Energy News Digest for April 22, 2011

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.

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HOT SHOTS – TODAY’S TOP FIVE STORIES

Washington State Bill to Phase Out Coal Burning Goes to Governor (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=14492149

Bonneville Power Administration to Provide Low-Cost Power to Port Townsend Paper - Wholesale power contract saves 300 jobs (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/1070843/

Amazon Server Failures Darken ‘Cloud’ Outlook (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014841260_amazon22.html

Spring Chinook Begin to Arrive in Idaho (Northwest Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=8684

No Break This Spring at the Gas Pump (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014838485_apusgaspricestravel.html

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

·         Bonneville Power Administration to Provide Low-Cost Power to Port Townsend Paper

·         Washington State Bill to Phase Out Coal Burning Goes to Governor

·         Oregon - Local Developer Eyes Power Plant Project

·         Montana Power Lines - Governor to Amend Eminent Domain Bill

·         Another Dog Shocked by Faulty Metal Plate in Seattle

·         Tree Trimming Near Panther Lake- Project Begins April 25

·         Few Spots Available for Elwha Powerhouse Tours

·         Arizona – Palo Verde: Nuclear Regulatory Commission Extends Life of Largest US Nuclear Station

·         Maryland - Licensing Board Deals Blow to Calvert Cliffs 3 Nuclear Power Plant Proposal

·         Pacific Gas & Electric Executive Resigns in Wake of California Pipeline Blast

·         Greenpeace Occupies Rig in Arctic Drilling Protest

·         Spring Chinook Begin to Arrive in Idaho

·         Environmental Group Will Sue to Protect Walrus

·         Columbia River Gorge Commission Faces Prospect of Serious Cuts

·         Oregon - Get Ready to Say Bye-Bye to Business Energy Tax Credit

·         Canada Hydropower: Liquid Cornerstone

·         Homes’ Solar Panels Often Boost Values

·         Harnessing Energy from the Oceans

·         What’s In a Carbon Footprint? Depends

·         United Kingdom Issues Warning as Smog Forms Over London

·         Heating Oil Phase-Out Part of New York City Clean-Air Plan

·         What Went Wrong for Cap-And-Trade?

·         It Isn’t Easy Being ‘Green’ on Cleaning When Money’s Tight

·         Ballard’s Rain Gardens: A Green Experiment Gone Wrong

·         Oregon Businesses Try to Green Their Practices, in Ways Little & Large

·         Amazon Server Failures Darken ‘Cloud’ Outlook

·         City Of Port Angeles Moving Ahead With “Mesh Network”

·         Greenpeace Presses for Renewable Power at Data Centers

·         Google Oklahoma Data Center to Get Boost from Wind Farm

·         Report: Apple, Google Collecting Location Data on Users

·         Budget Overshadows Environment in Olympia

·         Washington State Medical Pot Bill Now Will Test Veto Threat

·         No Break This Spring at the Gas Pump

·         Man Falls in Olympic National Park While Researching Glacier

·         At Monroe Dairy Farm, Every Day Is Earth Day

·         Charge: Metal Thief Found Shirtless in Seattle Animal Testing Lab

·         Oregon - Senate Bill Redefines ‘Possession’ of Internet Images

WORD OF THE DAY

Primordial • \PRIME-or-dee-ull\ • Adjective - 1a: first created or developed: primeval b: existing in or persisting from the beginning c: earliest formed in the growth of an individual or organ 2: fundamental, primary

The first soup and sandwich shop in town did a booming business…even with the slightly odd name of “Primordial Soup.”

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

Bonneville Power Administration to Provide Low-Cost Power to Port Townsend Paper - Wholesale power contract saves 300 jobs (Bonneville Power Administration)

http://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/1582/1070843/

Washington State Bill to Phase Out Coal Burning Goes to Governor (Associated Press)

http://www.kndu.com/Global/story.asp?S=14492149

Oregon - Local Developer Eyes Power Plant Project - Chuck Sides hopes to win PGE bid to build on Keizer site (Salem Statesman-Journal, OR)

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20110421/NEWS/104210344/Local-developer-eyes-power-plant-project

Montana Power Lines - Governor to Amend Eminent Domain Bill (Helena Independent Record, MT)

http://helenair.com/news/article_188ceb70-6bde-11e0-8392-001cc4c03286.html

Another Dog Shocked by Faulty Metal Plate in Seattle (KOMO-TV, Seattle)

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/120436774.html

Tree Trimming Near Panther Lake- Project Begins April 25 (Mason County PUD No. 3)

http://www.masonpud3.org/Newsdisplay.aspx?NewsID=855

Few Spots Available for Elwha Powerhouse Tours (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20110422/news/304229990/few-spots-available-for-elwha-powerhouse-tours

Arizona – Palo Verde: Nuclear Regulatory Commission Extends Life of Largest US Nuclear Station (Reuters)

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/21/us-usa-nuclear-paloverde-idUSTRE73K7PV20110421

Maryland - Licensing Board Deals Blow To Calvert Cliffs 3 Nuclear Power Plant Proposal (Baynet, MD)

http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewstory/story_ID/22192

Pacific Gas & Electric Executive Resigns in Wake of California Pipeline Blast (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014840858_apuspipelineexplosion.html

Greenpeace Occupies Rig in Arctic Drilling Protest (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014846324_apeuturkeygreenpeaceoilrig.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Spring Chinook Begin to Arrive in Idaho (Northwest Public Radio)

http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=8684

Environmental Group Will Sue to Protect Walrus (Associated Press)

http://mobile.newsminer.com/bookmark/12882432-Environmental-group-will-sue-to-protect-walrus

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Columbia River Gorge Commission Faces Prospect of Serious Cuts (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/apr/21/columbia-river-gorge-commission-faces-prospect-of/

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Oregon - Get Ready to Say Bye-Bye to Business Energy Tax Credit (Sustainable Business Oregon)

http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/articles/2011/04/get-ready-to-say-bye-bye-to-betc.html

Canada Hydropower: Liquid Cornerstone “…Canada is bent on producing more, driven by its vast potential for hydropower generation & demands for more clean energy in the US…” (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/04/canada-hydropower-liquid-cornerstone?cmpid=rss

Homes’ Solar Panels Often Boost Values (SF Chronicle CA)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/21/BUJ61J4J4K.DTL

Harnessing Energy from the Oceans (Environmental Expert)

http://www.environmental-expert.com/resultEachPressRelease.aspx?cid=23745&codi=234733&lr=1

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

What’s In a Carbon Footprint? Depends (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/environment/whats_in_a_carbon_footprint_depends/2011/04/20/AF2qwyKE_story.html

United Kingdom Issues Warning as Smog Forms Over London (Associated Press)

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/UK-issues-warning-as-smog-forms-over-London-1348226.php

Heating Oil Phase-Out Part of New York City Clean-Air Plan (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014835393_apusgreennyc.html

What Went Wrong for Cap-And-Trade? (Washington Post)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/what_went_wrong_for_cap_and_trade/2011/04/13/AFgEYqHE_blog.html

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

It Isn’t Easy Being ‘Green’ on Cleaning When Money’s Tight (Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2014841388_green22.html

Ballard’s Rain Gardens: A Green Experiment Gone Wrong “…residents are not pleased… worry that the swamped gardens are a drowning hazard for young children, a breeding ground for mosquitoes & a flaw that will lower property values…” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/environment/article/Ballard-s-rain-gardens-A-bad-green-experiment-1345766.php

Oregon Businesses Try to Green Their Practices, in Ways Little & Large (Oregonian, Portland)

http://blog.oregonlive.com/pdxgreen/2011/04/oregon_businesses_try_to_green.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Amazon Server Failures Darken ‘Cloud’ Outlook (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014841260_amazon22.html

City Of Port Angeles Moving Ahead With “Mesh Network” - The city is using a federal grant to build it (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.konp.com/local/6822

Greenpeace Presses for Renewable Power at Data Centers (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA – BTW, Greenpeace offsets fossil fuel energy at ITS data centers with the purchase of carbon offsets)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/22/1636016/greenpeace-presses-for-renewable.html

Google Oklahoma Data Center to Get Boost from Wind Farm (CNET)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-20056113-54.html

Report: Apple, Google Collecting Location Data on Users (USA Today)

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/2011/04/report-apple-google-collecting-location-data-on-users/1?csp=34tech

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

Budget Overshadows Environment in Olympia - But conservation groups earn a big win with phase-out of coal plant (Vancouver Columbian, WA)

http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/apr/22/budget-overshadows-environment-in-olympia/

Washington State Medical Pot Bill Now Will Test Veto Threat (News Tribune, Tacoma, WA)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/04/22/1635962/medical-pot-bill-now-will-test.html

GENERAL NEWS

No Break This Spring at the Gas Pump (Associated Press)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2014838485_apusgaspricestravel.html

Man Falls in Olympic National Park While Researching Glacier (KONP Radio, Port Angeles, WA)

http://www.konp.com/local/6826

At Monroe Dairy Farm, Every Day Is Earth Day (Everett Herald, WA – Dairy-Aire…smells like money!)

http://heraldnet.com/article/20110422/NEWS01/704229913/-1/COMM

Charge: Metal Thief Found Shirtless in Seattle Animal Testing Lab (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Charge-Metal-thief-found-shirtless-in-Seattle-1345903.php

Oregon - Senate Bill Redefines ‘Possession’ of Internet Images (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

http://news.opb.org/article/senate-bill-redefines-possession-internet-images/

DIVERSIONS

Washington Teen Fakes Pregnancy as School Project

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014846445_apusfaketeenpregnancy.html

Termites Eat Up Millions of Indian Rupees in Bank

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/04/21/international/i231054D95.DTL

It’s a Small World After All - A slide show of aerial photography, from pigeon-mounted cameras to Apollo 17 & beyond

http://www.slate.com/id/2291710/

SONG OF THE DAY

BJ Thomas – Rock ‘N Roll Lullaby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niIW7Ns2HJw