Monday, July 26, 2010

Energy News Digest for July 26, 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

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Scaled-Back Energy Plan Disappoints Some Utilities (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce Endorses ADAGE Biopower Plant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Ellensburg - Desert Claim Wind Farm Delayed: Construction Starts Spring 2011 (The Daily Record, Ellensburg, WA)

Chelan PUD’s Outgoing GM Says Scene Is Set for Stable Future (Wenatchee World, WA)

Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Chehalis, Washington; Reward Offered (Bonneville Power Administration)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Scaled-Back Energy Plan Disappoints Some Utilities
·         No Renewable Energy Standard, No Cap & Trade in Scaled Back Federal Energy Bill
·         Chelan PUD’s Outgoing GM Says Scene Is Set for Stable Future
·         Mason PUD 3 Sells Bonds for Capital Projects & Refinancing of Debt
·         Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Chehalis, Washington; Reward Offered
·         Streetlights Again Top Shelton City Commission Meeting Agenda
·         Montana - NorthWestern, Conservationists Propose ‘Decoupling’ Rate Structure
·         Editorial - Awaiting Special Permit, Southern Montana Electric Should Hit the Brakes
·         Montana/Alberta - MATL Seeks to Condemn Land for Power Line
·         Bonneville Power Administration Pole Spared for Birds
·         Baltimore Gas & Electric Smart-Grid Program Faces Regulatory Hurdle
·         Smart Home Meters Draw Consumer Complaints
·         New Idaho Hatchery Site Purchased to Substantially Boost Efforts to Rebuild Endangered Snake River Sockeye
·         With Low-Water Conditions Libby Dam Spill Test Didn’t Move Many Kootenai River Sturgeon
·         Record Number of Sockeye Salmon on View at Washington Dam
·         Oregon - At Round Butte Dam near Madras a Fish-Passage Project Has Heated up the River
·         Retired Wenatchee Man Gets Paid to Fish
·         California - New Yuba River Fish Study on Dam Impacts Ordered
·         Kodiak Salmon Plant to Tout Sustainable Energy Tie
·         Towering Northwest Forests Stand Out in Global Map
·         US Senate OKs $44 Million for Repairs at Hanson Dam
·         Calculating the Economic Value of Puget Sound Ecosystems
·         Farmers Rush to Buy Tractors Before Emissions Rules Kick In
·         Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce Endorses ADAGE Biopower Plant
·         Iberdrola’s Oregon Biomass Project Appealed
·         Cheers & Jeers - Biomass Shows Promise
·         Lake Tahoe - Basin-Based Biomass Plant Deemed ‘A Real Possibility’
·         Arizona Biomass Plant May Shut Down Amid Lost Deal
·         New York - Biomass Project Awaits Fed’s OK for Funding
·         Ellensburg - Desert Claim Wind Farm Delayed: Construction Starts Spring 2011
·         Environmentalists, Developers Compromise over Bend Area Wind Farm
·         Montana Lagging When It Comes to Wind Power
·         Massive California Wind Farm Gets $1.2 Billion in Financing
·         New Arizona Wind Farm Shows Power of Innovative Policymaking
·         Texas Longhorn Athletics Expanding into Renewable Energy Business
·         Snohomish County PUD Hosts Meetings to Explain Solar-Energy Systems & Incentives
·         Top Five Mistakes When Considering Solar Power for Your Home
·         Outlook Dims for Popular Federal Energy-Efficiency Loans
·         Smart Meters Alone Not Enough to Save
·         Energy Waste the Size of Japan
·         Experts Illuminate the Future of Lighting
·         Carbon Capture - Montana-Saskatchewan Climate Project Shelved
·         Oregon Joins Greenhouse Gas Lawsuit
·         California Climate Law Adds Jobs to State Payroll
·         Housewatch: Building Green Without Losing Greenbacks
·         House Panel Wants Half of US Cars Electric by 2030
·         FCC, Public Safety at Odds over Broadband Plan
·         Wireless Industry Challenges San Fran’s Cell Phone Radiation Law
·         Cynic Watch - Report Says Special Interests Control Washington Ballot Measures
·         It Pays to Gather Signatures - 2010 has Been a Bonanza for Paid Signature Gatherers
·         Union Issue Could Change Rules for Olympia City Contracts
·         City of Vancouver Bid Plan Could Backfire
·         Employee to Kennewick Irrigation District: I Did Not Cheat the Company
·         Pierce County Officials Spent $30,000 on Golf Trips
·         GOP Puts Democrat Murray on Defensive for Federal Projects
·         90-Year-Old Man Dies in Crash off Olympia Bluff
·         Editorial - Fix Dangerous Intersection with SR 101 & Stop the Carnage
·         Reopened Lucky Dog Casino North of Shelton Seeks More Workers
·         ‘Horrible’ Growing Season Hits Western Washington Farmers
·         Olympia Food Co-Op Ban on Israeli Products Stirs Protest
·         Alleged ‘Barefoot Bandit’ Not Interested in Selling Story
·         The Green File: No Matter the Name, It’s a Great Little Fair

WORD OF THE DAY

Screed • \SKREED\ • noun - 1a: a lengthy discourse b: an informal piece of writing c: a ranting piece of writing 2: a strip laid on as a guide 3: a leveling device drawn over freshly poured concrete

“Hoo boy,” sighed the new apprentice, as his foreman strode to the edge of the newly poured concrete sidewalk. As the roll of parchment containing the intricate screed written by the self-important rolled over the forms containing the viscous, but rapidly hardening liquid, the fresh-faced recruit settled himself for a long discourse on the proper use of a screed on sidewalks and the dressing of the edges. “My job will be hardened into place long before he finishes this thing,” mused the apprentice…who promptly began to daydream of sunny, far away places as his boss droned on.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Scaled-Back Energy Plan Disappoints Some Utilities (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

No Renewable Energy Standard, No Cap & Trade in Scaled Back Federal Energy Bill (Renewable Energy World)

Chelan PUD’s Outgoing GM Says Scene Is Set for Stable Future (Wenatchee World, WA)

Mason PUD 3 Sells Bonds for Capital Projects & Refinancing of Debt - Will be used for new operations center & projects for electrical reliability (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal)

Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Chehalis, Washington; Reward Offered (Bonneville Power Administration)

Streetlights Again Top Shelton City Commission Meeting Agenda (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Montana - NorthWestern, Conservationists Propose ‘Decoupling’ Rate Structure (Billings Gazette, MT)

Editorial - Awaiting Special Permit, Southern Montana Electric Should Hit the Brakes (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

Montana/Alberta - MATL Seeks to Condemn Land for Power Line (Associated Press)

Bonneville Power Administration Pole Spared for Birds (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Baltimore Gas & Electric Smart-Grid Program Faces Regulatory Hurdle (Washington Post)

Smart Home Meters Draw Consumer Complaints (USA Today)

FISH & WILDLIFE

New Idaho Hatchery Site Purchased to Substantially Boost Efforts to Rebuild Endangered Snake River Sockeye (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

With Low-Water Conditions Libby Dam Spill Test Didn’t Move Many Kootenai River Sturgeon (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Record Number of Sockeye Salmon on View at Washington Dam (USA Today)

Oregon - At Round Butte Dam near Madras a Fish-Passage Project Has Heated up the River, Which Hurts Steelhead Catch Rates (Oregonian, Portland)

Retired Wenatchee Man Gets Paid to Fish (Wenatchee World, WA)

California - New Yuba River Fish Study on Dam Impacts Ordered (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Kodiak Salmon Plant to Tout Sustainable Energy Tie (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Towering Northwest Forests Stand Out in Global Map (Oregonian, Portland)

US Senate OKs $44 Million for Repairs at Hanson Dam (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Calculating the Economic Value of Puget Sound Ecosystems (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

Farmers Rush to Buy Tractors Before Emissions Rules Kick In (Northwest Public Radio)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce Endorses ADAGE Biopower Plant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Iberdrola’s Oregon Biomass Project Appealed (Associated Press)

Cheers & Jeers - Biomass Shows Promise (The Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Lake Tahoe - Basin-Based Biomass Plant Deemed ‘A Real Possibility’ (Tahoe Daily Tribune, South Lake Tahoe, CA)

Arizona Biomass Plant May Shut Down Amid Lost Deal (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)

New York - Biomass Project Awaits Fed’s OK for Funding (Westfair Communications, White Plains, NY)

Ellensburg - Desert Claim Wind Farm Delayed: Construction Starts Spring 2011 (The Daily Record, Ellensburg, WA)

Environmentalists, Developers Compromise over Bend Area Wind Farm (Daily Journal of Commerce, OR)

Montana Lagging When It Comes to Wind Power (The Missoulian, MT)

Massive California Wind Farm Gets $1.2 Billion in Financing (CNET News)

New Arizona Wind Farm Shows Power of Innovative Policymaking (Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff, AZ)

Texas Longhorn Athletics Expanding into Renewable Energy Business (San Antonio Business Journal)

Snohomish County PUD Hosts Meetings to Explain Solar-Energy Systems & Incentives (Everett Herald, WA)

Top Five Mistakes When Considering Solar Power for Your Home (Renewable Energy World)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Outlook Dims for Popular Federal Energy-Efficiency Loans (Nat’l Public Radio)

Smart Meters Alone Not Enough to Save (Associated Press)

Energy Waste the Size of Japan (Renewable Energy World)

Experts Illuminate the Future of Lighting (SF Chronicle)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Carbon Capture - Montana-Saskatchewan Climate Project Shelved (Associated Press)

Oregon Joins Greenhouse Gas Lawsuit (Portland Business Journal)

California Climate Law Adds Jobs to State Payroll (Sacramento Bee, CA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Housewatch: Building Green Without Losing Greenbacks (Washington Post)

House Panel Wants Half of US Cars Electric by 2030 (USA Today)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC, Public Safety at Odds over Broadband Plan (Associated Press)

Wireless Industry Challenges San Fran’s Cell Phone Radiation Law (Courthouse News Service)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Cynic Watch - Report Says Special Interests Control Washington Ballot Measures (Northwest Public Radio)

It Pays to Gather Signatures - 2010 has Been a Bonanza for Paid Signature Gatherers (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Done’ forget to ask how much your signature is worth…it’s easy & fun!)

Union Issue Could Change Rules for Olympia City Contracts (Olympian, WA)

City of Vancouver Bid Plan Could Backfire - policy to give an edge to Vancouver-based businesses competing for government contracts (The Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Employee to Kennewick Irrigation District: I Did Not Cheat the Company (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Pierce County Officials Spent $30,000 on Golf Trips (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

GOP Puts Democrat Murray on Defensive for Federal Projects (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

GENERAL NEWS

90-Year-Old Man Dies in Crash off Olympia Bluff (Associated Press)

Editorial - Fix Dangerous Intersection with SR 101 & Stop the Carnage (Olympian, WA)

Reopened Lucky Dog Casino North of Shelton Seeks More Workers (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

‘Horrible’ Growing Season Hits Western Washington Farmers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Olympia Food Co-Op Ban on Israeli Products Stirs Protest (Olympian, WA)

Alleged ‘Barefoot Bandit’ Not Interested in Selling Story (KING-TV, Seattle)

The Green File: No Matter the Name, It’s a Great Little Fair (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA – who’s this ‘Myer” fellow he quotes in here?)

DIVERSIONS

Pigeon Droppings Halt Kings of Leon Concert

Boat of Plastic Bottles Ends Four-Month Pacific Sail (Associated Press)

Thrift Store Gets Laptop Back After Mistaken Five-Dollar Sale

City of Seattle Orders Admired Gardener to Trim Back Her Creation

SONG OF THE DAY

Jay Sean Ft Li’l Wayne - Sky is Falling Down

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Energy News Digest for July 22, 2010

The energy news digest will be away from the copy desk Friday, July 23 in for the traditional, annual larding of the blood vessels with deep fried “items” at the fair. It will return, with extra Lipitor doses, on Monday, July 26.

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

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Mason PUD 3 Sells Bonds for Capital Projects & Refinancing of Debt - Will be used for new operations center & projects for electrical reliability (Mason County PUD No. 3)

So Many Sockeye! Rocky Reach Dam Provides Window into Record Run of Salmon (Wenatchee World, WA)

Vestas Lands Record Turbine Order (Portland Business Journal)

Washington State Group Sues Gregoire over Climate Order (Associated Press)

Kittitas County Changes Course on Water Rights (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Mason PUD 3 Sells Bonds for Capital Projects & Refinancing of Debt
·         Oregon - Locals Say Idaho Power Transmission Line Would Ruin View
·         Montana - Beartooth Electric Co-Op Members Launch Petition for Mail Ballots, Easier Access to Information
·         Steam Leak Takes Southern Indiana Power Plant Offline
·         Could Shale Deposits Bring Mid-Atlantic States $2 Trillion?
·         Editorial - River Provides Power for Wausau Industries
·         Gap Plugged in Nuclear Fusion Project
·         So Many Sockeye! Rocky Reach Dam Provides Window into Record Run of Salmon
·         Salmon Fishing Expanded on Washington Coast
·         Hundreds of Dead Penguins Dot Brazil’s Beaches
·         Gulf Coast - For Oysters, a ‘Remedy’ Turned Catastrophe
·         Kittitas County Changes Course on Water Rights
·         Spokane County to Fight River Lawsuit
·         Small Clams Causing Big Problems for Kennewick Irrigation District
·         California - Anti-Dam Group Questions Cleanliness of Hetch Hetchy Water
·         Report Recommends New Logging Plan for Oregon Forests
·         British Columbia Communities Will Continue to be Devastated by Pine Beetle
·         Researchers Present Ideas to Save Chesapeake Bay
·         Vestas Lands Record Turbine Order
·         Duke Energy Sees Renewables as ‘Niche’ Power Source
·         Op/Ed - Demand Is Growing for Clean-Energy Jobs
·         Op/Ed - Bio Mess: Don’t Judge Clean Energy by Its Cover
·         FERC Transmission Proposal Could Bolster Renewables
·         Ohio - Wind Turbines on Lake Erie Face Many Challenges, Including Ice
·         The Rise & Fall of Solar Panel Thieves
·         Wisconsin - River Falls Sees Green in New Solar Power Program
·         Washington State Group Sues Gregoire over Climate Order
·         Fred Meyer Drops Plastic Bags at Portland Stores
·         Kitsap Transit Buying Solar-Powered Compactors
·         Op/Ed - Clean energy means Massachusetts Money
·         Flush it Real Good: HighDro Power Turns Waste Water into Electricity
·         Twitter Opening Data Center in Salt Lake City
·         Twitter to Build Data Center to Beach the Fail Whale
·         Google Queried on Data by Growing Number of States
·         Mason County Candidates Face Off at Lakeland Village
·         Mason County Candidates to Debate in Shelton
·         Murray, Rossi Battle over Who Supports Yucca Mountain More
·         31 Grays Harbor Voters Registered at One House
·         Wildfire Near Yakima Fully Contained
·         Boeing Racks Up $9.5 Billion in 737 Orders at Farnborough Airshow
·         Washington State Wants $364,000 plus Jail Time from Puyallup Man for L&I Fraud
·         Mason Fair Lives on in New Format
·         North Mason Chamber Chief Resigns, Plans Speaking Tour
·         Oakland Allows Industrial-Scale Marijuana Farms

WORD OF THE DAY

Inenarrable • \in-ih-NAIR-uh-bul\ • adjective - Incapable of being narrated: indescribable

The fresh-faced cub reporter trod disconsolately back to the city desk, certain of his inability to write his story for the next morning’s edition. The city’s plan to replace all its parks with miniature golf courses had come under a withering, excoriating attack; an attack that was so peppered with an apparent head-to-toe dipping in ‘Roget’s Thesaurus’ that any attempt to recreate the event was utterly inerrable.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Mason PUD 3 Sells Bonds for Capital Projects & Refinancing of Debt - Will be used for new operations center & projects for electrical reliability (Mason County PUD No. 3)

Mason PUD 3 Sells Bonds for Capital Projects, Refinancing of Debt (South Sound Business Examiner)

Oregon - Locals Say Idaho Power Transmission Line Would Ruin Views (Baker City Herald, OR)

Montana - Beartooth Electric Co-Op Members Launch Petition for Mail Ballots, Easier Access to Information (Billings Gazette, MT)

Steam Leak Takes Southern Indiana Power Plant Offline (Associated Press)

Could Shale Deposits Bring Mid-Atlantic States $2 Trillion? (Christian Science Monitor)

Editorial - River Provides Power for Wausau Industries (Wausau Daily Herald, WI)

Gap Plugged in Nuclear Fusion Project (NY Times)

FISH & WILDLIFE

So Many Sockeye! Rocky Reach Dam Provides Window into Record Run of Salmon (Wenatchee World, WA)

Salmon Fishing Expanded on Washington Coast (Associated Press)

Hundreds of Dead Penguins Dot Brazil’s Beaches (Associated Press)

Gulf Coast - For Oysters, a ‘Remedy’ Turned Catastrophe (NY Times)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Kittitas County Changes Course on Water Rights (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

Spokane County to Fight River Lawsuit - Treatment plant depends on contested EPA regulations (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Small Clams Causing Big Problems for Kennewick Irrigation District (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

California - Anti-Dam Group Questions Cleanliness of Hetch Hetchy Water (SF Chronicle)

Report Recommends New Logging Plan for Oregon Forests (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

British Columbia Communities Will Continue to be Devastated by Pine Beetle (Victoria Times-Colonist, BC)

Researchers Present Ideas to Save Chesapeake Bay (Associated Press)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Vestas Lands Record Turbine Order (Portland Business Journal)

Duke Energy Sees Renewables as ‘Niche’ Power Source “…”It doesn’t matter how clean it is if it’s not affordable or reliable…” (Triangle Business Journal)

Op/Ed - Demand Is Growing for Clean-Energy Jobs (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Op/Ed - Bio Mess: Don’t Judge Clean Energy by Its Cover (Eugene Weekly, OR)

FERC Transmission Proposal Could Bolster Renewables (Lexology)

Ohio - Wind Turbines on Lake Erie Face Many Challenges, Including Ice (Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH)

The Rise & Fall of Solar Panel Thieves (Renewable Energy World)

Wisconsin - River Falls Sees Green in New Solar Power Program (Pioneer Press, St Paul, MN)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Washington State Group Sues Gregoire over Climate Order (Associated Press)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Fred Meyer Drops Plastic Bags at Portland Stores (The Oregonian, Portland)

Kitsap Transit Buying Solar-Powered Compactors (Associated Press)

Op/Ed - Clean energy means Massachusetts Money (Boston Globe, MA)

Flush it Real Good: HighDro Power Turns Waste Water into Electricity (Wired Magazine)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Twitter Opening Data Center in Salt Lake City (Associated Press)

Twitter to Build Data Center to Beach the Fail Whale (GigaOM)

Google Queried on Data by Growing Number of States (Associated Press)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Mason County Candidates Face Off at Lakeland Village (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Mason County Candidates to Debate in Shelton (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Murray, Rossi Battle over Who Supports Yucca Mountain More (Tri-City Herald, WA)

31 Grays Harbor Voters Registered at One House (Associated Press)

GENERAL NEWS

Wildfire Near Yakima Fully Contained (Associated Press)

Boeing Racks Up $9.5 Billion in 737 Orders at Farnborough Airshow (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Washington State Wants $364,000 plus Jail Time from Puyallup Man for L&I Fraud (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Mason Fair Lives on in New Format (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

North Mason Chamber Chief Resigns, Plans Speaking Tour (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

Oakland Allows Industrial-Scale Marijuana Farms (SF Chronicle)

DIVERSIONS

French Flight Attendant Arrested for Stealing Cash & Jewels from Sleeping Passengers’ Pockets & Carry-Ons

Let the Flame Wars Begin - Federal Judge: Cheerleading Not a Sport

Archaeologists Find New Structure at Stonehenge

Smash & Grab Suspects Could be Drunk, Stinky & Scratching

SONG OF THE DAY

The Steve Miller Band - Threshold/Jet Airliner