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)
- SE Washington power plant, carbon plans still in works
- Franklin PUD announces temporary rate credit – Ed Brost has been named interim manager effective May 1
- Puget Sound Energy & Avista – Some WA electric customers will get cheaper bills
- ColumbiaGrid Forms OASIS, Releases System Assessment
- Okanogan County PUD warns of scam seeking credit card numbers
- Judi Johansen gets a new job – Ex-PacifiCorp CEO/BPA Administrator named 13th president of Marylhurst University
- Natural gas stored in underground Lewis County reservoir
- New York – Gas Plant in Long Island Sound Is Rejected
- Billions of Barrels of Oil May Lie Under Northern Plains
- North Carolina – Commissioners Vote To Support Stanly County In Alcoa Dispute
- Salmon 'emergency' spawns new limits – Unprecedented fishing restrictions follow collapse of Calif. Chinook run
- Sharp Curb on Salmon Season
- Deal with tribes could raise rates up to 4 percent, Bonneville says
- Daily Astorian Editorial – Healthy river, ample fish – There may be more than one way of getting there
- Tri-City Herald Editorial – Salmon settlement likely a boon to sea lions
- Environmentalists: Agreements won’t save salmon
- Hastings, Baird seeking action on Endangered Salmon Predation Act
- California – Indictment alleges steelhead poaching near resident’s private dam
- Squaxin Island Tribe Seeks More Science On Johns Creek; Asks Ecology To Stop New Wells
- Murray blasts Administration over lack of levee funding
- U.S. Senate approves renewable energy tax credit extension
- Nevada – Prison’s $8.3 million wood-fired power plant a big loser
- Texas Study: Benefits of Wind Transmission Outweigh Costs
- United Technologies Power lands order for 110 geothermal plants
- San Jose mayor urges solar companies to do free residential installations
- World Bank Chief: Biofuels Boosting Food Prices
- Cut the electric bill without cutting the comfort
- Some Calif. utility customers targeted for $600M think tank bill
- Tribes urged to prepare for possible federal carbon incentives
- Climate Change Brings Health Risks
- Google Data Centers Mapped
- Fierce battle rages over Yahoo/Microsoft deal
- Colorado – Post-Independent Editorial – Broadband issue deserves yes vote
- Qwest plans high-speed fiber-optic network
- The End of Cheap Broadband
- Newsflash: Offer All You Can Eat and People Eat A Lot
- Retailers Fined $3.9 million Over Labels for Analog TVs
- The Top 10 Made Up Words of Web 3.0
- Governor says we've all "been lied to" on Sonics
- "Major disaster" for bees may jeopardize Washington State’s crops
- La Nina Brings Cool Spring, Warm Summer
- Thurston County Planning fund empty
- Wire thieves turn off Tacoma sign; DOT brings in generator
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Ineluctable • \in-uh-LUCK-tuh-bull\ • adjective – Not to be avoided, changed, or resisted
Herbert drew a deep sigh. He knew that the news reports would show the ineluctable stance of the opponents to what he saw was a reasonable course of action. “To keep our sport alive, we must move towards digital tiddlywinks,” he sagely intoned. Regardless, the traditionalists in his organization’s ranks refused to budge. “We’ll go digital when they pry the chips from our cold, dead hands,” they chanted.
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
SE Washington power plant, carbon plans still in works – Developers of a proposed coal-fueled power plant may have sidelined their project for the time being, but they hope it will gain steam in the future (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2008/04/11/local_news/080410l1powerprojectcouldproc.txt
Franklin PUD announces temporary rate credit – Ed Brost has been named interim manager effective May 1 (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/153619.html
Puget Sound Energy & Avista – Some WA electric customers will get cheaper bills (Associated Press, via the Seattle Post Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_electric_bills.html
ColumbiaGrid Forms OASIS, Releases System Assessment (North American Wind Power)
http://www.nawindpower.com/naw/e107_plugins/content/content_lt.php?content.2085
Okanogan County PUD warns of scam seeking credit card numbers (Omak Chronicle)
http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n080410c.shtml
Ex-PacifiCorp CEO/BPA Administrator named 13th president of Marylhurst University – Judith A. Johansen, who has spent virtually her entire career in the energy business, is selected over two other finalists with more traditional academic backgrounds (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/education/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1207796140127610.xml&coll=7
Natural gas stored in underground Lewis County reservoir (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1333942~Natural_gas_stored_in_underground_Lewis_County_reservoir.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
New York – Gas Plant in Long Island Sound Is Rejected (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/nyregion/11broadwater.html?_r=1&ex=1365652800&en=12f4d89ae08b8c79&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Billions of Barrels of Oil May Lie Under Northern Plains (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/us/11oil.html?ex=1365652800&en=d32f4a70bef63e97&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
North Carolina – COMMISSIONERS VOTE TO SUPPORT STANLY COUNTY IN ALCOA DISPUTE – Cabarrus County commissioners this week voted to support neighboring Stanly County in opposing aluminum maker Alcoa's bid to renew its hydroelectric license for the Yadkin River. Stanly argues that Alcoa would pocket profits from electricity made on the Yadkin, about $8 million a year, without providing local jobs. The aluminum maker largely closed its Badin smelting plant, once powered by Yadkin dams, in 2002.Gov. Mike Easley on Friday asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to delay for one year issuing the license. Cabarrus County also lies in the Yadkin basin. Its commissioners adopted a resolution Monday that cites the need to protect water sources during a drought. (Charlotte Observer)
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Salmon 'emergency' spawns new limits – Unprecedented fishing restrictions follow collapse of Calif. Chinook run (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/358664_salmon11.html?source=rss
Sharp Curb on Salmon Season – Faced with the collapse of the fall Chinook salmon run in the Sacramento River, the Pacific Fishery Management Council voted Thursday to cancel all commercial salmon fishing this year from the California coast to north-central Oregon. (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/us/11salmon.html?ex=1365652800&en=5bd832df8cde98d2&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Deal with tribes could raise rates up to 4 percent, Bonneville says – Not all of the money will go to new fish-protection programs, the agency also says (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1207799709233020.xml&coll=7
Daily Astorian Editorial – Healthy river, ample fish – There may be more than one way of getting there
http://www.dailyastorian.info/main.asp?SectionID=23&SubSectionID=392&ArticleID=50452
Tri-City Herald Editorial – Salmon settlement likely a boon to sea lions
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/942/story/153268.html
Environmentalists: Agreements won’t save salmon – Deals reached with Idaho and Northwest tribes provide funding for habitat work (Idaho Mountain Express)
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005120247
Hastings, Baird seeking action on Endangered Salmon Predation Act – Say a federal lawsuit filed to block the killing of sea lions could unnecessarily cause "thousands upon thousands" of endangered salmon to be destroyed (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/152613.html
California – Indictment alleges steelhead poaching near resident’s private dam (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/11/BANS103RIJ.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea
SQUAXIN ISLAND TRIBE SEEKS MORE SCIENCE ON JOHNS CREEK; ASKS ECOLOGY TO STOP NEW WELLS – The Squaxin Island Tribe has filed a petition with the state Department of Ecology to stop all new water withdrawals, including permit-exempt wells, in the Johns Creek watershed. According to the Tribe's Chairman, Jim Peters, summer flows on Johns Creek are already below the minimum required by state rules to protect salmon spawning. "The responsible thing to do is for everyone to stop new water withdrawals and figure out what's really going on with the creek." Peters says the impact of over 270 exempt wells drilled in the last 25 years has never been quantified. The tribe is filing the notice under a provision of state law that closes a watershed from future withdrawals if not enough information is available to justify those withdrawals. Development of a groundwater model as proposed by the Tribe and the City of Shelton would have answered many of the questions surrounding Johns Creek, but funding for the model was denied by Ecology. The Tribe expects the Department of Ecology to respond to the petition within the 60-day period required by law. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Murray blasts Administration over lack of levee funding – Sen. Patty Murray sharply criticized the Bush administration Thursday for failing to ask for money for flood-control projects along the Chehalis River. She summoned U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials to explain why (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/332395.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
U.S. Senate approves renewable energy tax credit extension (Atlanta Business Chronicle)
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/04/07/daily80.html?ana=from_rss
Nevada – Prison’s $8.3 million wood-fired power plant a big loser: After 2-month shutdown, state will farm out operations (Las Vegas Sun)
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/apr/11/prisons-wood-fired-power-plant-big-loser/
Texas Study: Benefits of Wind Transmission Outweigh Costs (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52103&src=rss
United Technologies Power lands order for 110 geothermal plants (Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology)
http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2008/04/07/daily51.html?ana=from_rss
San Jose mayor urges solar companies to do free residential installations (Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2008/04/07/daily71.html?ana=from_rss
World Bank Chief: Biofuels Boosting Food Prices (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89545855&ft=1&f=3
CONSERVATION
Cut the electric bill without cutting the comfort (Medill Reports, Northwestern University)
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=85391
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Some Calif. utility customers targeted for $600M think tank bill – Customers of privately owned utilities in California will fund a $600 million think tank charged with fighting global warming, under a plan approved Thursday by the Public Utilities Commission (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/04/11/state/n055945D08.DTL&feed=rss.business
Tribes urged to prepare for possible federal carbon incentives (Indian Country Today)
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416971
Climate Change Brings Health Risks – A top government health official said Wednesday that climate change is expected to have a significant impact on health in the next few decades (The Associated Press, via the NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Climate-Health.html?ex=1365652800&en=8832fb2c3ef2fc57&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Google Data Centers Mapped (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/11/everything-you-want-to-know-about-googles-data-centers/
Fierce battle rages over Yahoo/Microsoft deal (San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/11/BUF7103GMT.DTL&feed=rss.business
Colorado – Post-Independent Editorial – Broadband issue deserves yes vote: Ballot issues will always tout the benefits for the future. Why else should voters be asked to support an issue if there aren’t benefits involved?
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20080411/VALLEYNEWS/859052598
Qwest plans high-speed fiber-optic network – Utah consumers interested in getting ultrahigh-speed Internet service may no longer have to wait for the financially struggling Utopia network to keep its promises (Salt Lake Tribune)
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_8871794
The End of Cheap Broadband (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/10/the-end-of-cheap-broadband/
Newsflash: Offer All You Can Eat and People Eat A Lot – ABI Research makes a not-so-startling discovery... (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Newsflash-Offer-All-You-Can-Eat-And-People-Eat-A-Lot-93494
Retailers Fined $3.9 million Over Labels for Analog TVs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/10/AR2008041003815.html?nav=rss_technology
The Top 10 Made Up Words of Web 3.0
http://darmano.typepad.com/logic_emotion/2008/04/the-top-10-made.html
GENERAL NEWS
Governor says we've all "been lied to" on Sonics (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sonics/2004341370_sonics11m.html?syndication=rss
"Major disaster" for bees may jeopardize Washington State’s crops (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004341374_bee11m.html?syndication=rss
La Nina Brings Cool Spring, Warm Summer (KIRO Radio, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=44526
Thurston County Planning fund empty – Money apparently spent in Futurewise dispute (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/southsound/story/415909.html
Wire thieves turn off Tacoma sign; DOT brings in generator (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/332409.html
DIVERSIONS
Lake Stevens teen's pregnancy hoax fools teachers, friends
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080411/NEWS01/64342894/-1/RSS01
Crayola Celebrates Colorful Milestone – Company Introduces 8 New 'Kids' Choice' Colors
http://www.kirotv.com/family/15843618/detail.html
Pope Bobblehead Video Rattles D.C. Archdiocese – Metro Pulls Video From YouTube
http://www.kirotv.com/travelgetaways/15845201/detail.html
NASA plans to test lunar truck near Moses Lake
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/04/10/news/news01.txt
Friday, April 11, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Energy News Digest for April 10, 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)
- Debate on PSE deal goes beyond foreign buyer – Effect on public is biggest concern
- UTC to vote Thursday on rate relief for PSE customers
- BPA refund means Prosser-area electric bills will decrease
- Ephrata resident Don Long announces candidacy for Grant County PUD Commission
- Preventing Power Outages One Tree at a Time
- Maryland – High-stakes energy debate hardly over
- New Jersey Energy trader guilty of fraud involving natural gas futures
- FERC Oversight Attacked
- Study Reveals Critical Industry Issues That Keep North American Energy Executives Up at Night
- Disagreement surfaces about $900M fish plan
- Idaho Announces Long-Term, $65 Million Fish Agreement with Bonneville Power Administration
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial Board – Wild Salmon: Let science rule
- Pacific Salmon Fishery Faces Limits, Closure
- Alaska Chinook allocation down by 48 percent
- Salmon limits won't affect Columbia
- Canada – Activists deem development a 'travesty' for salmon runs
- Mammoth snowpack generates encouraging outlook about region's water supply
- Critics Blast Water Truce in Central Washington
- Oregon Wine Country Towns Look To Willamette Drinking Water
- Bottlers, looking for water, meet resistance across U.S.
- US Senate expected to extend federal tax credits for solar project to 2016
- Florida baseball team buys carbon credits from Bonneville Environmental Foundation
- New York Wind Farm Buffets Family, Town Relations
- The push to electric cars will come with hidden costs
- The emergence of the smart meter
- Seattle Post Intelligencer Guest Columnist – Green jobs law an empty promise
- Secret deal: Canadian cars to follow Calif. pollution standards
- Washington State Internet law to improve access
- Port Ludlow merchants pitched idea of 'digital village'
- Verizon Sues Time Warner Cable Over Advertising
- Does the Internet Need More Roads or Better Traffic Signals?
- Shelton High School track in 'horrible' condition
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Coalesce • \koe-uh-LESS\ • verb – 1: to grow together 2a: to unite into a whole: fuse *b: to unite for a common end: join forces 3: to arise from the combination of distinct elements
The special interest lobbyists were displaying a wonderful springtime dance on the lawn in front of the capitol building. Their wheeling steps gently drew the different lines of the dark-suited men and women into one seething mass, which then coalesced into the shape of a dollar sign, reminiscent of a Busby Berkeley choreographed musical sequence. “Bravo,” breathed the congressional aid, who observed the activity from his perch atop the capitol dome.
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
Debate on PSE deal goes beyond foreign buyer – Effect on public is biggest concern (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/358441_pse10.html?source=rss
UTC to vote Thursday on rate relief for PSE customers (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/414359.html
BPA refund means Prosser-area electric bills will decrease (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/3055
Ephrata resident Don Long announces candidacy for Grant County PUD Commission (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/04/09/news/news05.txt
Preventing Power Outages One Tree at a Time (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8144725
Maryland – High-stakes energy debate hardly over: Key issues remain unsettled (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Industry Publications)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CjlplmrlRSmkt9K%22bfen%5Fv
New Jersey Energy trader guilty of fraud involving natural gas futures (The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/business/news/17412884.html
FERC Oversight Attacked – A government watchdog agency is attacking federal energy regulators, saying that that they are not properly monitoring the convergence among electric and gas utilities (EnergyBiz Insider, via Power Marketers Industry Publications)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8kowu%5D%5CjlqqstrXSmkt9K%22bfen%5Fv
News Release – Study Reveals Critical Industry Issues That Keep North American Energy Executives Up at Night (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=87150
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Disagreement surfaces about $900M fish plan – "…The interests of the environmental plaintiffs are narrow, and their objective seems to be singular — focused on Snake River dam breaching. The tribes go well beyond extinction issues. We want healthy, viable populations of all stocks — listed or unlisted — across the [Columbia River] basin," including unlisted salmon, steelhead and lamprey…” (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004338997_bpatribes10m.html?syndication=rss
Idaho Announces Long-Term Agreement with Bonneville Power Administration – 10-year $65 million funding today to enhance fish recovery projects in Idaho (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls)
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=8143850&nav=menu554_2_2
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial Board – Wild Salmon: Let science rule
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/358415_salmoned.html?source=rss
Pacific Salmon Fishery Faces Limits, Closure (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89521887&ft=1&f=3
Alaska Chinook allocation down by 48 percent (Juneau Empire)
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/041008/loc_267164185.shtml
Salmon limits won't affect Columbia (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/3066
Canada – Activists deem development a 'travesty' for salmon runs – Adams River condo and marina proposal will destroy fish habitat, environmentalists say (The Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080410.wbcmarina10/BNStory/National/home
Mammoth snowpack generates encouraging outlook about region's water supply (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004338916_snowpack10m.html
Critics Blast Water Truce in Central Washington (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3762
Oregon Wine Country Towns Look To Willamette Drinking Water – water is starting to get increasingly tight across western Oregon, as well, particularly in wine country (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/water-wars-brewing-oregons-wine-country/
Bottlers, looking for water, meet resistance across U.S. (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004338809_waterbottling10.html?syndication=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
US Senate expected to extend federal tax credits for solar project to 2016 (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/04/07/daily30.html?ana=from_rss
Florida baseball team buys carbon credits from Bonneville Environmental Foundation (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2008/04/07/daily42.html?ana=from_rss
New York Wind Farm Buffets Family, Town Relations (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89432191&ft=1&f=2
The push to electric cars will come with hidden costs – A large-scale switch from gas to electricity would require new sources of power for the provincial grid. (The Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=99e1c72d-cd35-4812-b034-62f52c14d127
CONSERVATION
The emergence of the smart meter (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8874601?source=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Seattle Post Intelligencer Guest Columnist – Green jobs law an empty promise
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/358407_climate10.html?source=rss
Secret deal: Canadian cars to follow Calif. pollution standards (Canwest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=613b44ae-832c-4cf3-9215-7d81f57eda96&k=14444
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Washington State Internet law to improve access – Internet Deployment and Adoption Initiative brings hope that one day fast, affordable Internet access may span the state (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2008/04/04102008_Internet-law-to-improve-access.cfm/
Port Ludlow merchants pitched idea of 'digital village' – Peninsula Daily News
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080410/NEWS/804100305
Verizon Sues Time Warner Cable – what is a “fiber network?) – Verizon is seeking a restraining order to prevent Time Warner from running its supposedly defamatory ads, unspecified monetary damages, and an order requiring it to retract its previous claims (Light Reading)
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=150783&site=cdn&f_src=lightreading_gnews
Does the Internet Need More Roads or Better Traffic Signals? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/10/does-the-internet-need-more-roads-or-better-traffic-signals/
GENERAL NEWS
Shelton High School track in 'horrible' condition (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/143/story/414989.html
DIVERSIONS
Dry cleaner gives same-day steam cleaning service to thieves – while their clothes were still on them!
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0944801020080409?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Big, Black Dogs May Scare Away Adopters – Stereotypes May Keep Fine Dogs In Shelters
http://www.kirotv.com/family/15843868/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible
Car wash finds $500,000 diamond pendant
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1050973720080410?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Beer-sipping clients have taxes done in a bar
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1034276220080410?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Debate on PSE deal goes beyond foreign buyer – Effect on public is biggest concern
- UTC to vote Thursday on rate relief for PSE customers
- BPA refund means Prosser-area electric bills will decrease
- Ephrata resident Don Long announces candidacy for Grant County PUD Commission
- Preventing Power Outages One Tree at a Time
- Maryland – High-stakes energy debate hardly over
- New Jersey Energy trader guilty of fraud involving natural gas futures
- FERC Oversight Attacked
- Study Reveals Critical Industry Issues That Keep North American Energy Executives Up at Night
- Disagreement surfaces about $900M fish plan
- Idaho Announces Long-Term, $65 Million Fish Agreement with Bonneville Power Administration
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial Board – Wild Salmon: Let science rule
- Pacific Salmon Fishery Faces Limits, Closure
- Alaska Chinook allocation down by 48 percent
- Salmon limits won't affect Columbia
- Canada – Activists deem development a 'travesty' for salmon runs
- Mammoth snowpack generates encouraging outlook about region's water supply
- Critics Blast Water Truce in Central Washington
- Oregon Wine Country Towns Look To Willamette Drinking Water
- Bottlers, looking for water, meet resistance across U.S.
- US Senate expected to extend federal tax credits for solar project to 2016
- Florida baseball team buys carbon credits from Bonneville Environmental Foundation
- New York Wind Farm Buffets Family, Town Relations
- The push to electric cars will come with hidden costs
- The emergence of the smart meter
- Seattle Post Intelligencer Guest Columnist – Green jobs law an empty promise
- Secret deal: Canadian cars to follow Calif. pollution standards
- Washington State Internet law to improve access
- Port Ludlow merchants pitched idea of 'digital village'
- Verizon Sues Time Warner Cable Over Advertising
- Does the Internet Need More Roads or Better Traffic Signals?
- Shelton High School track in 'horrible' condition
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Coalesce • \koe-uh-LESS\ • verb – 1: to grow together 2a: to unite into a whole: fuse *b: to unite for a common end: join forces 3: to arise from the combination of distinct elements
The special interest lobbyists were displaying a wonderful springtime dance on the lawn in front of the capitol building. Their wheeling steps gently drew the different lines of the dark-suited men and women into one seething mass, which then coalesced into the shape of a dollar sign, reminiscent of a Busby Berkeley choreographed musical sequence. “Bravo,” breathed the congressional aid, who observed the activity from his perch atop the capitol dome.
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
Debate on PSE deal goes beyond foreign buyer – Effect on public is biggest concern (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/358441_pse10.html?source=rss
UTC to vote Thursday on rate relief for PSE customers (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/breakingnews/story/414359.html
BPA refund means Prosser-area electric bills will decrease (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/3055
Ephrata resident Don Long announces candidacy for Grant County PUD Commission (Columbia Basin Herald)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2008/04/09/news/news05.txt
Preventing Power Outages One Tree at a Time (KNDO-TV, Tri-Cities)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=8144725
Maryland – High-stakes energy debate hardly over: Key issues remain unsettled (McClatchy Tribune Business News, via Power Marketers Industry Publications)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8knpp%5E%5CjlplmrlRSmkt9K%22bfen%5Fv
New Jersey Energy trader guilty of fraud involving natural gas futures (The Record)
http://www.northjersey.com/business/news/17412884.html
FERC Oversight Attacked – A government watchdog agency is attacking federal energy regulators, saying that that they are not properly monitoring the convergence among electric and gas utilities (EnergyBiz Insider, via Power Marketers Industry Publications)
http://powermarketers.netcontentinc.net/newsreader.asp?ppa=8kowu%5D%5CjlqqstrXSmkt9K%22bfen%5Fv
News Release – Study Reveals Critical Industry Issues That Keep North American Energy Executives Up at Night (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=87150
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Disagreement surfaces about $900M fish plan – "…The interests of the environmental plaintiffs are narrow, and their objective seems to be singular — focused on Snake River dam breaching. The tribes go well beyond extinction issues. We want healthy, viable populations of all stocks — listed or unlisted — across the [Columbia River] basin," including unlisted salmon, steelhead and lamprey…” (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004338997_bpatribes10m.html?syndication=rss
Idaho Announces Long-Term Agreement with Bonneville Power Administration – 10-year $65 million funding today to enhance fish recovery projects in Idaho (KIFI-TV, Idaho Falls)
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=8143850&nav=menu554_2_2
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Editorial Board – Wild Salmon: Let science rule
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/358415_salmoned.html?source=rss
Pacific Salmon Fishery Faces Limits, Closure (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89521887&ft=1&f=3
Alaska Chinook allocation down by 48 percent (Juneau Empire)
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/041008/loc_267164185.shtml
Salmon limits won't affect Columbia (Yakima Herald-Republic)
http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/3066
Canada – Activists deem development a 'travesty' for salmon runs – Adams River condo and marina proposal will destroy fish habitat, environmentalists say (The Globe and Mail)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080410.wbcmarina10/BNStory/National/home
Mammoth snowpack generates encouraging outlook about region's water supply (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004338916_snowpack10m.html
Critics Blast Water Truce in Central Washington (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3762
Oregon Wine Country Towns Look To Willamette Drinking Water – water is starting to get increasingly tight across western Oregon, as well, particularly in wine country (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/water-wars-brewing-oregons-wine-country/
Bottlers, looking for water, meet resistance across U.S. (Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004338809_waterbottling10.html?syndication=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
US Senate expected to extend federal tax credits for solar project to 2016 (Portland Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2008/04/07/daily30.html?ana=from_rss
Florida baseball team buys carbon credits from Bonneville Environmental Foundation (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2008/04/07/daily42.html?ana=from_rss
New York Wind Farm Buffets Family, Town Relations (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89432191&ft=1&f=2
The push to electric cars will come with hidden costs – A large-scale switch from gas to electricity would require new sources of power for the provincial grid. (The Vancouver Sun)
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/editorial/story.html?id=99e1c72d-cd35-4812-b034-62f52c14d127
CONSERVATION
The emergence of the smart meter (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8874601?source=rss
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Seattle Post Intelligencer Guest Columnist – Green jobs law an empty promise
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/358407_climate10.html?source=rss
Secret deal: Canadian cars to follow Calif. pollution standards (Canwest News Service)
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=613b44ae-832c-4cf3-9215-7d81f57eda96&k=14444
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Washington State Internet law to improve access – Internet Deployment and Adoption Initiative brings hope that one day fast, affordable Internet access may span the state (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2008/04/04102008_Internet-law-to-improve-access.cfm/
Port Ludlow merchants pitched idea of 'digital village' – Peninsula Daily News
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20080410/NEWS/804100305
Verizon Sues Time Warner Cable – what is a “fiber network?) – Verizon is seeking a restraining order to prevent Time Warner from running its supposedly defamatory ads, unspecified monetary damages, and an order requiring it to retract its previous claims (Light Reading)
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=150783&site=cdn&f_src=lightreading_gnews
Does the Internet Need More Roads or Better Traffic Signals? (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/10/does-the-internet-need-more-roads-or-better-traffic-signals/
GENERAL NEWS
Shelton High School track in 'horrible' condition (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/143/story/414989.html
DIVERSIONS
Dry cleaner gives same-day steam cleaning service to thieves – while their clothes were still on them!
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0944801020080409?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Big, Black Dogs May Scare Away Adopters – Stereotypes May Keep Fine Dogs In Shelters
http://www.kirotv.com/family/15843868/detail.html?rss=sea&psp=irresistible
Car wash finds $500,000 diamond pendant
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSL1050973720080410?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Beer-sipping clients have taxes done in a bar
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1034276220080410?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Energy News Digest for April 9, 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)
- Lakeview Light shares $1 million BPA refund with customers
- Cowlitz PUD to offer bill credits as part of settlement
- POWER: Benton PUD mulls temporary rate relief
- Portland General Electric customers to see rates decrease
- Clark Public Utilities affirms end to repair work
- Uh Oh – Breaking into a power station in three easy steps
- San Diego Gas & Electric defends power transmission line as hearings begin
- West Virginia – Vast Power Line Project Irks Monastery and More
- Utah – Utility to ask for another rate hike
- Deal reached for Georgia Power nuclear reactors
- Business consultant: U.S. should embrace nuclear power
- United Kingdom – Energy regulator launches probe into Scottish suppliers
- United Kingdom – Sales team suspended for dodgy practices
- Funding for hatchery included in $900 million fish agreement
- Seattle Times Editorial – Salmon recovery: working in unison
- News Tribune Editorial – Dam breaching or not, fish recovery will be pricey
- Restrictions tightening on Columbia – Snake River dams again in cross hairs
- Pacific Coast salmon fishing will be all but off-limits this summer
- Wild salmon at $40 a pound? Blame the sharply curtailed harvests in Oregon, California
- Scientists Hope to Breathe New Life Into Study of Hood Canal Oxygen Problem
- Tenino Gets Pumped for New Sewer System
- NW Power Providers Join Resources to Speed Up Energy Project Siting Process
- An ocean of energy: A Thousand Oaks company wants to harvest wave power
- On the Irish Coast, Reconsidering Energy From the Town Up
- Solar balloons to power remote areas?
- Missouri – Energy activists want wind, sun, trash
- Standard Biodiesel turns frying-pan grease into fuel
- Can You Afford -Not to Save Energy?
- Smart grid investment heats up
- White House hopefuls woo Gore; focus on climate
- News Release – Fiber To The Home Connections Jump To Nearly Three Million
- Study Gives High Marks to U.S. Internet
- Vermont – Board nixes network funding
- Mideast Cable Cut Culprits Caught?
- Five Second Movie Downloads
- Energy Department says gas prices could peak at $4 a gallon this spring
- Truckers plan to protest diesel prices at Chehalis
- Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct on top 10 list for dangerous structures
- Spokane residents slogging through second snowiest winter
- House Staffers Livid Over Web Site – Financial Information Being Posted Is Too Personal
- Lake Tahoe resident could face prison over tree removal
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Stygian • \STIJ-ee-un\ • adjective – 1: of or relating to the river Styx 2: extremely dark, gloomy, or forbidding
“You want me to find you some trinkets to give away at your event?” queried Joel. He took a gulp and slowly trod to the storage room off his office. The stygian gloom that met him as the door creaked open was enhanced, not lessened by the feeble lighting that came from the one insufficient compact fluorescent light bulb in the far corner of the room.
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
Lakeview Light shares $1 million BPA refund with customers (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/330370.html
Cowlitz PUD to offer bill credits as part of settlement (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/04/09//area_news/doc47fc16102b5dd222920524.txt
POWER: Benton PUD mulls temporary rate relief (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/150500.html
Portland General Electric customers to see rates decrease – Ordered to accept small farm and residential exchange agreement (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1207713364113800.xml&coll=7
Clark Public Utilities affirms end to repair work (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2008/04/04092008_Utility-affirms-end-to-repair-work.cfm/
Uh Oh – Breaking into a power station in three easy steps – "I will tell (you) how to break into a nuclear reactor," Ira Winkler, president of security firm ISAG said as he launched into his presentation on "How to Take Down the Power Grid" at RSA 2008 on Tuesday night (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9914896-7.html?tag=nl.e703
San Diego Gas & Electric defends power transmission line as hearings begin (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/04/07/state/n200428D56.DTL&feed=rss.business
West Virginia – Vast Power Line Project Irks Monastery and More (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/us/09powerline.html?_r=1&ex=1365480000&en=bdc342a672970b74&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Utah – Utility to ask for another rate hike – Rocky Mountain was forced to scale back its last increase request (Salt Lake Tribune)
http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_8846457
Deal reached for Georgia Power nuclear reactors (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
http://www.ajc.com/search/content/business/stories/2008/04/08/nuke_0409.html
Business consultant: U.S. should embrace nuclear power (Jacksonville Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/04/07/daily9.html?ana=from_rss
United Kingdom – Energy regulator launches probe into Scottish suppliers (Power Engineering)
http://pepei.pennnet.com/display_article/325254/6/ARTCL/Display/none/1/UK-energy-regulator-launches-probe-into-Scottish-suppliers/
United Kingdom – Sales team suspended for dodgy practices (Worcester News)
http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/display.var.2177948.0.sales_team_suspended_for_dodgy_practices.php
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Funding for hatchery included in $900 million fish agreement (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080408/NEWS04/580307889
Seattle Times Editorial – Salmon recovery: working in unison – Four tribes and three federal agencies use the word historic to describe their 10-year, $900 million agreement on how to proceed with Columbia River salmon restoration
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004335610_tribed09.html?syndication=rss
News Tribune Editorial – Dam breaching or not, fish recovery will be pricey “…it does represent progress, because it does two things: It implicitly recognizes that four controversial dams on the Snake River are not going away anytime soon, and it spends ratepayer money on action instead of lawyers…”
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/330430.html
Restrictions tightening on Columbia – Snake River dams again in cross hairs (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/358286_columbia09.html
Pacific Coast salmon fishing will be all but off-limits this summer – With Sacramento River Chinook stocks failing, Oregon fishing interests face near-total season closures (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/120771153663650.xml&coll=7
Wild salmon at $40 a pound? Blame the sharply curtailed harvests in Oregon, California (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/358287_salmon09.html?source=rss
Scientists Hope to Breathe New Life Into Study of Hood Canal Oxygen Problem (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/apr/08/researchers-hone-in-on-hood-canal-problems/
Tenino Gets Pumped for New Sewer System – Officials Break Ground in Ceremonial Kickoff for Wastewater Treatment Facility and Sewage System (The Chronicle, Centralia)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1207676451&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
NW Power Providers Join Resources to Speed Up Energy Project Siting Process – Utilities have been rushing to site power projects after the recent passage of renewable energy standards in Oregon and Washington. But a pile-up of transmission requests has led to delays in siting and construction of new projects (RedOrbit)
http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1333649/nw_power_providers_join_resources_to_speed_up_energy_project/
An ocean of energy: A Thousand Oaks company wants to harvest wave power (San Louis Obispo Tribune)
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/327403.html
On the Irish Coast, Reconsidering Energy From the Town Up (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/technology/techspecial/09town.html?ex=1365480000&en=b4e5117cc203c2cb&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Solar balloons to power remote areas? (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL03913641
Missouri – Energy activists want wind, sun, trash (Southside Journal)
http://southsidejournal.stltoday.com/articles/2008/04/08/news/sj2tn20080408-0409hil-renew0.ii1.txt
Standard Biodiesel turns frying-pan grease into fuel (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004336049_standardbiodiesel09.html?syndication=rss
CONSERVATION
Can You Afford -Not to Save Energy? The economic benefits of alternative energy. (Mother Earth News)
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natural-Health/1984-07-01/Can-You-Afford-Not-To-Save-Energy.aspx
Smart grid investment heats up – A handful of smart grid start-ups have announced expansion funding (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9914265-54.html?tag=nl.e433
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
White House hopefuls woo Gore, focus on climate (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0843090920080409?feedType=nl&feedName=ustopnewsearly
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
News Release – Fiber To The Home Connections Jump To Nearly Three Million As Next-Generation Broadband Deployment Continues (Fiber to the Home Council)
http://www.ftthcouncil.org/?t=284
Study Gives High Marks to U.S. Internet – Contradicting earlier studies, conventional wisdom and politicians’ rhetoric, European researchers say that the Internet infrastructure of the United States is one of the world’s best and getting better (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/technology/09internet.html?ex=1365480000&en=f1375bbc49332b03&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Vermont – Board nixes network funding – A plan to build a multimillion-dollar fiber optic network and hub in Rutland received a major blow on Monday (Rutland Herald)
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080409/NEWS01/804090390
Mideast Cable Cut Culprits Caught? Authorities have impounded two ships believed to be responsible for damage to undersea cables (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/08/cable-cut-culprits-caught/
Five Second Movie Downloads (Audioholics Online)
http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/5-second-movie-downloads?date=090620080407
GENERAL NEWS
Energy Department says gas prices could peak at $4 a gallon this spring (Associated Press, via San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8851391?source=rss
Truckers plan to protest diesel prices at Chehalis (KELA Radio, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1329373~Truckers_plan_to_protest_diesel_prices_at_Chehalis.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct on top 10 list for dangerous structures (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_040908WAB_viaduct_danger_list_SW.489f334c.html
Spokane residents slogging through second snowiest winter (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04092008news302158.cfm
House Staffers Livid Over Web Site – Financial Information Being Posted Is Too Personal, Aides Say (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/08/AR2008040803034.html?nav=rss_technology
Lake Tahoe resident could face prison over tree removal – Environmental cops at Lake Tahoe say Patricia Vincent deserves a prison sentence and a huge fine (Sacramento Bee, may require free registration)
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/847682.html
DIVERSIONS
Seattle Tree house Man has Ten Days to Get Out
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=43806
Cow pie tossing, milk chugging highlight Ag Olympics
http://www.examiner.com/a-1328243~Cow_pie_tossing__milk_chugging_highlight_Ag_Olympics.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines
Postal Workers Attacked by Wild Turkeys
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004333085_apoddpostalturkeys.html?syndication=rss
The physics of baseball – a primer on why the curveball--one of the most important pitches in baseball—curves
http://www.news.com/8301-13772_3-9914179-52.html?tag=nl.e703
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Lakeview Light shares $1 million BPA refund with customers
- Cowlitz PUD to offer bill credits as part of settlement
- POWER: Benton PUD mulls temporary rate relief
- Portland General Electric customers to see rates decrease
- Clark Public Utilities affirms end to repair work
- Uh Oh – Breaking into a power station in three easy steps
- San Diego Gas & Electric defends power transmission line as hearings begin
- West Virginia – Vast Power Line Project Irks Monastery and More
- Utah – Utility to ask for another rate hike
- Deal reached for Georgia Power nuclear reactors
- Business consultant: U.S. should embrace nuclear power
- United Kingdom – Energy regulator launches probe into Scottish suppliers
- United Kingdom – Sales team suspended for dodgy practices
- Funding for hatchery included in $900 million fish agreement
- Seattle Times Editorial – Salmon recovery: working in unison
- News Tribune Editorial – Dam breaching or not, fish recovery will be pricey
- Restrictions tightening on Columbia – Snake River dams again in cross hairs
- Pacific Coast salmon fishing will be all but off-limits this summer
- Wild salmon at $40 a pound? Blame the sharply curtailed harvests in Oregon, California
- Scientists Hope to Breathe New Life Into Study of Hood Canal Oxygen Problem
- Tenino Gets Pumped for New Sewer System
- NW Power Providers Join Resources to Speed Up Energy Project Siting Process
- An ocean of energy: A Thousand Oaks company wants to harvest wave power
- On the Irish Coast, Reconsidering Energy From the Town Up
- Solar balloons to power remote areas?
- Missouri – Energy activists want wind, sun, trash
- Standard Biodiesel turns frying-pan grease into fuel
- Can You Afford -Not to Save Energy?
- Smart grid investment heats up
- White House hopefuls woo Gore; focus on climate
- News Release – Fiber To The Home Connections Jump To Nearly Three Million
- Study Gives High Marks to U.S. Internet
- Vermont – Board nixes network funding
- Mideast Cable Cut Culprits Caught?
- Five Second Movie Downloads
- Energy Department says gas prices could peak at $4 a gallon this spring
- Truckers plan to protest diesel prices at Chehalis
- Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct on top 10 list for dangerous structures
- Spokane residents slogging through second snowiest winter
- House Staffers Livid Over Web Site – Financial Information Being Posted Is Too Personal
- Lake Tahoe resident could face prison over tree removal
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Stygian • \STIJ-ee-un\ • adjective – 1: of or relating to the river Styx 2: extremely dark, gloomy, or forbidding
“You want me to find you some trinkets to give away at your event?” queried Joel. He took a gulp and slowly trod to the storage room off his office. The stygian gloom that met him as the door creaked open was enhanced, not lessened by the feeble lighting that came from the one insufficient compact fluorescent light bulb in the far corner of the room.
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
Lakeview Light shares $1 million BPA refund with customers (The News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/330370.html
Cowlitz PUD to offer bill credits as part of settlement (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/04/09//area_news/doc47fc16102b5dd222920524.txt
POWER: Benton PUD mulls temporary rate relief (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/150500.html
Portland General Electric customers to see rates decrease – Ordered to accept small farm and residential exchange agreement (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1207713364113800.xml&coll=7
Clark Public Utilities affirms end to repair work (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/business/businessNews/2008/04/04092008_Utility-affirms-end-to-repair-work.cfm/
Uh Oh – Breaking into a power station in three easy steps – "I will tell (you) how to break into a nuclear reactor," Ira Winkler, president of security firm ISAG said as he launched into his presentation on "How to Take Down the Power Grid" at RSA 2008 on Tuesday night (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9914896-7.html?tag=nl.e703
San Diego Gas & Electric defends power transmission line as hearings begin (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/04/07/state/n200428D56.DTL&feed=rss.business
West Virginia – Vast Power Line Project Irks Monastery and More (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/us/09powerline.html?_r=1&ex=1365480000&en=bdc342a672970b74&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Utah – Utility to ask for another rate hike – Rocky Mountain was forced to scale back its last increase request (Salt Lake Tribune)
http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_8846457
Deal reached for Georgia Power nuclear reactors (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
http://www.ajc.com/search/content/business/stories/2008/04/08/nuke_0409.html
Business consultant: U.S. should embrace nuclear power (Jacksonville Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2008/04/07/daily9.html?ana=from_rss
United Kingdom – Energy regulator launches probe into Scottish suppliers (Power Engineering)
http://pepei.pennnet.com/display_article/325254/6/ARTCL/Display/none/1/UK-energy-regulator-launches-probe-into-Scottish-suppliers/
United Kingdom – Sales team suspended for dodgy practices (Worcester News)
http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/display.var.2177948.0.sales_team_suspended_for_dodgy_practices.php
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Funding for hatchery included in $900 million fish agreement (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080408/NEWS04/580307889
Seattle Times Editorial – Salmon recovery: working in unison – Four tribes and three federal agencies use the word historic to describe their 10-year, $900 million agreement on how to proceed with Columbia River salmon restoration
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004335610_tribed09.html?syndication=rss
News Tribune Editorial – Dam breaching or not, fish recovery will be pricey “…it does represent progress, because it does two things: It implicitly recognizes that four controversial dams on the Snake River are not going away anytime soon, and it spends ratepayer money on action instead of lawyers…”
http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/story/330430.html
Restrictions tightening on Columbia – Snake River dams again in cross hairs (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/358286_columbia09.html
Pacific Coast salmon fishing will be all but off-limits this summer – With Sacramento River Chinook stocks failing, Oregon fishing interests face near-total season closures (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/120771153663650.xml&coll=7
Wild salmon at $40 a pound? Blame the sharply curtailed harvests in Oregon, California (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/358287_salmon09.html?source=rss
Scientists Hope to Breathe New Life Into Study of Hood Canal Oxygen Problem (Kitsap Sun, may require free registration)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/apr/08/researchers-hone-in-on-hood-canal-problems/
Tenino Gets Pumped for New Sewer System – Officials Break Ground in Ceremonial Kickoff for Wastewater Treatment Facility and Sewage System (The Chronicle, Centralia)
http://www.chronline.com/story.php?subaction=showfull&id=1207676451&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
NW Power Providers Join Resources to Speed Up Energy Project Siting Process – Utilities have been rushing to site power projects after the recent passage of renewable energy standards in Oregon and Washington. But a pile-up of transmission requests has led to delays in siting and construction of new projects (RedOrbit)
http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1333649/nw_power_providers_join_resources_to_speed_up_energy_project/
An ocean of energy: A Thousand Oaks company wants to harvest wave power (San Louis Obispo Tribune)
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/327403.html
On the Irish Coast, Reconsidering Energy From the Town Up (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/technology/techspecial/09town.html?ex=1365480000&en=b4e5117cc203c2cb&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Solar balloons to power remote areas? (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL03913641
Missouri – Energy activists want wind, sun, trash (Southside Journal)
http://southsidejournal.stltoday.com/articles/2008/04/08/news/sj2tn20080408-0409hil-renew0.ii1.txt
Standard Biodiesel turns frying-pan grease into fuel (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2004336049_standardbiodiesel09.html?syndication=rss
CONSERVATION
Can You Afford -Not to Save Energy? The economic benefits of alternative energy. (Mother Earth News)
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natural-Health/1984-07-01/Can-You-Afford-Not-To-Save-Energy.aspx
Smart grid investment heats up – A handful of smart grid start-ups have announced expansion funding (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9914265-54.html?tag=nl.e433
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
White House hopefuls woo Gore, focus on climate (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0843090920080409?feedType=nl&feedName=ustopnewsearly
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
News Release – Fiber To The Home Connections Jump To Nearly Three Million As Next-Generation Broadband Deployment Continues (Fiber to the Home Council)
http://www.ftthcouncil.org/?t=284
Study Gives High Marks to U.S. Internet – Contradicting earlier studies, conventional wisdom and politicians’ rhetoric, European researchers say that the Internet infrastructure of the United States is one of the world’s best and getting better (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/technology/09internet.html?ex=1365480000&en=f1375bbc49332b03&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Vermont – Board nixes network funding – A plan to build a multimillion-dollar fiber optic network and hub in Rutland received a major blow on Monday (Rutland Herald)
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080409/NEWS01/804090390
Mideast Cable Cut Culprits Caught? Authorities have impounded two ships believed to be responsible for damage to undersea cables (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/08/cable-cut-culprits-caught/
Five Second Movie Downloads (Audioholics Online)
http://www.audioholics.com/news/industry-news/5-second-movie-downloads?date=090620080407
GENERAL NEWS
Energy Department says gas prices could peak at $4 a gallon this spring (Associated Press, via San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8851391?source=rss
Truckers plan to protest diesel prices at Chehalis (KELA Radio, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1329373~Truckers_plan_to_protest_diesel_prices_at_Chehalis.html?cid=rss-Washington_Headlines
Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct on top 10 list for dangerous structures (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_040908WAB_viaduct_danger_list_SW.489f334c.html
Spokane residents slogging through second snowiest winter (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04092008news302158.cfm
House Staffers Livid Over Web Site – Financial Information Being Posted Is Too Personal, Aides Say (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/08/AR2008040803034.html?nav=rss_technology
Lake Tahoe resident could face prison over tree removal – Environmental cops at Lake Tahoe say Patricia Vincent deserves a prison sentence and a huge fine (Sacramento Bee, may require free registration)
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/847682.html
DIVERSIONS
Seattle Tree house Man has Ten Days to Get Out
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=43806
Cow pie tossing, milk chugging highlight Ag Olympics
http://www.examiner.com/a-1328243~Cow_pie_tossing__milk_chugging_highlight_Ag_Olympics.html?cid=rss-Idaho_Headlines
Postal Workers Attacked by Wild Turkeys
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004333085_apoddpostalturkeys.html?syndication=rss
The physics of baseball – a primer on why the curveball--one of the most important pitches in baseball—curves
http://www.news.com/8301-13772_3-9914179-52.html?tag=nl.e703
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Energy News Digest for April 8, 2008 - the 180,000 fin edition
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)
- Rising prices affect power distributors, heavy energy users
- Alcoa’s Profit Drops 54% on Energy Costs and a Soft Dollar
- Montana – Gregori believes Highwood Station will get funding
- NY Times Op-Ed Contributor – How Big Sky Went Dark
- U.S. Senators Introduce Bill To Allow States Final Say on LNG
- Tribes seal $900 million deal – Yakama, Colville, Umatilla and Warm Springs tribes agree to back federal dam-operation plans for 10 years
- Feds, tribes strike deal on dams, fish
- Deal Gives Money to Tribes to Drop Role in Fish Lawsuits
- 4 tribes agree to settlement on restoring salmon runs
- Deal Reached over Protection of Salmon
- Effort to Save Salmon Silenced For A Billion Dollars – Tribal Commission Agrees To Back Off Dam Operators
- Tri-City Herald Opinion – Proposed deal in lawsuit best for salmon recovery
- Scientists, Anglers Anxiously Await Columbia Salmon
- Gillnet scheduled for Tuesday – State officials have adopted a 16-hour commercial fishing period
- Washington State issues Spokane River dam guidelines
- Two Makah tribal members convicted in rogue whale hunt
- Expert foresees 10 more years of R&D to make solar energy competitive
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District & Woodside Homes to Build 1,400 Solar Homes
- The Growth in 'Green-Collar' Jobs
- NY Times Editorial – California Feuding
- Streetlight upgrade could produce savings
- Oregon governor says cap-and-trade draft by next month
- The Role of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap-and-Trade Program
- Tacoma committee ready to show ideas for greener city
- How to Apologize to Your Girlfriend…Without destroying the Earth
- We Want Broadband -- Provided It's Aesthetically Pleasing – And if you could make it so nothing explodes?
- Utility box clamor – AT&T, Comcast upgrades causing disruption, leaving eyesores
- Tech firms eye unused airwaves for Internet, face static from broadcasters over interference
- What Cloud Computing Really Means
- IBM uses plumbing, water coolers to chill supercomputer
- Thieves of identity data offering sales discounts
- City Of Shelton Moving Forward With Budget Cuts
- City Of Shelton to Ask Voters For Max Tax For Streets
- Tennessee – Copper theft from phone lines spurs $2,500 reward
- In U.S., Metal Theft Plagues Troubled Neighborhoods
- As Price of Lead Soars, British Churches Find Holes in Roof
- Green recycling offered in post office
- Will protests snuff out torch relay?
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Arcadia • \ar-KAY-dee-uh\ • noun – A region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet
Halfway through the news conference, Abercrombie leaned back in his chair, took a deep sigh and escaped to his “happy place.” Veracious journalists continued to pepper him with pointed questions, but all he heard was the buzzing of big, fluffy bumblebees, flitting from flower to flower in his Arcadian retreat. Five hours later he snapped out of his reverie, in an empty, darkened conference room.
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
Rising prices affect power distributors, heavy energy users (Chattanooga Times/Free Press, via Utility Products)
http://www.utilityproducts.com/display_news/160086/129/none/Rising_prices_affect_power_distributors,_heavy_energy_users
Alcoa’s Profit Drops 54% on Energy Costs and a Soft Dollar (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/business/08alcoa.html?ex=1365393600&en=efa9eba643ba383c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Montana – Gregori believes Highwood Station will get funding – Rising costs and attempts to obtain financing are challenges for the proposed coal-fired Highwood Generating Station (Great Falls Tribune)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080408/NEWS01/804080316/1002
NY Times Op-Ed Contributor – How Big Sky Went Dark (deregulation and its impacts in Montana)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/opinion/06mcnamer.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
U.S. Senators Introduce Bill To Allow States Final Say on LNG (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/us-senators-introduce-bill-allow-states-final-say-lng/
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Tribes seal $900 million deal – Yakama, Colville, Umatilla and Warm Springs tribes agree to back federal dam-operation plans for 10 years (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/12076269247530.xml&coll=7
Feds, tribes strike deal on dams, fish (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/149955.html
Deal Gives Money to Tribes to Drop Role in Fish Lawsuits (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/us/08dams.html?ex=1208318400&en=14f4603d7f69a67c&ei=5070&emc=eta1
4 tribes agree to settlement on restoring salmon runs (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004334007_columbia08m.html?syndication=rss
Deal Reached over Protection of Salmon (Seattle Post Intelligencer’s Reporter Blog, includes discussion of SOWS backpedaling over “buy off” comment)
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/environment/archives/135973.asp
Effort to Save Salmon Silenced For A Billion Dollars – Tribal Commission Agrees To Back Off Dam Operators (The New West)
http://www.newwest.net/city/article/effort_to_save_salmon_silenced_for_a_billion_dollars/C509/L509/
Tri-City Herald Opinion – Proposed deal in lawsuit best for salmon recovery
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/149956.html
Scientists, Anglers Anxiously Await Columbia Salmon (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3756
Gillnet scheduled for Tuesday – State officials have adopted a 16-hour commercial fishing period on Tuesday for spring Chinook salmon in the Columbia River (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/sports/localNews/2008/04/04072008_Gillnet-scheduled-for-Tuesday.cfm
Washington State issues Spokane River dam guidelines (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04082008news301809.cfm
Two Makah tribal members convicted in rogue whale hunt (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_040708WAB_makah_whale_hunt_guilty_TP.40337542.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Expert foresees 10 more years of R&D to make solar energy competitive (Environmental News Network)
http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/34318
Sacramento Municipal Utility District & Woodside Homes to Build 1,400 Solar Homes (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52109&src=rss
The Growth in 'Green-Collar' Jobs – Even in a shaky economy, there are expanding opportunities in environmentally friendly industries (Newsweek)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/131038?from=rss
NY Times Editorial – California Feuding
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/opinion/08tue3.html?ex=1365393600&en=ee664f4be26a3c91&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
CONSERVATION
Streetlight upgrade could produce savings (Washington Times)
http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080406/NATION/596574304/1004
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Oregon governor says cap-and-trade draft by next month (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1326521~Oregon_governor_says_cap_and_trade_draft_by_next_month.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
Congressional Research Reports – The Role of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap-and-Trade Program: Potential Benefits and Concerns
http://opencrs.cdt.org/document/RL34436
Tacoma committee ready to show ideas for greener city (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/329439.html
How to Apologize to Your Girlfriend…Without destroying the Earth (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2188428/?from=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
We Want Broadband -- Provided It's Aesthetically Pleasing – And if you could make it so nothing explodes? That would be nice also (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/We-Want-Broadband-Provided-Its-Aesthetically-Pleasing-93381
Utility box clamor – AT&T, Comcast upgrades causing disruption, leaving eyesores (Santa Rose Press-Democrat)
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080403/NEWS/804030328/1036/BUSINESS01
Tech firms eye unused airwaves for Internet, face static from broadcasters over interference (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8841651?source=rss
What Cloud Computing Really Means (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_002570DE00740E180025742400363509.html?ex=1365393600&en=9076c93ed5911518&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
IBM uses plumbing, water coolers to chill supercomputer (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9911760-7.html?tag=nl.e703
Thieves of identity data offering sales discounts – Cutthroat competition among crooks forces new tactics, Symantec reports (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/08/BURJ101BUI.DTL&feed=rss.business
GENERAL NEWS
CITY OF SHELTON MOVING FORWARD WITH BUDGET CUTS – The City of Shelton is moving forward with cuts to its 2008 budget. The plan is to cut $196,635 in order to maintain a $650,000 General Fund balance at the end of the year. The cuts include $39,000 from the Department of Community and Economic Development, $30,000 from the Fire Department, $15,000 from Financial Services and $20,000 from Information Technology among other cuts. This will result in a reduction in force of two fulltime employees - the clerical position in the Fire Department and the City's Building Inspector - and a halftime employee in the Administration and a quarter time employee in the finance department. A police officer is being transferred to the West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team which will result in $60,000 in revenue for the City. Official action on this budget modification will be taken next Monday. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
CITY OF SHELTON TO ASK VOTERS FOR MAX TAX FOR STREETS – The Shelton City Commission has approved a resolution asking voters to approve the maximum property tax levy lid lift to fix and maintain residential streets. On August 19th, the City will ask for approval to increase the property tax rate to $3.60 per thousand of assessed value and dedicate those new funds to streets. This tax would be collected next year and be a permanent tax. Earlier this year, the Commission decided to seek a $500,000 "Show Me" tax for streets but decided to change to the "Max Tax" after receiving requests from the Mason Association of Realtors and the Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce. Those requests included the formation of a citizen advisory group to help the City decide which streets to fix first. The resolution approved Monday night reserves a place on the Primary Election Ballot and includes the measure's language: "The Shelton City Commission adopted Resolution No. 951-0408 concerning an increase in the City's regular property tax levy, for the purpose of obtaining funds to repair and maintain City residential streets. This Proposition would allow the City of Shelton to increase its regular property tax levy to $3.60 per thousand of assessed value for collection in 2009 and increase the levy each year thereafter as allowed by chapter 84.55 RCW." (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Tennessee – Copper theft from phone lines spurs $2,500 reward (WBIR, Knoxville)
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=56457&provider=rss
In U.S., Metal Theft Plagues Troubled Neighborhoods (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/business/08copper.html?ex=1365393600&en=71708b85916b3358&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
As Price of Lead Soars, British Churches Find Holes in Roof (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/business/worldbusiness/08metal.html?ex=1365393600&en=c94a91e5992e2038&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Green recycling offered in post office (The Associated Press, via Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/991/story/149338.html
Will protests snuff out torch relay? (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004334070_torch08.html
DIVERSIONS
Quiz: Are You Smarter Than a 12th Grader?
http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/your-money/2008/04/02/quiz-are-you-smarter-than-a-12th-grader.html
Man Accused Of Using Hedgehog As Weapon
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15815153/detail.html
Hair salon scalps customers – A Chinese hair salon has been shut down and fined 500,000 yuan ($71,280) for holding two customers hostage and charging wildly excessive fees for haircuts
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0740162520080407?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Watch the birdie: Cameraman fired for fake pigeon in award-winning photo
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0720423320080407?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Absolut vodka pulls ad showing California in Mexico
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080408/us_nm/mexico_absolut_dc
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- Rising prices affect power distributors, heavy energy users
- Alcoa’s Profit Drops 54% on Energy Costs and a Soft Dollar
- Montana – Gregori believes Highwood Station will get funding
- NY Times Op-Ed Contributor – How Big Sky Went Dark
- U.S. Senators Introduce Bill To Allow States Final Say on LNG
- Tribes seal $900 million deal – Yakama, Colville, Umatilla and Warm Springs tribes agree to back federal dam-operation plans for 10 years
- Feds, tribes strike deal on dams, fish
- Deal Gives Money to Tribes to Drop Role in Fish Lawsuits
- 4 tribes agree to settlement on restoring salmon runs
- Deal Reached over Protection of Salmon
- Effort to Save Salmon Silenced For A Billion Dollars – Tribal Commission Agrees To Back Off Dam Operators
- Tri-City Herald Opinion – Proposed deal in lawsuit best for salmon recovery
- Scientists, Anglers Anxiously Await Columbia Salmon
- Gillnet scheduled for Tuesday – State officials have adopted a 16-hour commercial fishing period
- Washington State issues Spokane River dam guidelines
- Two Makah tribal members convicted in rogue whale hunt
- Expert foresees 10 more years of R&D to make solar energy competitive
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District & Woodside Homes to Build 1,400 Solar Homes
- The Growth in 'Green-Collar' Jobs
- NY Times Editorial – California Feuding
- Streetlight upgrade could produce savings
- Oregon governor says cap-and-trade draft by next month
- The Role of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap-and-Trade Program
- Tacoma committee ready to show ideas for greener city
- How to Apologize to Your Girlfriend…Without destroying the Earth
- We Want Broadband -- Provided It's Aesthetically Pleasing – And if you could make it so nothing explodes?
- Utility box clamor – AT&T, Comcast upgrades causing disruption, leaving eyesores
- Tech firms eye unused airwaves for Internet, face static from broadcasters over interference
- What Cloud Computing Really Means
- IBM uses plumbing, water coolers to chill supercomputer
- Thieves of identity data offering sales discounts
- City Of Shelton Moving Forward With Budget Cuts
- City Of Shelton to Ask Voters For Max Tax For Streets
- Tennessee – Copper theft from phone lines spurs $2,500 reward
- In U.S., Metal Theft Plagues Troubled Neighborhoods
- As Price of Lead Soars, British Churches Find Holes in Roof
- Green recycling offered in post office
- Will protests snuff out torch relay?
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
Arcadia • \ar-KAY-dee-uh\ • noun – A region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet
Halfway through the news conference, Abercrombie leaned back in his chair, took a deep sigh and escaped to his “happy place.” Veracious journalists continued to pepper him with pointed questions, but all he heard was the buzzing of big, fluffy bumblebees, flitting from flower to flower in his Arcadian retreat. Five hours later he snapped out of his reverie, in an empty, darkened conference room.
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
Rising prices affect power distributors, heavy energy users (Chattanooga Times/Free Press, via Utility Products)
http://www.utilityproducts.com/display_news/160086/129/none/Rising_prices_affect_power_distributors,_heavy_energy_users
Alcoa’s Profit Drops 54% on Energy Costs and a Soft Dollar (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/business/08alcoa.html?ex=1365393600&en=efa9eba643ba383c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Montana – Gregori believes Highwood Station will get funding – Rising costs and attempts to obtain financing are challenges for the proposed coal-fired Highwood Generating Station (Great Falls Tribune)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080408/NEWS01/804080316/1002
NY Times Op-Ed Contributor – How Big Sky Went Dark (deregulation and its impacts in Montana)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/opinion/06mcnamer.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
U.S. Senators Introduce Bill To Allow States Final Say on LNG (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/us-senators-introduce-bill-allow-states-final-say-lng/
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
Tribes seal $900 million deal – Yakama, Colville, Umatilla and Warm Springs tribes agree to back federal dam-operation plans for 10 years (The Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/12076269247530.xml&coll=7
Feds, tribes strike deal on dams, fish (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/149955.html
Deal Gives Money to Tribes to Drop Role in Fish Lawsuits (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/us/08dams.html?ex=1208318400&en=14f4603d7f69a67c&ei=5070&emc=eta1
4 tribes agree to settlement on restoring salmon runs (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004334007_columbia08m.html?syndication=rss
Deal Reached over Protection of Salmon (Seattle Post Intelligencer’s Reporter Blog, includes discussion of SOWS backpedaling over “buy off” comment)
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/environment/archives/135973.asp
Effort to Save Salmon Silenced For A Billion Dollars – Tribal Commission Agrees To Back Off Dam Operators (The New West)
http://www.newwest.net/city/article/effort_to_save_salmon_silenced_for_a_billion_dollars/C509/L509/
Tri-City Herald Opinion – Proposed deal in lawsuit best for salmon recovery
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/149956.html
Scientists, Anglers Anxiously Await Columbia Salmon (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3756
Gillnet scheduled for Tuesday – State officials have adopted a 16-hour commercial fishing period on Tuesday for spring Chinook salmon in the Columbia River (The Columbian)
http://www.columbian.com/sports/localNews/2008/04/04072008_Gillnet-scheduled-for-Tuesday.cfm
Washington State issues Spokane River dam guidelines (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04082008news301809.cfm
Two Makah tribal members convicted in rogue whale hunt (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_040708WAB_makah_whale_hunt_guilty_TP.40337542.html
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Expert foresees 10 more years of R&D to make solar energy competitive (Environmental News Network)
http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/34318
Sacramento Municipal Utility District & Woodside Homes to Build 1,400 Solar Homes (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52109&src=rss
The Growth in 'Green-Collar' Jobs – Even in a shaky economy, there are expanding opportunities in environmentally friendly industries (Newsweek)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/131038?from=rss
NY Times Editorial – California Feuding
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/opinion/08tue3.html?ex=1365393600&en=ee664f4be26a3c91&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
CONSERVATION
Streetlight upgrade could produce savings (Washington Times)
http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080406/NATION/596574304/1004
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Oregon governor says cap-and-trade draft by next month (Associated Press, via Examiner.com)
http://www.examiner.com/a-1326521~Oregon_governor_says_cap_and_trade_draft_by_next_month.html?cid=rss-Oregon_Headlines
Congressional Research Reports – The Role of Offsets in a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap-and-Trade Program: Potential Benefits and Concerns
http://opencrs.cdt.org/document/RL34436
Tacoma committee ready to show ideas for greener city (News Tribune, Tacoma)
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/329439.html
How to Apologize to Your Girlfriend…Without destroying the Earth (Slate Magazine)
http://www.slate.com/id/2188428/?from=rss
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
We Want Broadband -- Provided It's Aesthetically Pleasing – And if you could make it so nothing explodes? That would be nice also (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/We-Want-Broadband-Provided-Its-Aesthetically-Pleasing-93381
Utility box clamor – AT&T, Comcast upgrades causing disruption, leaving eyesores (Santa Rose Press-Democrat)
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080403/NEWS/804030328/1036/BUSINESS01
Tech firms eye unused airwaves for Internet, face static from broadcasters over interference (San Jose Mercury News)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8841651?source=rss
What Cloud Computing Really Means (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_002570DE00740E180025742400363509.html?ex=1365393600&en=9076c93ed5911518&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
IBM uses plumbing, water coolers to chill supercomputer (CNET News)
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9911760-7.html?tag=nl.e703
Thieves of identity data offering sales discounts – Cutthroat competition among crooks forces new tactics, Symantec reports (Associated Press, via the San Francisco Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/08/BURJ101BUI.DTL&feed=rss.business
GENERAL NEWS
CITY OF SHELTON MOVING FORWARD WITH BUDGET CUTS – The City of Shelton is moving forward with cuts to its 2008 budget. The plan is to cut $196,635 in order to maintain a $650,000 General Fund balance at the end of the year. The cuts include $39,000 from the Department of Community and Economic Development, $30,000 from the Fire Department, $15,000 from Financial Services and $20,000 from Information Technology among other cuts. This will result in a reduction in force of two fulltime employees - the clerical position in the Fire Department and the City's Building Inspector - and a halftime employee in the Administration and a quarter time employee in the finance department. A police officer is being transferred to the West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team which will result in $60,000 in revenue for the City. Official action on this budget modification will be taken next Monday. (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
CITY OF SHELTON TO ASK VOTERS FOR MAX TAX FOR STREETS – The Shelton City Commission has approved a resolution asking voters to approve the maximum property tax levy lid lift to fix and maintain residential streets. On August 19th, the City will ask for approval to increase the property tax rate to $3.60 per thousand of assessed value and dedicate those new funds to streets. This tax would be collected next year and be a permanent tax. Earlier this year, the Commission decided to seek a $500,000 "Show Me" tax for streets but decided to change to the "Max Tax" after receiving requests from the Mason Association of Realtors and the Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce. Those requests included the formation of a citizen advisory group to help the City decide which streets to fix first. The resolution approved Monday night reserves a place on the Primary Election Ballot and includes the measure's language: "The Shelton City Commission adopted Resolution No. 951-0408 concerning an increase in the City's regular property tax levy, for the purpose of obtaining funds to repair and maintain City residential streets. This Proposition would allow the City of Shelton to increase its regular property tax levy to $3.60 per thousand of assessed value for collection in 2009 and increase the levy each year thereafter as allowed by chapter 84.55 RCW." (KMAS Radio, Shelton)
Tennessee – Copper theft from phone lines spurs $2,500 reward (WBIR, Knoxville)
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=56457&provider=rss
In U.S., Metal Theft Plagues Troubled Neighborhoods (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/business/08copper.html?ex=1365393600&en=71708b85916b3358&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
As Price of Lead Soars, British Churches Find Holes in Roof (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/business/worldbusiness/08metal.html?ex=1365393600&en=c94a91e5992e2038&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Green recycling offered in post office (The Associated Press, via Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/991/story/149338.html
Will protests snuff out torch relay? (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004334070_torch08.html
DIVERSIONS
Quiz: Are You Smarter Than a 12th Grader?
http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/your-money/2008/04/02/quiz-are-you-smarter-than-a-12th-grader.html
Man Accused Of Using Hedgehog As Weapon
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15815153/detail.html
Hair salon scalps customers – A Chinese hair salon has been shut down and fined 500,000 yuan ($71,280) for holding two customers hostage and charging wildly excessive fees for haircuts
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0740162520080407?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Watch the birdie: Cameraman fired for fake pigeon in award-winning photo
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN0720423320080407?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews
Absolut vodka pulls ad showing California in Mexico
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080408/us_nm/mexico_absolut_dc
Monday, April 7, 2008
Energy News Digest for April 7, 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)
- News Advisory – Tribes and federal agencies to make historic announcement for Columbia River Basin fish
- Hearing on Kalama coal gasification plant Tuesday
- Seattle Post Intelligencer Opinion – Pipeline Safety: Puget Sound Energy Fine well deserved
- U.S. energy policy is needed; coal will still play role
- Texans Beat Big Coal, and a Film Shows How
- Regulators altered high-price protections in Baltimore Gas and Electric auction
- Meanwhile, in the news release universe – Constellation Energy Named to the Business-Week top 50 performers
- Electricity is key to strengthening Maine's economy
- United Kingdom - Exposed: energy giant cheats its customers
- Would nuclear power be a viable energy source for New Zealand?
- FERC reports loss of former employee personal information
- Zapped Rat Causes Stockholm Power Outage
- Ban on Oregon and California salmon fishing looms
- Oregon Trollers readying for lack of season
- Alaska lowers Southeast Chinook quota
- Projects to make travel easier for fish on Touchet River
- Global Warming Heats Up Urgency Of Salmon Recovery Efforts
- Idaho – Man pleads guilty to violating Clean Water Act for dredging work
- Lake Chelan to fill later than normal
- Gophers damaging Oregon levees
- Grays Harbor PUD gets big boost from state
- Jobs added in Chehalis – Cardinal Glass expands to meet demand from solar industry
- Michigan - More families use wind turbines for home energy
- California - Turning dirty water into clean energy
- New England startup seeks to tap the Mississippi for power
- New York - Tires-to-energy plant planned in Erie; downwind opponents call it an incinerator
- Ireland – Motion of the ocean can help us turn tide on energy crisis
- Connecticut's Clean Energy Policy Creating Demand “
- NW States Jump on “Green Collar” Bandwagon
- Texas - Energy company promotes ‘clean’ electricity
- New Zealand needs more wind energy
- Seattle Times Editorial – Biofuels by the bushel
- Biodiesel co-op closes, spins off new alliance
- Olympian Editorial – Take advantage of PSE rebates
- EPA Drafting New Energy Conservation Standard
- Emphasis sharpens on coal in global warming crisis
- Will the credit crunch cripple cleantech?
- Microsoft gives Yahoo 3-week deadline to reach an agreement
- The Idea Factory That Spawned the Internet Turns 50
- Countywide Broadband Networks Planned in Northern California
- Colorado – Glenwood Springs voters have say on fiber optics
- Boston: Most Recent Citywide Wi-Fi Failure Victim
- Qwest Blames Housing Crisis for Profit Problem
- ISPs hog rights in fine print
- No, your ISP doesn't own the Internet
- 10 Ways the Internet (As We Know It) Will Die
- Thurston County Neighborhoods without hydrants
- Fraud rife in brewery dealings, suit alleges
- "Downwinders" can sue over Hanford issues
- 'Marketplace' Report: Stripping Thieves –Looters are stripping abandoned homes of raw materials
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
luftmensch • \LOOFT-mensh\ • noun – An impractical contemplative person having no definite business or income
Erasmus was considered the corporate luftmensch. He attended every meeting, took copious notes, looked important with this clipboard and assorted digital gadgets. But even upon careful examination of the corporate organizational chart, it was still unclear what his function was.
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
Hearing on Kalama coal gasification plant Tuesday (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/04/07//area_news/doc47f9b7ea64a17123766442.txt
Seattle Post Intelligencer Opinion – Pipeline Safety: Puget Sound Energy Fine well deserved
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/357801_safetyed.html?source=rss
U.S. energy policy is needed; coal will still play role (Great Falls Tribune)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080407/OPINION/804070306
Texans Beat Big Coal, and a Film Shows How (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/05/us/05coal.html?_r=1&ex=1365220800&en=76e7a2850690917b&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Regulators altered high-price protections in Baltimore Gas and Electric auction (Baltimore Sun)
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/hancock/blog/2008/04/the_bge_auction_investigation.html
Meanwhile, in the news release universe – Constellation Energy Named to the Business-Week 50 Ranking of Top Performing Companies for Second Consecutive Year (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=87065
Electricity is key to strengthening Maine's economy - While high compared to some other parts of the nation, Maine's electric rates are the lowest compared to our New England neighbors. (Kennebec Journal)
http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/view/columns/4936294.html
United Kingdom - Exposed: energy giant cheats its customers - Claire Newell and Daniel Foggo - Salesmen for one of Britain’s biggest energy companies are routinely lying to householders to trick them into signing up as new customers (The Times of London)
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/utilities/article3690034.ece
Would nuclear power be a viable energy source for New Zealand? Nearly one in five New Zealanders say nuclear power is a viable energy source, even though politicians have put it off limits (New Zealand Herald)
http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/your-views/2008/4/7/would-nuclear-power-be-viable-energy-source-new-zealand/?l_id=149
FERC reports loss of former employee personal information (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-2/04-04-08.asp
Zapped Rat Causes Stockholm Power Outage (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004329872_apoddswedenelectrocutedrat.html?syndication=rss
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
News Advisory – Tribes and federal agencies to make historic announcement for Columbia River Basin fish – News briefing at 11:00 am, April 7 – (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/197616/
Ban on salmon fishing looms - Dwindling Chinook population may force strict limits off the coast of Oregon, California (The Associated Press, via the Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8830576?source=rss
Oregon Trollers readying for lack of season - To some commercial salmon fishermen, the season is over. The crystal ball is clear (The World, Coos Bay)
http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2008/04/06/news/doc47f720d0e5d03338048607.txt
Alaska lowers Southeast Chinook quota (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04062008news300963.cfm
Projects to make travel easier for fish on Touchet River - The project is part of ongoing mitigation for the Snake River dams (Waklla Walla Union-Bulletin)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2008/04/05/local_news/local04.txt
Global Warming Heats Up Urgency Of Salmon Recovery Efforts (Science Daily)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402213640.htm
Idaho – Man pleads guilty to violating Clean Water Act for dredging work along the Salmon River in central Idaho. (The Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/411233.html
Lake Chelan to fill later than normal – Snow runoff into Lake Chelan is expected to be slightly higher than forecast earlier this year, but the lake may not fill until later than usual due to colder than normal temperatures this spring (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080405/NEWS04/228268866/1005
Gophers damaging Oregon levees (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004331541_webgopher06.html?syndication=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Grays Harbor PUD gets big boost from state – The PUD’s plan to derive “green energy” by burning waste from a revived Cosmopolis Pulp Mill got a major boost on Friday. (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/04/05/local_news/02news.txt
Jobs added in Chehalis – Cardinal Glass expands to meet demand from solar industry (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/business/story/409834.html
Michigan - More families use wind turbines for home energy (Grand Rapids Press)
http://www.mlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/04/more_families_use_wind_turbine.html
California - Turning dirty water into clean energy - The Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency will test its sewer outfall line to determine whether electricity can be produced (The Grizzly, Big Bear Lake)
http://www.bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2008/04/06/news/waterelectricity.txt
New England startup seeks to tap the Mississippi for power (Saint Louis Post-Dispatch)
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/manufacturingtechnology/story/FA03AA4C57AC13418625741E000B7EFF?OpenDocument
New York - Tires-to-energy plant planned in Erie; downwind opponents call it an incinerator (The Buffalo News)
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/316685.html
Ireland – Motion of the ocean can help us turn tide on energy crisis (The Independent)
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/motion-of-the-ocean-can-help-us-turn-tide-on-energy-crisis-1340281.html
Connecticut's Clean Energy Policy Creating Demand “…state rules call for penalties paid through consumers' electric rates if the goals aren't met. Millions of dollars already are due…” (Hartford Courant)
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-energy0407.artapr07,0,6267398.story
NW States Jump on “Green Collar” Bandwagon (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3755
Texas - Energy company promotes ‘clean’ electricity - A new green company is positive there are people in the Rio Grande Valley who will support renewable energy (Valley Morning Star, Harlingen)
http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/energy_23309___article.html/company_texas.html
New Zealand needs more wind energy (Scoop News)
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00112.htm
Seattle Times Editorial – Biofuels by the bushel
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004328653_fueled07.html
Biodiesel co-op closes, spins off new alliance – The Renewable Fuels Alliance will give community-based biodiesel production another go in Portland (Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland)
http://www.djcoregon.com/articleDetail.htm/2008/04/07/Biodiesel-coop-closes-spins-off-new-alliance-The-Renewable-Fuels-Alliance-will-give-communitybased-b
CONSERVATION
Olympian Editorial – Take advantage of PSE rebates – The state Utilities and Transportation Commission has granted Puget Sound Energy's request for a small rate increase for electric and natural gas customers, with the additional revenue going toward energy conservation programs
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/411541.html
EPA Drafting New Energy Conservation Standard - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently hard at work drafting a new Energy Star efficiency standard - Energy Star 5.0 (Overclockers Club)
http://www.overclockersclub.com/news/22032/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Emphasis sharpens on coal in global warming crisis - Meeting between scientist, head of power company signals intent to rein in greenhouse gases but may not lead to action (Washington Post, via the Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8830526?source=rss
Will the credit crunch cripple cleantech? (BusinessGreen)
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/analysis/2213438/credit-crunch-cripple-cleantech
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft gives Yahoo 3-week deadline to reach an agreement in response to its $44.6 billion acquisition offer (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/357933_msftyahoo06.html?source=rss
The Idea Factory That Spawned the Internet Turns 50 (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/06/AR2008040601821.html?nav=rss_business
Countywide Broadband Networks Planned in Northern California – California's broadband 'have nots' hope to get access this summer (Broadband Reports – Please note that the comment section may contain PG-13 language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Countywide-Broadband-Networks-Planned-in-Northern-California-93333
Colorado – Glenwood Springs voters have say on fiber optics – First step gives city the OK, but entering into debt would require further approval (Glenwood Springs Post-Independent)
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20080407/VALLEYNEWS/956952063
Boston: Most Recent Citywide Wi-Fi Failure Victim – Lacking money, the city drastically scales back its plans (Broadband Reports – Please note that the comment section may contain salty language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Boston-Most-Recent-Citywide-WiFi-Failure-Victim-93339
Qwest Blames Housing Crisis for Profit Problem – However, the company has big plans for staying in business (Broadband Reports – Please note that the comment section may contain salty language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Qwest-Blames-Housing-Crisis-for-Profit-Problem-93337
ISPs hog rights in fine print (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080404/ap_on_hi_te/isp_fine_print_2
No, your ISP doesn't own the Internet (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080404/ap_on_hi_te/isp_funny_print_2
10 Ways the Internet (As We Know It) Will Die (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/06/10-ways-the-internet-will-die/
GENERAL NEWS
Thurston County Neighborhoods without hydrants – county code allows developers to build without putting fire hydrants (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/410665.html
Fraud rife in brewery dealings, suit alleges – A bankruptcy trustee has opened a new front in the ongoing legal battle over control of the old Olympia brewery. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/409873.html
"Downwinders" can sue over Hanford issues (The Spokesman Review, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004330605_downwinders06.html?syndication=rss
'Marketplace' Report: Stripping Thieves – There's a new trend among thieves looking to make a buck off the housing crisis. Looters are stripping abandoned homes of raw materials to sell as scrap metal (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89377940&ft=1&f=17
DIVERSIONS
April Fools'! It's A Boy – Couple Thought They Were Having Daughter, Actually Had Son
http://www.kirotv.com/family/15794650/detail.html
Kids' Dress-Up Day Draws Christian Ire
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004331843_apcrossdressingkids.html?syndication=rss
Fowl Play Prompts Unusual Court Order Protecting A Duck
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15794759/detail.html
Wannabe Bandit Leaves Behind Photo ID At Bank
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15794692/detail.html
Bride and groom spend wedding night in jail after arrests
http://www.examiner.com/a-1324838~Bride_and_groom_spend_wedding_night_in_jail_after_arrests.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)
- News Advisory – Tribes and federal agencies to make historic announcement for Columbia River Basin fish
- Hearing on Kalama coal gasification plant Tuesday
- Seattle Post Intelligencer Opinion – Pipeline Safety: Puget Sound Energy Fine well deserved
- U.S. energy policy is needed; coal will still play role
- Texans Beat Big Coal, and a Film Shows How
- Regulators altered high-price protections in Baltimore Gas and Electric auction
- Meanwhile, in the news release universe – Constellation Energy Named to the Business-Week top 50 performers
- Electricity is key to strengthening Maine's economy
- United Kingdom - Exposed: energy giant cheats its customers
- Would nuclear power be a viable energy source for New Zealand?
- FERC reports loss of former employee personal information
- Zapped Rat Causes Stockholm Power Outage
- Ban on Oregon and California salmon fishing looms
- Oregon Trollers readying for lack of season
- Alaska lowers Southeast Chinook quota
- Projects to make travel easier for fish on Touchet River
- Global Warming Heats Up Urgency Of Salmon Recovery Efforts
- Idaho – Man pleads guilty to violating Clean Water Act for dredging work
- Lake Chelan to fill later than normal
- Gophers damaging Oregon levees
- Grays Harbor PUD gets big boost from state
- Jobs added in Chehalis – Cardinal Glass expands to meet demand from solar industry
- Michigan - More families use wind turbines for home energy
- California - Turning dirty water into clean energy
- New England startup seeks to tap the Mississippi for power
- New York - Tires-to-energy plant planned in Erie; downwind opponents call it an incinerator
- Ireland – Motion of the ocean can help us turn tide on energy crisis
- Connecticut's Clean Energy Policy Creating Demand “
- NW States Jump on “Green Collar” Bandwagon
- Texas - Energy company promotes ‘clean’ electricity
- New Zealand needs more wind energy
- Seattle Times Editorial – Biofuels by the bushel
- Biodiesel co-op closes, spins off new alliance
- Olympian Editorial – Take advantage of PSE rebates
- EPA Drafting New Energy Conservation Standard
- Emphasis sharpens on coal in global warming crisis
- Will the credit crunch cripple cleantech?
- Microsoft gives Yahoo 3-week deadline to reach an agreement
- The Idea Factory That Spawned the Internet Turns 50
- Countywide Broadband Networks Planned in Northern California
- Colorado – Glenwood Springs voters have say on fiber optics
- Boston: Most Recent Citywide Wi-Fi Failure Victim
- Qwest Blames Housing Crisis for Profit Problem
- ISPs hog rights in fine print
- No, your ISP doesn't own the Internet
- 10 Ways the Internet (As We Know It) Will Die
- Thurston County Neighborhoods without hydrants
- Fraud rife in brewery dealings, suit alleges
- "Downwinders" can sue over Hanford issues
- 'Marketplace' Report: Stripping Thieves –Looters are stripping abandoned homes of raw materials
These and links to more stories in today’s Energy News Digest
WORD OF THE DAY
luftmensch • \LOOFT-mensh\ • noun – An impractical contemplative person having no definite business or income
Erasmus was considered the corporate luftmensch. He attended every meeting, took copious notes, looked important with this clipboard and assorted digital gadgets. But even upon careful examination of the corporate organizational chart, it was still unclear what his function was.
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
Hearing on Kalama coal gasification plant Tuesday (The Daily News, Longview)
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/04/07//area_news/doc47f9b7ea64a17123766442.txt
Seattle Post Intelligencer Opinion – Pipeline Safety: Puget Sound Energy Fine well deserved
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/357801_safetyed.html?source=rss
U.S. energy policy is needed; coal will still play role (Great Falls Tribune)
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080407/OPINION/804070306
Texans Beat Big Coal, and a Film Shows How (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/05/us/05coal.html?_r=1&ex=1365220800&en=76e7a2850690917b&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin
Regulators altered high-price protections in Baltimore Gas and Electric auction (Baltimore Sun)
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/business/hancock/blog/2008/04/the_bge_auction_investigation.html
Meanwhile, in the news release universe – Constellation Energy Named to the Business-Week 50 Ranking of Top Performing Companies for Second Consecutive Year (Electric Energy Online)
http://www.electricenergyonline.com/IndustryNews.asp?m=1&id=87065
Electricity is key to strengthening Maine's economy - While high compared to some other parts of the nation, Maine's electric rates are the lowest compared to our New England neighbors. (Kennebec Journal)
http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/view/columns/4936294.html
United Kingdom - Exposed: energy giant cheats its customers - Claire Newell and Daniel Foggo - Salesmen for one of Britain’s biggest energy companies are routinely lying to householders to trick them into signing up as new customers (The Times of London)
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/utilities/article3690034.ece
Would nuclear power be a viable energy source for New Zealand? Nearly one in five New Zealanders say nuclear power is a viable energy source, even though politicians have put it off limits (New Zealand Herald)
http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/your-views/2008/4/7/would-nuclear-power-be-viable-energy-source-new-zealand/?l_id=149
FERC reports loss of former employee personal information (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission)
http://www.ferc.gov/news/news-releases/2008/2008-2/04-04-08.asp
Zapped Rat Causes Stockholm Power Outage (The Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004329872_apoddswedenelectrocutedrat.html?syndication=rss
WATER, FISH & THE ENVIRONMENT
News Advisory – Tribes and federal agencies to make historic announcement for Columbia River Basin fish – News briefing at 11:00 am, April 7 – (Bonneville Power Administration)
http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/197616/
Ban on salmon fishing looms - Dwindling Chinook population may force strict limits off the coast of Oregon, California (The Associated Press, via the Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8830576?source=rss
Oregon Trollers readying for lack of season - To some commercial salmon fishermen, the season is over. The crystal ball is clear (The World, Coos Bay)
http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2008/04/06/news/doc47f720d0e5d03338048607.txt
Alaska lowers Southeast Chinook quota (Associated Press, via the Columbian)
http://news.columbian.com/news/state/APStories/AP04062008news300963.cfm
Projects to make travel easier for fish on Touchet River - The project is part of ongoing mitigation for the Snake River dams (Waklla Walla Union-Bulletin)
http://www.union-bulletin.com/articles/2008/04/05/local_news/local04.txt
Global Warming Heats Up Urgency Of Salmon Recovery Efforts (Science Daily)
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402213640.htm
Idaho – Man pleads guilty to violating Clean Water Act for dredging work along the Salmon River in central Idaho. (The Associated Press, via the Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/411233.html
Lake Chelan to fill later than normal – Snow runoff into Lake Chelan is expected to be slightly higher than forecast earlier this year, but the lake may not fill until later than usual due to colder than normal temperatures this spring (Wenatchee World)
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080405/NEWS04/228268866/1005
Gophers damaging Oregon levees (The Associated Press, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004331541_webgopher06.html?syndication=rss
RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
Grays Harbor PUD gets big boost from state – The PUD’s plan to derive “green energy” by burning waste from a revived Cosmopolis Pulp Mill got a major boost on Friday. (The Daily World, Aberdeen)
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2008/04/05/local_news/02news.txt
Jobs added in Chehalis – Cardinal Glass expands to meet demand from solar industry (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/business/story/409834.html
Michigan - More families use wind turbines for home energy (Grand Rapids Press)
http://www.mlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2008/04/more_families_use_wind_turbine.html
California - Turning dirty water into clean energy - The Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency will test its sewer outfall line to determine whether electricity can be produced (The Grizzly, Big Bear Lake)
http://www.bigbeargrizzly.net/articles/2008/04/06/news/waterelectricity.txt
New England startup seeks to tap the Mississippi for power (Saint Louis Post-Dispatch)
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/manufacturingtechnology/story/FA03AA4C57AC13418625741E000B7EFF?OpenDocument
New York - Tires-to-energy plant planned in Erie; downwind opponents call it an incinerator (The Buffalo News)
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/316685.html
Ireland – Motion of the ocean can help us turn tide on energy crisis (The Independent)
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/motion-of-the-ocean-can-help-us-turn-tide-on-energy-crisis-1340281.html
Connecticut's Clean Energy Policy Creating Demand “…state rules call for penalties paid through consumers' electric rates if the goals aren't met. Millions of dollars already are due…” (Hartford Courant)
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-energy0407.artapr07,0,6267398.story
NW States Jump on “Green Collar” Bandwagon (Northwest Public Radio)
http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=3755
Texas - Energy company promotes ‘clean’ electricity - A new green company is positive there are people in the Rio Grande Valley who will support renewable energy (Valley Morning Star, Harlingen)
http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/energy_23309___article.html/company_texas.html
New Zealand needs more wind energy (Scoop News)
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00112.htm
Seattle Times Editorial – Biofuels by the bushel
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2004328653_fueled07.html
Biodiesel co-op closes, spins off new alliance – The Renewable Fuels Alliance will give community-based biodiesel production another go in Portland (Daily Journal of Commerce, Portland)
http://www.djcoregon.com/articleDetail.htm/2008/04/07/Biodiesel-coop-closes-spins-off-new-alliance-The-Renewable-Fuels-Alliance-will-give-communitybased-b
CONSERVATION
Olympian Editorial – Take advantage of PSE rebates – The state Utilities and Transportation Commission has granted Puget Sound Energy's request for a small rate increase for electric and natural gas customers, with the additional revenue going toward energy conservation programs
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/411541.html
EPA Drafting New Energy Conservation Standard - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently hard at work drafting a new Energy Star efficiency standard - Energy Star 5.0 (Overclockers Club)
http://www.overclockersclub.com/news/22032/
CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT
Emphasis sharpens on coal in global warming crisis - Meeting between scientist, head of power company signals intent to rein in greenhouse gases but may not lead to action (Washington Post, via the Contra Costa Times)
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8830526?source=rss
Will the credit crunch cripple cleantech? (BusinessGreen)
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/analysis/2213438/credit-crunch-cripple-cleantech
TELECOMMUNICATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft gives Yahoo 3-week deadline to reach an agreement in response to its $44.6 billion acquisition offer (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/357933_msftyahoo06.html?source=rss
The Idea Factory That Spawned the Internet Turns 50 (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/06/AR2008040601821.html?nav=rss_business
Countywide Broadband Networks Planned in Northern California – California's broadband 'have nots' hope to get access this summer (Broadband Reports – Please note that the comment section may contain PG-13 language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Countywide-Broadband-Networks-Planned-in-Northern-California-93333
Colorado – Glenwood Springs voters have say on fiber optics – First step gives city the OK, but entering into debt would require further approval (Glenwood Springs Post-Independent)
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20080407/VALLEYNEWS/956952063
Boston: Most Recent Citywide Wi-Fi Failure Victim – Lacking money, the city drastically scales back its plans (Broadband Reports – Please note that the comment section may contain salty language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Boston-Most-Recent-Citywide-WiFi-Failure-Victim-93339
Qwest Blames Housing Crisis for Profit Problem – However, the company has big plans for staying in business (Broadband Reports – Please note that the comment section may contain salty language)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Qwest-Blames-Housing-Crisis-for-Profit-Problem-93337
ISPs hog rights in fine print (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080404/ap_on_hi_te/isp_fine_print_2
No, your ISP doesn't own the Internet (Associated Press, via Yahoo! News)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080404/ap_on_hi_te/isp_funny_print_2
10 Ways the Internet (As We Know It) Will Die (GigaOM)
http://gigaom.com/2008/04/06/10-ways-the-internet-will-die/
GENERAL NEWS
Thurston County Neighborhoods without hydrants – county code allows developers to build without putting fire hydrants (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/410665.html
Fraud rife in brewery dealings, suit alleges – A bankruptcy trustee has opened a new front in the ongoing legal battle over control of the old Olympia brewery. (The Olympian)
http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/409873.html
"Downwinders" can sue over Hanford issues (The Spokesman Review, via the Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004330605_downwinders06.html?syndication=rss
'Marketplace' Report: Stripping Thieves – There's a new trend among thieves looking to make a buck off the housing crisis. Looters are stripping abandoned homes of raw materials to sell as scrap metal (National Public Radio)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89377940&ft=1&f=17
DIVERSIONS
April Fools'! It's A Boy – Couple Thought They Were Having Daughter, Actually Had Son
http://www.kirotv.com/family/15794650/detail.html
Kids' Dress-Up Day Draws Christian Ire
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004331843_apcrossdressingkids.html?syndication=rss
Fowl Play Prompts Unusual Court Order Protecting A Duck
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15794759/detail.html
Wannabe Bandit Leaves Behind Photo ID At Bank
http://www.kirotv.com/irresistible/15794692/detail.html
Bride and groom spend wedding night in jail after arrests
http://www.examiner.com/a-1324838~Bride_and_groom_spend_wedding_night_in_jail_after_arrests.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines
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