As oil muddies outlook, Fed policy less certain

Surging oil prices are deepening a split inside the Federal Reserve, blurring the likely direction of U.S. monetary policy and making next week’s policy meeting all the more contentious. The sharp rise in energy costs, precipitated by a wave of pro-democracy uprisings across the Arab world, could affect the economy in different ways, by retarding... 

U.S. Leads Ranking of Top 25 Countries for Global Biofuels Production Capacity

The U.S. concluded 2010 as the top renewable ethanol producing country, according to the Global Biofuels Outlook to 2020, recently released from Hart Energy Consulting’s Global Biofuels Center (GBC). With more than 51 billion liters (13.47 billion gallons) of ethanol production capacity in operation, the U.S. is by far the leader, with South America’s... 

Local Community Banding Together to Harness the Power of the Sun

Although solar heating can dramatically slash home utility bills and has tremendous environmental benefits, converting to solar is often too cost-prohibitive for many home owners. A group of homeowners in Mt. Pleasant, a suburb outside of Washington D.C., have realized though that there is strength, and more importantly, savings, in numbers. Seventy-five... 

Massey disputes U.S. allegation on deadly coal mine blast

Massey Energy Co said federal investigators’ claims that excessive coal dust at its West Virginia mine last year fueled the deadliest U.S. mine explosion in 40 years were based on faulty data. Instead, the explosion that killed 28 miners last April spread the coal dust at the mine, Massey general counsel Shane Harvey told reporters on a conference... 

Dominion Promotes Daniel A. Weekley to Vice President-Government Affairs

Daniel A. Weekley has been promoted to vice president-Government Affairs for Dominion. Weekley is responsible for the company’s federal, state and local government relations. He reports to Robert M. Blue, senior vice president-Law, Public Policy & Environment, and is based in Richmond. “Dan brings with him experience across almost all... 

Sunvalley Solar Progresses on Green Farm Solar Investment Plan in Southern California

- Sunvalley Solar Inc. , a leading provider of solar power products and services, announced that it continues to make substantial progress on Green Farm Solar Investment Plan in Thermal, Imperial, Coachella and Holtville, CA. Sunvalley Solar moves forward in the promotion of its Green Farm Solar Investment Plan. The Green Farm Solar Investment Plan... 

Innergex increases its net installed capacity by 53 % as Ashlu Creek starts commercial operation

Innergex Renewable Energy Inc. announces that the Ashlu Creek run-of-river hydroelectric power generating plant (“Ashlu Creek”), with a net installed capacity of 49.9 MW, is now in commercial operation. As the required performance tests were carried out successfully, BC Hydro has retroactively set the official commercial operation start... 

Crews Begin Hanging Panels on Largest Solar Array in Martin County

The largest solar energy array in Martin County began construction a little over 4 weeks ago after the town was able to quickly issue permits to the solar energy contractor, Abundant Energy Inc. (http://www.abundantenergy.com). Though South Florida solar energy companies have been making little headway in the commercial energy market with the exception... 

LGG Challenges Businesses to Make Carbon Emissions a Thing of the Past

The creators of software that automatically purchases carbon credits to offset a computers emissions have extended a challenge to businesses to play a major part in cutting carbon emissions worldwide. The Zero Carbon Computing Challenge (ZCCC), launched by the creators of the Little Green Genie, are encouraging businesses to spread the word about zero... 

PA Coal Association Opposes Federal Climate Change Bill

The Pennsylvania Coal Association (PCA) unanimously voted at its annual board meeting to oppose the federal climate change legislation (H.R. 2454, the Waxman-Markey bill or the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009), which now is before the U.S. Senate. The statewide association of coal companies said the fundamental problem with Waxman-Markey...