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.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Power Rates to Increase in North Mason
- Fired treasurer sues Grant County PUD for $3 million
- Monday Update: Rebate or credit? Cowlitz PUD mulls pleasant decision
- Clark Public Utilities repair service backers angry over loss of guaranteed hot water and appliance repair services
- DOE to evict Rattlesnake Mountain tenants
- Energy answers need healthy dose of innovation
- Proposed Oregon natural gas pipeline raises environmental concerns
- Suspected Montana copper thieves in jail
- Kansas Governor Vetoes Bill to Revive 2 Coal-Fired Plants
- Ohio – Coal, a bridge to the future
- Logan company: Hydroelectric plant could solve Utah's energy problems
- Mid-Atlantic Grid Monitors to Be Independent
- Florida Power & Light Company Will Fully Cooperate With FERC Investigation into Feb. 26 Outage
- 'Corridors' of power are finding resistance
- Judge rejects suit over Puget Sound salmon fishing
- The Sea Lion Dilemma: Feast or Salmon?
- California – Scientists try to explain dismal salmon run
- Commerce Department to consider West Coast salmon disaster
- San Francisco Chronicle Editorial – What Will It Take To Save The Salmon?
- Spokane – Two dams’ future uncertain
- State cracking down on illegal frost-control dams
- BPA emerges as a force for conservation
- Is the boom over for alternative energy – or just getting started?
- Air Force prods Wall St. to invest in coal-to-fuel plants
- Minnesota – Wood-burning plant embroiled in politics
- Green McMansions: Oxymoron? Maybe not
- Pay-to-save energy plans often being cheated
- UC Davis global warming researcher paints dire picture for Lake Tahoe
- Lofty Pledge to Cut Emissions Comes With Caveat in Norway
- Starbucks sows carbon farmers
- Utah Telecommunications projects – UTOPIA wants to reissue bonds
- South Carolina – Loftis questions Internet availability study
- Hopes for Wireless Cities Fade as Internet Providers Pull Out
- Sebastopol, California – Cancer-Concerned Citizens Block Public Wireless Network
- Seattle Post Intelligencer Op/Ed – How does our Internet garden grow?
- Comcast, Time Warner cable cry foul on Verizon
- Yahoo pays price for good deed to Google
- Anti-virus firms face tougher, faster pace
- $2 million fund to be set up for Web startups
- Shelton unhappy with leader
- Grant County EDC sues former bookkeeper
- Lt. Gov. Brad Owen to be knighted
- Grays Harbor County man guilty of metal theft
- Bear's collapse "Enron all over again"
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Antediluvian • \an-tih-dih-LOO-vee-un\ • adjective – 1: of or relating to the period before the flood described in the Bible 2a: made, evolved, or developed a long time ago *b: extremely primitive or outmoded
The keys crackled, sounding like a mad tap-dancer, only to be temporarily silenced by the aged accountant pulling the handle on his manual Victor adding machine. The regression to the antediluvian technology was hastened that fateful day by constant computer network problems at the accounting firm. The date was henceforth marked on the calendar as “Green Eyeshades Day”.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Power Rates to Increase in North Mason (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/mar/21/power-rates-to-increase-in-north-mason/
Fired treasurer sues Grant County PUD for $3 million (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080322/NEWS04/53703651/1006/NEWS03
Monday Update: Rebate or credit? Cowlitz PUD mulls pleasant decision (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/24/area_news/10164652.txt
Clark Public Utilities repair service backers angry over loss of guaranteed hot water and appliance repair services (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/03/03212008_Repair-service-backers-angry.cfm?newsletter=2
DOE to evict Rattlesnake Mountain tenants – The Department of Energy has notified 12 agencies, including the nonprofit that owns the Rattlesnake Mountain Observatory, that they must move from the mountain. (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/134741.html
Energy answers need healthy dose of innovation (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080323/BIZ/840558098
Proposed Oregon natural gas pipeline raises environmental concerns (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1206159922292990.xml&coll=7
Suspected copper thieves in jail – Two Hungry Horse men were arrested Thursday in connection with the theft of copper wire from a Flathead Electric Cooperative substation. (The Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell)
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2008/03/22/news/news02.txt
Kansas Governor Vetoes Bill to Revive 2 Coal-Fired Plants (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/us/22kansas.html?_r=1&ei=5088&en=ff6f12f5cfbc3c6a&ex=1364097600&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1206374503-m6qnZTGRPGMGK+Pe1sJ+Hw
Ohio – Coal, a bridge to the future – Ohio has a premier role in developing tomorrow's cleaner energy, a goal we all share (The Athens Messenger)
http://www.athensmessenger.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=274&ArticleID=9258&TM=37589.65
Logan company: Hydroelectric plant could solve Utah's energy problems (Salt Lake Tribune)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_8675462?source=rss
Mid-Atlantic Grid Monitors to Be Independent – Monitors will be moved outside the control of the grid's operator after a probe into the alleged silencing of an internal critic. (Associated Press, via the Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/21/AR2008032102840.html?nav=rss_technology
One would hope so – Florida Power & Light Company Will Fully Cooperate With FERC Investigation into Feb. 26 Outage (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=86027
'Corridors' of power are finding resistance – The nation's electric grid needs beefing up, but critics say a federal plan is too big and ignores clean energy sources. (Los Angeles Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-corridors24mar24,1,3609470.story
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Judge rejects suit over Puget Sound salmon fishing (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/356039_salmon22.html?source=oys
The Sea Lion Dilemma: Feast or Salmon? The hunter may soon become the hunted at Bonneville Dam (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/03/03232008_The-Sea-Lion-Dilemma-Feast-or-Salmon.cfm/
California – Scientists try to explain dismal salmon run (The San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/24/MN1BVMR10.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
Commerce Department to consider West Coast salmon disaster (The Associated Press)
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WST_SALMON_DISASTER_OROL-?SITE=ORKLA&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
San Francisco Chronicle Editorial – What Will It Take To Save The Salmon?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/23/EDP3VG03D.DTL&feed=rss.opinion
Two dams’ future uncertain – Sullivan Lake, a high-traffic camping and boating spot in northeastern Washington’s Selkirk Mountains, owes part of its popularity to two small dams. (Spokesman Review, Spokane)
http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=14253
State cracking down on illegal frost-control dams (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/NEWS04/384099125/1001/rss1001
BPA emerges as a force for conservation – The federal power agency is funding habitat restoration in the valley (Corvallis Gazette Times)
http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2008/03/23/news/community/1aaa03_bpa.txt
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Is the boom over for alternative energy – or just getting started? Think long term for solar and wind investments, three experts say. (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0321/p25s07-wmgn.html
Air Force prods Wall St. to invest in coal-to-fuel plants (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1295117~Air_Force_prods_Wall_St__to_invest_in_coal_to_fuel_plants.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines
Minnesota – Wood-burning plant embroiled in politics – As a controversial wood-burning power plant proposed for south Minneapolis nears a key deadline, the project faces critical questions. (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CjikpqqtYUgc%216%3C%22bfen%5Fv
S.F. Mayor Gavin Newsom Makes Waves (GreenTech Media)
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/sf-mayor-gavin-newsom-makes-waves-710.html
News Release – Renewable Industry Association Asks Congress to Direct DOE to Follow New Law: DOE needs direction to implement new geothermal energy law (Geothermal Energy Association)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/story?id=51930&src=rss
CONSERVATION
Green McMansions: Oxymoron? Maybe not (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/120607176316560.xml&coll=7
Pay-to-save energy plans often being cheated (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2008-03-23-energy-conservation-fraud_N.htm
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
UC Davis global warming researcher paints dire picture for Lake Tahoe (Sacramento Bee, may require free registration)
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/804318.html
Lofty Pledge to Cut Emissions Comes With Caveat in Norway – But as the details of the plan have emerged, environmental groups and politicians say the feat relies too heavily on sleight-of-hand accounting and huge donations to environmental projects abroad, rather than meaningful emissions reductions. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/world/europe/22norway.html?th&emc=th
Starbucks sows carbon farmers – The coffee giant wants to help farmers tap into the fast-growing $70 billion carbon credit business (Fortune Magazine)
http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/20/news/companies/gunther_starbucks.fortune/
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Utah Telecommunications projects – UTOPIA wants to reissue bonds, set term at 32 years – Move will lower interest rate and give agency about $20 million more (Salt Lake Tribune, via Baller/Herbst)
http://origin.sltrib.com/ci_8645697
South Carolina – Loftis questions Internet availability study – Local legislator says state report may overstate coverage by broadband service (The Greenville News, via Baller/Herbst)
http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/BUSINESS/803210328/1004/NEWS01
Hopes for Wireless Cities Fade as Internet Providers Pull Out – The excited momentum has sputtered to a standstill, tripped up by unrealistic ambitions and technological glitches. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/us/22wireless.html?th&emc=th
Sebastopol, California – Cancer-Concerned Citizens Block Public Wireless Network – Wi-Fi radiation fears convince city to stop building small public network (Broadband Reports – comment section may contain PG-13 language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/CancerConcerned-Citizens-Block-Public-Wireless-Network-92895
Seattle Post Intelligencer Op/Ed – How does our Internet garden grow?
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/355996_firstperson24.html?source=rss
Comcast, Time Warner cable cry foul on Verizon (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/telecom/2008-03-23-phone-cable-wars-Verizon_N.htm?csp=N008
Yahoo pays price for good deed to Google (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004301567_yahoo24.html?syndication=rss
Anti-virus firms face tougher, faster pace (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004301558_btworkviruses24.html
$2 million fund to be set up for Web startups (Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/356131_founders24.html?source=rss
GENERAL NEWS
Shelton unhappy with leader – Five unions representing city of Shelton employees are calling for the resignation of city administrator Dave O'Leary. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/397585.html
Grant County EDC sues former bookkeeper – Accused of embezzling $186,533 (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/03/21/news/news03.txt
Lt. Gov. Brad Owen to be knighted – Word came just after noon that his Excellency Lt. Gov. Brad Owen has been chosen by the King of Spain to be knighted (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/944/story/134319.html
Man guilty of metal theft – A 32-year-old Westport man with a long history of offenses received a sentence of almost 21/2 years for selling stolen scrap metal. (Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/03/23/local_news/05news.txt
Bear's collapse "Enron all over again" (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004299713_bear23.html
DIVERSIONS
Stranger than fiction: Suspect blames erratic driving on Oreo cookie
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080324/NEWS02/467922121/-1/RSS01
Counterfeiters ‘Washing’ $5 Bills, Making Them $50s; Lincoln’s Visage Remains
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1206298666&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
Dog Prays at Japanese Zen Temple
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/ODD_PRAYING_DOG?SITE=ORKLA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-03-24-07-25-40
Man Declared Dead Feels 'Pretty Good'
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NOT_DEAD?SITE=ORKLA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-03-24-10-09-55
1986 Message in Bottle Drifts 1,735 Mi.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MESSAGE_IN_A_BOTTLE?SITE=ORKLA&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-03-23-23-52-25
Monday, March 24, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Energy News Digest for March 21, 2008
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.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Puget Sound Energy threatens lawsuit if Jefferson voters, PUD opt to take over electrical service
- BPA Agreement – Oregon May Get Lower Electric Rates
- $5 billion power line proposed – Project might tie California, B.C.
- Inland Power & Light’s net margins rise sharply
- Higher electric bills are on the way – A once-rosy outlook for Texas electricity customers has turned thorny
- Massachusetts – Cape Cod Electric Rates Among Highest In U.S.
- Department of Labor proposes new heat rules for Washington workers
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s 2007 State of the Markets Report
- News Release – FERC orders hearing to address Ninth Circuit Remand in California’s 2000-2001 energy market
- News Release – FERC accepts settlement in PJM Market monitor case
- Energy Pulse Commentary – The Case for Expanding Pumped Hydroelectric Storage
- Washington governor signs bill providing more water for Columbia Basin
- Ore. governor seeks to speed up salmon disaster aid
- Limits likely for fall chinook fishing on Oregon's rivers
- Two rivers to open for spring Chinook
- Oregon – Ask Fish and Game: Pikeminnow season
- Idaho – Lawmakers have their eye on new dams, higher dams
- Lake Tapps residents reassured over levels for recreation
- Burrowing rodents blamed for Nevada irrigation canal flood
- Ocean Shores Water testing good news for residents
- Hanford waste: 53 million gallons in danger of leaking
- Michigan – Alternative energy ideas fuel discussion
- Newsweek Magazine’s Project Green – Energy Goes Up In Smoke
- Home Depot, Habitat for Humanity strike first formal U.S. partnership
- Despite another cold winter in Oregon, global warming hasn't gone away, experts say
- Montana – Business groups campaign against climate change bill
- Perennial Arctic Ice Cover Diminishing, Officials Say
- Privately owned broadband for City of Seattle is moving ahead
- Wyoming – Powell gets funds for city fiber-optic network
- Police pick up final suspect in phone line metal thefts
- Airwaves Auction Winners Named – AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless
- Google's wireless-auction loss called possible win
- FCC Asked to Probe Auction
- Proposed Maryland bill would make intentional theft of wireless Internet access a crime
- BitTorrent to Comcast: Let's be friends
- Suspect confesses in theft of 20,000 gallons of gas along 1-5 in Washington, Oregon
- Mason County jury rules school district wasn't negligent in pitcher's lawsuit
- Property values rise by nearly $1 billion in Chelan County
- Demand for Heating and Cooling Installation is on the Rise
- Inspector Arrested in NYC Crane Collapse
- Judge orders Starbucks to pay more than $100 million in back tips
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Estoppel • \ess-TOP-pull\ • noun – A legal bar to alleging or denying a fact because of one's own previous actions or words to the contrary
The oily mannered politician’s estoppel was at once admirable and maddening to the citizens who attended his town hall meeting. “While I’d love to change my position on that topic,” he oozed, “I must hold true to my previous statements for now.”
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Puget Sound Energy threatens lawsuit if Jefferson voters, PUD opt to take over electrical service (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080321/NEWS/803210302
Oregon May Get Lower Electric Rates – Portland General Electric to Sign Deal With BPA to Reduce Electric Rates for Residents (CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/4a0da6589bef83508b3b2779854b4bd7.htm
$5 billion power line proposed – Project might tie California, B.C., provide Avista a link (Spokane Journal of Business)
http://www.spokanejournal.com/spokane_id=article&sub=3518
Inland Power & Light’s net margins rise sharply – Co-op expects to begin work on big West Plains project late next month (Spokane Journal of Business)
http://www.spokanejournal.com/spokane_id=article&sub=3526
Higher electric bills are on the way – A once-rosy outlook for Texas electricity customers has turned thorny as electric rates follow a surge in the price of natural gas, the fuel used by nearly half the state's generators. (Houston Chronicle – Woo hoo! Deregulation…um…works?)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5637569.html
Massachusetts – Cape Cod Electric Rates Among Highest In U.S. – Natural Gas Dependence, Location Drive Up Energy Costs (WCVB-TV, Boston)
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/money/15664395/detail.html
Department of Labor proposes new heat rules for Washington workers (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/03/17/daily25.html?ana=from_rss
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s 2007 State of the Markets Report (Links to PDF file)
http://www.ferc.gov/market-oversight/st-mkt-ovr/som-rpt-2007.pdf
News Release – FERC orders hearing to address Ninth Circuit Remand into whether any individual public utility sellers’ violations of market-based rate reporting requirements led to unjust and unreasonable rates for buyers in California’s 2000-2001 energy market. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-1/03-20-08-E-5.asp
News Release – FERC accepts settlement in PJM Market monitor case (Federal Energy Regulatory Commision)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-1/03-21-08.asp
Energy Pulse Commentary – The Case for Expanding Pumped Hydroelectric Storage
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1693
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Washington governor signs bill providing more water for Columbia Basin (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004295782_apwacolumbiawater1stldwritethru.html
Ore. governor seeks to speed up salmon disaster aid (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/16864056.html
Limits likely for fall chinook fishing on Oregon's rivers – Declining salmon returns force officials to warn of restricted seasons, catches (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1205987108115330.xml&coll=7
Two rivers to open for spring Chinook (Salem Statesman Journal)
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/OUTDOORS/803210332/1034
Oregon – Ask Fish and Game: Pikeminnow season (Argus Observer, Ontario, OR)
http://www.argusobserver.com/articles/2008/03/20/sports/doc47e2a9b671eee165098343.txt
Idaho – Lawmakers have their eye on new dams, higher dams – 1976 Teton Dam disaster is just one hurdle facing any project to store more water and make more electricity (The Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/328597.html
Lake Tapps residents reassured – State says that maintaining sufficient water in the lake for recreation during the summer is a state priority. (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/314635.html
Burrowing rodents blamed for Nevada irrigation canal flood (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8650984?source=rss
Ocean Shores Water testing good news for residents (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/03/20/local_news/07news.txt
Hanford waste: 53 million gallons in danger of leaking – Transfer of waste to safer containers is lagging (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/355909_tanks21.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Michigan – Alternative energy ideas fuel discussion (Michigan Live)
http://blog.mlive.com/cns/2008/03/alternative_energy_ideas_fuel.html
CONSERVATION
Newsweek Magazine’s Project Green – Energy Goes Up In Smoke – Our old house leaks heat (and money) like a sieve.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/120053
Home Depot, Habitat for Humanity strike first formal U.S. partnership (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/03/17/daily46.html?ana=from_rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Despite another cold winter in Oregon, global warming hasn't gone away, experts say – Temperatures over the long term suggest the planet is continuing to get hotter, not cooler (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1205987105115330.xml&coll=7
Montana – Business groups campaign against climate change bill (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/03/20/bnews/br68.txt
Perennial Arctic Ice Cover Diminishing, Officials Say (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/18/AR2008031802903.html?nav=rss_nation
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Privately owned broadband for City of Seattle is moving ahead (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004293823_brier20.html
Wyoming – Powell gets funds for city fiber-optic network (Billings Gazette)
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/03/20/news/wyoming/28-fiberoptic.txt
Police pick up final suspect in phone line metal thefts (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/21//area_news/10167873.txt
Airwaves Auction Winners Named – AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless combined to account for $16 billion of the $19.6 billion bid (Associated Press, via Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004295086_apairwavesauctionwinners.html?syndication=rss
Google's wireless-auction loss called possible win (Reuters, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080321/wr_nm/wireless_auction_google_dc_2
FCC Asked to Probe Auction – Failure of Public Safety Band to Draw Bids Raises Suspicion (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/19/AR2008031903668.html?nav=rss_nation
Proposed Maryland bill would make intentional theft of wireless Internet access a crime (The Herald Mail)
http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=188912&format=html
BitTorrent to Comcast: Let's be friends – BitTorrent's CEO says Comcast would have more success managing its network if the two companies worked together. (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9899677-7.html?tag=nl.e433
GENERAL NEWS
Suspect confesses in theft of 20,000 gallons of gas along 1-5 in Washington, Oregon (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080321/NEWS03/981890147/-1/RSS01
Mason County jury rules school district wasn't negligent in pitcher's lawsuit (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP03202008news294373.cfm?newsletter=10
Property values rise by nearly $1 billion in Chelan County (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/NEWS04/353337220
Demand for Heating and Cooling Installation is on the Rise (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8050218
Inspector Arrested in NYC Crane Collapse – A city inspector has been charged with lying about checking on a construction crane that collapsed 11 days later, killing seven people (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/03/20/national/a122823D70.DTL&feed=rss.news
Judge orders Starbucks to pay more than $100 million in back tips (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP03212008news294747.cfm
DIVERSIONS
Police: Woman, 66, Captures Armed Robber – 22-Year-Old Suspect Arrested
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15653011/detail.html
ATM gives shoppers double-money windfall
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2041413420080320?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Fleeing shoplifter forgets son
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2022411420080320?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Plans for anti-terror unit found in garbage
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2039890220080320?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
32 aliases. Doctored fingerprints. Who is this guy?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004296459_johndoe21m.html
Creating Roget's Thesaurus: The story of a man obsessed
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/books/2004293634_roget23.html
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Puget Sound Energy threatens lawsuit if Jefferson voters, PUD opt to take over electrical service
- BPA Agreement – Oregon May Get Lower Electric Rates
- $5 billion power line proposed – Project might tie California, B.C.
- Inland Power & Light’s net margins rise sharply
- Higher electric bills are on the way – A once-rosy outlook for Texas electricity customers has turned thorny
- Massachusetts – Cape Cod Electric Rates Among Highest In U.S.
- Department of Labor proposes new heat rules for Washington workers
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s 2007 State of the Markets Report
- News Release – FERC orders hearing to address Ninth Circuit Remand in California’s 2000-2001 energy market
- News Release – FERC accepts settlement in PJM Market monitor case
- Energy Pulse Commentary – The Case for Expanding Pumped Hydroelectric Storage
- Washington governor signs bill providing more water for Columbia Basin
- Ore. governor seeks to speed up salmon disaster aid
- Limits likely for fall chinook fishing on Oregon's rivers
- Two rivers to open for spring Chinook
- Oregon – Ask Fish and Game: Pikeminnow season
- Idaho – Lawmakers have their eye on new dams, higher dams
- Lake Tapps residents reassured over levels for recreation
- Burrowing rodents blamed for Nevada irrigation canal flood
- Ocean Shores Water testing good news for residents
- Hanford waste: 53 million gallons in danger of leaking
- Michigan – Alternative energy ideas fuel discussion
- Newsweek Magazine’s Project Green – Energy Goes Up In Smoke
- Home Depot, Habitat for Humanity strike first formal U.S. partnership
- Despite another cold winter in Oregon, global warming hasn't gone away, experts say
- Montana – Business groups campaign against climate change bill
- Perennial Arctic Ice Cover Diminishing, Officials Say
- Privately owned broadband for City of Seattle is moving ahead
- Wyoming – Powell gets funds for city fiber-optic network
- Police pick up final suspect in phone line metal thefts
- Airwaves Auction Winners Named – AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless
- Google's wireless-auction loss called possible win
- FCC Asked to Probe Auction
- Proposed Maryland bill would make intentional theft of wireless Internet access a crime
- BitTorrent to Comcast: Let's be friends
- Suspect confesses in theft of 20,000 gallons of gas along 1-5 in Washington, Oregon
- Mason County jury rules school district wasn't negligent in pitcher's lawsuit
- Property values rise by nearly $1 billion in Chelan County
- Demand for Heating and Cooling Installation is on the Rise
- Inspector Arrested in NYC Crane Collapse
- Judge orders Starbucks to pay more than $100 million in back tips
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Estoppel • \ess-TOP-pull\ • noun – A legal bar to alleging or denying a fact because of one's own previous actions or words to the contrary
The oily mannered politician’s estoppel was at once admirable and maddening to the citizens who attended his town hall meeting. “While I’d love to change my position on that topic,” he oozed, “I must hold true to my previous statements for now.”
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Puget Sound Energy threatens lawsuit if Jefferson voters, PUD opt to take over electrical service (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080321/NEWS/803210302
Oregon May Get Lower Electric Rates – Portland General Electric to Sign Deal With BPA to Reduce Electric Rates for Residents (CNN Money)
http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/4a0da6589bef83508b3b2779854b4bd7.htm
$5 billion power line proposed – Project might tie California, B.C., provide Avista a link (Spokane Journal of Business)
http://www.spokanejournal.com/spokane_id=article&sub=3518
Inland Power & Light’s net margins rise sharply – Co-op expects to begin work on big West Plains project late next month (Spokane Journal of Business)
http://www.spokanejournal.com/spokane_id=article&sub=3526
Higher electric bills are on the way – A once-rosy outlook for Texas electricity customers has turned thorny as electric rates follow a surge in the price of natural gas, the fuel used by nearly half the state's generators. (Houston Chronicle – Woo hoo! Deregulation…um…works?)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5637569.html
Massachusetts – Cape Cod Electric Rates Among Highest In U.S. – Natural Gas Dependence, Location Drive Up Energy Costs (WCVB-TV, Boston)
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/money/15664395/detail.html
Department of Labor proposes new heat rules for Washington workers (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/03/17/daily25.html?ana=from_rss
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s 2007 State of the Markets Report (Links to PDF file)
http://www.ferc.gov/market-oversight/st-mkt-ovr/som-rpt-2007.pdf
News Release – FERC orders hearing to address Ninth Circuit Remand into whether any individual public utility sellers’ violations of market-based rate reporting requirements led to unjust and unreasonable rates for buyers in California’s 2000-2001 energy market. (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-1/03-20-08-E-5.asp
News Release – FERC accepts settlement in PJM Market monitor case (Federal Energy Regulatory Commision)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-1/03-21-08.asp
Energy Pulse Commentary – The Case for Expanding Pumped Hydroelectric Storage
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1693
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Washington governor signs bill providing more water for Columbia Basin (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004295782_apwacolumbiawater1stldwritethru.html
Ore. governor seeks to speed up salmon disaster aid (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/16864056.html
Limits likely for fall chinook fishing on Oregon's rivers – Declining salmon returns force officials to warn of restricted seasons, catches (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1205987108115330.xml&coll=7
Two rivers to open for spring Chinook (Salem Statesman Journal)
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/OUTDOORS/803210332/1034
Oregon – Ask Fish and Game: Pikeminnow season (Argus Observer, Ontario, OR)
http://www.argusobserver.com/articles/2008/03/20/sports/doc47e2a9b671eee165098343.txt
Idaho – Lawmakers have their eye on new dams, higher dams – 1976 Teton Dam disaster is just one hurdle facing any project to store more water and make more electricity (The Idaho Statesman)
http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/328597.html
Lake Tapps residents reassured – State says that maintaining sufficient water in the lake for recreation during the summer is a state priority. (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/314635.html
Burrowing rodents blamed for Nevada irrigation canal flood (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8650984?source=rss
Ocean Shores Water testing good news for residents (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/03/20/local_news/07news.txt
Hanford waste: 53 million gallons in danger of leaking – Transfer of waste to safer containers is lagging (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/355909_tanks21.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Michigan – Alternative energy ideas fuel discussion (Michigan Live)
http://blog.mlive.com/cns/2008/03/alternative_energy_ideas_fuel.html
CONSERVATION
Newsweek Magazine’s Project Green – Energy Goes Up In Smoke – Our old house leaks heat (and money) like a sieve.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/120053
Home Depot, Habitat for Humanity strike first formal U.S. partnership (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/03/17/daily46.html?ana=from_rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Despite another cold winter in Oregon, global warming hasn't gone away, experts say – Temperatures over the long term suggest the planet is continuing to get hotter, not cooler (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1205987105115330.xml&coll=7
Montana – Business groups campaign against climate change bill (The Missoulian)
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/03/20/bnews/br68.txt
Perennial Arctic Ice Cover Diminishing, Officials Say (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/18/AR2008031802903.html?nav=rss_nation
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Privately owned broadband for City of Seattle is moving ahead (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004293823_brier20.html
Wyoming – Powell gets funds for city fiber-optic network (Billings Gazette)
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/03/20/news/wyoming/28-fiberoptic.txt
Police pick up final suspect in phone line metal thefts (Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/21//area_news/10167873.txt
Airwaves Auction Winners Named – AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless combined to account for $16 billion of the $19.6 billion bid (Associated Press, via Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2004295086_apairwavesauctionwinners.html?syndication=rss
Google's wireless-auction loss called possible win (Reuters, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080321/wr_nm/wireless_auction_google_dc_2
FCC Asked to Probe Auction – Failure of Public Safety Band to Draw Bids Raises Suspicion (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/19/AR2008031903668.html?nav=rss_nation
Proposed Maryland bill would make intentional theft of wireless Internet access a crime (The Herald Mail)
http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=188912&format=html
BitTorrent to Comcast: Let's be friends – BitTorrent's CEO says Comcast would have more success managing its network if the two companies worked together. (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9899677-7.html?tag=nl.e433
GENERAL NEWS
Suspect confesses in theft of 20,000 gallons of gas along 1-5 in Washington, Oregon (Everett Herald)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080321/NEWS03/981890147/-1/RSS01
Mason County jury rules school district wasn't negligent in pitcher's lawsuit (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP03202008news294373.cfm?newsletter=10
Property values rise by nearly $1 billion in Chelan County (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/NEWS04/353337220
Demand for Heating and Cooling Installation is on the Rise (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8050218
Inspector Arrested in NYC Crane Collapse – A city inspector has been charged with lying about checking on a construction crane that collapsed 11 days later, killing seven people (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/03/20/national/a122823D70.DTL&feed=rss.news
Judge orders Starbucks to pay more than $100 million in back tips (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP03212008news294747.cfm
DIVERSIONS
Police: Woman, 66, Captures Armed Robber – 22-Year-Old Suspect Arrested
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15653011/detail.html
ATM gives shoppers double-money windfall
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2041413420080320?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Fleeing shoplifter forgets son
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL2022411420080320?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Plans for anti-terror unit found in garbage
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN2039890220080320?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
32 aliases. Doctored fingerprints. Who is this guy?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004296459_johndoe21m.html
Creating Roget's Thesaurus: The story of a man obsessed
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/books/2004293634_roget23.html
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Energy News Digest for March 20, 2008
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.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Bonneville Power Administration settlement to help pay down Ashland Fiber Network debt
- City of Port Townsend backs study of electric utility
- Southern Montana Electric meeting to discuss new funding possibilities
- States’ Battles Over Energy Grow Fiercer With U.S. in a Policy Gridlock
- Coal Can't Fill World's Burning Appetite
- Pacific Northwest gets new proposal on natural gas
- New Hampshire – Nuclear watchdog group raises alarm over Seabrook plant
- U.S. Department of Energy insistent Yucca on track
- Evaluating Texas Competition: One Year of Full Competition
- News Release – FERC joins investigation into Florida blackout
- Soldier Electrocutions Probed in Iraq
- The Columbian Editorial – In our view: Repair service fails
- Online Convenience Fee Is 63% Of Utility Bill
- Spring Chinook salmon fishery on Columbia offers good catch
- Collapse of Coho run will mean low catch limits for ocean salmon
- Seattle Times Editorial – No free lunch for sea lions
- Coming soon to Sea World: local sea lions
- Tests find unsafe chemical levels in bass near Bonneville Dam
- Kalama developer accused of stealing water
- Goats prevent fires, anger neighbors
- Ethanol: How the promise dwindled
- Canada – People downwind worry about Metro's 'waste-to-energy' plan
- After saving energy, recycle intact CFLs
- S.F. moves to greenest building codes in U.S.
- Spring's sprung earlier, warmer
- FCC Finally Realizes 200kbps is Not Broadband
- Comcast Tells FCC It Doesn’t Have Authority to Interfere With "Traffic Shaping"
- F.C.C. Bans Exclusive Phone Deals for Apartments
- US-Swedish carrier spat 'breaks' the Internet
- Suspect In Series Of Gas Thefts Arrested
- A tipping point at the gas pump for consumers?
- Sky-high fuel costs hit some extra hard
- Pierce County road crew workers yank signs, real estate agents steamed
- Trees take the fall for a better view
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Compunctious • \kum-PUNK-shus\ • adjective –*1: arising from remorse or regret 2: feeling remorse or regret
Immediately after leaving the comfort station, Gertrude started to suffer guilty, compunctious feelings. She felt the hard stares of her co-workers; the shrugged shoulders. “Perhaps I should have replaced the toilet paper after using the last sheets,” she pondered.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Bonneville Power Administration settlement to help pay down Ashland Fiber Network debt – Solar panels will not get financing from deal (Ashland Daily Tidings)
http://www.dailytidings.com/2008/0319/stories/0319_council.php
City of Port Townsend backs study of electric utility (Port Townsend Leader)
http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=20376&TM=77094.26
Southern Montana Electric meeting to discuss new funding possibilities – A coal-fired power plant proposed east of Great Falls will be the main topic of the annual meeting Friday of the board of directors (Great Falls Tribune)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/NEWS01/803200309/1002
States’ Battles Over Energy Grow Fiercer With U.S. in a Policy Gridlock (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/us/20energy.html?_r=1&ex=1363752000&en=f83363a2bcc68d76&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Coal Can't Fill World's Burning Appetite – With Supplies Short, Price Rise Surpasses Oil and U.S. Exporters Profit (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/19/AR2008031903859.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Pacific Northwest gets new proposal on natural gas – Yet another proposal has surfaced to bring massive quantities of natural gas into -- and through -- the Pacific Northwest. (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/120589711716650.xml&coll=7
New Hampshire – Nuclear watchdog group raises alarm over Seabrook plant (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CjijlompZTnk%216%3C%22bfen%5Fv
U.S. Department of Energy insistent Yucca on track (Pauhrump Valley Times)
http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2008/Mar-19-Wed-2008/news/20402562.html
Evaluating Texas Competition: One Year of Full Competition (Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8kowu%5D%5CjijlqqjRTnk%216%3C%22bfen%5Fv
News Release – FERC joins investigation into Florida blackout (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-1/03-19-08.asp
Soldier Electrocutions Probed in Iraq – A U.S. House committee chairman has begun an investigation into the electrocutions of at least 12 service members in Iraq, including that of a Pittsburgh soldier killed in January by a jolt of electricity while showering. (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/03/20/national/a072728D40.DTL&feed=rss.business
The Columbian Editorial – In our view: Repair service fails
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2008/03/03202008_In-our-view-Repair-service-fails.cfm/
Online Convenience Fee Is 63% Of Utility Bill (Consumerist – Comment section may contain PG-13 language)
http://consumerist.com/369526/online-convenience-fee-is-63-of-utility-bill
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Spring Chinook salmon fishery on Columbia offers good catch (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/394026.html
Collapse of Coho run will mean low catch limits for ocean salmon – The outlook for ocean salmon fisheries reflects poor Coho forecasts, the worst since the 1990s. (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/313686.html
Seattle Times Editorial – No free lunch for sea lions – U.S. taxpayers and Northwest utility users provide billions of dollars to restore salmon and steelhead populations. Hungry sea lions are dining on the progress, and non-lethal deterrence has failed.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004293056_fished20.html
Coming soon to Sea World: local sea lions – Officials will begin trapping in the river near Bonneville Dam in early April (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/120589710816650.xml&coll=7
Tests find unsafe chemical levels in bass near Bonneville Dam (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1205805318199950.xml&coll=7
Kalama developer accused of stealing water (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/20//area_news/10165801.txt
Goats prevent fires, anger neighbors – Residents living near open fields take issue with the grazers scaring away other animals (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8635933?source=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Ethanol: How the promise dwindled (Sacramento Bee, may require free registration)
http://www.sacbee.com/103/story/799508.html
Canada – People downwind worry about Metro's 'waste-to-energy' plan (Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=f8132e91-68a1-4940-908f-5940e75d1cf6
CONSERVATION
After saving energy, recycle intact CFLs (Honolulu Advertiser)
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Mar/20/bz/hawaii803200318.html
S.F. moves to greenest building codes in U.S. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/20/MN7QVMJ5T.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Spring's sprung earlier, warmer – Climate change puts the greening season ahead of schedule for many species in the Northwest (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/355707_warmspring20.html
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FCC Finally Realizes 200kbps is Not Broadband – Votes to reform long-flawed broadband data collection, albeit after-the-fact (Broadband Reports – Comment section may include PG-13 language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Finally-Realizes-200kbps-is-Not-Broadband-92792
Comcast Tells FCC It Doesn’t Have Authority to Interfere With "Traffic Shaping" (Consumerist – Comment section may contain PG-13 language)
http://consumerist.com/369852/comcast-tells-fcc-it-doesnt-have-authority-to-interfere-with-traffic-shaping
F.C.C. Bans Exclusive Phone Deals for Apartments (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/technology/20fcc.html?ex=1363752000&en=12999867de860d9e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
US-Swedish carrier spat 'breaks' the Internet (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080319/ap_on_hi_te/broken_internet_2
GENERAL NEWS
Suspect In Series Of Gas Thefts Arrested (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15645051/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
A tipping point at the gas pump for consumers? (Associated Press, via the San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8635270?source=rss
Sky-high fuel costs hit some extra hard (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004294030_gasprices20m.html?syndication=rss
Pierce County road crew workers yank signs, real estate agents steamed – Real estate agents, already feeling the brunt of a slowing market, are now facing the brunt of a Pierce County sign law. (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/313676.html
Trees take the fall for a better view – Man suspected of toppling maples on West Seattle slope (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/355720_trees20.html?source=rss
DIVERSIONS
Father sues Montessori teacher for damaging son's self-esteem “…teacher damaged the boy's self-esteem by failing to have him write a poem with the rest of the class, and failed to encourage his strong spelling skills...”
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=e8ad6bca-c4d7-41cd-bfd5-6ea543704658&k=21331
Man gets 30 days' jail for taco theft
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_taco_crime;_ylt=AoU4smDZGdw0m9DzCwpB8jftiBIF
Teen love caught hanging in the balance – Graffiti artist and sweetheart caught red-handed
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080319/ap_on_fe_st/odd_hanging_around;_ylt=Ar2KJkGI6Y4L_tUEkqr6RNLtiBIF
Older Brits behaving badly abroad
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080320/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_oaps;_ylt=Av1tVijC5AS5lE9uhn3MljLtiBIF
Canada robbers nabbed by cops driving getaway taxi
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080320/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_crime;_ylt=Av8v884WySXVlguC56dHBRXtiBIF
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Bonneville Power Administration settlement to help pay down Ashland Fiber Network debt
- City of Port Townsend backs study of electric utility
- Southern Montana Electric meeting to discuss new funding possibilities
- States’ Battles Over Energy Grow Fiercer With U.S. in a Policy Gridlock
- Coal Can't Fill World's Burning Appetite
- Pacific Northwest gets new proposal on natural gas
- New Hampshire – Nuclear watchdog group raises alarm over Seabrook plant
- U.S. Department of Energy insistent Yucca on track
- Evaluating Texas Competition: One Year of Full Competition
- News Release – FERC joins investigation into Florida blackout
- Soldier Electrocutions Probed in Iraq
- The Columbian Editorial – In our view: Repair service fails
- Online Convenience Fee Is 63% Of Utility Bill
- Spring Chinook salmon fishery on Columbia offers good catch
- Collapse of Coho run will mean low catch limits for ocean salmon
- Seattle Times Editorial – No free lunch for sea lions
- Coming soon to Sea World: local sea lions
- Tests find unsafe chemical levels in bass near Bonneville Dam
- Kalama developer accused of stealing water
- Goats prevent fires, anger neighbors
- Ethanol: How the promise dwindled
- Canada – People downwind worry about Metro's 'waste-to-energy' plan
- After saving energy, recycle intact CFLs
- S.F. moves to greenest building codes in U.S.
- Spring's sprung earlier, warmer
- FCC Finally Realizes 200kbps is Not Broadband
- Comcast Tells FCC It Doesn’t Have Authority to Interfere With "Traffic Shaping"
- F.C.C. Bans Exclusive Phone Deals for Apartments
- US-Swedish carrier spat 'breaks' the Internet
- Suspect In Series Of Gas Thefts Arrested
- A tipping point at the gas pump for consumers?
- Sky-high fuel costs hit some extra hard
- Pierce County road crew workers yank signs, real estate agents steamed
- Trees take the fall for a better view
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Compunctious • \kum-PUNK-shus\ • adjective –*1: arising from remorse or regret 2: feeling remorse or regret
Immediately after leaving the comfort station, Gertrude started to suffer guilty, compunctious feelings. She felt the hard stares of her co-workers; the shrugged shoulders. “Perhaps I should have replaced the toilet paper after using the last sheets,” she pondered.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Bonneville Power Administration settlement to help pay down Ashland Fiber Network debt – Solar panels will not get financing from deal (Ashland Daily Tidings)
http://www.dailytidings.com/2008/0319/stories/0319_council.php
City of Port Townsend backs study of electric utility (Port Townsend Leader)
http://www.ptleader.com/main.asp?SectionID=36&SubSectionID=55&ArticleID=20376&TM=77094.26
Southern Montana Electric meeting to discuss new funding possibilities – A coal-fired power plant proposed east of Great Falls will be the main topic of the annual meeting Friday of the board of directors (Great Falls Tribune)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/NEWS01/803200309/1002
States’ Battles Over Energy Grow Fiercer With U.S. in a Policy Gridlock (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/us/20energy.html?_r=1&ex=1363752000&en=f83363a2bcc68d76&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Coal Can't Fill World's Burning Appetite – With Supplies Short, Price Rise Surpasses Oil and U.S. Exporters Profit (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/19/AR2008031903859.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Pacific Northwest gets new proposal on natural gas – Yet another proposal has surfaced to bring massive quantities of natural gas into -- and through -- the Pacific Northwest. (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/120589711716650.xml&coll=7
New Hampshire – Nuclear watchdog group raises alarm over Seabrook plant (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CjijlompZTnk%216%3C%22bfen%5Fv
U.S. Department of Energy insistent Yucca on track (Pauhrump Valley Times)
http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2008/Mar-19-Wed-2008/news/20402562.html
Evaluating Texas Competition: One Year of Full Competition (Power Marketing Association Online)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8kowu%5D%5CjijlqqjRTnk%216%3C%22bfen%5Fv
News Release – FERC joins investigation into Florida blackout (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-1/03-19-08.asp
Soldier Electrocutions Probed in Iraq – A U.S. House committee chairman has begun an investigation into the electrocutions of at least 12 service members in Iraq, including that of a Pittsburgh soldier killed in January by a jolt of electricity while showering. (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/03/20/national/a072728D40.DTL&feed=rss.business
The Columbian Editorial – In our view: Repair service fails
http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2008/03/03202008_In-our-view-Repair-service-fails.cfm/
Online Convenience Fee Is 63% Of Utility Bill (Consumerist – Comment section may contain PG-13 language)
http://consumerist.com/369526/online-convenience-fee-is-63-of-utility-bill
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Spring Chinook salmon fishery on Columbia offers good catch (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/outdoors/story/394026.html
Collapse of Coho run will mean low catch limits for ocean salmon – The outlook for ocean salmon fisheries reflects poor Coho forecasts, the worst since the 1990s. (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/313686.html
Seattle Times Editorial – No free lunch for sea lions – U.S. taxpayers and Northwest utility users provide billions of dollars to restore salmon and steelhead populations. Hungry sea lions are dining on the progress, and non-lethal deterrence has failed.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004293056_fished20.html
Coming soon to Sea World: local sea lions – Officials will begin trapping in the river near Bonneville Dam in early April (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/120589710816650.xml&coll=7
Tests find unsafe chemical levels in bass near Bonneville Dam (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1205805318199950.xml&coll=7
Kalama developer accused of stealing water (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/20//area_news/10165801.txt
Goats prevent fires, anger neighbors – Residents living near open fields take issue with the grazers scaring away other animals (Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8635933?source=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Ethanol: How the promise dwindled (Sacramento Bee, may require free registration)
http://www.sacbee.com/103/story/799508.html
Canada – People downwind worry about Metro's 'waste-to-energy' plan (Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=f8132e91-68a1-4940-908f-5940e75d1cf6
CONSERVATION
After saving energy, recycle intact CFLs (Honolulu Advertiser)
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Mar/20/bz/hawaii803200318.html
S.F. moves to greenest building codes in U.S. (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/20/MN7QVMJ5T.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Spring's sprung earlier, warmer – Climate change puts the greening season ahead of schedule for many species in the Northwest (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/355707_warmspring20.html
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FCC Finally Realizes 200kbps is Not Broadband – Votes to reform long-flawed broadband data collection, albeit after-the-fact (Broadband Reports – Comment section may include PG-13 language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Finally-Realizes-200kbps-is-Not-Broadband-92792
Comcast Tells FCC It Doesn’t Have Authority to Interfere With "Traffic Shaping" (Consumerist – Comment section may contain PG-13 language)
http://consumerist.com/369852/comcast-tells-fcc-it-doesnt-have-authority-to-interfere-with-traffic-shaping
F.C.C. Bans Exclusive Phone Deals for Apartments (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/technology/20fcc.html?ex=1363752000&en=12999867de860d9e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
US-Swedish carrier spat 'breaks' the Internet (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080319/ap_on_hi_te/broken_internet_2
GENERAL NEWS
Suspect In Series Of Gas Thefts Arrested (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15645051/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=news
A tipping point at the gas pump for consumers? (Associated Press, via the San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8635270?source=rss
Sky-high fuel costs hit some extra hard (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004294030_gasprices20m.html?syndication=rss
Pierce County road crew workers yank signs, real estate agents steamed – Real estate agents, already feeling the brunt of a slowing market, are now facing the brunt of a Pierce County sign law. (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/business/story/313676.html
Trees take the fall for a better view – Man suspected of toppling maples on West Seattle slope (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/355720_trees20.html?source=rss
DIVERSIONS
Father sues Montessori teacher for damaging son's self-esteem “…teacher damaged the boy's self-esteem by failing to have him write a poem with the rest of the class, and failed to encourage his strong spelling skills...”
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=e8ad6bca-c4d7-41cd-bfd5-6ea543704658&k=21331
Man gets 30 days' jail for taco theft
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_taco_crime;_ylt=AoU4smDZGdw0m9DzCwpB8jftiBIF
Teen love caught hanging in the balance – Graffiti artist and sweetheart caught red-handed
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080319/ap_on_fe_st/odd_hanging_around;_ylt=Ar2KJkGI6Y4L_tUEkqr6RNLtiBIF
Older Brits behaving badly abroad
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080320/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_britain_oaps;_ylt=Av1tVijC5AS5lE9uhn3MljLtiBIF
Canada robbers nabbed by cops driving getaway taxi
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080320/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_crime;_ylt=Av8v884WySXVlguC56dHBRXtiBIF
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Energy News Digest for March 19, 2008
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.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Effective May 1: Mason County PUD No. 3 Commission Adopts Average 5% Rate Increase
- Port Townsend City Council to explore means of electricity other than Puget Sound Energy
- Clark Public Utilities to pull plug on appliance repairs
- Chelan PUD meter reading may go high-tech
- Insulators damaged by firearms in Prineville area
- Maryland – State, Constellation Energy in talks to settle lawsuits
- FERC, NRC Commissioners to discuss grid reliability April 8
- Wisconsin – One cold fact: Heating bills rise
- Does Michigan need more electricity?
- Kitsap County PUD plans for future growth
- Oregon – Study finds pesticides common in lower Clackamas River, tributaries
- Toxic Mud Is Being Removed from behind Milltown Dam on Montana’s Clark Fork River
- Salmon fins snipped at a good clip by automated machines
- Windfall -- Existing Transmission Lines Help Make Power Feasible
- PPM Energy wins award for Klamath Cogeneration Plant
- Rhode Island – Renewable energy bills could green the state
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Saving Private Renewables
- Iowa lawmakers encouraged to take more steps to save energy
- Montana Governor: State fuel efficiency standards won't work
- Arctic sea ice builds, but remains vulnerable
- The Mystery of Global Warming's Missing Heat
- California had big hike in carbon-dioxide emissions
- Students take one small step to make a big difference against climate change
- Why the Mortgage Crisis Is a Carbon Crisis, Too
- United Kingdom – How Green Is Your Green Tariff?
- Business Of Green – Poor are sidelined on climate change solutions
- Why carbon capture is an illusion
- Google sees surge in Web use on mobile phones
- Wireless Spectrum Auction Raises $19 Billion
- FCC Denies, Then Announces Second Neutrality Hearing
- Competition Fuels Broadband Use in Europe
- Grant to help expand rural telemedicine
- Other Shelton City Employees Join No Confidence Vote
- De-icer damaging thousands of trees on mountain passes
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Titanic • \tye-TAN-ik\ • adjective – Having great magnitude, force, or power: colossal
Amber was horrified by her blind date’s performance on the cross-sound ferry. After blathering on about the comparative writings of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, he jumped up and down on the bow of the ferry, flapping his arms and shouting “I’m King of the World!” It took a titanic effort by Amber not to slap him silly.
From Merriam-Webster – Before becoming the name of one of the most famous ships in history, "titanic" referred to the Titans, a family of giants in Greek mythology who were believed to have once ruled the earth. They were subsequently overpowered and replaced by the younger Olympian gods under the leadership of Zeus. The size and power of the Titans is memorialized in the adjective "titanic" and in the noun "titanium," a metallic element of exceptional strength that is used in the production of steel.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
News Release – Effective May 1: Mason County PUD No. 3 Commission Adopts Average 5% Rate Increase (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=418
Port Townsend City Council to explore means of electricity other than Puget Sound Energy (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080318/NEWS/803180305
Clark Public Utilities to pull plug on appliance repairs (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/03/03192008_Utility-to-pull-plug-on-appliance-repairs.cfm/
Chelan PUD meter reading may go high-tech – Automated system could cost $15 million (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/NEWS04/44517948
News Release – Insulators damaged by firearms in Prineville area (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/195570/
Maryland – State, Constellation Energy in talks to settle lawsuits (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/03/17/daily25.html?ana=from_rss
News Release – FERC, NRC Commissioners to discuss grid reliability April 8, 2008 in Washington, DC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-1/02-29-08.asp
Wisconsin – One cold fact: Heating bills rise – Tough winter boosts costs, but it could have been worse (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=728763
Does Michigan need more electricity? Predicting usage is tricky (The Associated Press, via the Battle Creek Enquirer)
http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/NEWS01/303180034
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Kitsap County PUD plans for future growth (North Kitsap Herald)
http://www.northkitsapherald.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=95&cat=23&id=1176454&more=0
Oregon – Study finds pesticides common in lower Clackamas River, tributaries (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/120581070620230.xml&coll=7
Toxic Mud Is Being Removed from behind Milltown Dam on Montana’s Clark Fork River (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1286019~Toxic_Mud_Is_Being_Removed_in_Montana.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines
Salmon fins snipped at a good clip by automated machines (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/03/03182008_Salmon-fins-snipped-at-a-good-clip-by-automated-machines.cfm?newsletter=2
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Windfall -- Existing Transmission Lines Help Make Power Feasible (Yakima Herald-Republic, via RedOrbit)
http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1302178/windfall__existing_transmission_lines_help_make_power_feasible/
PPM Energy wins award for Klamath Cogeneration Plant (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/03/17/daily15.html?ana=from_rss
Rhode Island – Renewable energy bills could green the state (Block Island Times)
http://www.blockislandtimes.com/articles/2008/03/17/news/news8.txt
Energy Pulse Commentary – Saving Private Renewables
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1698
CONSERVATION
Iowa lawmakers encouraged to take more steps to save energy (Radio Iowa)
http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=C7CE557C-C4C4-6E97-5AB0C6F5B4DBBEC9
Students compete to conserve energy and water in 'IU Energy Challenge' (Indiana University)
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/7754.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Montana Governor: State fuel efficiency standards won't work (Helena Independent Record)
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2008/03/19/top/65st_080319_warming.txt
Arctic sea ice builds, but remains vulnerable (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-03-18-arctic-ice-builds_N.htm?csp=34
The Mystery of Global Warming's Missing Heat (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88520025&ft=1&f=3
California had big hike in carbon-dioxide emissions – State ranks in top 10 for one-year increases in 2007 (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8622629?source=rss
For the news release on which the above report is based, use the link below to the Environmental Integrity Project
http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/pub494.cfm
Students take one small step to make a big difference against climate change (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/16798696.html
Why The Mortgage Crisis Is a Carbon Crisis, Too (The Daily Green)
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/blogs/shapley/mortgage-crisis-carbon-47031903
United Kingdom – How Green Is Your Green Tariff? (Motley Fool)
http://www.fool.co.uk/news/money-saving-tips/household-bills/2008/03/19/how-green-is-your-green-tariff.aspx
Business Of Green – Poor are sidelined on climate change solutions (International Herald Tribune)
http://iht.com/articles/2008/03/18/business/greencol19.php
Why carbon capture is an illusion (Canada Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080318.wcomment0319/BNStory/Front/home
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Google sees surge in Web use on mobile phones (Reuters, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080319/tc_nm/google_mobile_dc_3
Wireless Spectrum Auction Raises $19 Billion (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/technology/19fcc.html?_r=1&ex=1363665600&en=73387c3fc831db6a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
FCC Denies, Then Announces Second Neutrality Hearing (Broadband Reports – Comment section may include PG-13 language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Denies-Then-Announces-Second-Neutrality-Hearing-92780
Competition Fuels Broadband Use in Europe (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/technology/19wireless-web.html?ex=1363665600&en=e530849e47605723&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Grant to help expand rural telemedicine (Associated Press, via the Tri City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/991/story/121727.html
GENERAL NEWS
OTHER SHELTON CITY EMPLOYEES JOIN NO CONFIDENCE VOTE – A reported 80% of other City of Shelton employees have voted "no confidence" in City Administrator Dave O'Leary. Joining the Shelton Police Officers Guild are the Public Works membership, the Customer Service membership, and the Financial Services membership of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO, Woodworkers Local Lodge W38, and the Mason County Communications Officers Association. Although these groups did not speak during Monday night's Shelton City Commission meeting, they did submit written correspondence to the Commission stating their concerns that "the City has suffered greatly through mismanagement. Going from a Budget Surplus to Shortfall in such a short period of time shows a pattern of inability or unwillingness to look out for the best interest of the Community and Employees of the City of Shelton." This information was NOT provided to 1030 KMAS News until Tuesday morning. In a written statement, the employees of the City noted that those voting the "no confidence" are "dedicated City residents and employees who have risked much to give a voice and let the citizens know that there are serious issues within the City administration."
De-icer damaging thousands of trees on mountain passes (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004291523_treekill19m.html?syndication=rss
DIVERSIONS
Man Sues, Says Stripper Injured Him With Shoe During Lap Dance
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15631399/detail.html
Joining Office Pool? You're Not Alone – NCAA Tournament Pools Hurt Businesses' Bottom Lines
http://www.kirotv.com/money/15621026/detail.html
Man auctions his life
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSSYD30599020080319?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Lloyd's insures winemaker's nose for $8 million
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1882618620080318?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
A Secret Love for Meetings – Most people say they hate meetings. Hiding beneath the disdain, there may be some love for a productive roundtable
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88483007&ft=1&f=17
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Effective May 1: Mason County PUD No. 3 Commission Adopts Average 5% Rate Increase
- Port Townsend City Council to explore means of electricity other than Puget Sound Energy
- Clark Public Utilities to pull plug on appliance repairs
- Chelan PUD meter reading may go high-tech
- Insulators damaged by firearms in Prineville area
- Maryland – State, Constellation Energy in talks to settle lawsuits
- FERC, NRC Commissioners to discuss grid reliability April 8
- Wisconsin – One cold fact: Heating bills rise
- Does Michigan need more electricity?
- Kitsap County PUD plans for future growth
- Oregon – Study finds pesticides common in lower Clackamas River, tributaries
- Toxic Mud Is Being Removed from behind Milltown Dam on Montana’s Clark Fork River
- Salmon fins snipped at a good clip by automated machines
- Windfall -- Existing Transmission Lines Help Make Power Feasible
- PPM Energy wins award for Klamath Cogeneration Plant
- Rhode Island – Renewable energy bills could green the state
- Energy Pulse Commentary – Saving Private Renewables
- Iowa lawmakers encouraged to take more steps to save energy
- Montana Governor: State fuel efficiency standards won't work
- Arctic sea ice builds, but remains vulnerable
- The Mystery of Global Warming's Missing Heat
- California had big hike in carbon-dioxide emissions
- Students take one small step to make a big difference against climate change
- Why the Mortgage Crisis Is a Carbon Crisis, Too
- United Kingdom – How Green Is Your Green Tariff?
- Business Of Green – Poor are sidelined on climate change solutions
- Why carbon capture is an illusion
- Google sees surge in Web use on mobile phones
- Wireless Spectrum Auction Raises $19 Billion
- FCC Denies, Then Announces Second Neutrality Hearing
- Competition Fuels Broadband Use in Europe
- Grant to help expand rural telemedicine
- Other Shelton City Employees Join No Confidence Vote
- De-icer damaging thousands of trees on mountain passes
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Titanic • \tye-TAN-ik\ • adjective – Having great magnitude, force, or power: colossal
Amber was horrified by her blind date’s performance on the cross-sound ferry. After blathering on about the comparative writings of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis, he jumped up and down on the bow of the ferry, flapping his arms and shouting “I’m King of the World!” It took a titanic effort by Amber not to slap him silly.
From Merriam-Webster – Before becoming the name of one of the most famous ships in history, "titanic" referred to the Titans, a family of giants in Greek mythology who were believed to have once ruled the earth. They were subsequently overpowered and replaced by the younger Olympian gods under the leadership of Zeus. The size and power of the Titans is memorialized in the adjective "titanic" and in the noun "titanium," a metallic element of exceptional strength that is used in the production of steel.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
News Release – Effective May 1: Mason County PUD No. 3 Commission Adopts Average 5% Rate Increase (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/News/display.asp?NewsID=418
Port Townsend City Council to explore means of electricity other than Puget Sound Energy (Peninsula Daily News)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080318/NEWS/803180305
Clark Public Utilities to pull plug on appliance repairs (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/03/03192008_Utility-to-pull-plug-on-appliance-repairs.cfm/
Chelan PUD meter reading may go high-tech – Automated system could cost $15 million (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/NEWS04/44517948
News Release – Insulators damaged by firearms in Prineville area (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/195570/
Maryland – State, Constellation Energy in talks to settle lawsuits (Baltimore Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/03/17/daily25.html?ana=from_rss
News Release – FERC, NRC Commissioners to discuss grid reliability April 8, 2008 in Washington, DC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-1/02-29-08.asp
Wisconsin – One cold fact: Heating bills rise – Tough winter boosts costs, but it could have been worse (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=728763
Does Michigan need more electricity? Predicting usage is tricky (The Associated Press, via the Battle Creek Enquirer)
http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/NEWS01/303180034
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Kitsap County PUD plans for future growth (North Kitsap Herald)
http://www.northkitsapherald.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=95&cat=23&id=1176454&more=0
Oregon – Study finds pesticides common in lower Clackamas River, tributaries (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/120581070620230.xml&coll=7
Toxic Mud Is Being Removed from behind Milltown Dam on Montana’s Clark Fork River (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1286019~Toxic_Mud_Is_Being_Removed_in_Montana.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines
Salmon fins snipped at a good clip by automated machines (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/03/03182008_Salmon-fins-snipped-at-a-good-clip-by-automated-machines.cfm?newsletter=2
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Windfall -- Existing Transmission Lines Help Make Power Feasible (Yakima Herald-Republic, via RedOrbit)
http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1302178/windfall__existing_transmission_lines_help_make_power_feasible/
PPM Energy wins award for Klamath Cogeneration Plant (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/03/17/daily15.html?ana=from_rss
Rhode Island – Renewable energy bills could green the state (Block Island Times)
http://www.blockislandtimes.com/articles/2008/03/17/news/news8.txt
Energy Pulse Commentary – Saving Private Renewables
http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1698
CONSERVATION
Iowa lawmakers encouraged to take more steps to save energy (Radio Iowa)
http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=C7CE557C-C4C4-6E97-5AB0C6F5B4DBBEC9
Students compete to conserve energy and water in 'IU Energy Challenge' (Indiana University)
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/7754.html
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Montana Governor: State fuel efficiency standards won't work (Helena Independent Record)
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2008/03/19/top/65st_080319_warming.txt
Arctic sea ice builds, but remains vulnerable (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-03-18-arctic-ice-builds_N.htm?csp=34
The Mystery of Global Warming's Missing Heat (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88520025&ft=1&f=3
California had big hike in carbon-dioxide emissions – State ranks in top 10 for one-year increases in 2007 (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8622629?source=rss
For the news release on which the above report is based, use the link below to the Environmental Integrity Project
http://www.environmentalintegrity.org/pub494.cfm
Students take one small step to make a big difference against climate change (KOMO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.komotv.com/news/local/16798696.html
Why The Mortgage Crisis Is a Carbon Crisis, Too (The Daily Green)
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/blogs/shapley/mortgage-crisis-carbon-47031903
United Kingdom – How Green Is Your Green Tariff? (Motley Fool)
http://www.fool.co.uk/news/money-saving-tips/household-bills/2008/03/19/how-green-is-your-green-tariff.aspx
Business Of Green – Poor are sidelined on climate change solutions (International Herald Tribune)
http://iht.com/articles/2008/03/18/business/greencol19.php
Why carbon capture is an illusion (Canada Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080318.wcomment0319/BNStory/Front/home
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Google sees surge in Web use on mobile phones (Reuters, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080319/tc_nm/google_mobile_dc_3
Wireless Spectrum Auction Raises $19 Billion (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/technology/19fcc.html?_r=1&ex=1363665600&en=73387c3fc831db6a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
FCC Denies, Then Announces Second Neutrality Hearing (Broadband Reports – Comment section may include PG-13 language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/FCC-Denies-Then-Announces-Second-Neutrality-Hearing-92780
Competition Fuels Broadband Use in Europe (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/technology/19wireless-web.html?ex=1363665600&en=e530849e47605723&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Grant to help expand rural telemedicine (Associated Press, via the Tri City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/991/story/121727.html
GENERAL NEWS
OTHER SHELTON CITY EMPLOYEES JOIN NO CONFIDENCE VOTE – A reported 80% of other City of Shelton employees have voted "no confidence" in City Administrator Dave O'Leary. Joining the Shelton Police Officers Guild are the Public Works membership, the Customer Service membership, and the Financial Services membership of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO, Woodworkers Local Lodge W38, and the Mason County Communications Officers Association. Although these groups did not speak during Monday night's Shelton City Commission meeting, they did submit written correspondence to the Commission stating their concerns that "the City has suffered greatly through mismanagement. Going from a Budget Surplus to Shortfall in such a short period of time shows a pattern of inability or unwillingness to look out for the best interest of the Community and Employees of the City of Shelton." This information was NOT provided to 1030 KMAS News until Tuesday morning. In a written statement, the employees of the City noted that those voting the "no confidence" are "dedicated City residents and employees who have risked much to give a voice and let the citizens know that there are serious issues within the City administration."
De-icer damaging thousands of trees on mountain passes (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004291523_treekill19m.html?syndication=rss
DIVERSIONS
Man Sues, Says Stripper Injured Him With Shoe During Lap Dance
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15631399/detail.html
Joining Office Pool? You're Not Alone – NCAA Tournament Pools Hurt Businesses' Bottom Lines
http://www.kirotv.com/money/15621026/detail.html
Man auctions his life
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSSYD30599020080319?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Lloyd's insures winemaker's nose for $8 million
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1882618620080318?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
A Secret Love for Meetings – Most people say they hate meetings. Hiding beneath the disdain, there may be some love for a productive roundtable
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88483007&ft=1&f=17
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Energy News Digest for March 18, 2008
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.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Oregon – Portion of Bonneville Power Administration settlement could fund Ashland solar project
- Australia – Energy 'collapse' will force nuclear use, says exper
- Agency OKs the killing of sea lions at Bonneville Dam
- Idaho – Committee backs stiffer fines for fishery destruction
- Salem Statesman Journal Op/Ed – Driving the salmon to extinction
- San Jose Mercury News Editorial – Don't let salmon go the way of the California grizzly
- Daily Astorian Editorial – Decline of smelt fishery is bad for us
- Lake Chelan drawdown forecast revised
- Washington State Cracks Down On Private Dams
- Southeast U.S. drought eases, water wars persist
- California – Pair accused of stealing water meters
- Next big biofuel could be garbage
- Corporate Sponsorship for a Wind Farm
- Wal-Mart 'green store' cuts energy
- Legislature approves four earth-friendly bills
- Melting Pace of Glaciers Is Accelerating, Report Says
- In a Warmer Yellowstone Park, a Shifting Environmental Balance
- Tank vs. Hybrid – Is it possible that a Hummer's better for the environment than a Prius
- City of Seattle issues Request for Information for Fiber to the Premises build out.
- Illinois – Princeton set to roll out city Internet: Broadband Over Power Lines
- Data Centers To Fall Short In 2-5 Years, HP Predicts
- Using Water Cooling in the Data Center Brings Challenges
- Qwest to cut jobs on lower traditional phone use
- Qwest Lobbied on Internet Issues
- Charter cable company sued for back pay
- Time to recognize Web addiction as illness
- Supreme Court rules in favor of Washington state primary
- Shelton Police Officers Vote No Confidence In Administrator
- Weyerhaeuser mills, plants facilities sold to IP
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Meticulous • \muh-TIK-yuh-lus\ • adjective – Marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details
Slowly, but gently Joel placed his summer-blooming bulbs into the rich, dark earth; meticulously placing a generous helping of cayenne pepper around the precious little treasures. “Feast on THAT,” he muttered under his breath as a final benediction for the bulb and the voracious voles and pocket gophers that were secretly watching his ministrations from beneath the hydrangea bush.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Oregon – Portion of Bonneville Power Administration settlement could fund Ashland solar project (Ashland Tidings)
http://www.dailytidings.com/2008/0317/stories/0317_council.php
Australia – Energy 'collapse' will force nuclear use, says expert – A professor of geology has warned there will be no option other than embracing nuclear power in Australia when other energy sources collapse. (ABC Online)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/17/2191969.htm
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Agency OKs the killing of sea lions at Bonneville Dam (Associated Press, via the Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/18/area_news/doc47df550833648373256252.txt
Idaho – Committee backs stiffer fines for fishery destruction (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/391762.html
Salem Statesman Journal Op/Ed – Driving the salmon to extinction
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/BLOGS13/80318007/1046/OPINION
San Jose Mercury News Editorial – Don't let salmon go the way of the California grizzly
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8609711?source=rss
Daily Astorian Editorial – Decline of smelt fishery is bad for us: Tribes get ball rolling toward endangered listing
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=392&ArticleID=49815&TM=59979.88
Lake Chelan drawdown forecast revised – Chelan County PUD: Less spring runoff means more water can remain in lake (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080317/NEWS04/545210983
Washington State Cracks Down On Private Dams (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/washington-state-cracks-down-private-dams/
Southeast U.S. drought eases, water wars persist (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2008-03-17-water-wars_N.htm?csp=34
California – Pair accused of stealing water meters – One of the two suspects is a contractor hired to install devices in new homes
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8610752?source=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Next big biofuel could be garbage – A report suggests a homegrown Northwest industry built, in part, by converting waste (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1205720713233110.xml&coll=7
Corporate Sponsorship for a Wind Farm (NY Times – almost like naming rights)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/business/18steel.html?_r=1&ex=1363579200&en=07698a0e5d86ef5a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
CONSERVATION
Wal-Mart 'green store' cuts energy (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080318/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart_energy_saving_2
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Legislature approves four earth-friendly bills – The environmental community's four top priority bills survived the 2008 state legislative session, but two of them were watered down to achieve political support. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/391908.html
Melting Pace of Glaciers Is Accelerating, Report Says (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/science/earth/18melt.html?ex=1363492800&en=e19b4b86c09cae9f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
In a Warmer Yellowstone Park, a Shifting Environmental Balance (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/science/18griz.html?ex=1363579200&en=1e833588cba857e7&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Tank vs. Hybrid – Is it possible that a Hummer's better for the environment than a Prius is? (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2186786/?from=rss
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
City of Seattle issues Request for Information for Fiber to the Premises build out.
http://www.seattle.gov/broadband/
Illinois – Princeton set to roll out city Internet: Broadband Over Power Lines service uses municipally owned electric lines (Princeton Journal Star)
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/031608/REG_BG2B394O.053.php
Data Centers To Fall Short In 2-5 Years, HP Predicts “…they would not be able to find the electricity, cooling capacity, space or budgets they need to continue to expand their data centers…”. (InformationWeek)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20080318/tc_cmp/206904227
Using Water Cooling in the Data Center Brings Challenges – As racks get filled with high density equipment, facility executives are examining the impacts of bringing water into the data center (FacilitiesNet via Energy Ideas Clearinghouse)
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/bom/article.asp?id=8227&keywords=data%20centers
Qwest to cut jobs on lower traditional phone use (Reuters)
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/080318/qwest_jobs.html?.v=1
Qwest Lobbied on Internet Issues – Qwest Communications Spent Nearly $3.4 Million to Lobby Government (Associated Press, via Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080317/qwest_communications_lobbying.html?.v=1
Charter cable company sued for back pay (Associated Press, via the Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/business/business_wire/story/120125.html
Time to recognize Web addiction as illness “…about 86 per cent of Internet addicts have some other form of mental illness …” (Victoria Times-Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=b436303d-e3ba-46a5-86ae-46ef80db6248&k=25569
GENERAL NEWS
Supreme Court rules in favor of Washington state primary (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/breaking/story/311970.html
Supreme Court rules in favor of Washington state primary (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004289949_webprimary18m.html?syndication=rss
POLICE OFFICERS VOTE NO CONFIDENCE IN ADMINISTRATOR – The Shelton Police Officers Guild has voted “no confidence” in City Administrator Dave O'Leary and asked for his resignation. Detective Harry Heldreth spoke on behave of the guild during Monday's Shelton City Commission meeting telling the Commissioners their vote came on the heals of O'Leary asking for over $300,000 be cut from the Police Department's budget for next year. In his prepared statement, the Detective asked the Commission to hold O'Leary accountable for the City's current financial situation and limited revenues. According to O'Leary, the City's revenues have been diminishing for a variety of reasons including voter approved tax limiting measures such as Initiative 695 and Initiative 747, and increasing costs for fuel and medical insurance. O'Leary says officials are looking to cut about $600,000 from the 2009 budget and working on it now will help limit the impacts. O'Leary, City Commissioner of Finance Mike Byrne and the City's Finance Director Cathy Beierle will be meeting with department heads this week to discuss what kinds of cuts are needed. O'Leary plans on meeting with the guild and discussing the cuts further as the $300,000 is a worse case scenario. Those meetings will lead to a plan for the City that will be presented to the Shelton City Commission at a retreat on March 26th. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Weyerhaeuser mills, plants facilities sold to IP (Examiner.com – Includes plants in Olympia, Moses Lake, Yakima & Bellevue)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1283870~Weyerhaeuser_mills__plants_facilities_sold_to_IP.html
DIVERSIONS
Biologist Releases Fish In 1983, Catches It 25 Years Later
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15620076/detail.html
Mouse Holds Plane Hostage For 5 Hours
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15586864/detail.html
Cities Smile Atop Best Teeth Lists (Seattle was 27. What’s with Spokane and Portland? 98 and 94 respectively)
http://www.kirotv.com/health/15594577/detail.html
The Claim: Cold Water Boils More Quickly than Hot Water.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/health/18real.html?ex=1363579200&en=4e9291be6dd92c68&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Oregon – Portion of Bonneville Power Administration settlement could fund Ashland solar project
- Australia – Energy 'collapse' will force nuclear use, says exper
- Agency OKs the killing of sea lions at Bonneville Dam
- Idaho – Committee backs stiffer fines for fishery destruction
- Salem Statesman Journal Op/Ed – Driving the salmon to extinction
- San Jose Mercury News Editorial – Don't let salmon go the way of the California grizzly
- Daily Astorian Editorial – Decline of smelt fishery is bad for us
- Lake Chelan drawdown forecast revised
- Washington State Cracks Down On Private Dams
- Southeast U.S. drought eases, water wars persist
- California – Pair accused of stealing water meters
- Next big biofuel could be garbage
- Corporate Sponsorship for a Wind Farm
- Wal-Mart 'green store' cuts energy
- Legislature approves four earth-friendly bills
- Melting Pace of Glaciers Is Accelerating, Report Says
- In a Warmer Yellowstone Park, a Shifting Environmental Balance
- Tank vs. Hybrid – Is it possible that a Hummer's better for the environment than a Prius
- City of Seattle issues Request for Information for Fiber to the Premises build out.
- Illinois – Princeton set to roll out city Internet: Broadband Over Power Lines
- Data Centers To Fall Short In 2-5 Years, HP Predicts
- Using Water Cooling in the Data Center Brings Challenges
- Qwest to cut jobs on lower traditional phone use
- Qwest Lobbied on Internet Issues
- Charter cable company sued for back pay
- Time to recognize Web addiction as illness
- Supreme Court rules in favor of Washington state primary
- Shelton Police Officers Vote No Confidence In Administrator
- Weyerhaeuser mills, plants facilities sold to IP
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Meticulous • \muh-TIK-yuh-lus\ • adjective – Marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details
Slowly, but gently Joel placed his summer-blooming bulbs into the rich, dark earth; meticulously placing a generous helping of cayenne pepper around the precious little treasures. “Feast on THAT,” he muttered under his breath as a final benediction for the bulb and the voracious voles and pocket gophers that were secretly watching his ministrations from beneath the hydrangea bush.
WEATHER
Forecast for Mason County, Washington
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?site=sew&smap=1&textField1=47.21528&textField2=-123.09944
(NOTE: Some readers have noted that the NWS forecast has not been updated regularly. Apparently there is a refresh issue with the weather web site. If you visit and the forecast isn’t updated, press F5 or refresh the web page. That should take care of the issue)
ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES
Oregon – Portion of Bonneville Power Administration settlement could fund Ashland solar project (Ashland Tidings)
http://www.dailytidings.com/2008/0317/stories/0317_council.php
Australia – Energy 'collapse' will force nuclear use, says expert – A professor of geology has warned there will be no option other than embracing nuclear power in Australia when other energy sources collapse. (ABC Online)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/17/2191969.htm
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Agency OKs the killing of sea lions at Bonneville Dam (Associated Press, via the Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/18/area_news/doc47df550833648373256252.txt
Idaho – Committee backs stiffer fines for fishery destruction (Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/391762.html
Salem Statesman Journal Op/Ed – Driving the salmon to extinction
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/BLOGS13/80318007/1046/OPINION
San Jose Mercury News Editorial – Don't let salmon go the way of the California grizzly
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8609711?source=rss
Daily Astorian Editorial – Decline of smelt fishery is bad for us: Tribes get ball rolling toward endangered listing
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=392&ArticleID=49815&TM=59979.88
Lake Chelan drawdown forecast revised – Chelan County PUD: Less spring runoff means more water can remain in lake (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080317/NEWS04/545210983
Washington State Cracks Down On Private Dams (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/washington-state-cracks-down-private-dams/
Southeast U.S. drought eases, water wars persist (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2008-03-17-water-wars_N.htm?csp=34
California – Pair accused of stealing water meters – One of the two suspects is a contractor hired to install devices in new homes
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8610752?source=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Next big biofuel could be garbage – A report suggests a homegrown Northwest industry built, in part, by converting waste (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1205720713233110.xml&coll=7
Corporate Sponsorship for a Wind Farm (NY Times – almost like naming rights)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/business/18steel.html?_r=1&ex=1363579200&en=07698a0e5d86ef5a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
CONSERVATION
Wal-Mart 'green store' cuts energy (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080318/ap_on_bi_ge/wal_mart_energy_saving_2
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Legislature approves four earth-friendly bills – The environmental community's four top priority bills survived the 2008 state legislative session, but two of them were watered down to achieve political support. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/391908.html
Melting Pace of Glaciers Is Accelerating, Report Says (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/science/earth/18melt.html?ex=1363492800&en=e19b4b86c09cae9f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
In a Warmer Yellowstone Park, a Shifting Environmental Balance (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/science/18griz.html?ex=1363579200&en=1e833588cba857e7&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Tank vs. Hybrid – Is it possible that a Hummer's better for the environment than a Prius is? (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2186786/?from=rss
TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS
City of Seattle issues Request for Information for Fiber to the Premises build out.
http://www.seattle.gov/broadband/
Illinois – Princeton set to roll out city Internet: Broadband Over Power Lines service uses municipally owned electric lines (Princeton Journal Star)
http://www.pjstar.com/stories/031608/REG_BG2B394O.053.php
Data Centers To Fall Short In 2-5 Years, HP Predicts “…they would not be able to find the electricity, cooling capacity, space or budgets they need to continue to expand their data centers…”. (InformationWeek)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20080318/tc_cmp/206904227
Using Water Cooling in the Data Center Brings Challenges – As racks get filled with high density equipment, facility executives are examining the impacts of bringing water into the data center (FacilitiesNet via Energy Ideas Clearinghouse)
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/bom/article.asp?id=8227&keywords=data%20centers
Qwest to cut jobs on lower traditional phone use (Reuters)
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/080318/qwest_jobs.html?.v=1
Qwest Lobbied on Internet Issues – Qwest Communications Spent Nearly $3.4 Million to Lobby Government (Associated Press, via Yahoo! Finance)
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080317/qwest_communications_lobbying.html?.v=1
Charter cable company sued for back pay (Associated Press, via the Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/business/business_wire/story/120125.html
Time to recognize Web addiction as illness “…about 86 per cent of Internet addicts have some other form of mental illness …” (Victoria Times-Colonist)
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=b436303d-e3ba-46a5-86ae-46ef80db6248&k=25569
GENERAL NEWS
Supreme Court rules in favor of Washington state primary (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/breaking/story/311970.html
Supreme Court rules in favor of Washington state primary (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004289949_webprimary18m.html?syndication=rss
POLICE OFFICERS VOTE NO CONFIDENCE IN ADMINISTRATOR – The Shelton Police Officers Guild has voted “no confidence” in City Administrator Dave O'Leary and asked for his resignation. Detective Harry Heldreth spoke on behave of the guild during Monday's Shelton City Commission meeting telling the Commissioners their vote came on the heals of O'Leary asking for over $300,000 be cut from the Police Department's budget for next year. In his prepared statement, the Detective asked the Commission to hold O'Leary accountable for the City's current financial situation and limited revenues. According to O'Leary, the City's revenues have been diminishing for a variety of reasons including voter approved tax limiting measures such as Initiative 695 and Initiative 747, and increasing costs for fuel and medical insurance. O'Leary says officials are looking to cut about $600,000 from the 2009 budget and working on it now will help limit the impacts. O'Leary, City Commissioner of Finance Mike Byrne and the City's Finance Director Cathy Beierle will be meeting with department heads this week to discuss what kinds of cuts are needed. O'Leary plans on meeting with the guild and discussing the cuts further as the $300,000 is a worse case scenario. Those meetings will lead to a plan for the City that will be presented to the Shelton City Commission at a retreat on March 26th. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Weyerhaeuser mills, plants facilities sold to IP (Examiner.com – Includes plants in Olympia, Moses Lake, Yakima & Bellevue)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1283870~Weyerhaeuser_mills__plants_facilities_sold_to_IP.html
DIVERSIONS
Biologist Releases Fish In 1983, Catches It 25 Years Later
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15620076/detail.html
Mouse Holds Plane Hostage For 5 Hours
http://www.kirotv.com/news/15586864/detail.html
Cities Smile Atop Best Teeth Lists (Seattle was 27. What’s with Spokane and Portland? 98 and 94 respectively)
http://www.kirotv.com/health/15594577/detail.html
The Claim: Cold Water Boils More Quickly than Hot Water.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/health/18real.html?ex=1363579200&en=4e9291be6dd92c68&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
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