Energy News Digest for April 9, 2010

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

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Cowlitz PUD Touts New Law as Reason for Tax Refund

·         Puget Sound Energy Rate Hike Bigger Than Previously Thought

·         Okanogan PUD Explains Proposed Rate Increase During Public Forum

·         Congressman Norm Dicks Recognized for Efforts to Upgrade Shelton to Olympia Transmission Lines

·         Heavy Wind Hits Olympic Peninsula, With Top Gust Near Sequim

·         Wenatchee World Editorial – The World Sees How Green It (Hydropower) Is

·         Greg Hansen Won’t Run for Grant PUD Board

·         Montana - City, State Electricity Woes Rooted Deeply in the Past

·         Idaho Power Puts Baker Transmission Line Route in Its Application

·         California - Grid Manager Confesses…Error Caused Blackout

·         New Southern California Gas Meters to Cost Consumers $1 Billion

·         California - Pacific Gas & Electric Must Stop Threats to Public Power Agencies

·         Natural Gas Stocks Grow, as Expected

·         Oil & Gas Leases Put on Hold in Montana, Dakotas

·         South Carolina Electric & Gas Goes to Court to Raise Rates

·         Georgia Approves New Coal-Burning Electricity Plant

·         Michigan - Group Wants to Save Boardman River Dams

·         Detroit Edison Offers Customers Spring Storm Tips

·         Biologist Suspected of Abusing Former State Post - Ethics board says he promised special treatment to wind firms

·         Chinook Fishing Could be Back on Wenatchee

·         Chinook Salmon May be Barged Around Dams

·         Western Rivers Conservancy & Wild Salmon Center Trust Protects 7,000 Acres along Peninsula’s Hoh River

·         Seattle Times Editorial - Water over the Dam Works for Salmon

·         Top US Fisheries Cop Replaced After Paper Shred

·         Park Service Seeks Contractor for Removal of Elwha, Glines Canyon Dams

·         State Suspends License of Quilcene Shellfish Firm

·         Yakima River Basin Counties Fear Expanded Water Moratorium

·         Water Forecasts Below Normal for Washington Rivers

·         Mason County Residents Learn About ADAGE Biomass Project

·         Wisconsin - Boldt Wins Contract to Build Biomass Plant near Wausau

·         Solar Street Lights at Intersections Almost Ready

·         Big Buoy Will Help Determine the Future of Wave Energy off the Oregon Coast

·         Wind Industry Reports Record Year, Pleads for Renewable-Power Standard

·         Midwest Turns to Wind Turbines

·         Texas & Northwest Lead Record-Breaking Growth in Wind Power

·         Green Building Costs Not Always Included in Home Appraisal

·         Home Energy Management Company Raises $2.8M

·         Two More Glaciers Gone from Glacier National Park

·         Texas Oil Firms Oppose California Climate Law

·         Try the Oregon Carbon Calculator to Find Ways to Shrink Your Carbon Footprint

·         Broadband Funds Stimulate Laments from Companies

·         San Jose Mercury News Editorial - FCC Must Quickly Reclaim Authority over Broadband

·         NY Times Editorial - Dial-Up Law in a Broadband World

·         Washington Post Op/Ed - Hands off the Internet

·         Manassas to End Broadband-over-Power Line Internet Service

·         Fatigued Washington State Lawmakers Round Up Final Budget Votes

·         US Rep. McMorris Rodgers to Run Again

·         Justice Stevens to Retire from Supreme Court After 34 Years

·         29 Arrested After ‘Riotous Behavior’ in Downtown Olympia

·         Fairchild AFB Is Moving to Moses Lake

·         I-5 Tacoma to Lacey Construction Ramping Up

·         Pasco man jailed on copper wire theft charges

·         Achoo! Pollen at Its Worst in Years in Many Areas

WORD OF THE DAY

Waif • \WAYF\ • noun - 1a: a piece of property found (as washed up by the sea) but unclaimed b plural: stolen goods thrown away by a thief in flight 2a: something found without an owner & especially by chance *b: a stray person or animal; especially: a homeless child

Georgia O’Keefe liked joking around with her fellow artist friend Margaret Keane. “Honey,” she rasped, a hidden smile playing behind her pursed lips. “You got the talent, but your paintings just don’t stand out. You ought to paint these little children as waifs with HUGE eyes that follow you around the room.” Unwittingly, O’Keefe launched a 1960’s art craze of enormous sad eyes staring out of the faces of small, vulnerable looking children.

(Just kidding, but it DOES sound like a plausible story, doesn’t it?)

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS

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

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Cowlitz PUD Touts New Law as Reason for Tax Refund (Longview Daily News, WA)

http://www.tdn.com/news/local/article_201ce34e-42aa-11df-94ae-001cc4c002e0.html

Puget Sound Energy Rate Hike Bigger Than Previously Thought (Kitsap Sun, Bremerton, WA)

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/apr/07/pse-rate-hike-bigger-than-previously-thought/?partner=RSS

Okanogan PUD Explains Proposed Rate Increase During Public Forum (Omak Chronicle, WA)

http://www.omakchronicle.com/nws/n100407b.shtml

Congressman Norm Dicks Recognized for Efforts to Upgrade Shelton to Olympia Transmission Lines (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA – with video)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1825-congressman-norm-dicks-recognized-for-efforts-to-upgrade-transmission-lines

Heavy Wind Hits Olympic Peninsula, With Top Gust Near Sequim - Electrical Power Interrupted for 1,400, Mostly in Jefferson County (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100409/NEWS/304099992

Wenatchee World Editorial – The World Sees How Green It Is “…Hydropower is cheap, yes, but price isn’t its only advantage. Beyond mere cheapness, it will add nothing to the final product’s carbon footprint…”

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/apr/07/the-world-sees-how-green-it-is/

Greg Hansen Won’t Run for Grant PUD Board (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/04/08/news/doc4bbe4b6d1abdf724203549.txt

Montana - City, State Electricity Woes Rooted Deeply in the Past (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20100408/OPINION/4080305/1014/City-state-electricity-woes-rooted-deeply-in-the-past

Idaho Power Puts Baker Transmission Line Route in Its Application (Baker City Herald, OR)

http://www.bakercityherald.com/Local-News/Idaho-Power-puts-Baker-route-in-its-application

California - Grid Manager Confesses…Error Caused Blackout: leads to blackout for 291,000 San Diego County homes (North County Times, Escondido, CA)

http://www.nctimes.com/business/article_7bdf7595-cf3b-5d88-a666-8ceea3bc3550.html

New Southern California Gas Meters to Cost Consumers $1 Billion (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2569977~New_SoCal_gas_meters_to_cost_consumers__1_billion.html?cid=rss-California_Headlines

California - Pacific Gas & Electric Must Stop Threats to Public Power Agencies (SF Chronicle)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/08/MN211CRUHA.DTL

Natural Gas Stocks Grow, as Expected (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011556303_apapfnusnaturalgasstorage.html?syndication=rss

Oil & Gas Leases Put on Hold in Montana, Dakotas (Associated Press)

http://www.examiner.com/a-2569369~Oil_and_gas_leases_put_on_hold_in_Mont___Dakotas.html?cid=rss-Montana_Headlines

South Carolina Electric & Gas Goes to Court to Raise Rates (Columbia Star, SC)

http://www.thecolumbiastar.com/news/2010-04-09/Business/SCEG_goes_to_court_to_raise_rates.html

Georgia Approves New Coal-Burning Electricity Plant (WRDW-TV, Augusta, GA)

http://www.wrdw.com/homeandfamily/headlines/90344769.html

Michigan - Group Wants to Save Boardman River Dams (Travers City Record-Eagle, MI)

http://www.record-eagle.com/local/local_story_097071021.html

Detroit Edison Offers Customers Spring Storm Tips (Electric Energy Online)

http://www.electricenergyonline.com/?page=show_news&rss=1&id=131098

FISH, WATER & WILDLIFE

Former Washington State Biologist Accused of Ethics Violation “…job gave him prior knowledge of the impact of proposed wind farms on wildlife…he persuaded companies to propose projects that benefited his institute in return for special treatment…” (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/04/08/1199505/former-wash-biologist-accused.html

Biologist Suspected of Abusing Former State Post - Ethics board says he promised special treatment to wind firms (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/apr/08/biologist-suspected-of-abusing-former-post/

Chinook Fishing Could be Back on Wenatchee (Wenatchee World, WA)

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2010/apr/08/chinook-fishing-could-be-back-on-wenatchee/

Chinook Salmon May be Barged Around Dams (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/04/09/1141226/chinook-salmon-may-be-barged-around.html

Western Rivers Conservancy & Wild Salmon Center Trust Protects 7,000 Acres along Peninsula’s Hoh River (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/apr/09/trust-protects-7000-acres-along-peninsulas-hoh/

Seattle Times Editorial - Water over the Dam Works for Salmon

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2011550635_edit08spill.html

Top US Fisheries Cop Replaced After Paper Shred (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011557940_apusfisheryenforcement.html?syndication=rss

Park Service Seeks Contractor for Removal of Elwha, Glines Canyon Dams (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100409/NEWS/304099993

State Suspends License of Quilcene Shellfish Firm (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100409/NEWS/304099985

Yakima River Basin Counties Fear Expanded Water Moratorium (Yakima Herald Republic, WA)

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/04/07/counties-fear-expanded-water-moratorium

Water Forecasts Below Normal for Washington Rivers (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/04/09/1141225/water-forecasts-below-normal-for.html

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Mason County Residents Learn About ADAGE Biomass Project (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1817-residents-learn-about-biomass-project

Wisconsin - Boldt Wins Contract to Build Biomass Plant near Wausau (Business North)

http://www.businessnorth.com/construction.asp?RID=3388

Solar Street Lights at Intersections Almost Ready (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

http://masoncountydailynews.net/news/1824-solar-street-lights-at-intersection-almost-ready

Big Buoy Will Help Determine the Future of Wave Energy off the Oregon Coast (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/04/big_buoy_will_help_determine_t.html

Wind Industry Reports Record Year, Pleads for Renewable-Power Standard (NY Times – Please sir; May I have some more…)

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/04/08/08greenwire-wind-industry-reports-record-year-pleads-for-r-78283.html

Midwest Turns to Wind Turbines (Houston Chronicle, TX)

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6950664.html

Texas & Northwest Lead Record-Breaking Growth in Wind Power (Brighter Energy)

http://www.brighterenergy.org/8221/news/wind/texas-and-northwest-lead-record-breaking-growth-in-wind-power/

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Green Building Costs Not Always Included in Home Appraisal (Christian Science Monitor)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2010/0407/Green-building-costs-not-always-included-in-home-appraisal

Home Energy Management Company Raises $2.8M (Portland Business Journal)

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/04/05/daily32.html

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Two More Glaciers Gone from Glacier National Park (Associated Press)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100407/ap_on_re_us/us_disappearing_glaciers

Texas Oil Firms Oppose California Climate Law (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/science/earth/08energy.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Try the Oregon Carbon Calculator to Find Ways to Shrink Your Carbon Footprint (The Oregonian, Portland)

http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen/2010/04/try_the_oregon_carbon_calculat.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Broadband Funds Stimulate Laments from Companies (Associated Press)

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14852739

San Jose Mercury News Editorial - FCC Must Quickly Reclaim Authority over Broadband

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_14839845

NY Times Editorial - Dial-Up Law in a Broadband World

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/09/opinion/09fri1.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Washington Post Op/Ed - Hands off the Internet

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/08/AR2010040803375.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns

Manassas to End Broadband-over-Power Line Internet Service (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/06/AR2010040603796.html?wprss=rss_technology

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Fatigued Washington State Lawmakers Round Up Final Budget Votes (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011562439_budget09m.html?syndication=rss

US Rep. McMorris Rodgers to Run Again (Associated Press)

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/04/07/1198328/us-rep-mcmorris-rodgers-to-run.html

Justice Stevens to Retire from Supreme Court After 34 Years (NY Times)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/10/us/politics/10stevens.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

GENERAL NEWS

29 Arrested After ‘Riotous Behavior’ in Downtown Olympia (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/crime/2010/04/09/29-arrested-after-riot-in-downtown-olympia/

Fairchild AFB Is Moving to Moses Lake (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2010/04/08/news/doc4bbe4b8a2e3b2737375076.txt

I-5 Tacoma to Lacey Construction Ramping Up (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.kirotv.com/traffic/23100122/detail.html

Pasco man jailed on copper wire theft charges (Tri-City Herald, WA)

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/04/08/969226/crime-pasco-man-jailed-on-copper.html

Achoo! Pollen at Its Worst in Years in Many Areas (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011566074_apusplentifulpollen.html?syndication=rss

DIVERSIONS

Lunch-Only Beer Policy Prompts Carlsberg Brewery Strike

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011557341_apeudenmarkcarlsbergbeerstrike.html?syndication=rss

Some catch: Ohio coach proposes to rival on field

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100409/ap_on_sp_ot/us_odd_softball_proposal

NY woman gets feds’ goat for compensation claim

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100409/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_goat_troubles

Taiwan’s male ‘Susan Boyle’ a web sensation

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100408/ennew_afp/entertainmenttaiwaninternetyoutubeoffbeat_20100408184957

SONG OF THE DAY

Lin Yu Chun - I Will Always Love You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA-tOsM6F4Y