Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Energy News Digest for July 21, 2009

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

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

• Local Power Providers Brace for BPA Rate Hike
• Mysterious Electrical Sparks Stump Vancouver Firefighters
• California Dreaming? - Stimulus Helps Bring Calif. Petcoke Plant Closer to Reality
• California - Pacific Gas and Electric, Citing Infrastructure, Seeks Rate Hikes
• Op/Ed - Power Line Project Doomed By Poor Planning, Communication
• North Carolina - Businesses fight ruling on utility charge
• Is Submetering Fair? One Building’s Case
• Smart Meter Market in Limbo after 2009's First Quarter
• Costs and Benefits of Smart Meters and the Smart Grid
• July 24-26 - PUD 3 to Promote Electrical Safety at Mason County Fair
• Idaho Plans Chinook Salmon Release
• Troopers Accused Of Killing Baby Seagulls
• Olympia-Area Cities Step Closer to Ex-Brewery’s Water
• BC Mining Plan Threatens Sumas, WA Water
• From Energy to Recreation - NOAA Chief Says New Ocean Uses Creating Conflicts
• Trend Worsening For Pollutant in 16 National Parks
• US Wind Market is Weaker than in 2008
• Oregon No. 12 in Wind Power Added in 2008
• Town of Dayton Pushes Blue Sky Renewable Energy Program
• Report: Wind Power Faces Turbulence
• New York Wind Power: Developers Should Pay Full Taxes
• Governors Call for Carbon-Neutral Buildings by 2030
• Is the Sun Missing Its Spots?
• Global Warming Creates Power Struggle in Arctic
• Carbon Offset Smackdown
• U.S. Says China Must "Pay" To Cut Greenhouse Gases
• Medical Records at Kitsap Hospitals, Clinics Going From Reams to Bytes
• Forrester Reports Spike in Internet Users
• Kansas Spreads Rural Broadband Internet Access
• Editorial - Is It Better To Bing That Google?
• Yahoo Jazzes up Home Page with Major Makeover
• Yahoo Board Member Icahn Wants Microsoft Deal
• AOL Tries To Recapture That Start-Up Feeling
• Netgear Routers to Measure Internet Consumption
• The Kiln-Dried Nature of Washington's Fire Season
• U.S. Withheld Data on Risks of Distracted Driving
• Gregoire Ignores Her Own Travel Ban
• WA among Last States to Allow Driver’s Licenses for Illegal Immigrants
• Fighting-For-Life Fair: King County Passes off Fair Baton

WORD OF THE DAY

Nyctalopia • \nick-tuh-LOE-pee-yah\ • noun - reduced visual capacity in faint light (as at night): night blindness

The creeping twilight was anathema to Derwood. His nyctalopia greatly diminished his quality of life and intake of adult beverages at parties. Because of the dimly lit backyard barbeques so favored by his friends, he was unable to determine what was placed in his outstretched hand until he took that first, fateful sip. More often than not, it was a disappointing exercise.

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Local Power Providers Brace for BPA Rate Hike (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?Local-Power-Provider-Braces-for-BPA-Rate=1&blockID=64963&feedID=410

Mysterious Electrical Sparks Stump Vancouver Firefighters - Stray voltage flows into 5 homes through outlets (Columbian, Vancouver, WA)
http://columbian.com/article/20090721/NEWS02/707219988/

California Dreaming? - Stimulus Helps Bring Calif. Petcoke Plant Closer to Reality “…National Resources Defense Council says the plant's design, known as "integrated gasification combined cycle," is one of the most promising technologies available for burning fossil fuels…” (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/07/20/20greenwire-stimulus-helps-bring-calif-petcoke-plant-close-79134.html

California - Pacific Gas and Electric, Citing Infrastructure, Seeks Rate Hikes (SF Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/20/BU6P18S69D.DTL&feed=rss.business#ixzz0LuRb0FEC

San Jose Mercury News Op/Ed - Power Line Project Doomed By Poor Planning, Communication
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_12878271

North Carolina - Businesses fight ruling on utility charge: Some major customers say they're exempt from charges for a utility-grid upgrade (News and Observer, Raleigh, NC)
http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1615105.html

Is Submetering Fair? One Building’s Case (NY Times)
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/is-submetering-fair-one-buildings-case/

Smart Meter Market in Limbo after 2009's First Quarter (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=366531&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

Costs and Benefits of Smart Meters and the Smart Grid (Utility Automation & Engineering)
http://uaelp.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&PUBLICATION_ID=22&ARTICLE_ID=366538&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

July 24-26 - PUD 3 to Promote Electrical Safety at Mason County Fair (Mason County PUD No. 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=579

FISH & WILDLIFE

Idaho Plans Chinook Salmon Release (Associated Press)
http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/916664.html

Troopers Accused Of Killing Baby Seagulls – um, seagull chicks (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_072009WAB-troopers-seagulls-KC.5ecab71c.html?rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Olympia-Area Cities Step Closer to Ex-Brewery’s Water (Olympian, WA)
http://www.theolympian.com/localnewsfeed/story/916355.html

BC Mining Plan Threatens Sumas, WA Water (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_072009WAB-sumas-water-supply-TP.5d2882a9.html?rss

From Energy to Recreation - NOAA Chief Says New Ocean Uses Creating Conflicts
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009505813_apusoceanplanning.html?syndication=rss

Trend Worsening For Pollutant in 16 National Parks (Associated Press)
http://www.kndu.com/global/story.asp?s=10755581

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

US Wind Market is Weaker than in 2008 (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/07/us-wind-market-is-weaker-than-in-2008?cmpid=rss

Oregon No. 12 in Wind Power Added in 2008 (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/07/jamie_francis_the_oregonianwin.html

Town of Dayton Pushes Blue Sky Renewable Energy Program (Union-Bulletin, Walla Walla, WA)
http://union-bulletin.com/articles/2009/07/20/local_news/090720local05bluesky.txt

Report: Wind Power Faces Turbulence (Business First of Columbus)
http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/07/20/daily5.html

New York Wind Power: Developers Should Pay Full Taxes (Watertown Daily Times, NY)
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20090721/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Governors Call for Carbon-Neutral Buildings by 2030 (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/07/20/20greenwire-governors-call-for-carbon-neutral-buildings-by-63515.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Is the Sun Missing Its Spots? (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/science/space/21sunspot.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Global Warming Creates Power Struggle in Arctic (Finding Dulcinea)
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/international/2009/july/Global-Warming-Creates-Power-Struggle-in-Arctic.html

Carbon Offset Smackdown - Maybe carbon offsetting isn't as fool-proofed as many businesses would like people to believe (Mother Nature Network)
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/stories/carbon-offset-smackdown

U.S. Says China Must "Pay" To Cut Greenhouse Gases (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE56K0IZ20090721

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Medical Records at Kitsap Hospitals, Clinics Going From Reams to Bytes (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2009/jul/20/medical-records-at-kitsap-hospitals-clinics-from/?partner=RSS

Forrester Reports Spike in Internet Users (Boston Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2009/07/20/daily15.html?ana=from_rss

Kansas Spreads Rural Broadband Internet Access (Kansas City Business Journal)
http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2009/07/20/daily13.html?ana=from_rss

SF Chronicle Editorial - Is It Better To Bing That Google?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/21/EDH118QU2J.DTL&feed=rss.opinion

Yahoo Jazzes up Home Page with Major Makeover (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/20/financial/f180126D24.DTL&feed=rss.business#ixzz0LuRSy58R

Yahoo Board Member Icahn Wants Microsoft Deal (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE56H0C420090718?feedType=nl&feedName=ustechnology

AOL Tries To Recapture That Start-Up Feeling (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12878130

Netgear Routers to Measure Internet Consumption (Associated Press)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/07/20/financial/f131403D65.DTL&feed=rss.business

GENERAL NEWS

The Kiln-Dried Nature of Washington's Fire Season (KING-TV, Seattle)
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_072009WAB-fire-season-SW.5cda9e15.html?rss

U.S. Withheld Data on Risks of Distracted Driving (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/technology/21distracted.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Gregoire Ignores Her Own Travel Ban (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5446-gregoire-ignores-her-own-travel-ban/

Washington among Last States to Allow Driver’s Licenses for Illegal Immigrants (The Chronicle, Centralia, WA)
http://www.chronline.com/articles/2009/07/20/news//doc4a64a6bbe1e8f085313534.txt

Fighting-For-Life Fair: King County Passes off Fair Baton (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/5445-fighting-life-fair

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Threatened With Layoffs, French Factory Workers Threaten Explosion (Web In France Magazine)
http://www.webinfrance.com/threatened-with-layoffs-french-factory-workers-threaten-explosion-720.html

Slytherin Influences? Pot-Growing 'Harry Potter' Actor Gets Community Service
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12882637

Apple Downplays Fiery iPod Incidents
http://www.kirotv.com/money/20089894/detail.html

German Police Catch Underwear Thief
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE56J53920090720?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

SONG OF THE DAY

Ohio Players- Fire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY1bZs8XJNQ