Energy News
- Dot Earth Blog: Terrible Tornadoes in a Changing Climate22 May 2013, 5:47 pm
A deeper look at tornadoes in a changing climate. ...
- Dot Earth Blog: Kids (and Teachers) in Peril, From Oklahoma to Oregon22 May 2013, 11:29 am
Why do communities fail to secure the buildings that house their children against momentous hazards? ... - Dot Earth Blog: A Survival Plan for America's Tornado Danger Zone21 May 2013, 7:46 pm
There are affordable ways to live more safely in tornado zones. ... - Trash Burning, With a Clean-Energy Twist21 May 2013, 2:53 pm
Poland, pushed by E.U. directives to change the way it deals with waste, is adopting a Canadian technology that allows energy to be created through the burning of trash. ... - Romania Changes Course on Renewable Energy21 May 2013, 12:53 pm
Romania has built a reputation as a prime location for green energy projects. But as it prepares to cut subsidies, the country is sending discouraging signals to foreign investors. ... - Oman to Use Sunshine to Get Oil Out of Wells21 May 2013, 4:11 am
For years, oil producers have used natural gas to heat rock below ground to make the oil flow more easily. Oman will use solar power instead. ... - Dot Earth Blog: A Plan to Bring Sun-Powered Irrigation to Poor Farmers21 May 2013, 2:35 am
Designers focused on improving lives for poor farmers have a solar-powered pumping plan. ... - Chesapeake Energy Names Successor to McClendon20 May 2013, 6:24 pm
Robert Douglas Lawler, an executive at Anadarko, will succeed Aubrey McClendon, a Chesapeake co-founder who was forced to leave after a shareholder uprising. ... - U.S. and European Union to Negotiate Settlements in Chinese Solar Panel Cases20 May 2013, 5:47 pm
The plan that is starting to take shape in the world’s largest antidumping and antisubsidy trade cases would essentially carve up the solar panel market into a series of regional markets. ... - Dot Earth Blog: Who's Escaping Climate Change 'Mire and Muck'?20 May 2013, 4:12 pm
A radio show tries to find a route around conventional thinking on global warming. ... - High Plains Aquifer Dwindles, Hurting Farmers20 May 2013, 3:10 am
Parts of the vast High Plains Aquifer, once a prodigious source of water, are now so low that crops can’t be watered and bridges span arid stream beds. ... - The Texas Tribune: As Texas Towns Say No, Signs of Rising Resistance to Smart Meters19 May 2013, 2:02 am
In Brady, Tex., a vote to approve the purchase of smart meters played a large role in the recall of the city’s mayor and the electoral defeat of two council members. ... - Under Pressure, China Measures Its Impact in Myanmar18 May 2013, 4:26 pm
Grass-roots protests against Chinese oil projects are worrying Beijing as it competes for influence in Myanmar with the United States. ... - State of the Beaches: Rebuilding the Coastline, but at What Cost?18 May 2013, 5:17 am
Beach nourishment projects will restore shorelines but require expensive upkeep and affect ecosystems; federal taxpayers will foot the bill. ... - Mountain of Petroleum Coke From Oil Sands Rises in Detroit18 May 2013, 12:47 am
Refining Canada’s petroleum-soaked oil sands produces petroleum coke, and the question of what to do with it has found at least one answer in Detroit, where a large coke pile covers an entire city block. ... - DealBook: 3 Foreign Companies Invest in U.S. Project to Export Liquid Gas17 May 2013, 11:16 pm
Mitsui and Mitsubishi of Japan, and GDF Suez of France each plan to take a stake in a gas export plant being developed at Hackberry, La. ... - Dot Earth Blog: The Adirondack Park and Conservation on a Crowding Planet17 May 2013, 6:49 pm
A populated park as a model for Earth in the Anthropocene. ... - Dot Earth Blog: The Other Climate Science Gap17 May 2013, 4:11 pm
A flurry of discussion about public misperception of climate scientists’ views misses another science perception gap. ... - DealBook: How Elliott and Hess Settled a Bitter Proxy Battle17 May 2013, 2:13 pm
Hess gave the activist hedge fund Elliott Management three board seats in exchange for the fund’s support of the company’s slate of five directors. ... - Senate Panel Advances Nominee for E.P.A.16 May 2013, 5:31 pm
The committee voted 10-to-8 along partisan lines to send the nomination of Gina McCarthy to the Senate floor. ...
- Utility CEOs Slam EU Energy Policy22 May 2013, 1:44 pm
The chief executives of eight leading energy utilities criticized the European Union's political leaders for the bloc's fragmented energy policy, calling for a more favorable market environment to encourage investment in energy infrastructure.... - India Plans to Sell Stake in THDC21 May 2013, 1:28 pm
India's government plans to sell a 10% stake in state-run hydroelectric company THDC India this fiscal year with an aim to raise $91 million.... - Europe's Best Analysts: Oil & Gas21 May 2013, 10:52 am
Laura Loppacher, our youngest winner, leads her field.... - Southern Executive Departs as Clean-Coal Costs Mount21 May 2013, 12:17 am
Southern Co. replaced the head of its Mississippi utility amid growing concern about the cost of a "clean coal" power plant whose estimated price tag has ballooned to $4.3 billion.... - New Chesapeake CEO Was Latecomer to Search20 May 2013, 9:20 pm
Doug Lawler, the Anadarko Petroleum executive picked to be Chesapeake Energy's second-ever CEO, was hired after Chesapeake shifted strategy in its search to replace Aubrey McClendon.... - Essar Likely to Get China Loan20 May 2013, 5:52 pm
Essar Oil will likely sign an initial agreement with China Development Bank Tuesday for a $1 billion loan as part of the Indian company's efforts to tap overseas funds to refinance expensive local debt.... - Priming the Pump for Natural-Gas Cars17 May 2013, 9:30 pm
A natural-gas trade group is planning a campaign to show compressed natural gas can be an effective fuel for passenger cars to encourage wider use of the fuel in transportation.... - Investors Could Use an Exit Ramp for TomTom17 May 2013, 6:30 pm
Mapping software companies are potential takeover targets.... - India Relaxes Borrowing Rules14 May 2013, 4:24 pm
India relaxed some overseas-borrowing rules to facilitate local companies raise cheaper capital and help manage the country's wide current-account deficit.... - China Energy Firm Promotes Gas Executive14 May 2013, 3:39 pm
China National Petroleum picked an executive from its natural gas operations to become president in recognition of the importance of the clean-burning fuel to the country's future energy mix.... - Hess Offers Activist Two Board Seats13 May 2013, 10:53 pm
Hess sought to end a bitter proxy fight with Elliott Management, offering to appoint two directors nominated by the activist hedge fund if it withdraws its five nominees to the energy company's board.... - Two 20th-Century Works That Still Shock and Awe13 May 2013, 9:06 pm
Heidi Waleson reviews The Canadian Opera Company's 'Salome' and 'Dialogues des Carmélites' in Toronto.... - Norwegian Tax to Hit Oil Projects13 May 2013, 8:50 pm
Norway's plan to raise taxes on oil companies could raise the break-even point on new drilling projects by $5 a barrel, putting profit margins at risk and likely leading to shelving some projects, a consulting firm said.... - OPEC Frets Over Chinese Demand10 May 2013, 3:40 pm
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries raised its strongest concerns so far this year about potential weakening of Chinese oil demand, three weeks ahead of its meeting in Vienna to discuss output.... - ONGC Hopes to Complete Kazakh Deal10 May 2013, 2:36 pm
Oil & Natural Gas Corp.'s ONGC Videsh unit hopes to complete its $5.5 billion deal to buy a stake in an oil field in Kazakhstan from ConocoPhillips, and plans to raise $4 billion in debt to part fund the acquisition.... - Utilities8 May 2013, 7:54 pm
The No. 1 analyst in the category: Angie Storozynski of Macquarie Capital (USA).... - Alternative Energy8 May 2013, 7:54 pm
The No. 1 analyst in the category: Stephen Yu Zhang of China International Capital Corp.... - Oil & Gas Producers8 May 2013, 7:54 pm
The No. 1 analyst in the category: Craig Weiland of UBS Investment Research.... - Oil Equipment, Services and Distribution8 May 2013, 7:54 pm
The No. 1 analyst in the category: Jud Bailey of ISI Group... - Shale Boom Is a Bust for EU Gas Plants8 May 2013, 3:44 pm
The ripples of the North American shale boom continue to spread, with a growing number of European utilities forced to mothball gas-fired plants that can't compete with rising imports of cheap coal....
- Tesla Motors Repays Its Government Loan in Full22 May 2013, 8:47 pm
In a much-anticipated development, Tesla Motors said today that it had fully paid the government back for a $465 million loan it received in 2010 from the Department of Energy (DOE). The company announced it had wired $451 million to the government, which accounted for the entire loan and interest. Tesla founder Elon Musk said earlier this spring at a DOE-sponsored conference that the company would be able to pay off the loan five years earlier than expected. Turns out, the loan was repaid n... - ECOtality Steps Out of the EV Project Bubble22 May 2013, 7:05 pm
For more than three years, ECOtality (NASDAQ: ECTY) has been basking in the warmth of about $100 million federal dollars. Now, as the U.S. Department of Energy’s EV Project winds down, the electric transportation technologies company is back out in the cold, faced with the harsh reality of selling its wares to the people on the open marketplace. ECOtality introduced a new family of home electric vehicle chargers on Wednesday to compete in the wider market. The charger comes with a... - Reuters: Fisker Acquisition Offer From Wanxiang and Ex-GM Exec Bob Lutz22 May 2013, 4:00 pm
We've observed the slow-motion luxury hybrid car crash that has been Fisker's path to market for the past few years. Reuters is now reporting that Wanxiang Group, China's largest auto parts supplier, has joined with former vice-chairman of GM Robert Lutz to make an offer for venture-backed electric hybrid car builder Fisker. Lutz led the development of the extended-range plug-in Volt at Chevrolet. Wanxiang recently purchased A123 Systems, the bankrupt lithi... - New York ‘Consumer Alert’ About Car Sharing Is a Wake-Up Call22 May 2013, 3:43 pm
RelayRides, one of the leaders in the emerging peer-to-peer car-sharing market, skidded to a stop in New York last week. The company shut down service in the state after officials issued a consumer alert about its insurance policies, calling them "illegal and inadequate." Benjamin Lawsky, New York's superintendent of financial services, issued a damning statement about the company's policies. “RelayRides sold New Yorkers a false bill of goods. Despite RelayRide... - Solar Developer Tioga Energy Winds Down Operations22 May 2013, 3:28 pm
Sadly, Tioga Energy has joined the List of Deceased Solar Companies. Tioga, a VC-funded commercial solar developer, is winding down its business, becoming another casualty of the solar market shakeout. Downstream commercial is perhaps a more challenging market than the thriving residential solar business of SolarCity or Sunrun. Paul Detering, Tioga's longtime CEO, told GTM, "Our approach to the commercial DG space required a strong (big) balance sheet, and we went out to the market f... - Zep Solar’s Installation Hardware Goes Rail-Free22 May 2013, 3:00 pm
An unnamed solar company won praise for its technology during SolarCity's recent Q1 2013 earnings call. “One of the biggest kind of step-function changes that is currently underway is the movement away from rail-based installation hardware to installation hardware that doesn’t depend on the rail,” SolarCity (SCTY) co-founder and CTO Peter Rive said in answer to a question about cost-cutting innovations in residential rooftop solar. Rail-free installation facilitates t... - GlassPoint Brings 7 MW of Enclosed Trough CSP On-Line in Oman22 May 2013, 2:30 pm
GlassPoint Solar is a step closer to proving that its enclosed trough concentrating solar technology is effective at enhancing oil recovery. GlassPoint is now producing 50 tons of steam per day at its 7 megawatt project in the southern interior region of Oman, according to Business Development VP John O’Donnell. That translates to 110 million British Thermal Units (BTUs) of energy per day and replaces about 1 percent of the natural gas-fired steam used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) a... - Cleanweb: Is IT the Secret to a New Energy Future?22 May 2013, 12:00 am
Twitter is not responsible for the falling rates of coal for electricity in the U.S. The internet cannot climb onto your roof to install a solar panel. Your smartphone does not separate paper from plastic containers for recycling. But there is a movement afoot where social media, IT, big data and mobile communications could upend how we use limited resources in the future. “It's time to blow up these outdated markets,” Rob Day, a partner with Black Coral Capital, wrote afte... - The Smart Meter Stimulus-Cash-to-Integration Equation21 May 2013, 7:03 pm
We all know that the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has handed out billions of dollars to smart grid projects around the country, with smart meters, or advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) deployments, getting the biggest share. That's been a boon to AMI vendors like Itron, Silver Spring Networks, Elster, Trilliant, Sensus and Landis+Gyr, and has helped put about 12.3 million digital, two-way communicating electricity meters into the field, out of a nationwide total o... - Ernest Moniz Gives His First Speech as Energy Secretary21 May 2013, 6:41 pm
Only three hours after getting sworn in as energy secretary, Dr. Ernest Moniz went to the Washington convention center this afternoon to deliver his first speech in office. Secretary Moniz spoke to a crowd at the Energy Efficiency Global Forum about his upcoming agenda as secretary. "Efficiency is going to be a big focus going forward," he said. "I just don't see the solutions to our biggest energy and environmental challenges without a very big demand-side response. That's wh...
- If Fisker goes for $20M, that’s an over 99 percent discount from its peak valuation22 May 2013, 11:10 pm
Is $20 million the final valuation of electric car maker Fisker Automotive? Yikes, that's what a group is reportedly bidding on Fisker for, and which would be less than 1% of its original valuation. ... - Google X is acquiring high altitude wind startup Makani Power22 May 2013, 7:34 pm
Google's moonshot lab Google X is buying up Makani Power, a startup that makes a kite-like wind power device. It's probably the best place for the long shot, big idea that is high altitude wind. ... - CoolEmAll project tests tools for energy-efficient data center design22 May 2013, 5:01 pm
The European Commission-funded project wants data center designers and operators to test prototypes of tools that should, from 2014, make it easier to build data centers that are as energy-efficient as possible. ... - How robots can do more in data centers and lower the costs of operating the cloud22 May 2013, 4:58 pm
An article from Data Center Knowledge points to things robots can do to increase efficiency in data centers. But hurdles lie ahead, and data centers will still need administrators, the article suggests. ... - Tesla could pay off the rest of the DOE loan today, says CEO22 May 2013, 2:51 pm
Electric car maker Tesla Motors could make history again, if it pays off its loan from the Department of Energy many years before its due. According to a tweet from the CEO that could be as early as today. ... - The devil you know: entrepreneurs prefer current ventures to new ones22 May 2013, 3:58 am
Entrepreneurs are subject to many of the same biases that cause people to persist with their investments, and don’t necessarily behave to always maximize outcomes when presented with lucrative new opportunities, a new study says. ... - Amprius has built a lithium ion battery that can last 25% longer than today’s batteries21 May 2013, 6:38 pm
Venture capital-backed lithium ion battery startup Amprius is finally moving into commercial production, with an announcement that it has OEM partners in place, and will start making its second-gen batteries later this year. ... - Brrr: The chilly conditions that quantum computers need to run21 May 2013, 3:19 pm
Quantum computers, which have recently been bought by Google and Lockheed Martin, aren't just sophisticated computers, they need to operate at near absolute zero temperatures to deliver their quantum effects, and that's a tricky problem. ... - Powermat marries PowerKiss, vows to use same wireless charging standard21 May 2013, 2:27 pm
By the wireless power invested in me, I now pronounce you a couple. Two wireless charging companies combine and agree on a single power standard. That's great but there's still much work to be done in this industry. ... - Eos Energy raises $15M from NRG, investors for zinc-air batteries21 May 2013, 12:18 am
An air battery -- long the holy grail of battery researchers -- could see commercialization next year by startup Eos Energy Storage. ... - Using data and computer models to store wind energy underground20 May 2013, 11:09 pm
Power companies in areas with a growing amount of clean power are looking at new ways to store compressed air underground. The Pacific Northwest could get some of these next-gen air technologies in the coming years. ... - What Nikola Tesla vs. VCs video says about the state of Silicon Valley19 May 2013, 10:16 pm
Imagine if Nikola Tesla had to pitch venture capitalists to fund his idea. The reaction to his crazy ideas would be precisely what you see on this video. Sadly, the video also says a lot about the skewed risk and investment system in Silicon Valley these days. ... - Underwater batteries are making a splash for energy storage17 May 2013, 10:33 pm
Companies are looking to harness underwater pressure for energy generation and storage. ... - How data, cheap sensors and Android could be a game changer for rural farmers17 May 2013, 7:00 am
Startup Re:char hopes to deliver a low cost Android gadget plug-in that can test the moisture content and fertility of soil. Kenyan farmers get ready to meet the latest in data analytics and cloud services. ... - The road less traveled: How Google does Streetview for the world’s oceans16 May 2013, 9:57 pm
Google and the Catlin Seaview Survey are working as fast as they can to map the world's coral reefs in Google Streetview. But the project's founder fears he may be too late. ... - Hydrogen energy the chloroplast way: solar-to-fuel with the artificial leaf16 May 2013, 8:29 pm
The first fully integrated nanosystem for artificial photosynthesis is developed for producing hydrogen with cheap components and biomimicry. ... - The spigot of money starting to open up for installing solar panels16 May 2013, 7:34 pm
As a boom of solar panels continues to be installed on buildings throughout the U.S., companies, groups and even every day people can make money off of funding this clean energy transition. ... - After loving to hate Tesla, many scramble to show their love16 May 2013, 2:50 pm
Tesla is now officially a success according to blind-sided investors and media. Tesla didn't emerge last week with a win, it's taken a decade to deliver and true game-changing innovation takes a very long time. ... - SunPower to sell energy storage, potentially lithium ion batteries16 May 2013, 7:00 am
SunPower plans to sell lithium ion batteries -- or other energy storage technology -- bundled with solar panels. The move follows other solar companies into the energy storage space. ... - Tesla could raise $830M through new offering, including $100M from CEO15 May 2013, 9:10 pm
Tesla could raise another $830 million in a new offering in a combination of selling common stock, and issuing senior convertible notes. That means Tesla can pay back its DOE loan early, among other things. ...
- Tesla Wires Half a Billion Dollars to the Government22 May 2013, 8:46 pm
Tesla Motors’ loan repayment is a bright spot for the DOE loan program.Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted it would happen, and now it’s happened. Tesla, the electric car maker, has paid off the DOE loan that allowed it to build a factory and start building and selling its Model S electric car. And it’s done so nine years ahead of schedule, according to the company (see “Musk Says Tesla Will Pay Off Its Loans in Half the Time”). ... - Exxon Takes Algae Fuel Back to the Drawing Board20 May 2013, 8:48 pm
A $300 million project seems to have failed to produce a cheap way to make fuel from algae.In 2009, ExxonMobil announced that it would pay Craig Venter’s Synthetic Genomics up to $300 million to develop algae-based fuels. ... - Liquefied Air Could Power Cars and Store Energy from Sun and Wind20 May 2013, 4:00 am
A 19th-century idea might lead to cleaner cars, larger-scale renewable energy.Some engineers are dusting off an old idea for storing energy—using electricity to liquefy air by cooling it down to nearly 200 °C below zero. When power is needed, the liquefied air is allowed to warm up and expand to drive a steam turbine and generator. ... - Building Solar in Spain Instead of Germany Could Save Billions17 May 2013, 2:58 pm
Building solar and wind projects in the wrong place is wasting billions of dollars in Europe.Siemens says it would make sense to build solar power plants in sunny countries in Europe rather than in cloudy ones. And wind turbines should be built in windy places. ... - Novel Material Shows Promise for Extracting Uranium from Seawater16 May 2013, 4:00 am
A so-called metal-organic framework could offer a better way to get at the vast uranium resource dissolved in the ocean.A new material could potentially be used to extract uranium from seawater more efficiently, new research suggests. ... - High Oil Prices Help Oil Production, But Not Biofuels14 May 2013, 6:38 pm
An International Energy Agency report says investments in oil technology will lead to a worldwide supply boom.High oil prices were supposed to make biofuels and other oil alternatives more competitive. If only oil would stay above $80 a barrel (or $70 or $60), biofuels companies often say, then they’d have a market. Their technology for turning weeds into alcohol or pond scum into crude oil could really take off. ... - Sharper Computer Models Clear the Way for More Wind Power14 May 2013, 4:00 am
New prediction models can allow utilities to rely more heavily on wind and save millions.The utility with the most wind power capacity in the United States, Xcel Energy, is relying more on this power source and saving millions of dollars thanks to new forecasting models similar to those used to predict climate change. ... - A More Efficient Jet Engine Is Made from Lighter Parts, Some 3-D Printed14 May 2013, 4:00 am
Composite and 3-D-printed components will mean jet engines that use 15 percent less fuel.A new generation of engines being developed by the world’s largest jet engine maker, CFM (a partnership between GE and Snecma of France), will allow aircraft to use about 15 percent less fuel—enough to save about $1 million per year per airplane and significantly reduce carbon emissions. ... - New Milestone for CO2 Levels: Mauna Loa Observatory Records 400 PPM10 May 2013, 9:04 pm
We’ve hit 400 ppm of carbon dioxide, but we won’t know what that means for decades.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Scripps Institution of Oceanography say that the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere hit the symbolic milestone of 400 parts per million yesterday, up from about 280, the level it was at for thousands of years before the Industrial Revolution. ... - Can Carbon Capture Clean Up Canada’s Oil Sands?9 May 2013, 4:00 am
Alberta will serve as a test bed for large-scale carbon capture and sequestration.Canada is betting that carbon capture and storage (CCS), a technology that is fairly well understood but unproven at the scale needed to significantly decrease greenhouse gas emissions, can reduce the environmental footprint associated with making fuel from oil sands—its fastest-growing source of greenhouse-gas emissions. (See “Alberta’s Oil Sands Heat Up.”) ... - Even Without Accounting Gimmicks, Electric-Car Maker Tesla is Now Profitable8 May 2013, 10:52 pm
To stay profitable, Tesla needs to keep cutting costs and selling more cars.As expected, Tesla Motors, the maker of the luxury Model S electric sedan, announced today that it was profitable for the first time in its ten-year history. During the first quarter of 2013 it had profits of $11 million. Total revenues were $562 million. ... - Wind Turbines, Battery Included, Can Keep Power Supplies Stable7 May 2013, 4:00 am
Advances like GE’s new hybrid wind turbines could make renewable energy more practical.GE recently sold the first of a new line of “hybrid” wind turbines that comes with a battery attached. The turbine’s battery can store the equivalent of less than one minute of the turbine operating at full power. But, by pairing the battery with advanced wind-forecasting algorithms, wind farm operators could guarantee a certain amount of power output for up to an hour. ... - Why It’s Okay that Tesla Makes Cars for Rich People6 May 2013, 8:15 pm
Tesla’s innovations could make EVs more competitive.The U.S. Department of Energy has been criticized for loaning money to Tesla Motors because the company makes cars that only rich people can afford. That’s probably part of the reason Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, made such a big deal last week in saying that, with a new payment plan, and figuring in savings from gas prices, about 10 percent of the U.S. population can afford a new Model S, up from about 1 percent without the plan. ... - Startup Taps Quantum Encryption for Cybersecurity6 May 2013, 3:00 pm
GridCom Technologies says quantum cryptography can work to make the electricity grid control systems secure.The notion of harnessing the physics of quantum mechanics for a massive leap in computing power is firmly in the realm of science. But many people believe that applying these techniques to secure commercial communications is far more feasible. ... - The Amount of Oil We Can Recover Keeps Growing3 May 2013, 2:35 pm
The U.S. Geological Survey doubles its estimate for the size of a huge U.S. oil and gas resource.The U.S. Geological Survey keeps increasing its estimate for the amount of oil under North Dakota. In 2008, the organization estimated that oil deposits in part of the Williston Basin—an area that includes parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana—had 3.65 billion barrels of oil yet to be discovered. That was 25 times higher than its previous estimate, made in 1995, of about 150 million ba... - Will Utilities Embrace Distributed Energy?3 May 2013, 8:00 am
Disruptive technological changes are at work but utilities are hamstrung by outdates business models and regulations.A homeowner who puts solar panels on his roof immediately slashes his monthly electricity bill and gains a measure of independence from the utility. As more distributed energy technologies take hold, utilities in the U.S. are wondering out loud what their future holds. ... - With Florida Project, the Smart Grid Has Arrived2 May 2013, 4:00 am
Smart grid technology has been implemented in many places, but Florida’s new deployment is the first full-scale system.The first comprehensive and large scale smart grid is now operating. The $800 million project, built in Florida, has made power outages shorter and less frequent, and helped some customers save money, according to the utility that operates it. ... - Maker of World’s Most Boring Car Stops Making Cars1 May 2013, 9:00 pm
Coda Automotive’s uninspired EV failed to rouse customer interest.The U.S. Department of Energy is being criticized for lending large sums of money to companies that went on to fail, like Solyndra, or appear to be on the cusp of failure, like Fisker Automotive (see “Why Tesla Survived and Fisker Won’t”). But here’s a company it turned down, and for good reason. ... - The Twitter Account to Watch If You're Worried About Climate Change1 May 2013, 7:38 pm
The planet’s rising atmospheric CO2 levels may hit a symbolic milestone this month.This May, the folks behind a Twitter account started four months ago are preparing to tweet an event that the planet has not seen in an estimated four million years. ... - Updating Nest: Smarter, Sexier, and Savvier than Ever29 April 2013, 10:20 pm
Bringing ordinary consumers into the pro-environmental fold is Nest’s great achievement.Nest, the only company that has ever gotten journalists to use the words “sexy” and “thermostat” in the same sentence (see “A Smart, Sexy–Thermostat?!”), today announces a sexy thermostat software update for its sexy thermostat hardware. As the Verge and others report, Version 3.5 of Nest’s software brings data to solve a few basic problems. For one thing, the Nest thermostat is now smarter ...
- Engineers devise new way to produce clean hydrogen21 May 2013, 7:39 pm
Engineers have developed a novel method for producing clean hydrogen, which could prove essential to weaning society off of fossil fuels and their environmental implications.... - New method for tailoring optical processors21 May 2013, 4:16 pm
Physicists and engineers have unveiled a robust new method for arranging metal nanoparticles in geometric patterns that can act as optical processors that transform incoming light signals into output of a different color.... - Fastest measurements ever made of ion channel proteins20 May 2013, 7:42 pm
Engineers have used miniaturized electronics to measure the activity of individual ion-channel proteins with temporal resolution as fine as one microsecond, producing the fastest recordings of single ion channels ever performed. They designed a custom integrated circuit to perform these measurements, in which an artificial cell membrane and ion channel are attached directly to the surface of the amplifier chip.... - Not just blowing in the wind: Compressing air for renewable energy storage20 May 2013, 6:28 pm
A comprehensive study into the potential for compressed air energy storage in the Pacific Northwest has identified two locations in Washington state that could store enough Northwest wind energy combined to power about 85,000 homes each month.... - Bacteria use hydrogen, carbon dioxide to produce electricity19 May 2013, 11:11 pm
Researchers have engineered a strain of electricity-producing bacteria that can grow using hydrogen gas as its sole electron donor and carbon dioxide as its sole source of carbon.... - Artificial forest for solar water-splitting: First fully integrated artificial photosynthesis nanosystem16 May 2013, 6:26 pm
Researchers have created the first fully integrated artificial photosynthesis nanosystem. While "artificial leaf" is the popular term for such a system, the key to this success was an "artificial forest."... - Security risks found in sensors for heart devices, consumer electronics16 May 2013, 4:39 pm
The type of sensors that pick up the rhythm of a beating heart in implanted cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers are vulnerable to tampering, according to a new study conducted in controlled laboratory conditions.... - New insights into how materials transfer heat could lead to improved electronics16 May 2013, 2:56 pm
Researchers have published new insights into how materials transfer heat, which could lead eventually to smaller, more powerful electronic devices.... - Strategies to achieve net-zero energy homes15 May 2013, 8:50 pm
Chances are you know how many miles your car logs for each gallon or tankful of gas, but you probably have only a foggy idea of how much energy your house consumes, even though home energy expenditures often account for a larger share of the household budget.... - First direct proof of Hofstadter butterfly fractal observed in moiré superlattices15 May 2013, 5:15 pm
Scientists have directly observed a rare quantum effect that produces a repeating butterfly-shaped energy spectrum, confirming the longstanding prediction of this quantum fractal energy structure called Hofstadter's butterfly.... - Making frequency-hopping radios practical15 May 2013, 3:39 pm
New hardware could lead to wireless devices that identify and exploit unused transmission frequencies, using radio spectrum much more efficiently.... - Storage power plant on the seabed15 May 2013, 12:53 pm
A group of scientists aims to store electricity at the bottom of the sea. The energy will be stored with the help of high water pressure.... - New uses for tiny carbon nanotubes: Adding ionic liquid to nanotube films could build smaller gadgets14 May 2013, 11:06 pm
Nanotubes are stronger than steel and smaller than any element of silicon-based electronics. They can potentially process information faster while using less energy. The challenge has been figuring out how to incorporate these properties into useful electronic devices. Now scientists have discovered that by adding ionic liquid -- a kind of liquid salt -- they can modify the optical transparency of single-walled carbon nanotube films in a controlled pattern.... - Entrepreneur giving space shuttle truss new uses14 May 2013, 6:11 pm
A truss design devised to help workers process space shuttles continues to find new uses as a space shuttle engineer-turned-entrepreneur adapts it to everything from a solar-powered electric generator to a mobile cellphone tower.... - First precise MEMS output measurement technique unveiled14 May 2013, 4:27 pm
The commercial application of MEMS, or micro-electro-mechanical systems, will receive a major boost today following the presentation of a brand new way to accurately measure the power requirements and outputs of all existing and future devices.... - Physicists light 'magnetic fire' to reveal energy's path13 May 2013, 3:52 pm
Physicists have uncovered how energy is released and dispersed in magnetic materials in a process akin to the spread of forest fires, a finding that has the potential to deepen our understanding of self-sustained chemical reactions.... - Solar panels as inexpensive as paint?13 May 2013, 2:36 pm
Researchers are helping develop a new generation of photovoltaic cells that produce more power and cost less to manufacture than what's available today.... - New endurance record for small electric unmanned aerial vehicle10 May 2013, 4:45 pm
Using liquid hydrogen fuel stored in a new NRL-developed cryogenic fuel storage tank, the flight shatters the previous 26-hour record set by the UAV in 2009.... - Perfectly doped quantum dots yield 'colors to dye for'10 May 2013, 4:45 pm
This focuses on an ultra-precise method for doping the tiny semiconductors produces vivid hues.... - 'Power plants': How to harvest electricity directly from plants9 May 2013, 2:43 pm
The sun provides the most abundant source of energy on the planet. However, only a tiny fraction of the solar radiation on Earth is converted into useful energy....
- Tesla Motors Repays DOE Loan 9 Years Early22 May 2013, 10:25 pm
U.S. electric vehicle maker Telsa Motors has paid back its 2010 loan awarded by the Department of Energy. Following payments made in 2012 and earlier in 2013, the May 22 payment of $451.8 million repays the full loan amount with interest.... - Re-Igniting America's Solar Impulse22 May 2013, 7:37 pm
First came the Wright Brothers. Then it was Charles Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic in the Spirit of St. Louis. In 1990, Eric Raymond made aviation history to much less fanfare with the first solar airplane crossing of the United States. Now it is Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg making history by flying across America in SOLAR IMPULSE, a 100... - Rumors of US-China Trade Settlement Talks Fuel Solar Stocks22 May 2013, 3:45 pm
If short-term traders really have hijacked the sector, which seems probable, it would mark a relatively big setback for stocks that were once popular among aggressive longer-term investors who liked the strong prospects of solar energy. Of course that doesn’t mean that serious investors will never return to the sector if it ever manages to stabiliz... - Warning Scotland Against Independence: Renewables Will Suffer, Says Ed Davey22 May 2013, 1:31 pm
UK Energy Secretary Ed Davey has warned that Scotland will damage its standing as a prime mover in renewable energy if it votes to become independent.... - Despite Fears, New Renewables Are Not Bankrupting California22 May 2013, 12:00 pm
Until recently, the potential rate impact of all the new contracts for renewable energy being added to meet California's Renewable Portfolio Standard since 2006 has been a matter of some concern. According to the Division of Ratepayer Advocates in early 2012, an estimated $20.8 billion will have been spent in California on contracts for new renewable generation by 2020, and the rate impact was a big unknown.... - Protecting Eagles While Working to Guide Wind Development22 May 2013, 12:00 pm
Recent reports of eagles being killed by wind turbines have stirred up a lot of emotion and controversy and understandably so.... - EVs: Geely Revs Up, BYD Enters Hong Kong22 May 2013, 12:00 pm
Let’s start with a look at the latest news from Geely, which has announced that Liu Jinliang has left his older role as head of the company’s car sales to focus exclusively on developing its EV business. (company announcement) In a bid to ease concerns that the move might represent a demotion, Geely is quick to add that Liu will retain his role as... - Geothermal Energy Interests Growing Steadily in Japan22 May 2013, 12:00 pm
Japanese companies are renewing their interest in geothermal energy after the March 2011 nuclear crisis shut down reactors for safety checks and the introduction of an incentive program for clean energy encouraged investment.... - US Said to Be in Talks With China, EU to Settle Solar Energy Trade Dispute22 May 2013, 11:44 am
The Obama administration is engaged in preliminary talks with the European Union and China to settle a dispute over trade in solar-energy equipment and avoid a conflict among the world’s largest economies, according to people familiar with the discussions.... - Outlook for US Energy Independence Gaining Confidence22 May 2013, 11:33 am
A survey conducted by the KPMG Global Energy Institute shows that a majority of energy executives believe the U.S. can reach energy independence by 2030. The survey also showed a decrease in the number of executives who believe the U.S. will never gain energy independence.... - Wind Potential – All About the Data22 May 2013, 10:40 am
When it comes to the deployment of wind power, data plays an important role in the design and operations of a wind farm. Is there enough wind? Where should the turbines be placed? How will the placement of turbines impact performance? Are the turbines in need of maintenance? Data collected from technologically advanced monitoring devices answers th... - Creating Awareness: Geothermal for a Sustainable Future in New York City22 May 2013, 10:25 am
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has called ground source heat pumps the “most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space conditioning systems available.” Geothermal heat pumps or exchangers, also known as geo-exchange, require no fossil-fuel burning on-site, use 70 percent of their energy from Earth’s renewabl... - NLP Solar Sales Training May 29 & 30 - New Bonus for Contractors & Sales Teams21 May 2013, 3:00 pm
.... - Argentina: Understanding the Political and Economic Risks of Solar Energy Development21 May 2013, 2:57 pm
At a first glance, it would appear that Argentina has all of the characteristics of a solar market still in its infancy yet poised to take-off at any moment. Combined, a strong policy framework, demonstrated political willpower, an excellent solar resource and a growing demand for energy all appear to provide the necessary conditions for Argentina to become a major growth opportunity within the Latin American market.... - Marine Life Unhindered by Offshore Wind Farm, Study Says21 May 2013, 1:00 pm
Renewable energy consultancy Natural Power has published the results of a post-consent ecological study, called the Marine Environment Monitoring Programme (MEMP), that monitored marine life on a UK offshore wind farm. The study has been ongoing since 2007.... - Wind Turbine Lubrication and Maintenance: Protecting Investments in Renewable Energy21 May 2013, 12:00 pm
Like any other piece of major equipment in the power industry, wind turbines represent a large investment for the companies that rely on them to generate both electricity and revenue. Unlike gas turbines or boilers in coal-fired power plants, however, wind turbines present some unique challenges.... - Renewable Energy Research Initiative Launched in UK21 May 2013, 12:00 pm
A new inquiry investigating the role of renewable power generation in the UK’s future energy mix has been launched.... - 3 Engagement Strategies for Solar Installers to Be “Liked” on Facebook with Graph Search21 May 2013, 12:00 pm
Facebook’s new Graph Search is still in a testing phase right now, but it will launch sitewide in the coming months. And when it does, your solar company had better be “liked” by your customers. What is Graph Search? Very simply, it’s an internal Facebook search engine that will allow your potential customers to search Facebook for people, places,... - Poll: 87 Percent of Illinois Voters Want More Renewable Energy21 May 2013, 12:00 pm
Wide majorities of likely Illinois voters believe it is important that the state maintain its commitment to increase its use of renewable energy and support legislation that would achieve that goal by fixing the state's broken renewable portfolio standard (RPS) law, according to a Zogby poll released this week.... - Don't Miss The Great Solar Debate: Where Does the Global Solar Industry Stand? Click Here to Register!21 May 2013, 11:35 am
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/RenewableEnergyWorld/events/the-great-solar-debate-where-does-the-global-solar-industry-stand...
- NOAA: Short-staffed NWS offices 'vulnerable to failure during significant weather events' -- audit22 May 2013, 5:37 pm
Buried within the government's assessment last week on Superstorm Sandy is a somewhat surprising concession: "Critical staff shortages" at the National Weather Service threaten the agency's success.... - ELECTRICITY: PG&E's Johns discusses upcoming response to regulators' San Bruno fine22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is expected to file this week its response to California state regulators' recommendation that the company face a $2.25 billion penalty for the 2010 San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion. What impact could the fine have on the company's ability to do business? During today's OnPoint, Chris Johns, president of PG&E, reacts to the proposed penalty and talks about the reforms his company has made after the San Bruno event.... - OREGON: Portland votes again against fluoridating water supply22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
Portland residents yesterday voted down a proposal to fluoridate the city water supply for the fourth time since the 1950s.... - AUSTRALIA: Queensland pushes to allow starving cattle to graze in national parks22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
Queensland's Premier Campbell Newman plans to pass amendments that would allow cattle, which are suffering from prolonged drought, to graze in five national parks and eight reserves until at least the end of 2013.... - EUROPEAN UNION: Bloc toughens offshore drilling rules22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
Offshore oil and gas drillers may face heightened safety rules as a result of legislation the European Parliament has passed.... - COAL ASH: N.C. adds 14th power plant to lawsuit against Duke22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
North Carolina regulators have added a Charlotte-area power plant to a coal ash pollution lawsuit.... - GSA: Obama nominates scandal-quashing acting chief to take agency helm22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
Thirteen months after he was brought over from the Treasury Department to right the ship at the General Services Administration, President Obama wants to remove the "acting" from GSA acting Administrator Dan Tangherlini's title.... - PESTICIDES: Insecticide sales rise as GM corn loses resistance22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
After years of decline, insecticide sales are soaring as pests become resistant to genetically modified corn.... - GULF SPILL: BP attempts to halt payouts for 'inflated losses'22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
BP PLC is moving to stop what it says are unjustified compensation payments under the multibillion-dollar settlement for damages from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.... - ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Cree looks to bury Edison's light bulb22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
Cree Inc., the maker of the first $10 light-emitting diode bulb, hopes to unseat the incandescent light bulb developed by Thomas Edison 130 years ago.... - CONNECTICUT: State Senate approves GM labeling bill22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
The Connecticut state Senate last night approved legislation that would require labeling of all food containing genetically modified organisms.... - ALASKA: Governor OKs oil tax overhaul bill22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell (R) yesterday signed an oil tax cut bill that he said would increase oil production in the state.... - ILLINOIS: State Senate votes to override governor's smart grid veto22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
The Illinois Senate voted to override the governor's veto of a bill that would increase utility rates for Commonwealth Edison Co. customers as the company updates its grid.... - CHEMICALS: Refineries, plants spew emissions more often than industry admits -- report22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
Unintentional chemical releases emanating from oil refineries, chemical plants and other industrial facilities in Louisiana and Texas occur more often than industry admits -- and the government knows, according to a Center for Public Integrity investigation.... - INTERIOR: Court orders agency to reconsider taking land for Ariz. casino22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
Federal judges ruled this week that the Interior Department must reconsider part of its decision to take Arizona land for a American Indian tribe planning to build a controversial casino.... - CHEMICALS: New York City agrees to speed up PCB cleanup in schools22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration agreed to cut in half the time needed to replace light fixtures in public school classrooms that are leaking smoke and tar.... - CALIFORNIA: Garcetti wins Los Angeles mayoral race22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
Eric Garcetti, a Los Angeles councilman, won mayorship of the city after his opponent called him to concede this morning.... - CHEMICALS: Agency blasts ATF for blocking fertilizer plant probe22 May 2013, 5:14 pm
A federal safety agency investigating last month's West, Texas, fertilizer plant explosion said the Texas state fire marshal and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are hampering its ability to conduct the probe.... - FOREST SERVICE: Tidwell defends SRS decision, mulls override of tanker protest22 May 2013, 5:13 pm
Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell today defended his March decision that demanded states repay roughly $18 million in Secure Rural Schools payments to satisfy the federal sequester, though he acknowledged he would have done things differently had he known Congress would fail to reach a budget accord.... - FORESTS: Oregonians favor 'ecological forestry' on O&C lands over trust model -- poll22 May 2013, 5:13 pm
Most Oregon voters favor allowing a modest amount of logging on federal forests in the state over a more expansive logging plan that would lack protections for salmon and other threatened and endangered wildlife, according to a new poll commissioned by the Pew Charitable Trusts....
- AVIATION: Green groups rally for progress on global emissions deal22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
Environmental groups protested outside a meeting of delegates to the International Civil Aviation Organization yesterday in Montreal against the agency's slow progress on a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gases from the aviation sector.... - SCIENCE: Thawing tundra soils could produce lower CO2 emissions than previously thought -- study22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
Researchers have uncovered a mechanism in the Alaskan tundra that doesn't seem to follow the climate change script for soil carbon.... - MARKETS: Calif. cap and trade gains traction in third auction22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
Participants showed high interest in California's third auction of greenhouse gas credits, snapping up all of the available permits for this year's emissions under the state's landmark cap-and-trade system.... - NATIONS: 'Unthinkable' only a few years ago, U.S. could be net exporter of fuel by 203522 May 2013, 12:05 pm
The boom in U.S. energy supply brought on by new access to tight oil and gas has transformed the U.S. energy outlook in ways unimaginable only a few years ago, according to industry groups and monitors who spoke yesterday at the 2013 Deloitte Energy Conference. Paired with the clear and present need to move toward a low-carbon economy, that new wealth could see the United States reclaim its place as a net exporter of energy within a few decades, they said.... - POLICY: Moniz says energy efficiency will be key to DOE's climate change fight22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
Efficiency programs will be a big part of the Department of Energy's approach to fighting climate change, according to the agency's newly minted secretary.... - RENEWABLE ENERGY: Industry group partners with solar boosters to promote energy storage22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The energy storage industry's main trade group is working with the solar industry to raise its profile amid a changing policy landscape.... - SPECIES: Report shows U.K. flora and fauna in deep trouble from climate, other changes22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
LONDON -- The United Kingdom's wildlife is in serious trouble, with many species in decline and some being pushed to the brink of extinction through a combination of climate change, habitat loss, intensive agriculture and urban sprawl, according to a new report compiled by about 25 wildlife organizations.... - WATER: USAID unveils strategy to broaden access to clean water22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
Warning that climate change, population growth and rising energy costs are squeezing the world's water supply, the U.S. Agency for International Development yesterday released a sweeping new strategy to manage the increasingly scarce resource.... - FORESTS: During drought, some tree species absorb less CO2 -- study22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
New research out of Indiana University shows that some tree species absorb less carbon dioxide during droughts, possibly compounding the effects of climate change.... - SPECIES: Warming could be linked to shrinking plants in Nev.22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
Higher temperatures could be the reason some plants in the Great Basin of Nevada are growing shorter, a study showed.... - RELIGION: Salt Lake City church joins fossil fuel divestment movement22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
The First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City has become the first Unitarian congregation in the country to vote in favor of divesting from oil, gas, coal, oil sands and oil shale.... - NATIONS: Prince Charles not likely to soften stance on climate change22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
Charles, prince of Wales, called U.K. Energy Secretary Ed Davey and climate change minister Greg Barker to a private meeting in London this month.... - ELECTRICITY: PG&E's Johns discusses upcoming response to regulators' San Bruno fine22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is expected to file this week its response to California state regulators' recommendation that the company face a $2.25 billion penalty for the 2010 San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion. What impact could the fine have on the company's ability to do business? During today's OnPoint, Chris Johns, president of PG&E, reacts to the proposed penalty and talks about the reforms his company has made after the San Bruno event. Today's OnPoint will air at 10 a.m. EDT.... - EXTREME WEATHER: Rare potent Okla. tornado fuels debate about disaster funding, science22 May 2013, 12:05 pm
Rescuers were finishing a grim search for victims in central Oklahoma last night as scientists confirmed that it was the strongest tornado to land in the United States since a deadly flurry of them struck Southern states two years ago....
- DISASTER ASSISTANCE: No supplemental Okla. spending bill on the horizon yet -- Reid22 May 2013, 11:03 am
The federal government might have enough money in its emergency coffers to help tornado-ravaged Oklahoma without Congress having to pass another contentious disaster response bill, the Senate's top Democrat said yesterday.... - FORESTS: House farm bill offers NEPA exclusions to combat beetle infestations22 May 2013, 11:03 am
The Forest Service would be allowed to forgo environmental reviews for forest thinning projects smaller than 10,000 acres under a provision in the House farm bill.... - GREEN BUILDINGS: GOP senator to seek repeal of federal building fossil fuel phaseout22 May 2013, 11:03 am
A Senate Republican is planning to offer an amendment to a pending energy efficiency bill that would eliminate a requirement for the federal government to phase out the use of fossil fuels to power new and upgraded buildings.... - KEYSTONE XL: GOP's newest strategy takes page from the Last Frontier22 May 2013, 11:03 am
The incendiary national debate over Keystone XL tends to center on Nebraska, but energy-rich Alaska has become the muse for today's GOP push to build the 1,179-mile pipeline.... - TRANSPORTATION: Two fellow mayors praise DOT nominee Foxx22 May 2013, 11:03 am
Members of the U.S. Conference of Mayors stick together, especially when the president picks one of their own to lead a federal agency.... - COURTS: Confirmation vote for D.C. Circuit nominee possible by tomorrow22 May 2013, 11:03 am
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is looking to quickly get a confirmation for President Obama's nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, holding a floor vote as early as tomorrow.... - PUBLIC LANDS: At 'Utah Day' hearing, governor argues for more state management of federal property22 May 2013, 11:03 am
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R), who recently signed a bill demanding that the federal government hand its land over to the state, yesterday touted Utah's management of its lands, including the completion of a sage grouse preservation program and profitable state parks.... - ARMY CORPS: 'Freedom to fish' legislation sails through House22 May 2013, 11:03 am
Tennessee and Kentucky anglers are set to get a two-year reprieve from new fishing restrictions that the Army Corps of Engineers instituted beneath 10 dams along the Cumberland River and its tributaries late last month.... - RAIL: House Republicans again criticize Amtrak for losing money along rural routes22 May 2013, 11:03 am
With an expansive rail policy law set to expire in September, Republicans on a House Transportation panel yesterday reiterated their frustration with Amtrak's money-losing service along its long-distance rural routes.... - FISHERIES: Fish at sea may be ready for their closeups, fishermen and managers tell House panel22 May 2013, 11:03 am
Using video cameras to help monitor commercial fishing at sea instead of onboard human observers is one way to improve data collection needed for sustainable fisheries management, both fishermen and managers told the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs yesterday.... - TRANSPORTATION: Regional DOT secretaries promote public-private partnerships to pay for infrastructure22 May 2013, 11:03 am
The transportation secretaries from Virginia and Maryland touted public-private partnerships as viable alternatives to pay for infrastructure improvement projects at a Greater Washington Board of Trade workshop yesterday.... - ELECTRICITY: PG&E's Johns discusses upcoming response to regulators' San Bruno fine22 May 2013, 11:03 am
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is expected to file this week its response to California state regulators' recommendation that the company face a $2.25 billion penalty for the 2010 San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion. What impact could the fine have on the company's ability to do business? During today's OnPoint, Chris Johns, president of PG&E, reacts to the proposed penalty and talks about the reforms his company has made after the San Bruno event. Today's OnPoint will air at 10 a.m. EDT.... - APPROPRIATIONS: House proposes 'devastating' cuts to Interior, EPA accounts in fiscal 201422 May 2013, 11:03 am
House appropriators yesterday proposed allocating $24.3 billion to the subcommittee that funds the Interior Department, Forest Service and U.S. EPA for next fiscal year, a level that would likely require significant cuts to a host of conservation programs, clean water grants, and climate change and habitat restoration work, environmentalists warned....
- ADVOCACY: Left lashes out at middle-dwelling EDF on drilling22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
The Environmental Defense Fund, known for steering a middle path through controversy, is getting hit from the left by groups charging it with helping "greenwash" the shale drilling industry.... - LNG: DOE hints gas export approvals should roll out quickly22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
Liquefied natural gas export decisions could roll out at a rate of one every two months, a top Energy Department official told lawmakers yesterday -- a flow that would please industry stakeholders eager to capitalize on world demand for the fuel.... - BUSINESS: Miner's move into oil and gas gets investors' OK22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
HOUSTON -- A Houston-based energy producer is changing hands after its shareholders approved of its sale to an Arizona mining firm.... - ARCTIC POLICY: Coast Guard moves ahead with new icebreaker but ditches deepwater port plans22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
As ship traffic and resource extraction increase off Alaska's northern shores, the Coast Guard is moving forward with plans to build a new heavy-duty icebreaker, but it's not recommending construction of a deepwater harbor in the American Arctic, the head of the Coast Guard said yesterday.... - REGULATION: Wyo.'s 'outdated' rules on flaring, setbacks need tightening -- coalition22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
A coalition of conservation and landowners groups is asking the state of Wyoming to tighten rules regulating flaring from oil and natural gas drilling operations that contribute to air pollution and nuisance noise issues.... - OIL AND GAS: Okla. companies donate millions to tornado relief22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
Several energy firms have promised to contribute millions of dollars to assist people affected by the tornadoes that ripped through an Oklahoma City suburb Monday, razing homes and killing at least 24 people.... - TECHNOLOGY: Solar power boosts old wells in Oman22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
Oman's national oil company announced plans yesterday to revitalize low-producing wells with solar technology.... - PEOPLE: Energy conference board gets new leadership22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
The panel that organizes the oil and gas industry's largest international meeting has chosen two new principal officers.... - REFINING: $100M facility planned for Texas' Eagle Ford22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
An Irving, Texas-based company has announced plans for a 10,000-barrels-per-day refinery in La Salle County, at the heart of the Eagle Ford Shale.... - OIL SANDS: ConocoPhillips shelves plans to sell Canadian holdings22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
Houston-based energy giant ConocoPhillips Co. is easing back on efforts to sell its Canadian oil sands assets, although it will keep the properties on the auction block.... - NATIONS: Poland's shale hopes sink under tax plan22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
It has been a rough few months for Poland's shale gas industry.... - ELECTRICITY: PG&E's Johns discusses upcoming response to regulators' San Bruno fine22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is expected to file this week its response to California state regulators' recommendation that the company face a $2.25 billion penalty for the 2010 San Bruno natural gas pipeline explosion. What impact could the fine have on the company's ability to do business? During today's OnPoint, Chris Johns, president of PG&E, reacts to the proposed penalty and talks about the reforms his company has made after the San Bruno event. Today's OnPoint will air at 10 a.m. EDT.... - NATURAL GAS: As exports heat up, Alaskans wonder whether decades-old pipe dreams will ever become reality22 May 2013, 12:09 pm
At a time when international competition is heating up to export liquefied natural gas into Asia, Alaska is scrambling to become a major player in foreign export markets, while also giving state consumers access to local fuel....