Energy News Digest for April 28, 2011

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

The news digest is also available at the following web site:

http://www.energynewsdigest.blogspot.com/

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Exelon to Buy Constellation Energy for $7.9 Billion (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/28/us-constellation-exelon-idUSTRE73Q8BS20110428

US Metro Areas with Dirtiest Air Get Cleaner (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2011-04-27-city-smog-epa-dirty-air_n.htm?csp=34news

Mason County PUD No. 1 Honored by State for Water System Efforts (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/5538-pud1-honored-by-state

Clark County Taking Green ‘To the Masses’ - Planet Clark trailer will travel to tout benefits of energy efficiency (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/apr/27/taking-green-to-the-masses/

Solar Panels Rise Pole by Pole, Followed by Gasps of ‘Eyesore’ “…part of a $515 million investment in solar projects…a state renewable energy mandate…” (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/science/earth/28solar.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Exelon to Buy Constellation Energy for $7.9 Billion

·         Shattuck: Constellation/Exelon Merger Will Result in ‘Net Jobs’ Gain for Baltimore

·         Price of Power is Going Up - Umatilla Electric Will Introduce New Rates to Customers Oct. 1

·         Bellingham’s first debate on coal-for-China project reflects growing tensions

·         Chelan & Douglas PUDs to Offer Paperless Billing

·         Tacoma Power Plans Mossyrock Dam Open House

·         Fitch Affirms Chelan PUD’s $200.3 Million Revenue Bonds at ‘AA+’

·         Storms Knock Out Tennessee Valley Authority Nuclear Units, Power Lines

·         Fill ‘Er Up - Exxon Earns Nearly $11 Billion in First Quarter

·         Shell Oil Makes $8.78 Billion Profit in First Quarter

·         At $7.1 Billion, BP First Quarter Profit Climbs 17% Despite Expenses From Gulf Oil Spill

·         Yakama Nation Prepares to Release Sturgeon

·         Canada - Metro Vancouver Development Not Responsible for Sockeye Decline: Study

·         Stillaguamish Tribe Deploys Hydrolab in Port Susan

·         Op/Ed - California-Sized Problem on the Willamette

·         Mason County PUD No. 1 Honored by State for Water System Efforts

·         Water Rates - Clallam County PUD to Hold Rate Increase Hearings

·         Belfair Water Lines Broken

·         New Stormwater Bill Raises Concerns

·         BC Hydro Monitors Snow Melt

·         Soap is Crusting Up Sewers, But It’s Not the Clean Kind

·         Solar Panels Rise Pole by Pole, Followed by Gasps of ‘Eyesore’

·         Environmental Fight: Tortoises vs Solar Energy

·         Interior Alaska Villages Making Plans to Increase Biomass Use

·         Winds of Change: Challenges in an Ongoing Wind Boom in Texas

·         Wind Farm Growth Also a Windfall for Truckers

·         Google Says Investment in Renewable Energy is Long-Term Effort

·         France Set to Miss Green Energy Goal

·         California Plant Gets Biogas from Sewage

·         Green Mountain Solar Leases Give Homeowners Bragging Rights

·         Clark County Taking Green ‘To the Masses’

·         Biodegradable Envelope, Please - How Did Readers Do on Slate’s Energy Consumption Quiz?

·         When Refrigerators Warm the Planet

·         Mabton Students Protest Ban on Water Bottles

·         Electric, Hybrid, Diesel Cars Won’t Sell Big Despite Hype

·         Going Green & Getting Rich Doing It

·         South Africa’s New Internet Cable Link Could Bring Economic Boom

·         San Francisco Delays Vote on AT&T Utility Boxes

·         US Metro Areas with Dirtiest Air Get Cleaner

·         Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia No. 18 on Pollution Scale

·         Tacoma to Blame for Puget Sound’s High Pollution Rank?

·         Southern Storms: ‘I Don’t Know How Anyone Survived’

·         Interior Secretary Salazar Visits Washington State

·         3,000 Hopefuls Apply for 20 Firefighter Jobs in Tacoma

·         Voice Mail? That’s So Last Century

·         Scotch Broom, That Pesky Noxious Weed, Carries an Economic Cost

WORD OF THE DAY

Accretion • \uh-KREE-shun\ • Noun – 1: the process of growth or enlargement by a gradual buildup: as a: increase by external addition or accumulation b: the increase of land by the action of natural forces 2: a product of accretion; especially: an extraneous addition

See this story below: “Soap is Crusting Up Sewers, But It’s Not the Clean Kind” for a graphic and gooey example of accretion…if you dare!

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

Exelon to Buy Constellation Energy for $7.9 Billion (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/28/us-constellation-exelon-idUSTRE73Q8BS20110428

Shattuck: Constellation/Exelon Merger Will Result in ‘Net Jobs’ Gain for Baltimore (Baltimore Business Journal, MD)

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2011/04/28/shattuck-merger-will-create-baltimore.html

Price of Power is Going Up - Umatilla Electric Will Introduce New Rates to Customers Oct. 1 (East Oregonian, Pendleton, OR)

http://www.eastoregonian.com/news/price-of-power-is-going-up/article_0f404508-7106-11e0-ac9f-001cc4c002e0.html

Bellingham’s first debate on coal-for-China project reflects growing tensions (Crosscut Seattle)

http://crosscut.com/blog/crosscut/20272/Bellingham-s-first-debate-on-coal-for-China-project-reflects-growing-tensions/

Chelan & Douglas PUDs to Offer Paperless Billing - Utilities could save thousands of dollars every month (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/apr/27/chelan-and-douglas-puds-to-offer-paperless/

Tacoma Power Plans Mossyrock Dam Open House (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?Tacoma-Power-plans-Mossyrock-Dam-open-ho=1&blockID=511795&feedID=410

Fitch Affirms Chelan PUD’s $200.3 Million Revenue Bonds at ‘AA+’ (BusinessWire)

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110427007371/en/Fitch-Affirms-Chelan-PUDs-WA-200.3MM-Consolidated

Storms Knock Out Tennessee Valley Authority Nuclear Units, Power Lines (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/27/us-utilities-tva-storms-idUSTRE73Q98920110427

Fill ‘Er Up - Exxon Earns Nearly $11 Billion in First Quarter (Associated Press)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/04/28/financial/f051143D72.DTL

Shell Oil Makes $8.78 Billion Profit in First Quarter (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014896402_apeunetherlandsearnsshell.html

At $7.1 Billion, BP First Quarter Profit Climbs 17% Despite Expenses From Gulf Oil Spill (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014895491_bpprofit28.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Yakama Nation Prepares to Release Sturgeon (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=14533087

Canada - Metro Vancouver Development Not Responsible for Sockeye Decline: Study (Vancouver Sun, BC)

http://www.vancouversun.com/Metro+Vancouver+development+responsible+sockeye+decline+study/4683932/story.html

Stillaguamish Tribe Deploys Hydrolab in Port Susan (Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission)

http://nwifc.org/2011/04/stillaguamish-tribe-deploys-hydrolab-in-port-susan/

Op/Ed - California-Sized Problem on the Willamette: California sea lions are a serious threat to Willamette River fish & sport fishing. (West Linn Tidings, OR)

http://www.westlinntidings.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=130393189863140200

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Mason County PUD No. 1 Honored by State for Water System Efforts (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/5538-pud1-honored-by-state

Water Rates - Clallam County PUD to Hold Rate Increase Hearings (Sequim Gazette, WA)

http://www.sequimgazette.com/news/article.exm/2011-04-27_pud_to_hold_rate_increase_hearings

Belfair Water Lines Broken (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/5449-water-lines-broken

New Stormwater Bill Raises Concerns (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/story/14529700/new-storm-water-bill-raises-concerns

BC Hydro Monitors Snow Melt (Victoria Times Colonist, BC)

http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Hydro+monitors+snow+melt/4688310/story.html

Soap is Crusting Up Sewers, But It’s Not the Clean Kind (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/environment/2011-04-27-clogged-sewers_n.htm?csp=34money

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Solar Panels Rise Pole by Pole, Followed by Gasps of ‘Eyesore’ “…part of a $515 million investment in solar projects…a state renewable energy mandate…” (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/science/earth/28solar.html

Environmental Fight: Tortoises vs Solar Energy (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_17944609

Interior Alaska Villages Making Plans to Increase Biomass Use (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, AK)

http://mobile.newsminer.com/bookmark/12972662-Interior-Alaska-villages-making-plans-to-increase-biomass-use

Winds of Change: Challenges in an Ongoing Wind Boom in Texas (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/german-american-chamber-of-commerce-inc-6496/news/article/2011/04/winds-of-change-challenges-in-an-ongoing-wind-boom-in-texas?cmpid=rss

Wind Farm Growth Also a Windfall for Truckers (Des Moines Register, IA)

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110427/BUSINESS/104270346/1029/

Google Says Investment in Renewable Energy is Long-Term Effort (Reuters)

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international-business/google-says-investment-in-renewable-energy-is-long-term-effort/articleshow/8104243.cms

France Set to Miss Green Energy Goal (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/26/us-france-renewable-targets-idUSTRE73P3VV20110426

California Plant Gets Biogas from Sewage (Earth Techling)

http://www.earthtechling.com/2011/04/california-plant-gets-biogas-from-sewage/

Green Mountain Solar Leases Give Homeowners Bragging Rights (Dallas Morning News)

http://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/20110427-green-mountain-solar-leases-give-homeowners-bragging-rights.ece

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Clark County Taking Green ‘To the Masses’ - Planet Clark trailer will travel to tout benefits of energy efficiency (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/apr/27/taking-green-to-the-masses/

Biodegradable Envelope, Please - How Did Readers Do on Slate’s Energy Consumption Quiz? (Slate Magazine)

http://www.slate.com/id/2292313/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

When Refrigerators Warm the Planet (NY Times)

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/when-refrigerators-warm-the-planet/

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Mabton Students Protest Ban on Water Bottles (KNDU-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

http://www.kndu.com/story/14528638/mabton-high-school-students-protest-over-ban

Electric, Hybrid, Diesel Cars Won’t Sell Big Despite Hype (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/04/jd-power-alternative-powered-cars-wont-sell-big/1?csp=34money

Going Green & Getting Rich Doing It (TIME Magazine)

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/27/going-green-and-getting-rich-doing-it/

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

South Africa’s New Internet Cable Link Could Bring Economic Boom (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2011/0428/South-Africa-s-new-Internet-cable-link-could-bring-economic-boom

San Francisco Delays Vote on AT&T Utility Boxes (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/27/BA301J844B.DTL

GENERAL NEWS

US Metro Areas with Dirtiest Air Get Cleaner (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2011-04-27-city-smog-epa-dirty-air_n.htm?csp=34news

Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia No. 18 on Pollution Scale (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/28/1643430/seattle-tacoma-olympia-no-18-on.html

Tacoma to Blame for Puget Sound’s High Pollution Rank? (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=470792

American Lung Association State of the Air Report

http://www.stateoftheair.org/

Southern Storms: ‘I Don’t Know How Anyone Survived’ (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/weather/27698341/detail.html

Interior Secretary Salazar Visits Washington State (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2011/apr/27/interior-secretary-salazar-visits-washington-state/

3,000 Hopefuls Apply for 20 Firefighter Jobs in Tacoma (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/120823649.html

Voice Mail? That’s So Last Century (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014879263_voice28.html

Scotch Broom, That Pesky Noxious Weed, Carries an Economic Cost (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/04/27/1630537/scotch-broom-that-pesky-noxious.html

DIVERSIONS

Follow-Up File - Goldfish Racing Returns to Tacoma Bar

http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=470865

Special Place in Hell Edition - Ann Arbor Man, 19, Uses Hummer to Run Over Ducklings

http://www.freep.com/article/20110427/NEWS05/110427006/Cops-Ann-Arbor-man-19-uses-Hummer-run-over-ducklings

Austrian Authorities Reveal Find of Buried Treasure

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_austria_buried_treasure

Does Your Name Spell Power? LinkedIn Reveals Top CEO Names

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/28/does-your-name-spell-power-linkedin-reveals-top-ceo-names/

SONG OF THE DAY

Linda Ronstadt - Silver Threads & Golden Needles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsiXcS-glAU

Energy News Digest for April 26, 2011

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

Follow the news digest on Twitter for breaking news & notices:

http://twitter.com/energydigest

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Salt River Project to March to Different Drummer - Chief financial officer Bonsall is promoted to utility's top spot (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2011/04/27/20110427biz-srp0427.html

Hydro, Wind Battling for Grid Space - Each Is Producing to Excess, Tilting Legal Balance of Power (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/apr/26/hydro-wind-battling-for-grid-space/

Is dioxin leaking into Olympia’s Budd Inlet? – High levels in storm drain sediment cause concern (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/04/27/1630498/is-dioxin-leaking-into-budd-inlet.html

State DOC Discusses Grand Mound Reception Center Possibility (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?State-DOC-discusses-Grand-Mound-receptio=1&blockID=511032&feedID=410

CenturyLink Gets Cloud Boost with $2.5 Billion Savvis Buy (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/27/us-savvis-centurylink-idUSTRE73Q32D20110427

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Salt River Project to March to Different Drummer - Chief financial officer Bonsall is promoted to utility's top spot

·         Carrasco to Stay at Seattle City Light

·         Flashback - SRP narrows GM search to five candidates (Steve Wright of BPA & Jorge Carrasco were on the list)

·         Hydro, Wind Battling for Grid Space - Each Is Producing to Excess, Tilting Legal Balance of Power

·         Permits OK'd for Puget Sound Energy to Reroute Power Line through Lakewood

·         Alternate Energy Holdings’ Proposed Idaho Nuclear Power Plant Begins Final Hearings

·         State of Montana OKs NorthWestern Electricity Rate Settlement

·         California – Pacific Gas & Electric Creates a 'Delay List' for Customers Concerned About SmartMeters

·         Less Haze Expected in Grand Canyon from Plant

·         Vermont Electric Cooperative board rejects deal with Vermont Yankee

·         Salmon: Running the Gauntlet

·         Is dioxin leaking into Olympia’s Budd Inlet?

·         Hanson Dam's Mysteries Solved

·         Myths about Large-scale Solar Threaten Public Lands

·         Colorado - Constitution Invoked against Renewable Law

·         Maryland - Environmentalists Urge O’Malley to Veto Waste-To-Energy Bill

·         Utility-Backed Renewable Energy Bill Now ‘Dead’ In the Florida Legislature

·         Traditional Incandescent Bulbs on Their Way Out Starting January 1

·         Saskatchewan - Canadian Government Approves $1.24 Billion Carbon Capture Project

·         Recession Briefly Axed Greenhouse Gases in 2009

·         Poll: 85 Percent of US Customers Want an Electric Vehicle

·         Turn Sweat into Watts: The Green Gym in Oregon Where Your Workout Generates Energy

·         CenturyLink Gets Cloud Boost with $2.5 Billion Savvis Buy

·         Google: We're in Kansas City to Make Money - Project Isn't Just a 1 Gbps 'Petri Dish'

·         Move Server Farms to Desert? Data Is Easier to Move Than Power, After All

·         Consumer Reports Explores Pros of Fiber Optics

·         Lack of Funding Stops the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence

·         Spyware Cleaners, Accused Of Scams, Agree to Follow Law

·         Washington State House Gets Amendment to Limit State's Debt

·         Paid Sick Leave Proposal Building Steam among Seattle Workers

·         State DOC Discusses Grand Mound Reception Center Possibility

·         Overwrought Vancouver Father Set Fire That Killed Him, Five Children, Source Says

·         Thieves Cut Fuel Lines, Siphon Gas at Thurston County Facilities

·         New Tree for County – Replaces Removed Red Cedar near Courthouse

·         Poll: Working Boomers Say Age a Plus at Office

WORD USAGE TIP OF THE DAY

From Daily Writing Tips: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/

Is “Alright” All Right?

In 1965, The Who told us “The Kids are Alright,” spawning generations of the use of alright in music.

In 2004, The Killers said “Everything Will be Alright,” Jennifer Lopez was “Gonna Be Alright” in 2002, and Janet Jackson said it was “alright with me” in 1989. The examples go on and on, leaving us to wonder if, in fact, “alright” is all right.

Scholars and grammarians are constantly debating the question of alright vs. all right. In common usage, all right is a synonym for okay or satisfactory, as in “Are you all right?” However, it can also mean “all correct”, as in, “My answers on the test were all right.”

In some circles, alright has become an accepted usage interchangeable with most uses of all right, particularly in dialogue:

    Rob, do you want to come to the party with me?

    Alright.

Generally, most editors and teachers don’t think “alright” is all right. If you’re in doubt, it’s best to stick with the more widely accepted two-word “all right,” especially in formal academic or professional writing.

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

Salt River Project to March to Different Drummer - Chief financial officer Bonsall is promoted to utility's top spot (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2011/04/27/20110427biz-srp0427.html

Carrasco to Stay at Seattle City Light (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politicsnorthwest/2014882204_carrasco_to_stay_at_city_light.html

Flashback - SRP narrows GM search to five candidates (Steve Wright of BPA & Jorge Carrasco were on the list) (Arizona Republic, Phonenix)

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2011/03/29/20110329srp-narrows-general-manager-search-five-candidates.html

Hydro, Wind Battling for Grid Space - Each Is Producing to Excess, Tilting Legal Balance of Power (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2011/apr/26/hydro-wind-battling-for-grid-space/

Permits OK'd for Puget Sound Energy to Reroute Power Line through Lakewood (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/27/1641638/permits-okd-for-power-line-reroute.html

Alternate Energy Holdings’ Proposed Idaho Nuclear Power Plant Begins Final Hearings (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.elp.com/index/display/article-display.articles.electric-light-power.generation.nuclear.2011.04.AEHI_s_proposed_Idaho_nuclear_power_plant_begins_final_hearings.QP129867.dcmp=rss.page=1.html

State of Montana OKs NorthWestern Electricity Rate Settlement (Associated Press)

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/article_edc0c7fc-7062-11e0-b81b-001cc4c002e0.html

California – Pacific Gas & Electric Creates a 'Delay List' for Customers Concerned About SmartMeters (San Jose Mercury News, CA)

http://www.mercurynews.com/rss/ci_17928402

Less Haze Expected in Grand Canyon from Plant (Associated Press)

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/04/26/business-us-navajo-generating-station-arizona_8435100.html

Vermont Electric Cooperative board rejects deal with Vermont Yankee (Burlington Free Press, VT)

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20110426/NEWS02/110426030/Vermont-Electric-Cooperative-rejects-Vermont-Yankee-agreement

FISH & WILDLIFE

Salmon: Running the Gauntlet (Public Broadcasting Corporation)

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/salmon-running-the-gauntlet/introduction/6546/

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Is dioxin leaking into Olympia’s Budd Inlet? – High levels in storm drain sediment cause concern (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/04/27/1630498/is-dioxin-leaking-into-budd-inlet.html

Hanson Dam's Mysteries Solved - Green River: Engineers turn detective, find and fix threatening conditions (Olympian, WA)

http://www.theolympian.com/2011/04/27/1630515/hanson-dams-mysteries-solved.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Myths about Large-scale Solar Threaten Public Lands (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/04/myths-about-large-scale-solar-threaten-public-lands?cmpid=rss

Colorado - Constitution Invoked against Renewable Law (EnergyBiz Insider)

http://www.scoop.com/remote/article/include/241071658/53616c7465645f5f7ff1bfe99df06a256272982d6a63c19fffe3d844c86b4c2132cc590625b92d69

Maryland - Environmentalists Urge O’Malley to Veto Waste-To-Energy Bill (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/politics/environmentalists_urge_omalley_to_veto_waste_to_energy_bill/2011/04/26/AFZxthtE_story.html

Utility-Backed Renewable Energy Bill Now ‘Dead’ In the Florida Legislature (Florida Independent)

http://floridaindependent.com/28222/utility-backed-renewable-energy-bill-now-dead-in-the-florida-legislature

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Traditional Incandescent Bulbs on Their Way Out Starting January 1 (USA Today)

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/environment/2011-04-26-new-light-bulbs_n.htm

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Saskatchewan - Canadian Government Approves $1.24 Billion Carbon Capture Project (Electric Light & Power)

http://www.elp.com/index/display/article-display.articles.electric-light-power.generation.coal.2011.04.Canadian_government_approves__1_24_billion_carbon_capture_project.QP129867.dcmp=rss.page=1.html

Recession Briefly Axed Greenhouse Gases in 2009 (Reuters)

http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/sns-rt-environment-us-climtre73q5k0-20110427,0,6314488.story

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Poll: 85 Percent of US Customers Want an Electric Vehicle (Electric Light & Power)

http://www.elp.com/index/display/article-display.articles.electric-light-power.renewable-energy.phev.2011.04.Poll__85_percent_of_U_S__customers_want_an_electric_vehicle.QP129867.dcmp=rss.page=1.html

Turn Sweat into Watts: The Green Gym in Oregon Where Your Workout Generates Energy (The Daily Mail, United Kingdom)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1380785/Oregons-green-gym-YOUR-workout-generates-energy.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

CenturyLink Gets Cloud Boost with $2.5 Billion Savvis Buy (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/27/us-savvis-centurylink-idUSTRE73Q32D20110427

Google: We're in Kansas City to Make Money - Project Isn't Just a 1 Gbps 'Petri Dish' (Broadband Reports)

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Google-Were-in-Kansas-City-To-Make-Money-113926

Move Server Farms to Desert? Data Is Easier to Move Than Power, After All (Discover Magazine)

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/04/27/move-server-farms-to-desert-data-is-easier-to-move-than-power-after-all/

Consumer Reports Explores Pros of Fiber Optics (KGO-TV, San Francisco, CA)

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=8095927

Lack of Funding Stops the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/faster-forward/post/lack_of_funding_stops_the_search_for_extra_terrestial_intelligence/2011/04/26/AFhGF3rE_blog.html

Spyware Cleaners, Accused Of Scams, Agree to Follow Law (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Spyware-cleaners-accused-of-scams-agree-to-1353456.php

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington State House Gets Amendment to Limit State's Debt (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014882528_apwaxgrspecialsession1stldwritethru.html

Paid Sick Leave Proposal Building Steam among Seattle Workers (KING-TV, Seattle)

http://www.king5.com/news/local/Paid-sick-leave-proposal-building-steam-among-Seattle-workers--120748149.html

GENERAL NEWS

State DOC Discusses Grand Mound Reception Center Possibility (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)

http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?State-DOC-discusses-Grand-Mound-receptio=1&blockID=511032&feedID=410

Overwrought Vancouver Father Set Fire That Killed Him, Five Children, Source Says (Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/index.ssf/2011/04/overwrought_vancouver_father_set_fire_that_killed_him_five_children_source_says.html

Thieves Cut Fuel Lines, Siphon Gas at Thurston County Facilities (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/news/27687731/detail.html

New Tree for County – Replaces Removed Red Cedar near Courthouse (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://www.masoncountydailynews.com/news/news-page/5448-new-tree-for-county

Poll: Working Boomers Say Age a Plus at Office (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014878306_apusappollboomersatwork.html

DIVERSIONS

Oh No! Clippy Is Back! Microsoft Has Brought Clippy, Everyone’s Despised/Favorite Helper from Office, Back from the Dead

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/2011/04/26/oh-no-clippy-is-back/

Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Little Thor Packs a Major Wallop in VW Ad Parody

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/26/pint-sized-powerhouse-little-thor-packs-a-major-wallop-in-vw-ad-parody/

Jury Acquits Man in 99-Cent Hot Dog Theft in Cheney

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014888495_hotdog27m.html

Is it wrong to put your child on a leash

http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/parenting/archive/2011/04/25/leash-debate.aspx

SONG OF THE DAY

Thin Lizzy - The Boys are Back in Town

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQo1HIcSVtg