September 21, 2010
 

The energy crisis of the 1970s never did pass. It's still here, although today it centers on feeding an ever-growing global population with cleaner fuels.

Ingenuity abounds, coming in the form of greener energy and new pollution controls. One such power source to make headway is nuclear fission, which has never gone anywhere but which has suffered more setbacks than any other. One country, though, never lost its trust in nuclear power: France, which generates three-quarters of its electricity from it.

September 17, 2010 

Congress may be stalemated when it comes to any new climate change policies. But some utilities think the writing is on the wall and have therefore decided to curtail their coal consumption.

Duke Energy is one of them. It just said it might close seven such facilities within five years. In a document filed with its state utility commission, it said that it expects Congress to eventually strengthen the nation's clean air laws. Therefore, it would be more economical to mothball them rather than retrofit them at a high cost.

September 18, 2010
 
U.S. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu is really an academic. But he's is learning the art of politics while on the job. The Nobel-prize winning scientist, who had once called coal his "worst nightmare," spoke to a largely pro-coal audience in West Virginia.

Chu, who was tapped by President Obama to serve, has never shied away from his belief that coal is largely responsible for creating climate change. His views have evolved, however, to the point where he realizes that the nation - indeed the world - is not going to just replace the preponderance of its generation supplies overnight.

September 16, 2010

China will produce half of the world's solar panels this year, muscling its way into a young but sure-to-be significant generation resource in coming decades. And it will also produce half of the globe's wind turbines this year, dominating an already important segment of the power industry.

Some are charging that China may have leaped to the front of the renewables sector through massive subsidies that may violate international agreements.

Sep 13, 2010

General Motors is hitting the pavement trying to sell its initial public offering to potential investors. Despite the iffy circumstances, some say that the auto maker might succeed as it has cut costs and benefited from the tenuous uptick in the overall climate.

GM has given market insiders a look at how it sees not just its future but that of the overall auto market. It will "invest heavily" in alternatively fueled vehicles over the next few years. First up: It's Chevy Volt that will hit show rooms in November and which can go 40 miles on electricity and another 300 on gas, all before it has to be juiced up again.