New York Times -- Generating 20 percent of America’s electricity with wind, as recent studies proposed, would require building up to 22,000 miles of new high-voltage transmission lines. But the huge towers and unsightly tree-cutting that these projects require have provoked intense public opposition.

Recently, though, some companies are finding a remarkably simple answer to that political problem. They are putting power lines under water, in a string of projects that has so far provoked only token opposition from environmentalists and virtually no reaction from the larger public.  (read more)

USA Today -- General Motors thinks it has cut so much weight and complexity out of its hydrogen fuel cell system that it says it could be production-ready by 2015.

Drive On got a look at the fuel cells yesterday at a presentation in Burbank, Calif. The new one, at right, is half the size, 220 pounds lighter and uses a third of the expensive platinum needed in the original, which is being real-world tested in a fleet of 119 Chevrolet Equinox SUVs. (It was an even 120, but one got totaled in an accident. No hydrogen escaped.)  (read more)

examiner.com -- The United Auto Workers expressed their sentiment that Congress should move forward to enact comprehensive climate change legislation that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions; they did so in a letter they sent to the members of Congress recently.Although we recognize the difficulties involved in this effort, we believe that legislation can be crafted that will reduce global warming pollution while at the same time creating jobs and providing a boost to our economy. In particular, we believe such legislation can help to provide significant investment in domestic production of advanced technology vehicles and their key components, as well as other energy saving technologies. (Source)

Members of the UAW, particularly hard-hit by the recent recession, see an electric vehicle

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The Wall Street Journal -- LONDON—Nymex crude-oil futures traded above $82 a barrel in London Wednesday, gaining ground on news that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will hold its production quota steady.

"OPEC's decision to leave its output quotas unchanged will help to underpin oil prices going into the summer, a broker said. "I think everyone knew there would be no surprises," he added. "I believe it keeps the market buoyant with the gasoline season on us soon, and above all these are good prices" for OPEC with crude above $80 a barrel.

The front-month April contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange was trading 66 cents higher at $82.36 a barrel. The front-month May Brent contract on London's ICE futures exchange was 81 cents higher at $81.34 a barrel.

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The Detroit News -- General Motors Co. is developing technology that will help drivers -- particularly older motorists -- navigate through fog and other dangerous road conditions. The technology involves night vision, navigation and camera-based sensors that transform windshields into transparent displays that can illuminate the edge of driving lanes and alert motorists to dangers -- from deer to motorcycles to children -- outside their normal field of vision.

The technology could become increasingly important as baby boomers age, and older people keep their licenses longer and drive more miles than in previous years -- and presumably keep buying new model vehicles. Though the population of people 70 and older climbed 10 percent between 1997 and 2006, crash deaths fell 21 percent in that group....  (read more)

GasBuddy Blog -- It's a fact that many know about ethanol- it contains less energy than conventional gasoline, and results in lower fuel efficiency. Some states have moved towards "hiding" ethanol content in gasoline, so how does your state stack up?

Fifteen states do not require labeling gasoline that contains ethanol, so if you live in a state not listed below, be sure to check your gas pump to see if there's ethanol present!
The fifteen states that don't require stations to tell you if the gasoline contains ethanol: (alphabetically) California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Ohio.

What is amazing to me is that...  (read more)

Triple Pundit -- Here’s a news flash of sorts: ExxonMobil (XOM), the world’s largest publicly traded oil and gas company, has barrels of money and plans $28 billion in capital spending this year and about $25-$30 billion each year thereafter through 2014.

The company made more than $19 billion last year and generated cash flow of $28.4 billion. Flush with money and confidence, XOM says it is “well positioned for future growth” despite a volatile industry environment across a “range of market conditions.”

“Each of our three business segments, Upstream, Downstream and Chemical, outpaced our competitors,” Rex W. Tillerson, chairman and chief executive officer, said last week during the company’s annual presentation to investment analysts at the New York Stock Exchange.  (read more)

EcoFriend -- Eco Factor: Zero-emission concept superbike powered by electric motors.

The Hornet is a concept zero-emission superbike by designer Liam Ferguson that has emerged as the winner of the prestigious VACC competition. What sets the superbike apart from the crowd is not just its single-wheeled frame, but its ability to turn around on a dime. The bike is powered by dual 74hp in-wheel hydrogen fuel cell six-phase neodymium-iron electric motors.  (read more)

Herlald Tribune -- Opening Florida's Gulf Coast to oil drilling would have almost no impact on prices at the pump or on the state's ongoing budget problems, a nonpartisan commission told a key committee of the Legislature on Monday.

While the House has heard similar arguments from environmental groups and others opposed to drilling, the report was significant because it came from the Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida, created by the Legislature five years ago to study Florida's long-term future on issues like water resources, growth management and energy.  (read more)

Racin Today -- An isobutanol blend of BP has been approved for official use in the American Le Mans Series, where the Dyson Racing team intends to campaign the season while competing for the LMP championship in a Lola-Mazda using the biofuel.

The racing application is in advance of plans by BP and DuPont to develop commercial facilities under the Butamax name to manufacture isobutanol for mainsteam use. A racing version of isobutanol and ethanol was used in two demonstration races last year to power the Lola-Mazda team of Dyson Racing, a factory-supported Mazda team where energy company BP is a major sponsor.  (read more)

CNNMoney -- Oil fell on Monday, as uncertainty over the debt crisis was renewed and the dollar strengthened against major currencies.

What prices are doing: Crude plummeted $1.75 to $79.49 a barrel on Monday.

What's driving the market: Prices took a nosedive, as traders kept a wary eye on global sovereign debt issues, after a report showed renewed worries over some countries' ability to sustain a recovery.

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bloomberg.com -- The burgeoning U.S. wind-energy industry will fail to reach its potential without help from Congress in setting a national renewable-power standard and revamping the electric grid, governors from 29 states said.

A jumble of state laws should be replaced by a national edict, according to a report from the Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition, which includes California, Florida and Massachusetts. The plan would help spur development and efficiency, which would create jobs, curb greenhouse-gas emissions and reduce dependency on oil imports, the coalition said.

The absence of such a standard is hurting the U.S., the governors said. China installed more wind-energy generators last year than any other country, doubling the nation’s windpower capacity, according to data released by the World  (read more)

GasBuddy Blog -- For those who are looking to purchase a used car anytime in the future, one thing always comes to mind- vehicle history reports. While these reports may provide you with a sense of security, they don't always reveal everything in a vehicle's past history.

We've been taught to ask for a vehicle history report, even pay upwards of $40 to find out where a car has been, if its a lemon, if its been wrecked, etc. But there's no substitute from having a neutral mechanic check it over. The last thing you want to find out is that the used car you just purchased has been in a massive wreck, leaving the question of structural integrity in the air.

I have a new avenue for folks who are sick of paying big bucks for little in additional...  (read more)

The Telegraph -- The Carbon Trust has announced it is working with the University of York to research how using microwave technology could turn garden and wood waste into biofuel.

Using microwaves, the waste is heated in the absence of oxygen through a process called pyrolysis.

The research will look at how this process could be used to produce a biofuel to blend with fossil fuel or use as a pure fuel.

According to the Carbon Trust, the carbon footprint of this new pyrolysis biofuel could potentially save 95 per cent of carbon compared to fossil fuels.  (read more)

The Phoenix Business Journal -- The folks at Ford Motor Co. are singing a cheery tune as the blue oval company trumped rivals in sales in the U.S. and Canada last month.

So I checked in with a couple execs to see exactly what they are singing on their daily commute. More specifically, I asked for their favorite car songs, putting the kibosh on “Mustang Sally,” since that’s my favorite (ode to a 1966 GT fastback I wish I still had) and really just not a fair answer for Ford guys.

Mark Fields, executive vice president and president, Americas, for Ford is thinking Cadillac with “Back in Black” by AC/DC.  (read more)

Associated Press -- SAN DIEGO – A memo drafted for a congressional panel says that investigators with Toyota Motor Corp. and the federal government were unable to make a Prius speed out of control as its owner said it did on a California freeway, casting doubt on the driver's story.

The draft memo, obtained Saturday by The Associated Press, said the experts who examined and test drove the car could not replicate the problems James Sikes said he encountered.

Sikes, 61, called 911 on Monday to report losing control of his Prius as the hybrid reached speeds of 94 mph. A California Highway Patrol officer helped Sikes bring the vehicle to a safe stop on Interstate 8 near San Diego.  (read more)

Detnews.com -- Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News

Ford Motor Co.'s latest internal employee survey shows morale is up sharply and employees' confidence in the company's future has reached an all-time high.

That is according to Ford's latest quarterly report card, a copy of which was obtained by The Detroit News.

It shows that 89 percent of employees have a positive outlook, compared to less than 55 percent in the middle of 2008. The survey was conducted in December.

"It's a very positive reflection of employee confidence in Ford," said spokeswoman Marcey Evans, who confirmed the authenticity of the report. "It reflects their confidence in our company and their confidence in our products."

The December results were 2 percentage points higher than the previous survey, conducted last June.

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Businessweek.com -- By Leigh Phillips

The European Union is to surpass its target of 20 percent consumption of energy from renewable sources by 2020, according to national forecasts submitted to the European Commission.

The EU executive found that overall, the bloc will achieve a 20.3 percent share of renewables in its energy mix.

According to a summary published on Thursday, 10 out of the EU's 27 member states are on track to exceed their national targets for renewable energy, with a further 12 set to meet their goals using domestic sources of renewable energy.

Excerpts

Europe's renewable energy directive sets an overall EU target of 20 percent and individual binding national targets. The bloc defines biofuels, biomass, wind, solar energy as well as hydro power as being renewable.

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Consumer Affairs -- Variety of factors credited for continued decline in highway deaths....  (read more)

The Wall Street Journal -- NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Crude oil and gold futures turned lower in morning trade Friday after a survey showed U.S. consumers were less optimistic in March. Crude oil for April delivery was down 2 cents at $82.09 a barrel in electronic trade. It earlier rose to a high of $83.20 a barrel, lifted by the International Energy Agency's forecast for higher global oil demand. Gold for April was down 1.10, or 0.1%, at $1,107.10 an ounce, off a morning high of $1,119.50 an ounce.  (read more)

Wall Street Journal -- Caterpillar Inc. is considering relocating some heavy-equipment overseas production to a new U.S. plant, part of a growing movement among manufacturers to bring more operations back home—a shift that will likely spark fierce competition among states for new manufacturing jobs.
The trend, known as onshoring or reshoring, is gaining momentum as a weak U.S. dollar makes it costlier to import products from overseas. Manufacturers are also counting on White House jobs incentives, as well as their ability to negotiate lower prices from U.S. suppliers who were hurt by the downturn and willing to bargain.
After a decade of rapid globalization, economists say companies are seeing disadvantages of offshore production, including shipping costs, complicated logistics, and quality issues.  (read more)

Detroit News -- General Motors Co. will keep making big trucks and SUVs because U.S. buyers demand them, but a major portion of them will be gas-electric hybrids in the near future, retiring Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said.

Lutz didn't give details, but said GM must apply hybrid technology to more vehicles in order to meet fuel-economy standards that will rise 40 percent to an average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The cost will likely be spread across GM's lineup, since charging individual buyers for a hybrid system would make vehicles too expensive. GM has seven hybrids in its lineup now.

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BBC News -- Prosecutors in California are suing Toyota, claiming the Japanese carmaker sold hundreds of thousands of vehicles that it knew had defects.
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The world's largest carmaker has recalled millions of vehicles because of problems accelerating and braking.
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Regulators have linked five deaths to crashes allegedly caused by accelerator problems and are investigating dozens of others.

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FORBES.COM -- By Christopher Helman

Occidental Petroleum is the untrendiest of the big oil companies. Unlike its bigger rivals, Oxy has no refineries and no interest in Canadian oil sands, liquefied natural gas or deepwater prospects. The Los Angeles company is unabashedly partial to oil, with 73% of its reserves in crude; most operators are more than half natural gas.

Now Occidental ( OXY - news - people ) is breaking ranks in another way, by upsetting the commonplace view that the days of "easy oil" in the U.S. are over. Last year Oxy announced a new find outside Bakersfield, in Kern County, Calif., which is shaping up to be the biggest onshore oil discovery the U.S. has seen in three decades. It likely holds more than 1 billion barrels of oil (and natural gas equivalents) that will be easy and  (read more)

SeekingAlpha.com -- By Wayne A. Corbitt

There is an intense debate raging surrounding the future direction of crude oil prices. The bulls say the upcoming driving season will spur demand once again to give crude a push higher. They also argue that demand from China and other countries with healthier economies than our own will continue to soak up supply.

The bears argue that China is in the process of draining excess liquidity to dampen speculation and apply the brakes on an overheating economy. The bears also contend that with our "mirage" economy is so weak (just watch the employment numbers) that demand in this country will tail off.

In cases such as these, the proper thing to do is to not get caught up in these fundamental debates but to look at what the market tells us.  (read more)