

Skype to FCC: Keep Internet Open & Neutral (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/01/14/skype-to-fcc-keep-internet-open-neutral/

New York - Wyoming County May Create a Fiber-Optic System (The Daily News, Batavia, NY)

http://www.thedailynewsonline.com/articles/2010/01/14/news/6375967.txt

As Predicted, Comcast Usage Meter Expands - Beta enters additional Pacific Northwest markets (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/As-Predicted-Comcast-Usage-Meter-Expands-106407

GENERAL NEWS

No Injuries When Pioneer School Bus Slides into Ditch (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1097:no-injuries-when-bus-slides-into-ditch&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Heavy Rain Brings Flood Watch to Western Washington (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/weather/22246099/detail.html

Haitian Earthquake - Good News for One Family, More Waiting for Another (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/81644807.html

Mason County Deputies Capture Kidnapping Suspect (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22238691/detail.html

Life Sentence for Seattle Jewish Office Shooting (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11822268

Taxable Retail Sales Down in Mason County (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1089:taxable-retail-sales-down-in-mason-county&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Marijuana Bills: ‘It’s Not about Fighting for Your Right to Party’ (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/1027817.html

High-Speed Jet Keeps Eye on West Coast Storms - Japan-based plane will monitor North Pacific for data to aid forecasting (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/1102167.html

DIVERSIONS

Oscar Mayer Says Goodbye to Wiener Song (Nat’l Public Radio)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122599414&ft=1&f=3

Peeing Puppy Results in a Lawsuit

http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/01/15/23720.htm

Was the Yugo Really the Worst Car Ever? A new book explains why the tiny automobile was so reviled.

http://www.slate.com/id/2241530/

SONG OF THE DAY

Fleetwood Mac – Landslide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f46rv5EWbAU

Energy News Digest for January 14, 2010

Energy News Digest for January 14, 2010

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)

·  Okanogan Electric Coop Says River Flows Played Part in Spiking Methow Electric Rates

·  It’s the Law – Mason PUD 3 Urges Safety around Construction and Repair Projects

·  Hearing On Proposed Utah Nuke Plant Zeroes In On Water Needs

·  Kansas Utility Files New Application For Coal Plant

·  Coal Ash Fallout - Tennessee Valley Authority Says It May Need A Year To Prepare Case

·  Army Corps of Engineers Proposes To Rehab Columbia River Bar Jetties

·  Washington Cities, Counties Discover Misconnected Pipes

·  Port Angeles - Local Mill Part Of Green Energy Project

·  Secretary Of Interior Salazar To Decide On Planned Cape Cod Wind Farm

·  Thoroughly Modern Meters Give Real-Time Power Use

·  Wenatchee World Editorial - Quincy Ranks Best In The West

·  Sprint May Mount WiMax Towers On Wal-Marts

·  Yahoo backs Google's response to China hackers

·  Washington Post Editorial - Google vs. China

·  HP, Microsoft Team Up On $250M Effort To Make Cloud Computing Easier

·  Forecast Of Heavy Mountain Rain Triggers Flood Watch

·  How $500,000 In Clallam County Money Was Stolen Over Five Years

·  Moses Lake - Project Chinook Is A BMW Parts Manufacturer

·  Peace Group Sues Over Military Infiltration

·  Legalizing, Taxing Pot Bills Attract Large Crowd

WORD OF THE DAY

Parvenu • \PARR-venn-you\ • noun – One that has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity, or manner associated with it

The “Filmways Production” staff was stumped. What future wags would call the “first hog out of the pen” in the Hooterville trilogy had no name. One snooty, overeducated staffer sniffed that it should be called ‘Parvenus of the Prairie,’ while his cohorts were leaning towards the eventual name ‘Beverly Hillbillies.’ We know who won this mud-rasslin’ match, and our popular culture was all the richer for it.

(‘Petticoat Junction’ and ‘Green Acres’ soon followed.)

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

Okanogan Electric Coop Says River Flows Played Part in Spiking Methow Electric Rates (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jan/13/co-op-says-river-flows-played-part-in-spiking/

It’s the Law – Mason PUD 3 Urges Safety around Construction and Repair Projects (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=663

Hearing On Proposed Utah Nuke Plant Zeroes In On Water Needs (Salt Lake Tribune, UT)

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14172842?source=rss

Kansas Utility Files New Application For Coal Plant (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/13/financial/f125522S42.DTL

Coal Ash Fallout - Tennessee Valley Authority Says It May Need A Year To Prepare Case (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010781132_apustvaashspilltennessee.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Army Corps of Engineers Proposes To Rehab Columbia River Bar Jetties (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010785934_apwacolumbiabarjetties1stldwritethru.html

Washington Cities, Counties Discover Misconnected Pipes (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=6669

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Port Angeles - Local Mill Part Of Green Energy Project (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.konp.com/local/5410

Secretary Of Interior Salazar To Decide On Planned Cape Cod Wind Farm (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010782185_apuswindfarmdecision.html

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Thoroughly Modern Meters Give Real-Time Power Use (Los Angeles Times, CA)

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2010/01/smart-meters-give-realtime-power-use.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Wenatchee World Editorial - Quincy Ranks Best In The West

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/jan/13/quincy-ranks-best-in-the-west/

Sprint May Mount WiMax Towers On Wal-Marts - using the stores to bypass the usual zoning and municipal hurdles could prove very useful (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Sprint-May-Mount-WiMax-Towers-On-Walmarts-106374

Yahoo backs Google's response to China hackers

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010781770_apustecyahoochina.html

Washington Post Editorial - Google vs. China

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/13/AR2010011302908.html

HP, Microsoft Team Up On $250M Effort To Make Cloud Computing Easier (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14179931

GENERAL NEWS

Forecast Of Heavy Mountain Rain Triggers Flood Watch (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/weather/22235584/detail.html

How $500,000 In Clallam County Money Was Stolen Over Five Years (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100114/news/301149994

Moses Lake - Project Chinook Is A BMW Parts Manufacturer (Columbia Basin herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/01/13/news/doc4b4e705de59ad919527505.txt

Peace Group Sues Over Military Infiltration (Associated Press)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/81376642.html

Legalizing, Taxing Pot Bills Attract Large Crowd (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Legalizing-taxing-pot-bills-attract-large-crowd-81375762.html

DIVERSIONS

Scammer Sends $4,000 Check To Richland Police

http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=11816308

A Final Farewell To 'Mr. Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!'

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122527075&ft=1&f=2

Crashed Trucker Says He Choked While Eating Chicken

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/81404812.html

Energy News Digest for January 13, 2010

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)

•  Grays Harbor PUD Rates Go Up Feb. 1

•  Port of Bremerton Studies Ways to Spend Grant it First Got for SEED Energy Program

•  Maryland Governor to Skip Energy Re-Regulation This Session

•  Contentious San Francisco Power Plant Closure Gets Final Approval

•  Venezuela Imposes Electricity Blackouts

•  Aluminum Isn’t Such a Strong Market After All

•  Babcock & Wilcox Faces Penalty for Virginia Nuke Incident

•  Feds Propose Expanding Bush’s Bull Trout Habitat

•  California - A Bad Year for Salmon, But There’s Hope

•  Asian Carp - Illinois Tries United Front Against Fish & Lawsuit

•  Activists Oppose Coyote ‘Derby’ in Southeast Oregon

•  Lack of Washington State Snowpack Could Be a Concern

•  Dirty Air: Utah Officials Urge Limit on Kids’ Play

•  Possible Tweaks in Store for Oregon “Green Energy” Policies

•  Florida Company Pursues 100 MW Wind Farm in Montana

•  Wyoming Governor: ‘No Free Ride for Wind’

•  San Diego - Wind Farm: A Damaging Blow, Inspections, Repairs after Last Month’s Storm

•  Texas - Pickens Reduces Order for Wind Turbines, Puts Panhandle Wind Farm on Hold

•  Cape Wind Project May Be Test Case of Obama Administration’s Promises

•  West Virginia Wind Farm Builder Must Study Bird, Bat Deaths

•  General Electric Cutting Wind Deals at Home, China

•  Colorado Democrats Want to Raise Renewable Energy Standard

•  Maryland Governor to Press for Legislation on Renewable Energy

•  New Mexico Indian Tribe Hopes to Profit from Solar Energy

•  Renewable Resource - Central Virginia Electric Cooperative Buys Hydroelectric Plant

•  State of California Adopts Greenest Building Codes in US

•  Minnesota - Social Pressure to Save Energy?

•  Energy-Only Option Tests Senate’s Climate Bill Backers

•  California Panel Considers Money from Climate Rules

•  Insurance Group Says Stolen E-Mails Show Risk in Accepting Climate Science

•  Airnergy Charger Generates Electricity from WiFi Signals

•  Google to End China Censorship After E-Mail Breach

•  Google Threat a Rare Show of Defiance in China

•  Comcast Gives Spokane Web Users a Usage Meter

•  Broadband Boosts Economic Development to a Point

•  Google Adds Storage to Sweeten Online Office Suite

•  Yahoo Finds Web Ad Generation Gap

•  Hoodsport Bank Robber Arrested

•  Tahuya River Bridge Nearing Completion

•  Clallam County Treasurer Missing More Than $500K

•  Poll Says Gregoire’s Job Approval Lowest Ever

•  Report Says Cell Phone Distraction Causes One in Four US Car Crashes

•  Oregon - Vandalism Does More than $50,000 Damage to Historic Cape Meares Lighthouse

•  Groups Seek Regulation of Bumblebee Importation

•  Wedding Subsidy - Alcoa Can Help Spokane Couple’s Wedding Plan

WORD OF THE DAY

Semiotics • \see-mee-AW-tix\ • noun – A general philosophical theory of signs and symbols that deals especially with their function in both artificially constructed and natural languages and comprises syntactics, semantics, and pragmatics

Barty was stumped by the angry, intricate designs that had been spray-painted on the broad, gray face of his new concrete arch dam across the local salmon stream. “I’m no expert at semiotics,” he mused. “But my guess is that the local chapter of ‘Trout Unlimited’ is not pleased with my work.”

WEATHER

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

Grays Harbor PUD Rates Go Up Feb. 1 (The Daily World, Aberdeen, WA)

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/01/12/local_news/doc4b4cc64119422712922070.txt

Port of Bremerton Studies Ways to Spend Grant it First Got for SEED Energy Program (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jan/12/bremerton-port-studies-ways-to-spend-grant-if/

Maryland Governor to Skip Energy Re-Regulation This Session (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010775018_apusmarylandgovernorlegislature.html

Contentious San Francisco Power Plant Closure Gets Final Approval (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2010%2F01%2F12%2FMN1L1BH8VK.DTL

Venezuela Imposes Electricity Blackouts – The country has imposed an electricity rationing program which will lead to four-hour blackouts every week across the country (The Daily Telegraph, UK)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/6980473/Venezuela-imposes-electricity-blackouts.html

Aluminum Isn’t Such a Strong Market After All - Alcoa’s weak results show aluminum demand is off (Purchasing.com)

http://www.purchasing.com/article/444071-Aluminum_isn_t_such_a_strong_market_after_all.php

Babcock & Wilcox Faces Penalty for Virginia Nuke Incident (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/13/financial/f084534S37.DTL

FISH & WILDLIFE

Feds Propose Expanding Bush’s Bull Trout Habitat (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010781395_aporbulltrouthabitat.html

California - A Bad Year for Salmon, But There’s Hope: Russian River count low again, but biologists predict its start of upswing (Santa Rosa Press Democrat, CA)

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100112/NEWS/1121002/1350?Title=A-bad-year-for-salmon-but-there-s-hope&tc=ar

Asian Carp - Illinois Tries United Front Against Fish & Lawsuit (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/science/earth/13asiancarp.html

Activists Oppose Coyote ‘Derby’ in Southeast Oregon (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/01/activists_oppose_coyote_derby.html

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Lack of Washington State Snowpack Could Be a Concern (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/01/12/lack-of-snowpack-could-be-a-concern

Dirty Air: Utah Officials Urge Limit on Kids’ Play (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010773225_apusairqualityutah.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Possible Tweaks in Store for Oregon “Green Energy” Policies (NW Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=6667

Florida Company Pursues 100 MW Wind Farm in Montana (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2417436~Fla__company_pursues_100_MW_wind_farm_in_Mont_.html

Wyoming Governor: ‘No Free Ride for Wind’ (Wyoming Business Report)

http://www.wyomingbusinessreport.com/article.asp?id=103722

San Diego - Wind Farm: A Damaging Blow, Inspections, Repairs after Last Month’s Storm (San Diego Union-Tribune, CA)

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jan/13/damaging-blow/

Texas - Pickens Reduces Order for Wind Turbines, Puts Panhandle Wind Farm on Hold (Dallas Morning News, TX)

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-wind_13bus.ART.State.Edition1.3d00505.html

Cape Wind Project May Be Test Case of Obama Administration’s Promises (Indian Country Today)

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/81138432.html

West Virginia Wind Farm Builder Must Study Bird, Bat Deaths (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010772617_apuswindfarmwestvirginia.html

General Electric Cutting Wind Deals at Home, China (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/12/financial/f123710S49.DTL

Colorado Democrats Want to Raise Renewable Energy Standard (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010781188_apusrenewableenergycolorado.html

Maryland Governor to Press for Legislation on Renewable Energy (Baltimore Sun, MD)

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/legislature/bal-md.assembly13jan13,0,4179730.story

New Mexico Indian Tribe Hopes to Profit from Solar Energy (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010775213_apustribalsolarenergy.html

Renewable Resource - Central Virginia Electric Cooperative Buys Hydroelectric Plant (Nelson Valley Times, VA)

http://www2.nelsoncountytimes.com/nco/news/local/article/central_virginia_electric_cooperative_buys_hydroelectric_plant/23118/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

State of California Adopts Greenest Building Codes in US (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/13/MNDR1BH9SA.DTL

Minnesota - Social Pressure to Save Energy? (Minneapolis Star-Tribune, MN)

http://www.startribune.com/business/81287582.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUoaK7D_V_eDc87DUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Energy-Only Option Tests Senate’s Climate Bill Backers - Would abandon cap & trade for a stand-alone energy bill (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/01/12/12greenwire-energy-only-option-tests-senates-climate-bill-b-4157.html

California Panel Considers Money from Climate Rules (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/science/earth/13emissions.html

Insurance Group Says Stolen E-Mails Show Risk in Accepting Climate Science (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/01/13/13climatewire-insurance-group-says-stolen-e-mails-show-ris-91554.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Airnergy Charger Generates Electricity from WiFi Signals (Consumerist)

http://consumerist.com/2010/01/airnergy-charger-generates-electricity-from-wifi-signals.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Google to End China Censorship After E-Mail Breach (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010777735_apustecgooglechina.html

Google Threat a Rare Show of Defiance in China (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010777612_apaschinagoogle.html

Comcast Gives Spokane Web Users a Usage Meter (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/jan/12/comcast-gives-web-users-usage-meter/

Broadband Boosts Economic Development to a Point (GigaOM)

http://gigaom.com/2010/01/12/broadband-boosts-economic-development-to-a-point/

Google Adds Storage to Sweeten Online Office Suite (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/01/12/financial/f090705S29.DTL

Yahoo Finds Web Ad Generation Gap (Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/01/11/daily41.html

GENERAL NEWS

Hoodsport Bank Robber Arrested (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1068:hoodsport-bank-robber-arrested&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Tahuya River Bridge Nearing Completion (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jan/12/tahuya-bridge-nearing-completion/

Clallam County Treasurer Missing More Than $500K (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010776294_apwaclallammissingmoney.html

Poll Says Gregoire’s Job Approval Lowest Ever (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2010768515_poll_gregoire_job_approval_low.html

Report Says Cell Phone Distraction Causes One in Four US Car Crashes (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0112/Report-Cell-phone-distraction-causes-one-in-four-US-car-crashes

Oregon - Vandalism Does More than $50,000 Damage to Historic Cape Meares Lighthouse (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/01/vandalism_does_more_than_50000.html

Groups Seek Regulation of Bumblebee Importation (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010772614_apusplightofbumblebee.html

Wedding Subsidy - Alcoa Can Help Spokane Couple’s Wedding Plan (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/jan/13/alcoa-helps-wedding-can-couple/

DIVERSIONS

Mystery Object to Whizz by Earth Wednesday

http://www.kirotv.com/technology/22217885/detail.html

Festering Fish a Side Benefit - Lawsuit accuses bank of seizing wrong house

http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=4e1cfb1bebbf31e1

Driver Growing Locks for Charity Told to Cut Hair

http://www.kirotv.com/sports/22219057/detail.html

Woman Keeps Pet Snowball for 33 Years

http://www.kirotv.com/news/22218733/detail.html

SONG OF THE DAY

The Doors - Break on Through

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dLAv0NklTg