Washington Hunter
Well-known member
First Puget Sound wind farm running
The first wind farm to generate electricity for Puget Sound Energy's customers began operations this month in Southeast Washing-ton.
The $200 million Hopkins Ridge project near Dayton features 83 wind turbines standing 335 feet tall and spread over 11,000 acres of mostly privately owned range and farm land.
When all the turbines are running at peak capacity, they can produce enough electricity to supply about 50,000 homes.
Puget Sound Energy is the only Northwest utility to solely own and operate a large wind farm. The state's largest utility expects to have a second wind farm completed in Kittitas County late next year.
Sequim tribal chair wins Buffett award
Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe near Sequim, is the recipient of the 2005 Buffett Award for Indigenous Leader-ship, presented by Ecotrust, a Portland-based nonprofit group.
For the past 15 years, Allen has served on the National Congress of American Indians, working on issues of tribal sovereignty, treaty rights and government responsibilities at the regional and national levels.
He has guided the tribe, which he has served as chairman since 1977, from one with no federal recognition or land base to a federally recognized tribe with an 800-acre reservation.
Fruit society to discuss pollination
The use of orchard mason bees to pollinate fruit trees will be the topic of discussion when the South Sound Fruit Society meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Lacey Fire Station 34, 8407 Steilacoom Road S.E., Lacey.
The public is invited to attend the presentation by Robert Smith. For more information, contact Smith at 360-894-2159 or Gizelle Rayner at 360-426-5401.
Renewable energy surcharge reduced
The surcharge customers pay voluntarily to support renewable energy provided by Mason County Public Utility District 3 in Shel-ton will be reduced from $2 a month to $1 a month for 100 kilowatt-hour blocks of power beginning in January, according to utility officials.
Reduced operating costs and lower transmission costs for power generated at the Nine Canyon Wind Project near Kennewick led to the price decrease. The utility is a part owner of the wind farm.
Along with the rate change, next year the utility will offer an alternate way for ratepayers to add green power purchases to utility bills by paying an extra penny per kilowatt-hour for the electricity they use. The extra fee would be about $10 a month for the typical consumer.
For more information about the utility's green power programs, call the utility energy service office in Shelton at 360-426-8255, ext. 5242.
Public comment sought on permit
The state Department of Ecology seeks public comments on a draft permit to regulate the use of pesticides to control aquatic weeds in state waters.
The permit addresses control and treatment of noxious aquatic weeds, nuisance weeds and algae.
Under the proposal, permit applications would be good for five years instead of one. There would be one form instead of three for pre-treatment and post-treatment notification of the public. Water quality monitoring requirements also would be reduced.
Comments on the permit will be accepted until Jan. 20. Copies of the proposed permit are available by contacting Ecology's Kelly McLain at 360-407-6938 or online at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pesticides/index.html.
A public workshop to review the permit is set for 6 p.m., Jan. 9 at Centralia College, Washington Hall, Room 109, 600 W. Locust St., Centralia.
The Olympian
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The first wind farm to generate electricity for Puget Sound Energy's customers began operations this month in Southeast Washing-ton.
The $200 million Hopkins Ridge project near Dayton features 83 wind turbines standing 335 feet tall and spread over 11,000 acres of mostly privately owned range and farm land.
When all the turbines are running at peak capacity, they can produce enough electricity to supply about 50,000 homes.
Puget Sound Energy is the only Northwest utility to solely own and operate a large wind farm. The state's largest utility expects to have a second wind farm completed in Kittitas County late next year.
Sequim tribal chair wins Buffett award
Ron Allen, chairman of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe near Sequim, is the recipient of the 2005 Buffett Award for Indigenous Leader-ship, presented by Ecotrust, a Portland-based nonprofit group.
For the past 15 years, Allen has served on the National Congress of American Indians, working on issues of tribal sovereignty, treaty rights and government responsibilities at the regional and national levels.
He has guided the tribe, which he has served as chairman since 1977, from one with no federal recognition or land base to a federally recognized tribe with an 800-acre reservation.
Fruit society to discuss pollination
The use of orchard mason bees to pollinate fruit trees will be the topic of discussion when the South Sound Fruit Society meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Lacey Fire Station 34, 8407 Steilacoom Road S.E., Lacey.
The public is invited to attend the presentation by Robert Smith. For more information, contact Smith at 360-894-2159 or Gizelle Rayner at 360-426-5401.
Renewable energy surcharge reduced
The surcharge customers pay voluntarily to support renewable energy provided by Mason County Public Utility District 3 in Shel-ton will be reduced from $2 a month to $1 a month for 100 kilowatt-hour blocks of power beginning in January, according to utility officials.
Reduced operating costs and lower transmission costs for power generated at the Nine Canyon Wind Project near Kennewick led to the price decrease. The utility is a part owner of the wind farm.
Along with the rate change, next year the utility will offer an alternate way for ratepayers to add green power purchases to utility bills by paying an extra penny per kilowatt-hour for the electricity they use. The extra fee would be about $10 a month for the typical consumer.
For more information about the utility's green power programs, call the utility energy service office in Shelton at 360-426-8255, ext. 5242.
Public comment sought on permit
The state Department of Ecology seeks public comments on a draft permit to regulate the use of pesticides to control aquatic weeds in state waters.
The permit addresses control and treatment of noxious aquatic weeds, nuisance weeds and algae.
Under the proposal, permit applications would be good for five years instead of one. There would be one form instead of three for pre-treatment and post-treatment notification of the public. Water quality monitoring requirements also would be reduced.
Comments on the permit will be accepted until Jan. 20. Copies of the proposed permit are available by contacting Ecology's Kelly McLain at 360-407-6938 or online at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pesticides/index.html.
A public workshop to review the permit is set for 6 p.m., Jan. 9 at Centralia College, Washington Hall, Room 109, 600 W. Locust St., Centralia.
The Olympian
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