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Chinese Demand Could Boost These 3 Clean Energy ETFs

Around the world, stock markets have been very rocky as of late, with investors fearing a return to a recession in many developed countries.

This fear has compounded with weak earnings out of many large banks, and tempered growth predictions for mainland China to reduce expectations for one of the main drivers of growth in the emerging world. The government has stepped in to cool down the red-hot Chinese economy, in order to avoid inflationary pressures but still keep the economy growing at an acceptable rate. This has forced China to end a variety of stimulus programs, and… Read More ›

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California Removes EV Charging Hurdle as Consolidation Looms

The California Public Utilities Commission has cleared the way for electric car charging companies to sell power, which, ironically, is something that might help kill most of them. The decision has been expected.

Until the ruling, only utilities could sell power in California. (The rule applies in most states too.) Carving out an exception for charging stations essentially will allow them to erect public charging stations and sell power by the… Read More ›

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GM Ups Volt Production to 45,000 in 2012

Demand for the hybrid Chevy Volt must be strong.

General Motors today said that it would up the production of the Chevy Volt in 2012 from 30,000 cars to 45,000.

The announcement came as President Barack Obama was touring GM's Detroit-Hamtramck facility, where the Volt will be produced.

The nation will be electric-car crazy over the next few years. Later this year, Nissan will release the all-electric Leaf, Fisker Automotive will come out with its plug-in hybrid Karma and GM will release the… Read More ›

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The Natural Gas Era?

It is cleaner than coal and somewhat plentiful, but market swings and other issues loom, says Dirk McDermott of Altira Group.

Why is natural gas now being pushed to top-tier energy prominence? In a word -- 'supply.'  Five or so years ago, pundits were predicting a natural gas crisis.  Natural gas was declining according to just about every measurable metric.  Since then, technology has created a natural gas renaissance, enabling us to unlock vast resources from reserves previously perceived as uneconomic.

Additionally, these new reserves have been exploited by a large… Read More ›

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Is America the Next Lithium Powerhouse?

California’s Salton Sea is like an open-air prison. It has lots of lithium for batteries and electric cars, too.

The local unemployment rate has hit 37 percent in recent years. The mummified remains of a murder victim were found in the area in March. Crystal meth is a cottage industry.  

But compared to Afghanistan or Bolivia, the Salton Sea just might prove to be an easier place to extract lithium for car batteries and consumer applications. And it's only two-and-a-half hours from San Diego.

Simbol Mining in approximately 18 months will open its first… Read More ›

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Rush Limbaugh, Electric Vehicle Expert, on the Chevy Volt

Is Rush Limbaugh right about the Chevy Volt electric car?  Obama Motors?

Obama Motors?

Rush Limbaugh, popular radio personality and thought leader for the U.S. Republican party, weighed in on electric vehicles.  Here are some quotes from the transcripts of a recent Rush Limbaugh talk show:

• "Everybody's all excited today, the Chevy Volt has announced a price at 41 grand.  However, you can get it for less -- there's a $7500 tax credit which means that Obama and the government are admitting that nobody wants this,… Read More ›

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Nevada’s Big Bet on Geothermal

How the Silver State will become a lab for a growing renewable

Most of Nevada remains sparsely populated, but the state now generates more geothermal power than all but eight of the world's nations, according to the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA). And that's only an indication of geothermal's potential as a player at the renewables table.

"It was only five or six years ago that people had no idea what geothermal could be," Karl Gawell, the Executive Director of the GEA, said. "There was tremendous… Read More ›