Recent Gas News/GasBuddy Blog

USA TODAY -- After rising 19 cents a gallon in the past four weeks, regular unleaded gasoline now averages $3.48 a gallon, vs. $3.12 a year ago and $2.67 in February 2010.

Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service expects average prices to peak at $4.05, although he and other industry trackers say prices could be sharply higher in some markets.  (go to article)

Motor Trend -- Update: Apparently, the folks over at Ford have taken issue with the Chevy Silverado Super Bowl ad that takes a swipe at Ford as a truck that wouldn’t be able to survive an apocalypse. GM has run out a press release in response, quoting GM marketing chief Joel Ewanick. The quote is below:

“We stand by our claims in the commercial, that the Silverado is the most dependable, longest-lasting full-size pickup on the road. The ad is a fun way of putting this claim in the context of the apocalypse,” said General Motors Global Chief Marketing Officer Joel Ewanick. “We can wait until the world ends, and if we need to, we will apologize. In the meantime, people who are really worried about the Mayan calendar coming true should buy a Silverado right away.

(with videos)  (go to article)

The Globe & Mail -- General Motors Canada and Bullfrog Power Inc. are teaming up to sell a renewable-energy branded edition of the Chevrolet Volt electric powered car.

The new version of the Volt, which has been on sale in Canada since September, will require buyers to pay $198 to get Bullfrog to inject enough electricity from renewable sources into the grid to power the vehicle for two years.  (go to article)

FT.com -- Iran has indicated that its threat to cut oil supplies to European states in order to pre-empt a European Union oil embargo that comes into effect in July may be only a symbolic one.

High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a4e559a0-5007-11e1-a3ac-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1lZi0Jj1V

Rostam Ghasemi, Iran’s oil minister, on Saturday said that any cut-off in Iranian oil supplies would target “hostile states” and should not harm European people in winter. “We will certainly cut [oil exports] to some European states,” Mr Ghasemi said, but gave no indication on timi  (go to article)

nationaljournal.com -- As unemployment continues to tick downward, Republicans are searching for messages other than joblessness with which to bludgeon President Obama. On Sunday, GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich hinted at such a new line of attack: Gas prices.

In appearances on both NBC’s Meet the Press and CBS’s Face the Nation, Gingrich cited pain at the pump to make the case against Obama – even if the unemployment rate, which dipped to 8.3 percent in January, continues to drop.

Asked how he would campaign against the incumbent in an improving economy, Gingrich replied: “If it is combined with the highest-priced gasoline in American history because of his anti-American energy policies, he's still going to have a challenge.” He went on to attack an upcoming Environmental Protection Agency rule  (go to article)

Huffington Post -- A final framework is at hand on sweeping legislation to impose an impact fee and update safety regulations on Pennsylvania's booming natural gas industry, top Republican state lawmakers say.

Republicans notified rank-and-file lawmakers Saturday night that they hope to hold votes this week on a framework reached by negotiators from the House, Senate and Gov. Tom Corbett's office during closed-door negotiations over the past six weeks. Pennsylvania is the only major gas-producing state that doesn't tax natural gas production.

"These discussions have progressed rapidly over the course of the last two weeks," House Speaker Sam Smith and House Majority Leader Mike Turzai said in a letter to lawmakers. "In fact, staff have been working throughout the weekend and will be working tomorrow in ord  (go to article)

The Herald Scotland -- A new kind of biofuel, produced from the by-products of whisky and beer, could create a £55 million ($86.9 USD) market in Scotland alone, its creators have claimed.

Celtic Renewables Ltd, a spin-out of Edinburgh's Napier University, is pioneering the commercial production of biobutanol, a high-value "clean" fuel capable of directly replacing petrol. The process, which was pioneered by Professor Martin Tangney, director of Napier's biofuel research centre, can also produce valuable acetone, ethenol and animal feed.

Mark Simmers, chief executive of Celtic, said that the product offered huge environmental benefits as well as a new source of revenue for distillers from material previously fit only for low-grade animal feed.  (go to article)

Biofuels digest -- ” Fidel has historically been against ethanol based on concerns that this would compete with food production.  (go to article)

Anchorage Daily News online -- JON GAMBRELL
The Associated Press

Published: February 5th, 2012 01:07 AM
Last Modified: February 5th, 2012 06:00 AM

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) - An Eni SpA oil pipeline ruptured and caught fire as a militant group claimed responsibility for an attack in the region, their first alleged assault in months as its purported leader awaits trial on terrorism charges in South Africa.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta also threatened to attack South African interests in an email sent to journalists late Saturday night, as its alleged leader Henry Okah remains imprisoned there.

South African businesses "will pay a heavy price for the interference of (President) Jacob Zuma in the legitimate fight for justice in the Niger Delta, by its people," the statement read. "The South African  (go to article)

Anchorage Daily News online -- Associated Press

Published: January 31st, 2012 01:11 PM
Last Modified: January 31st, 2012 01:21 PM

JUNEAU -- An oil tax bill dealing with a progressive surcharge and incentives for new production is expected to be unveiled next week in the Senate.

Senate Resources Committee co-chair Tom Wagoner says he expects a bill before his committee by Feb. 10.

Under the current tax regime, a progressive surcharge is triggered when a company's net profits hit $30 a barrel. The industry has complained that this eats into profits when oil prices are high and discourages investment.

Wagoner's approach to incentives is "trust but verify." That is, incentives after new oil.

Critics of the governor's now-shelved oil tax-cut plan called it a giveaway with no guarantees Alaska would see additional  (go to article)

ABC - Channel 7 - Los Angeles -- The new Volkswagen Passat seems very European. It has subtle styling, firm seats, taut steering and suspension - all quite German.

But this VW isn't built in Germany. It's built in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Volkswagen has joined countless other international automakers and started building cars in the U.S.

VW will add 200 jobs at its plant.

Aimed to better compete with mid-size sedans like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, this latest Passat is more American-sized. There's lots of room in the seats and the trunk is huge. Options include a sound system by a very American name in music: Fender.

The Passat's base price is $19,995. Higher-end versions get fake wood trim that seems right out of Detroit, though perhaps from another era.
 (go to article)

Forbes -- Like many other automakers Hyundai is running ads on this year’s Super Bowl, including one for its popular Elantra line of cars. By all accounts it’s a straightforward affair, focusing more on the vehicle than on, say, raging zombies, barking/singing dogs or Soup Nazis.

...

Still, there’s one element that will be missing from the commercial – the car’s fuel economy ratings.

...

A group called Consumer Watchdog has been dogging Hyundai in recent weeks, asserting its “40 miles per gallon” claim for the Elantra to be inflated. The Elantra’s official fuel economy rating, certified by the Environmental Protection Agency, is 40 mpg highway, 29 mpg city and 33 mpg in combined driving.  (go to article)

Star Ledger -- For many people, this is the first time they’ve ever asked for the government’s financial assistance.

The economy may not be in a recession anymore, but many New Jerseyans are still struggling to pay the bills — especially when a crisis comes, be it layoff or health emergency.

That’s why the state started a program offering help to middle-income families who normally pay utility bills but are in a tough spot. The money comes from electric and natural gas ratepayers and for that reason is awarded to utility ratepayers, not those who heat their home with oil.
 (go to article)

MLIVE -- In the past decade, at least 1,100 crashes involving cellphones occurred throughout Kent, Ottawa and Allegan counties, according to an analysis by MLive Media Group. More than 5,400 others involved some other form of distracted driving.

Most are in Kent, about two out of three. Ottawa accounts for about 25 percent, with Allegan just under 10 percent.  (go to article)

Anchorage Daily News online -- REMEDIATION: Plugging just one carries price tag in the millions of dollars.

By WESLEY LOY
Petroleum News

Published: February 4th, 2012 10:11 PM
Last Modified: February 4th, 2012 10:11 PM

Officials with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management say the agency is monitoring environmental risk from old wells on federal land on Alaska's North Slope, as well as updating plans for remediating the sites.

The comments come in response to an Alaska state legislator's charge that the BLM has neglected the dozens of so-called legacy wells.

Rep. Charisse Millett, R-Anchorage, is sponsoring House Joint Resolution 29, which urges the BLM "to plug legacy wells properly and to reclaim the legacy well sites as soon as possible." Artealia Gilliard, spokeswoman for BLM Alaska, said the agency's priority is  (go to article)

Anchorage Daily News online -- EMPLOYMENT: It's also at a record high as companies hire maintenance workers.

By STEFAN MILKOWSKI
Petroleum News

Published: January 31st, 2012 10:05 AM
Last Modified: January 31st, 2012 10:05 AM

A new report by the research firm McDowell Group is shedding light on seemingly contradictory North Slope employment figures and an apparent spike in nonresident hire.

North Slope employment dropped sharply in 2009 but has since rebounded and is now at an all-time high. Industry spending is up, but more money is being spent on maintenance. And the third-quarter 2010 spike in nonresident hire is not likely the start of a trend.

State lawmakers commissioned the study last year during the debate over Gov. Sean Parnell's oil tax proposal, House Bill 110. Supporters of tax cuts pointed to the jump  (go to article)

Yahoo Autos -- When Nissan unveiled its Leaf EV last year, the wedge-like machine lifted the spirits of any motorist disgruntled by the Who Killed The Electric Car? era. None more so than Sadow, who grew up criss-crossing the country thanks to his father's job with the electric golf cart giant, E-Z-Go.

"You can say I got bit by the EV bug early, around the age of 7," Sadow says.

Fast forward a few decades, and that kid is now an electrical engineering whiz who has become consumed with making this incarnation of the electric car live.

"My goal is to make the EV a success, because it's the only thing that's going to save us," he says. "Our culture is based on cars, so that's not going away. But when petroleum becomes scarce, our economy is going to tank given our dependency on foreign oil. I just  (go to article)

Popular Mechanics -- The 2012 Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus SFE are among 20-plus cars that now claim 40 mpg highway. But given the peculiar way in which the EPA calculates its fuel economy estimates, do those mileage numbers truly reflect real-world driving? We tested the Elantra and Focus on the streets and roads of Michigan to find out, with some surprising results.

PM Mileage Test at a Glance

We took two closely matched, high-mileage vehicles on multiple test loops to see if they could hit their EPA window-sticker numbers on real roads...
 (go to article)

Times Of India -- India will have to walk a fine line between continuing to source oil imports from Iran and escalating pressure from the US and Europe to adhere to tighter sanctions against the Islamic republic designed to prevent it from weaponizing its nuclear programme.

New Delhi may be staunchly opposed to Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons, but is caught in a bind since it cannot afford to substantially cut back energy imports from Iran, which as India's second largest supplier after Saudi Arabia meets 12% of its total oil requirements.

Tighter Western sanctions will make it harder for India to pay for the oil it sources from Iran, especially since Washington has declared it will ban from the American market all financial institutions that transact petroleum business with Tehran's Central Bank from  (go to article)

WSJ -- First there was the tech boom. Then the housing bubble.

Now, new profits and investment opportunities are emerging from the surge in U.S. gas and oil production. Innovations in drilling techniques—such as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and horizontal drilling—have made it easier to extract oil and natural gas from shale and other rock formations. That has boosted production and led to billions of dollars of profits for some early pioneers and investors.

"America stands on the verge of a major change that puts it on a course to near self-sufficiency" in energy, says Tobias Levkovich, Citigroup's chief U.S. equity strategist, who says the energy surge is a key reason to be upbeat on the market and U.S. economy.
 (go to article)

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV - Associated Press -- MOSCOW -- Russia's state-controlled Gazprom natural gas giant acknowledged for the first time Saturday that it had briefly reduced gas supplies to Europe amid a spell of extreme cold.

Gazprom deputy chief Andrey Kruglov reported to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin that the cuts lasted for several days and reached up to 10 percent, but supplies are currently back to normal. Officials in Austria and France, however, have reported cuts of as much as 30 percent, and Italy said supplies were down by 24 percent Thursday.

Russia previously had blamed Ukraine for the shortages, saying Kiev is siphoning off more than its share. Authorities in Ukraine have denied the accusations.  (go to article)

By DEE-ANN DURBIN - AP Auto Writer -- LAS VEGAS -- General Motors Co. said Saturday that most of its 4,400 U.S. dealers have agreed to upgrade their showrooms over the next four years.

The upgrades include new signs, more modern interiors and lounges with free Wi-Fi. In some cases, dealers might also open cafes or salons.

The company announced its plans at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in Las Vegas.

GM said 3,400 dealers have agreed to upgrades, and 1,000 have been completed.

GM said it also plans to give dealerships more sales and service training and encourage them to do more online marketing. If they meet all the upgraded standards, they'll receive quarterly payments, spokesman Tom Henderson said.

Henderson said 36 percent of GM's stores were built before 1970.  (go to article)

Focus -- Not many people know that local police and the RCMP have already begun building a massive public traffic surveillance system. And no one knows how they’re going to use it.

The A News reporter and Nanaimo constable interwove: “amazing,” “blown away,” “overwhelming.” “This will revolutionize the way we police,” proclaimed Vancouver police in The Province.

Both media and police across North America have engaged in such trumpeting about Automatic Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR). The RCMP and BC government piloted ALPR in 2006 and have expanded it rapidly.  (go to article)

Heartlander.org -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is fending off criticism after issuing a draft report claiming it has found chemicals consistent with hydraulic fracturing in groundwater in Wyoming. Non-EPA analysts have criticized the agency for exercising poor quality control of its water samples, overlooking that many activities other than hydraulic fracturing could be the source of the common chemicals reported by EPA, and ignoring evidence several water tests closer to hydraulic fracturing sites than EPA’s disputed samples reveal no chemical contamination.  (go to article)

Technology Review -- Nine companies received grants to build advanced-battery factories from the U.S. government as part of the 2009 Recovery Act. A 10th factory, proposed by a joint venture between Nissan and NEC, is being built with the help of a $1.4 billion federal loan guarantee.

 (go to article)

BigGovernment.com -- As the price of oil shoots through the roof because of political instability, and the inability of the Obama Administration to say yes to Canadian oil and thousands of jobs, we have to turn to other energy sources. Fortunately, there’s a cleaner and safer opportunity in natural gas right here in the United States.

But some Chicken Littles in the environmental panic industry are preventing people from heating their homes and driving up the cost of electricity, while simultaneously denying needed jobs in the worst unemployment in decades. They claim to have found environmental damage in the process to retrieve the gas from shale deposits – called hydraulic fracturing, but the short answer is they’re wrong. The long answer is that they’re really fracking wrong: hydraulic fracturing is safer,  (go to article)

Autoweek - Car News -- Mopar made its name in performance and parts, but Chrysler's aftermarket division is staking its future on practicality.

The brand celebrated its 75th anniversary on Tuesday at the Mopar engineering lab in Center Line, Mich., just north of Detroit. While it rolled out four custom cars with various stages of show-and-go upgrades and drag-racing legend Don Garlits, Mopar officials were decidedly forward-looking. Its products are now sold in 120 countries, and there are more than 500,000 parts and accessories available.

The division also has been creating cars, including the 2012 Mopar 300, which was revealed as part of the anniversary celebration. The 300 was preceded by Mopar-tuned Dodge Chargers and Challengers.

“What started out as a single name for antifreeze in 1937 is now a globa  (go to article)

NY Times -- With the darkening approach of another ice-hard Saturday night in western Maine, the man on the telephone was pleading for help, again. His tank was nearly dry, and he and his disabled wife needed precious heating oil to keep warm. Could Ike help out? Again?

Ike Libby, the co-owner of a small oil company called Hometown Energy, ached for his customer, Robert Hartford. He knew what winter in Maine meant, especially for a retired couple living in a wood-frame house built in the 19th century. But he also knew that the Hartfords already owed him more than $700 for two earlier deliveries.

The oil man said he was very sorry. The customer said he understood. And each was left to grapple with a matter so mundane in Maine, and so vital: the need for heat. For the rest of the weekend, Mr. Libby ag  (go to article)

South Bend Tribune -- Analysis finds pattern to timing of price increases.

According to an analysis of the past 13 months of gas prices in the South Bend region -- data compiled by GasBuddy.com, which tracks gas prices nationally -- there is a pattern to when gas prices climb and fall.

In the past year, the data shows, gas prices are most likely to increase in the middle of the week -- Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday -- and stay relatively stable on weekends.

As a general rule, gas prices go up much faster than they come down.

Of the 48 times gas prices increased in the last year, more than 80 percent of the time the increases lasted only 2 days before the price started to decline. Only three times -- once for a period of 4 days, once for 5 days -- did gas prices continue to climb more than 2 days in a row.  (go to article)

Anchorage Daily News online -- JUST HOW MUCH? Downward revisions based on drilling data.

By IAN URBINA
The New York Times

Published: January 29th, 2012 11:29 PM
Last Modified: January 29th, 2012 11:30 PM

WASHINGTON -- Just how much natural gas is trapped underground in the United States?

The difficulty and uncertainty in predicting natural gas resources was underscored last week when the Energy Information Administration released a report containing sharply lower estimates in the Lower 48.

The agency estimated there are 482 trillion cubic feet of shale gas in the United States, down from the 2011 estimate of 827 trillion cubic feet -- a drop of more than 40 percent. The report also said the Marcellus region, a rock formation under parts of New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, contained 141 trillion cubic  (go to article)

Anchorage Daily News online -- Lawmaker says measure gives agency too much authority.

By BECKY BOHRER
Associated Press

Published: February 1st, 2012 08:44 AM
Last Modified: February 1st, 2012 08:44 AM

JUNEAU -- A proposal intended to advance an in-state natural gas pipeline project goes too far in giving too much authority to the Alaska Gasline Development Corp., the leading House Democrat said Tuesday.

Rep. Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, said she has "terrible concerns" about HB9, which she said isn't the answer to the energy reliability and cost concerns that so many Alaskans face. "To say that this is overboard in the powers that would be given to one entity is putting it way mildly," Kerttula told reporters during her caucus' regular news conference.  (go to article)

THE (NORFOLK) VIRGINIAN-PILOT / PGH TRIB LIVE -- Last week, the world's automakers put on displays of fuel efficiency during the public policy days of the Washington Auto Show as bureaucrats of every description toured the show, huffing, puffing and pontificating over public policy as it applies to automobiles.

The show has become a magnet for automakers since the EPA raised the corporate average fuel economy. The new mandate, a lofty 54.5 mpg for the 2025 model year, sounds like a good idea.

But what happens when buyers hit the showroom is a different story altogether. There's a reason for this, something politicians don't understand.

"You can make all of the public policies you want. People don't care," said Rebecca Lindland, director of research at IHS Automotive. "They make decisions based on what's going on inside their own home.  (go to article)

Deutsche Welle -- The hard-line Iranian Revolutionary Guards began naval maneuvers in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, more than a week after the western Allies dispatched more warships to the strategically critical choke point in the Persian Gulf.

Iran plans to conduct war games in the strait for the next month, coming at a time of already heightened tension with the US and its European allies over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. At the end of January, Washington deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the region, which was accompanied by two British and French warships.

Tehranhas threatened to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, the route for one-fifth of the world's crude oil, in response to EU and US sanctions against its oil exports. Washington has vowed to keep the Persian Gulf open  (go to article)

Philadelphia Inquirer -- With Washington deadlocked over funding for the nation's highways and transit systems, several transportation experts warned Thursday at a forum in Philadelphia that continued wrangling could jeopardize the nation's recovering economy.

"Even a catastrophe doesn't seem to bring it home," said Peter J. "Jack" Basso, chief operating officer of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. He cited the 2007 collapse of an interstate highway bridge in Minneapolis, which he said brought only momentary attention to the state of America's transportation system.

Noting that partisan debates in Washington have blocked a long-term national transportation policy since 2009, Basso said, "The process is sinking the ship."

Basso was one of four transportation panelists ...  (go to article)

The Globe & Mail -- Imperial Oil Ltd. has approved plans to spend $2-billion on an oil sands expansion effort, just days after turning over record production results from the existing project.

The company plans to expand its Cold Lake operation, proceeding with its Nabiye blueprints. Operations at the new zone, which will be developed using a drilling technique rather than a strip mine, are expected to start by the end of 2014.  (go to article)

thetimes-tribune.com -- The Natural Gas Energy and Alternative Rewards, or NGEAR, Act would create a rebate of up to $15,000 for buying public transit or school buses that run on alternative fuels and extend tax credits for using alternative fuels or building refueling stations through 2016.
Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/gas-drilling/casey-plans-bill-to-promote-natural-gas-as-vehicle-fuel-1.1267213#ixzz1lQBPBC4t  (go to article)

The Financial Post -- Fossil fuels are an integral part of the global economy, and will be for many years. But that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to introduce alternatives into Canada’s energy mix or explore new, innovative fuel sources. One of the greatest hurdles we have to overcome isn’t technological or structural — it’s debunking myths and misperceptions about renewable fuels that prevent us as a society from seeing the benefits clearly.

 (go to article)

MLIVE -- Jennifer Anderson’s car is having electrical problems when she pulls to the left side of eastbound Interstate 96, cars whizzing by as rush hour approaches.

The road is snow-covered and slick, so Anderson is cautious as she pops the hood. She knows how to restart the car with a screwdriver.

She never sees the 2002 Honda Acura — its driver distracted by her cellphone — as it crosses three lanes and crashes into her 1997 Pontiac Sunfire.

Three years later, she still finds curious what went through her mind after she was propelled through the air and lay in a ditch.  (go to article)

Reuters -- * Democrats say bill would ensure Keystone benefits US

* Republicans have been pushing to approve pipeline

* Republican says U.S. needs more exports

By Ayesha Rascoe

WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Democrats unveiled legislation on Friday that would block export of any oil transported by the Keystone XL pipeline, as they challenged claims that the delayed project would boost U.S. energy security.

 (go to article)

Forbes -- Exxon Mobil announced that the gas flow from its two exploratory wells drilled in Poland did not justify bringing them into production. [1]

Analysts have speculated that the technical challenges associated with shale exploration in the country made it commercially non-viable to explore the resources.

If so, this would be a major setback for Exxon’s plans to expand shale exploration in Europe as Poland has some the best shale prospects in the region and the government has been eager to exploit the resources to reduce dependence on Russian gas. Competitor Chevron is also drilling exploratory wells in Poland.
 (go to article)

Popular Science -- Installing a solar roof on your home could one day be as simple as mixing your yard clippings into a stew of inexpensive chemicals and painting the resulting mixture right onto your rooftop. An MIT researcher has developed a method of manufacturing solar panels on the spot from agricultural waste, sidestepping the need for silicon and making ready-to-mix solar cheap and abundant virtually anywhere.

But first things first. What MIT’s Andreas Mershin has done here is pretty interesting. His chemical cocktail extracts the photosynthesizing molecules from plant matter--including chlorophyll--and stabilizes them such that they can be spread on a glass substrate. Said substrate is coated in nanowires and titanium dioxide “sponges” that help convert photons to electrons and then ferry those ele  (go to article)

physorg.com -- As the United States transitions away from a primarily petroleum-based transportation industry, a number of different alternative fuel sources—ethanol, biodiesel, electricity and hydrogen—have each shown their own promise. Hoping to expand the pool even further, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have begun to investigate adding one more contender to the list of possible energy sources for light-duty cars and trucks: compressed natural gas (CNG).

Compressed natural gas is composed primarily of methane, which when compressed occupies less than one percent of the volume it occupies at standard pressure. CNG is typically stored in cylindrical tanks that would be carried onboard the vehicles it fuels.

Because the domestic production of natural gas  (go to article)

technology review, published by MIT -- Semprius, a startup that makes miniscule solar cells capable of capturing concentrated sunlight without costly cooling systems, announced this week that it had made the world's most efficient solar panel.

The company's solar panels use tiny solar cells made of gallium arsenide—the record-breaking solar module contains hundreds of such solar cells, each about the width of a line drawn by a ball-point pen, arranged under lenses that concentrate sunlight 1,100 times.

Gallium arsenide is far better at absorbing sunlight than silicon, the material used in most solar cells, but it's also more expensive. Furthermore, although concentrated solar modules use less semiconducting material, they usually require expensive optics, cooling systems, and tracking systems to keep them aimed at the sun.  (go to article)

Wired Magazine -- The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) is launching a campaign to help cars lose weight in order to gain efficiency and performance.

By bringing together members of the aluminum and plastics/composites industries, CAR hopes that automakers will reap the benefits of new lightweight materials to meet stricter fuel economy standards without sacrificing acceleration or handling.

While overall fuel economy has increased dramatically in the past few decades, so has the weight of passenger vehicles. MIT economist Christopher Knittel recently found that the average vehicle’s curb weight increased 26% between 1980 and 2006. If today’s powertrains were fitted to cars as light as the Chevettes and Civics of yore, the average fuel economy of cars sold in the US would be as high as 37 mpg in 2012.  (go to article)

Mywesttexas.com -- "We were involved in drafting the bill," pointed out Ben Shepperd, president of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association. "Our members were supportive of the bill, we think it's the right thing to do. Transparency is good and we think being transparent will help dispel some of the myths around hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing has become an overused, misused word."

Nye said many Texas operators werealready voluntarily reporting hydraulic fracturing chemicals since the FracFocus website went live on April 1, 2011. "In fact," she said, "as of January 31, 2012, of the 10,914 total wells nationwide voluntarily reporting disclosures on the FracFocus website, 4,169 of the wells are in Texas."  (go to article)

RigZone -- Every day legions of men and women report to work at oil and gas installations worldwide, ensuring that global energy markets receive a steady supply of hydrocarbons and refined products. Although these individuals regularly work in hazardous environments such as offshore drilling rigs and oil refineries, they consistently demonstrate their ability to negotiate the risks inherent in their jobs.

Given the extensive skill and experience that these workers demonstrate and their employers demand on a daily basis, having world-class know-how and safety policies and procedures in place can ironically introduce a very real danger into the mix. When an individual, workforce or facility owner becomes excessively certain of their ability to safely operate a complex oil and gas facility, a mindset  (go to article)

The Globe and Mail -- As the contentious Northern Gateway project – a key part of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s goal to take Canadian resources to Asian markets – remains under review, British Columbia Premier Christy Clark is trumpeting a plan to do the same thing.

Her plan, however, involves liquefied natural gas, not oil, and so far has not faced the opposition that surrounds Northern Gateway, a twin-pipeline project that would ship oil from Alberta to Kitimat and condensate back to Alberta along the same route.

 (go to article)

.heartlander news -- New York legislators are debating extending the state’s de facto moratorium on hydraulic fracturing for another year. The current moratorium on permits for new fracking projects, imposed in 2008, is set to expire on June 1, 2012  (go to article)

Popular Mechanics -- The defense research group DARPA wants better vehicles, and it wants them faster and cheaper. To make it happen, the Pentagon's mad scientists are taking a cue from computer-circuit builders.

During the 1980s, the integrated-circuit-manufacturing industry began a sea change away from the traditional manufacturing model: Design was separated from manufacturing as a stand-alone function, with designers outsourcing manufacturing to dedicated fabrication plants, or fabs. The result has been an industry more responsive to the rapid pace of innovation that we all know and love today.

DARPA helped bring about that computing revolution and now aims to do the same thing to vehicle design. Announced last year, DARPA's Adaptive Vehicle Make program, or AVM, is a suite of interlocking programs tha  (go to article)

Popular Mechanics -- The next generation Corvette, the 2014 C7, won’t debut until early next year. But as 2013 creeps closer, we probably will learn much about the all-new ’Vette—and what we learn probably won’t shock or awe anyone.

Every new generation of Corvette spawns wild rumors of incredible technology and revolutionary powertrains. Since the 1970s, we’ve heard that the next “new Corvette” will be midengined and perhaps it will use a turbocharged V-6 or a rotary engine. It might also have wild bodywork. And yet, as far back as the 1950s, Corvettes have used a rear-wheel-drive chassis with a V-8 upfront. And for the past 40 years, Corvette styling has evolved consistently, like the Porsche 911’s. There have been no great leaps in styling since 1968.

The new C7 probably won’t be any different. There mo  (go to article)

The Gazette -- Japanese automobile sales rocketed more than 40 per cent in January after the government restored subsidies for eco-friendly vehicles.

Sales of vehicles with engine sizes above 660cc stood at 263,267 in January, up 40.7 per cent on the previous year, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said.

The figure includes larger vehicles such as lorries and buses as well as cars.

January was the first complete month of sales after Tokyo re-introduced subsidies for eco-friendly vehicles that can cut thousands of dollars from their price tags, in a move aimed at boosting the automobile industry.

Toyota was the biggest overall beneficiary of the move, selling 124,633 vehicles, up 47.1 per cent on the previous year, but Honda and Isuzu sales went up proportionately even more, at 59.2 per cent  (go to article)