Energy & Fuel

"The Super Bowl is known for unpredictable half-time shows, fabulous TV commercials and, of course, football. But how about energy savings?"

"BRUSSELS -- The 'Type 2  plug developed by the German company Mennekes will be the common standard for charging electrified vehicles across the European Union, the European Commission has announced."

"WASHINGTON -- A federal appeals court threw out a federal rule on renewable fuels on Friday, saying that a quota set by the Environmental Protection Agency for incorporating liquids made from woody crops and wastes into car and truck fuels was based on wishful thinking rather than realistic estimates of what could be achieved."

"PORTLAND, Maine -- More than 1,000 people rallied in Portland on Saturday in what was billed as the largest protest yet against the possibility of so-called tar sands oil being piped in from Montreal."

"VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Canadian environmental groups today warned that a new proposal by Kinder Morgan pipeline company would "exponentially" raise the risk of a major oil spill in the Salish Sea's most populous region, including the cities of Vancouver and Victoria."

"The Railroad Commission of Texas regulates one of the most advanced industries in the world — oil and gas drilling. Yet the commission's software systems, many of its rules and even its name are from another era."

"More than half the Senate on Wednesday urged quick approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, ramping up pressure on President Barack Obama to move ahead with the project just days after he promised in his inaugural address to respond vigorously to the threat of climate change."

"PALERMO, Italy -- Inside a midnight-blue BMW, a Sicilian entrepreneur delivered his pitch to the accused mafia boss. A new business was blowing into Italy that could spin wind and sunlight into gold, ensuring the future of the Earth as well as the Cosa Nostra: renewable energy."

"The volume of drilling wastes from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus shale is growing and threatening to overwhelm existing waste-handling infrastructure in Ohio and other states, according to a study released Tuesday."