Gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale formation of Pennsylvania is bringing an economic boom there -- even as oil and gas drilling has fallen dramatically nationwide. But the gas is tax-exempt in Pennsylvania.

"The acclaimed documentary film 'Crude,' which details the 16-year struggle of indigenous peoples in Ecuador's Amazon to hold Chevron legally accountable for contamination of a huge rainforest area, opens in Washington, DC on Friday during intense scrutiny of a $27 billion liability lawsuit against the oil giant."

The House Thursday passed the Solar Technology Roadmap Act, which authorizes more than $2 billion to strengthen and coordinate research and development of solar power projects. Projects would be picked by an 11-member panel chosen by the Energy Secretary.

"DETROIT — Even though several automakers plan to begin selling electric vehicles next year, their sales may be limited by the lack of a national infrastructure to support them, speakers at a conference here on plug-in cars said on Wednesday."

A new report from the National Research Council on the 'hidden costs of energy' lists many health and environmental costs that are not figured into utility bills or cost estimates for climate legislation.

"After years of volatility, oil prices have found a level that seems to satisfy producing nations, oil companies and major consumers. But in the wake of the economic crisis and the collapse in demand, a new reality has also set across the petroleum industry. Today’s price of around $70 a barrel is increasingly viewed as a new floor for the industry."

"The Energy Department has concluded in an internal audit that it does not properly track whether manufacturers that give their appliances an Energy Star label have met the required specifications for energy efficiency."

"More automakers are joining the trend. Nine of the top 10 vehicles in the Environmental Protection Agency's fuel economy rankings for the 2010 model year are hybrids, made by six companies."

"Oil prices reached a fresh one-year high above $75 a barrel Thursday in Asia on a weaker U.S. dollar and growing investor optimism about an economic recovery."

"Equipment manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates agreed today on new standards aimed at dramatically reducing energy use in homes."

"With 360 days a year of pure, unclouded sun, California's Imperial Valley has the potential to become the Silicon Valley of renewable energy."

"The Department of the Interior has frozen oil and gas development on 60 of 77 contested drilling sites in Utah, saying the process of leasing the land was rushed and badly flawed."

"A second-generation scarlet Sea Snake is being prepared to harness the waves of Britain's northern islands to generate electricity."

"Arab officials in the Persian Gulf strongly denied Tuesday a report that they're in secret talks to replace the U.S. dollar with a basket of currencies to price oil."

"Tax credits for making your home more energy efficient got a lot of early buzz. The promise of up to 1500-dollars back for insulation and windows or efficient furnaces led to a flurry of advertising." But something might be stopping people from taking advantage of the tax credits.