Monday, July 26, 2010

Energy News Digest for July 26, 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

Scaled-Back Energy Plan Disappoints Some Utilities (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce Endorses ADAGE Biopower Plant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Ellensburg - Desert Claim Wind Farm Delayed: Construction Starts Spring 2011 (The Daily Record, Ellensburg, WA)

Chelan PUD’s Outgoing GM Says Scene Is Set for Stable Future (Wenatchee World, WA)

Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Chehalis, Washington; Reward Offered (Bonneville Power Administration)

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Scaled-Back Energy Plan Disappoints Some Utilities
·         No Renewable Energy Standard, No Cap & Trade in Scaled Back Federal Energy Bill
·         Chelan PUD’s Outgoing GM Says Scene Is Set for Stable Future
·         Mason PUD 3 Sells Bonds for Capital Projects & Refinancing of Debt
·         Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Chehalis, Washington; Reward Offered
·         Streetlights Again Top Shelton City Commission Meeting Agenda
·         Montana - NorthWestern, Conservationists Propose ‘Decoupling’ Rate Structure
·         Editorial - Awaiting Special Permit, Southern Montana Electric Should Hit the Brakes
·         Montana/Alberta - MATL Seeks to Condemn Land for Power Line
·         Bonneville Power Administration Pole Spared for Birds
·         Baltimore Gas & Electric Smart-Grid Program Faces Regulatory Hurdle
·         Smart Home Meters Draw Consumer Complaints
·         New Idaho Hatchery Site Purchased to Substantially Boost Efforts to Rebuild Endangered Snake River Sockeye
·         With Low-Water Conditions Libby Dam Spill Test Didn’t Move Many Kootenai River Sturgeon
·         Record Number of Sockeye Salmon on View at Washington Dam
·         Oregon - At Round Butte Dam near Madras a Fish-Passage Project Has Heated up the River
·         Retired Wenatchee Man Gets Paid to Fish
·         California - New Yuba River Fish Study on Dam Impacts Ordered
·         Kodiak Salmon Plant to Tout Sustainable Energy Tie
·         Towering Northwest Forests Stand Out in Global Map
·         US Senate OKs $44 Million for Repairs at Hanson Dam
·         Calculating the Economic Value of Puget Sound Ecosystems
·         Farmers Rush to Buy Tractors Before Emissions Rules Kick In
·         Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce Endorses ADAGE Biopower Plant
·         Iberdrola’s Oregon Biomass Project Appealed
·         Cheers & Jeers - Biomass Shows Promise
·         Lake Tahoe - Basin-Based Biomass Plant Deemed ‘A Real Possibility’
·         Arizona Biomass Plant May Shut Down Amid Lost Deal
·         New York - Biomass Project Awaits Fed’s OK for Funding
·         Ellensburg - Desert Claim Wind Farm Delayed: Construction Starts Spring 2011
·         Environmentalists, Developers Compromise over Bend Area Wind Farm
·         Montana Lagging When It Comes to Wind Power
·         Massive California Wind Farm Gets $1.2 Billion in Financing
·         New Arizona Wind Farm Shows Power of Innovative Policymaking
·         Texas Longhorn Athletics Expanding into Renewable Energy Business
·         Snohomish County PUD Hosts Meetings to Explain Solar-Energy Systems & Incentives
·         Top Five Mistakes When Considering Solar Power for Your Home
·         Outlook Dims for Popular Federal Energy-Efficiency Loans
·         Smart Meters Alone Not Enough to Save
·         Energy Waste the Size of Japan
·         Experts Illuminate the Future of Lighting
·         Carbon Capture - Montana-Saskatchewan Climate Project Shelved
·         Oregon Joins Greenhouse Gas Lawsuit
·         California Climate Law Adds Jobs to State Payroll
·         Housewatch: Building Green Without Losing Greenbacks
·         House Panel Wants Half of US Cars Electric by 2030
·         FCC, Public Safety at Odds over Broadband Plan
·         Wireless Industry Challenges San Fran’s Cell Phone Radiation Law
·         Cynic Watch - Report Says Special Interests Control Washington Ballot Measures
·         It Pays to Gather Signatures - 2010 has Been a Bonanza for Paid Signature Gatherers
·         Union Issue Could Change Rules for Olympia City Contracts
·         City of Vancouver Bid Plan Could Backfire
·         Employee to Kennewick Irrigation District: I Did Not Cheat the Company
·         Pierce County Officials Spent $30,000 on Golf Trips
·         GOP Puts Democrat Murray on Defensive for Federal Projects
·         90-Year-Old Man Dies in Crash off Olympia Bluff
·         Editorial - Fix Dangerous Intersection with SR 101 & Stop the Carnage
·         Reopened Lucky Dog Casino North of Shelton Seeks More Workers
·         ‘Horrible’ Growing Season Hits Western Washington Farmers
·         Olympia Food Co-Op Ban on Israeli Products Stirs Protest
·         Alleged ‘Barefoot Bandit’ Not Interested in Selling Story
·         The Green File: No Matter the Name, It’s a Great Little Fair

WORD OF THE DAY

Screed • \SKREED\ • noun - 1a: a lengthy discourse b: an informal piece of writing c: a ranting piece of writing 2: a strip laid on as a guide 3: a leveling device drawn over freshly poured concrete

“Hoo boy,” sighed the new apprentice, as his foreman strode to the edge of the newly poured concrete sidewalk. As the roll of parchment containing the intricate screed written by the self-important rolled over the forms containing the viscous, but rapidly hardening liquid, the fresh-faced recruit settled himself for a long discourse on the proper use of a screed on sidewalks and the dressing of the edges. “My job will be hardened into place long before he finishes this thing,” mused the apprentice…who promptly began to daydream of sunny, far away places as his boss droned on.

SHELTON FORECAST & WEATHER ALERTS


ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

Scaled-Back Energy Plan Disappoints Some Utilities (Bloomberg BusinessWeek)

No Renewable Energy Standard, No Cap & Trade in Scaled Back Federal Energy Bill (Renewable Energy World)

Chelan PUD’s Outgoing GM Says Scene Is Set for Stable Future (Wenatchee World, WA)

Mason PUD 3 Sells Bonds for Capital Projects & Refinancing of Debt - Will be used for new operations center & projects for electrical reliability (Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal)

Thieves Hit BPA Substation in Chehalis, Washington; Reward Offered (Bonneville Power Administration)

Streetlights Again Top Shelton City Commission Meeting Agenda (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Montana - NorthWestern, Conservationists Propose ‘Decoupling’ Rate Structure (Billings Gazette, MT)

Editorial - Awaiting Special Permit, Southern Montana Electric Should Hit the Brakes (Great Falls Tribune, MT)

Montana/Alberta - MATL Seeks to Condemn Land for Power Line (Associated Press)

Bonneville Power Administration Pole Spared for Birds (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)

Baltimore Gas & Electric Smart-Grid Program Faces Regulatory Hurdle (Washington Post)

Smart Home Meters Draw Consumer Complaints (USA Today)

FISH & WILDLIFE

New Idaho Hatchery Site Purchased to Substantially Boost Efforts to Rebuild Endangered Snake River Sockeye (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

With Low-Water Conditions Libby Dam Spill Test Didn’t Move Many Kootenai River Sturgeon (Columbia Basin Bulletin)

Record Number of Sockeye Salmon on View at Washington Dam (USA Today)

Oregon - At Round Butte Dam near Madras a Fish-Passage Project Has Heated up the River, Which Hurts Steelhead Catch Rates (Oregonian, Portland)

Retired Wenatchee Man Gets Paid to Fish (Wenatchee World, WA)

California - New Yuba River Fish Study on Dam Impacts Ordered (Sacramento Bee, CA)

Kodiak Salmon Plant to Tout Sustainable Energy Tie (Associated Press)

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Towering Northwest Forests Stand Out in Global Map (Oregonian, Portland)

US Senate OKs $44 Million for Repairs at Hanson Dam (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

Calculating the Economic Value of Puget Sound Ecosystems (KPLU Radio, Tacoma, WA)

Farmers Rush to Buy Tractors Before Emissions Rules Kick In (Northwest Public Radio)

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Shelton Mason County Chamber of Commerce Endorses ADAGE Biopower Plant (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)

Iberdrola’s Oregon Biomass Project Appealed (Associated Press)

Cheers & Jeers - Biomass Shows Promise (The Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Lake Tahoe - Basin-Based Biomass Plant Deemed ‘A Real Possibility’ (Tahoe Daily Tribune, South Lake Tahoe, CA)

Arizona Biomass Plant May Shut Down Amid Lost Deal (Arizona Republic, Phoenix, AZ)

New York - Biomass Project Awaits Fed’s OK for Funding (Westfair Communications, White Plains, NY)

Ellensburg - Desert Claim Wind Farm Delayed: Construction Starts Spring 2011 (The Daily Record, Ellensburg, WA)

Environmentalists, Developers Compromise over Bend Area Wind Farm (Daily Journal of Commerce, OR)

Montana Lagging When It Comes to Wind Power (The Missoulian, MT)

Massive California Wind Farm Gets $1.2 Billion in Financing (CNET News)

New Arizona Wind Farm Shows Power of Innovative Policymaking (Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff, AZ)

Texas Longhorn Athletics Expanding into Renewable Energy Business (San Antonio Business Journal)

Snohomish County PUD Hosts Meetings to Explain Solar-Energy Systems & Incentives (Everett Herald, WA)

Top Five Mistakes When Considering Solar Power for Your Home (Renewable Energy World)

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Outlook Dims for Popular Federal Energy-Efficiency Loans (Nat’l Public Radio)

Smart Meters Alone Not Enough to Save (Associated Press)

Energy Waste the Size of Japan (Renewable Energy World)

Experts Illuminate the Future of Lighting (SF Chronicle)

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Carbon Capture - Montana-Saskatchewan Climate Project Shelved (Associated Press)

Oregon Joins Greenhouse Gas Lawsuit (Portland Business Journal)

California Climate Law Adds Jobs to State Payroll (Sacramento Bee, CA)

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

Housewatch: Building Green Without Losing Greenbacks (Washington Post)

House Panel Wants Half of US Cars Electric by 2030 (USA Today)

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC, Public Safety at Odds over Broadband Plan (Associated Press)

Wireless Industry Challenges San Fran’s Cell Phone Radiation Law (Courthouse News Service)

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Cynic Watch - Report Says Special Interests Control Washington Ballot Measures (Northwest Public Radio)

It Pays to Gather Signatures - 2010 has Been a Bonanza for Paid Signature Gatherers (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – Done’ forget to ask how much your signature is worth…it’s easy & fun!)

Union Issue Could Change Rules for Olympia City Contracts (Olympian, WA)

City of Vancouver Bid Plan Could Backfire - policy to give an edge to Vancouver-based businesses competing for government contracts (The Vancouver Columbian, WA)

Employee to Kennewick Irrigation District: I Did Not Cheat the Company (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)

Pierce County Officials Spent $30,000 on Golf Trips (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

GOP Puts Democrat Murray on Defensive for Federal Projects (KIRO-TV, Seattle)

GENERAL NEWS

90-Year-Old Man Dies in Crash off Olympia Bluff (Associated Press)

Editorial - Fix Dangerous Intersection with SR 101 & Stop the Carnage (Olympian, WA)

Reopened Lucky Dog Casino North of Shelton Seeks More Workers (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

‘Horrible’ Growing Season Hits Western Washington Farmers (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Olympia Food Co-Op Ban on Israeli Products Stirs Protest (Olympian, WA)

Alleged ‘Barefoot Bandit’ Not Interested in Selling Story (KING-TV, Seattle)

The Green File: No Matter the Name, It’s a Great Little Fair (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA – who’s this ‘Myer” fellow he quotes in here?)

DIVERSIONS

Pigeon Droppings Halt Kings of Leon Concert

Boat of Plastic Bottles Ends Four-Month Pacific Sail (Associated Press)

Thrift Store Gets Laptop Back After Mistaken Five-Dollar Sale

City of Seattle Orders Admired Gardener to Trim Back Her Creation

SONG OF THE DAY

Jay Sean Ft Li’l Wayne - Sky is Falling Down