Nov. 24, 2010 at 4:48 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Energy
By Julie Wernau
A large number of Nicor Gas customers are overpaying for a repair service that is rarely used, according to consumer advocates who argue that utility is improperly selling the service through an unregulated affiliate to divert revenue to the utility.
About 20 percent of Nicor customers are signed up for the service — Gas Line ComfortGuard — which covers the cost to inspect and repair a gas leak in a home. They pay $4.95 per month, but just 2 percent of those customers ever need the service, and the average payout is just 10 cents per month per customer, according to an analysis by consumer watchdog group Citizens Utility Board. Get the full story »
Nov. 24, 2010 at 3:53 p.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
Energy,
Government
By Reuters
General Motors Co. said Wednesday that its Chevy Volt will carry an overall fuel economy rating of 60 miles per gallon, topping the Toyota Prius, the long-time fuel economy leader.
GM has begun to build the long-awaited Volt at a Detroit-area factory, with initial sales expected for December. Get the full story »
Nov. 23, 2010 at 12:05 p.m.
Filed under:
Energy,
M&A
By Reuters
Private equity firm Blackstone Group lost its $602 million bid to buy power producer Dynegy Inc. after failing to win shareholder support in the face of opposition from the two largest shareholders.
Dynegy said it planned to end the deal Tuesday and would look for other buyers, including the two shareholders — billionaire Carl Icahn and hedge fund Seneca Capital. Icahn has said he may bid for Dynegy if the Blackstone bid failed. Get the full story »
Nov. 23, 2010 at 6:51 a.m.
Filed under:
Energy,
Environment,
Green
By Dow Jones Newswires-Wall Street Journal
A group of utility executives who once lobbied Congress to cap greenhouse-gas emissions say they are now pressing ahead with their own efforts to clean up the industry.
“We’re making our own destiny,” said Chris Gould, vice president of corporate strategy for Exelon Corp. in Chicago, the nation’s largest owner of nuclear-power plants and one of the biggest backers of the failed “cap and trade” legislation. Get the full story »
Nov. 22, 2010 at 2:22 p.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
Energy,
Environment,
Green
By Associated Press
The Nissan Leaf, a 100 percent electric car is test driven at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. (AP/Damian Dovarganes, file)
Nissan’s new electric car, the Leaf, will get the equivalent of 99 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, based on government testing.
Nissan says the Environmental Protection Agency’s fuel efficiency window sticker will estimate that the electric car will get the equivalent of 106 mpg in city driving and 92 mpg on the highway. Get the full story »
Nov. 19, 2010 at 3:23 p.m.
Filed under:
Associations/Clubs,
Conventions,
Energy,
Tourism,
Travel
By Wailin Wong
Chicago has nabbed a new piece of convention business, booking a 2013 global solar energy conference that is expected to draw more than 27,000 attendees to the city. Get the full story »
Nov. 19, 2010 at 12:59 p.m.
Filed under:
Consumer news,
Energy
By Associated Press
Filling up at the pump for Thanksgiving weekend will likely cost Americans the most in three years. After that, analysts say, prices should drop as weak winter demand takes effect.
Gasoline prices reached $2.89 a gallon earlier this week and appeared set to eclipse the high for the year of $2.92. A number of factors, from rising oil prices to lower U.S. production due to seasonal refinery maintenance, contributed to a 5-cent increase in retail gas prices in the past month.
Nov. 19, 2010 at 11:46 a.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
Energy
By Reuters
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will delay a decision that was expected in December on whether gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol is safe for vehicles built for the 2001 to 2006 model years, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. Get the full story »
Nov. 18, 2010 at 11:40 a.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
Energy,
Environment,
Green
By Reuters
(Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
The Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric car, the centerpiece of a revitalized General Motors, was named 2011 Green Car of the Year on Thursday.
The highly anticipated Volt received the industry’s top environmental honor the same day GM shares began trading on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges.
The Volt edged out the Nissan Leaf, Ford’s Fiesta, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid to win the award. Get the full story »
Nov. 17, 2010 at 12:31 p.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
Energy
By Julie Wernau
Beginning next year, electric vehicle owners park for free in the Village of Oak Park. An ordinance, passed this week by the Oak Park Village Board of Trustees, also gives plug-in vehicle owners free parking at meters and in Village lots and garages as well as Village vehicle stickers at no charge.
“We realize that this step is largely symbolic at this time, given that all-electric vehicles are just beginning to become available,” said Village Manager Tom Barwin. Get the full story »
Nov. 16, 2010 at 1:48 p.m.
Filed under:
Energy,
Green
By Dow Jones Newswires-Wall Street Journal
Exelon Corp. said it plans to invest nearly $5 billion in clean-energy products by 2015, part of a broader plan to cut its carbon footprint.
The biggest owner of nuclear plants in the U.S. by number of reactors said it plans to begin investments this year in projects such as energy-efficiency programs, renewable-energy investments and increased output at its nuclear plants. Get the full story »
Nov. 12, 2010 at 10:54 a.m.
Filed under:
Energy,
M&A
By Reuters
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn said he would vote against Blackstone Group’s proposal to buy Dynegy Inc. and would offer a $2 billion line of credit to the struggling power company.
Icahn and hedge fund Seneca Capital, Dynegy’s two largest shareholders, believe Blackstone’s $543 million bid for the company is too low, threatening the deal. Seneca has argued that the company would have more value on its own, but Dynegy has said it could face dire financial problems. Get the full story »
Nov. 9, 2010 at 5:08 p.m.
Filed under:
Energy,
Environment
By Associated Press
Former BP chief Tony Hayward has acknowledged that the company was unprepared for the disastrous Gulf of Mexico oil spill and the media frenzy it spawned, and said the firm came close to financial disaster as its credit sources evaporated. Get the full story »
Nov. 9, 2010 at 2:13 p.m.
Filed under:
Energy,
Environment,
Green,
Housing
By Associated Press
The White House unveiled a new Home Energy Score federal program Tuesday that will allow people to determine how energy-efficient their homes are.
It was one of several energy initiatives that Vice President Joe Biden announced at a White House event Tuesday. Get the full story »
Nov. 9, 2010 at 1:43 p.m.
Filed under:
Agriculture/Farming,
Energy,
Food,
Government
By Reuters
Livestock producers and food industry groups filed a suit on Tuesday seeking to overturn a U.S. decision to allow higher levels of ethanol in gasoline, saying it could push up food prices.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association, the National Meat Association and other groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency, saying regulators overstepped their authority when they ruled last month that gasoline retailers could sell fuel containing up to 15 percent ethanol, up from 10 percent now. Get the full story »
