Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Energy News Digest for May 19, 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

HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Radar Ridge: Grays Harbor PUD Balks - The PUD will not move forward with the proposed wind energy project in Pacific County & won’t fund additional environmental reviews (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Simpson Co-Generator Project to Make Shelton Operations More Stable (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Dry winter to blame for BC Hydro decision to boost energy imports - Lower reservoirs in Peace & Upper Columbia mean less water available for power generation (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Wenatchee Workers in the Mix - Alcoa, Union to Open Contract Negotiations “…master agreement…will cover about 5,400 union employees at 10 Alcoa plants around the country…” (Quad City Business Journal)

Washington State’s Jobless Rate Drops to 9.2 Percent in April (Associated Press)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Dry winter to blame for BC Hydro decision to boost energy imports
·         Wenatchee Workers in the Mix - Alcoa, Union to Open Contract Negotiations
·         Alcoa Spends $560,000 to Lobby Government in 1Q
·         Alcoa, Unions Agree on Investments for Italy Units
·         New Law Means Tax Increase for Grays Harbor Electricity Ratepayers
·         Chelan County PUD Receives High Marks for Transmission System Reliability
·         Chelan PUD agrees to pay fine after ‘cyber security’ audit
·         New Electricity Grids May be Smart, But Not So Private
·         Idaho Power Allowed to Fund Energy Alliance in Rates
·         Work on Turbines Means Extra Tours at Chief Joseph Dam
·         Customers Rate Clallam PUD High for Service, Courtesy
·         Grays Harbor PUD - Timmons to Run for Commissioner’s Position
·         California - New Power Plants Brighten Summer Electricity Outlook
·         Constellation Energy Acquires Texas Natural Gas Plants for $365 Million
·         Fishermen Pulling Spring Chinook out of Columbia River in Large Run
·         Bellingham Herald Columnist - Steelhead Belong in Rivers
·         Crews Fish out Lost Puget Sound Nets to Save Trapped Wildlife
·         Our Oysters Travel
·         Study Indicates Mass Die-Off of Fish May Have Led to Humans
·         Late-Arriving White Stuff Leaves Snow Forecasters Red-Faced
·         Whatcom PUD Customer - Intalco Smelter Near Ferndale Making Big Cut in Water Use
·         Radar Ridge: Grays Harbor PUD Balks
·         Grays Harbor PUD Hoping to Sell Interest in Radar Ridge Wind Project
·         Wind Farm Project ‘Kind of in Limbo’ at Clallam PUD
·         Chinook Observer Editorial - Are We Willing to Pay Price for Switch to New Energy Sources?
·         Puget Sound Energy to Start Construction on Lower Snake River Wind Project
·         Simpson Co-Generator Project to Make Shelton Operations More Stable
·         Biomass Conundrum: Where to Get Cheap Wood Waste
·         Small-Scale Biomass Projects Utilize Energy, Heat
·         Colorado - Vail Biomass Grant Looks Promising
·         Michigan - Location Still Sought for Traverse City Light & Power Biomass Plant
·         Wausau Daily Herald Opinion – State of Wisconsin Should Study Impact of Biomass Plant
·         EPA Tailoring Rule Worries Biomass Industry
·         A Wood-Fueled Electricity Generating Plant May be in Your Future
·         Virginia Governor Sees Fairfax Energy Plant as Example for Future
·         Ohio - Green Energy Legislation Could Lure Projects to State
·         Locke Leads Green Energy Trade Mission to China & Indonesia
·         Minnesota Town Bars Residential Wind Energy Systems
·         Geothermal Harnesses the Power of the Cave
·         Rebate Program Has Montanans Cashing in on Old Appliances
·         Georgia Power Conservation Programs Fall Short, Critics Say
·         Three Climate Change Reports Call for Setting Price on Carbon Emissions
·         Coal-fired Utilities Win More Free Permits in New Carbon Plan
·         Carbon to Average $26/t in Early Years of US Emissions Trading System
·         One Moos & One Hums, but They Could Help Power Google
·         Vandals of Solar Powered Pay Station Cost Olympia $1,050
·         Gonzalez Gets Award for Finding Way to Turn E. Coli into Biofuel
·         FCC Switching ‘Universal Service’ to Broadband
·         Supreme Court Rejects Appeal of ‘Must Carry’ Rule
·         AT&T: Our Broadband Is Fast Enough
·         Longview Daily News Editorial - FCC Should Reconsider ‘Net Neutrality’ Plan
·         $24 Million Later – World Health Organization Study Has No Clear Answer on Phones & Cancer
·         Washington Post Columnist - Slow Learners at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
·         Washington State’s Jobless Rate Drops to 9.2 Percent in April

WORD OF THE DAY

Ineluctable • \in-el-LUCK-tu-bull\ • adjective - Not to be avoided, changed, or resisted: inevitable

Glacier-like in its advance, ineluctable in its arrival, the final episode of “Lost” is on the way.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Dry winter to blame for BC Hydro decision to boost energy imports - Lower reservoirs in Peace & Upper Columbia mean less water available for power generation (Vancouver Sun, BC)

Wenatchee Workers in the Mix - Alcoa, Union to Open Contract Negotiations “…master agreement…will cover about 5,400 union employees at 10 Alcoa plants around the country…” (Quad City Business Journal)

Alcoa Spends $560,000 to Lobby Government in 1Q – “…Areas included hydroelectric generating facilities, power availability from the Bonneville Power Association & the Tennessee Valley Authority…” (BusinessWeek)

Alcoa, Unions Agree on Investments for Italy Units “…European Commission ordered it to pay back most of the state aid it had received in Italy since 2006. Alcoa has complained about high power prices in Italy…” (Reuters)

New Law Means Tax Increase for Grays Harbor Electricity Ratepayers (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Chelan County PUD Receives High Marks for Transmission System Reliability (KPQ Radio, Wenatchee, WA)

Chelan PUD agrees to pay fine after ‘cyber security’ audit (Wenatchee World, WA)

New Electricity Grids May be Smart, But Not So Private (Denver Post, CO)

Idaho Power Allowed to Fund Energy Alliance in Rates, But Must Show Consumer Benefits (Idaho Statesman, Boise)

Work on Turbines Means Extra Tours at Chief Joseph Dam (Wenatchee World, WA)

Customers Rate Clallam PUD High for Service, Courtesy (Sequim Gazette, WA)

Grays Harbor PUD - Timmons to Run for Commissioner’s Position (Aberdeen Daily World WA)

California - New Power Plants Brighten Summer Electricity Outlook (Eon News)

Constellation Energy Acquires Texas Natural Gas Plants for $365 Million (iStock Analyst)

FISH & WILDLIFE

Fishermen Pulling Spring Chinook out of Columbia River in Large Run (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

Bellingham Herald Columnist - Steelhead Belong in Rivers; A Recent Oregon Study Shows Why

Crews Fish out Lost Puget Sound Nets to Save Trapped Wildlife (USA Today)

Our Oysters Travel - Area suppliers of the bivalve might benefit after Gulf farm closures send buyers looking elsewhere

Study Indicates Mass Die-Off of Fish May Have Led to Humans (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Late-Arriving White Stuff Leaves Snow Forecasters Red-Faced - Heavy spring snowfall in the mountains has eased most, though not all, worries about snowpack & summer water supply (Crosscut Seattle)

Whatcom PUD Customer - Intalco Smelter Near Ferndale Making Big Cut in Water Use (Bellingham Herald, WA)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Radar Ridge: Grays Harbor PUD Balks - The PUD will not move forward with the proposed wind energy project in Pacific County & won’t fund additional environmental reviews (Aberdeen Daily World, WA)

Grays Harbor PUD Hoping to Sell Interest in Radar Ridge Wind Project (KBKW Radio, Aberdeen, WA)

Wind Farm Project ‘Kind of in Limbo’ at Clallam PUD (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

Chinook Observer Editorial - Are We Willing to Pay Price for Switch to New Energy Sources? We won’t like everything about wind power, but we need it

Puget Sound Energy to Start Construction on Lower Snake River Wind Project - 343-MW Wind Power Project Near Pomeroy, WA (Marketwatch)

Simpson Co-Generator Project to Make Shelton Operations More Stable (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Biomass Conundrum: Where to Get Cheap Wood Waste (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Small-Scale Biomass Projects Utilize Energy, Heat (Spokesman Review, Spokane, WA)

Colorado - Vail Biomass Grant Looks Promising: Town among three of 80 applicants still in the running for $2M federal grant (Summit Daily News, Frisco, CO)

Michigan - Location Still Sought for Traverse City Light & Power Biomass Plant (Traverse City Record-Eagle, MI)

Wausau Daily Herald Opinion – State of Wisconsin Should Study Impact of Biomass Plant

EPA Tailoring Rule Worries Biomass Industry - does not exempt biomass power producers from greenhouse gas permitting requirements (Biomass Magazine)

A Wood-Fueled Electricity Generating Plant May be in Your Future (Azo materials)

Virginia Governor Sees Fairfax Energy Plant as Example for Future – “…trash-to-energy practice should be expanded in state…” (Fairfax Times, VA)

Ohio - Green Energy Legislation Could Lure Projects to State (Dayton Daily News, OH)

Locke Leads Green Energy Trade Mission to China & Indonesia (United Press International)

Minnesota Town Bars Residential Wind Energy Systems (Austin Post-Bulletin, MN)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Geothermal Harnesses the Power of the Cave (Everett Herald, WA)

Rebate Program Has Montanans Cashing in on Old Appliances (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

Georgia Power Conservation Programs Fall Short, Critics Say (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Three Climate Change Reports Call for Setting Price on Carbon Emissions (USA Today)

Coal-fired Utilities Win More Free Permits in New Carbon Plan (Bloomberg News)

Carbon to Average $26/t in Early Years of US Emissions Trading System (Marketwire)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

One Moos & One Hums, but They Could Help Power Google (NY Times)

Vandals of Solar Powered Pay Station Cost Olympia $1,050 (Olympian, WA)

Gonzalez Gets Award for Finding Way to Turn E. Coli into Biofuel (Houston Business Journal)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Switching ‘Universal Service’ to Broadband (Courthouse News Service)

Supreme Court Rejects Appeal of ‘Must Carry’ Rule (Broadband Reports)

AT&T: Our Broadband Is Fast Enough - Company remains confident in plan to nurse copper (Broadband Reports)

Longview Daily News Editorial - FCC Should Reconsider ‘Net Neutrality’ Plan

$24 Million Later – World Health Organization Study Has No Clear Answer on Phones & Cancer (Reuters)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Washington Post Columnist - Slow Learners at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals

GENERAL NEWS

Washington State’s Jobless Rate Drops to 9.2 Percent in April (Associated Press)

DIVERSIONS

Aliens ‘Hijack’ NASA’s Voyager 2 Spacecraft, Claims Expert

Dad Excused from Son’s Giant Phone Bill

The Seven Most Over-Used Journalistic Clichés (Gawker Note: Comment section may include PG-13 language)

Canadian Woman Sues Telephone Company for ‘Exposing’ Her Affair

SONG OF THE DAY

Warren Zevon - Knocking on Heaven’s Door