Gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation of Pennsylvania is bringing an economic boom there -- even as oil and gas drilling has fallen dramatically nationwide. But the gas is tax-exempt in Pennsylvania.
The House Thursday passed the Solar Technology Roadmap Act, which authorizes more than $2 billion to strengthen and coordinate research and development of solar power projects. Projects would be picked by an 11-member panel chosen by the Energy Secretary.
"The acclaimed documentary film 'Crude,' which details the 16-year struggle of indigenous peoples in Ecuador's Amazon to hold Chevron legally accountable for contamination of a huge rainforest area, opens in Washington, DC on Friday during intense scrutiny of a $27 billion liability lawsuit against the oil giant."
"DETROIT — Even though several automakers plan to begin selling electric vehicles next year, their sales may be limited by the lack of a national infrastructure to support them, speakers at a conference here on plug-in cars said on Wednesday."
A new report from the National Research Council on the 'hidden costs of energy' lists many health and environmental costs that are not figured into utility bills or cost estimates for climate legislation.
"After years of volatility, oil prices have found a level that seems to satisfy producing nations, oil companies and major consumers. But in the wake of the economic crisis and the collapse in demand, a new reality has also set across the petroleum industry. Today’s price of around $70 a barrel is increasingly viewed as a new floor for the industry."
"The Energy Department has concluded in an internal audit that it does not properly track whether manufacturers that give their appliances an Energy Star label have met the required specifications for energy efficiency."
