"Several U.S. companies hope to race ahead of foreign rivals by using federal loans and grants to commercialize electric cars and lighter, longer-lasting batteries. But a Canadian company might get there first."

"Two of the nation’s biggest coal-burning utilities said Thursday that they were withdrawing from a $2.4 billion project to demonstrate carbon capture and storage, and would instead pursue their own work in the field."

"The federal government today issued five leases to allow wind-energy companies to explore the possibility of building wind farms off the coast of New Jersey and Delaware."

"The Department of Energy has released the first third of its $25 billion advanced technology loan fund for automakers to 'create thousands of green jobs while helping reduce the nation's dangerous dependence on foreign oil.'

Southerners are looking to their forests for alternative fuel.

Tesla Motors' chief executive, whose company has been mired in legal actions, predicted in a blog post that the company would become profitable next month.

"The Senate approved a $1 billion program yesterday to give vouchers to consumers who trade in their gas-guzzling clunkers for more fuel-efficient models -- a move that dealers hope will revive slumping auto sales."

Estimated U.S. gas reserves have increased by 35 percent, according to a group of experts connected with the Colorado School of Mines -- although much of that increase would come from hydraulic fracturing of shale, a technique whose effects raise environmental concern.

"For decades, diesel trucks and buses have spewed large amounts of soot, smog-causing gases and carcinogens into the air. But new diesel engines are more than 90 percent cleaner than a few years ago, far exceeding the emission reductions required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to a new independent study released Thursday. Data show new diesel technologies are working even better than expected."

"Four power companies are expected to split $18.5 billion in federal financing to build the next generation of nuclear reactors."

"The European Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agreed today to implement new higher energy-efficiency specifications for computers, copiers and printers under the EU-US Energy Star Programme."

"By the middle of next year, the nine campuses that make up the nation's largest community college system plan to be completely energy self-sufficient. It's a huge step, and it will begin saving money immediately."

Small-scale, local power generation could reshape our energy system.

"A Senate energy bill was voted out of committee yesterday, but not before losing the support of two Democrats and a dozen leading environmental organizations."

"The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today approved the repeal of mandatory royalty waivers, also called 'royalty relief,' required under a 2005 energy law for certain offshore oil and gas production."