Energy & Fuel

"Utilities are spending billions to make the grid more reliable, efficient, and green. In the process, they will drastically change how they do business."

"After critical audits, the federal government said Wednesday that it would substantially tighten the certification process for products bearing the Energy Star label, its stamp of approval for an energy-efficient product."

"China Petrochemical Corporation will buy ConocoPhillips' stake in the Syncrude Canada oil sands project in Alberta for $4.65 billion."

"The Government Accountability Office concluded that the Energy Star program is susceptible to fraud and abuse, after investigators received certification for 15 phony appliances, including a gasoline-powered alarm clock."

"A deadly accident in the early hours of April 2 at the Tesoro  refinery 70 miles north of Seattle has focused attention on the petroleum industry’s plant practices and commitment to worker safety."

"Feb. 28, 2010, was a banner day for Texas wind to set the clouds -- and electrons -- flying. In the Panhandle, gusts reached 47 miles per hour and wind generators delivered a record 6,242 megawatts of power to Dallas, Austin and other population centers. At 1 p.m., 22 percent of all the electricity consumed in the Texas grid was coming from wind."

"The Minerals Management Service has withheld information from regional staff in Alaska and has not had sufficient guidelines in place to analyze offshore drilling risks in the region, a government audit shows."