electricity

Power Outages After Sandy Weren't Unusually Long After All

As the days without power stretched on for hundreds of thousands after Superstorm Sandy, patience turned to anger. But an AP analysis of outages from other big storms shows that the time it took to utility companies to restore electricity was no worse than average -- and in some places, actually faster.

Mother Nature Saved You at Least $47 This Winter

With less than one week until winter is officially over, Americans are celebrating the end of the season with an extra "spring" in their steps. What's got them feeling so happy? Two words: fatter wallets, thanks to warmer temperatures and lower heating costs.

How to Avoid Credit Card Fees on Utility Bills

It's summer, a season of warm days and scary air-conditioning bills. Want to pay your bills with plastic so you can get reward points? Well, the credit-card fees utilities charge could change your mind. SmartCharge offers some customers a way to avoid those fees.

Cheap Summer Power Predicted for the U.S.

Expectations for power price increases have been put off to 2015 and beyond by bank analysts. But a combination of steady demand recovery, infrastructure changes and the retirement of coal-fired plants in 2015 could contribute to a tightening U.S. power market by the middle of the decade.

Three Dividend Stocks That Are Energy Plays Too

Given the uncertain prospects of the U.S. economic recovery, it's not surprising that many investors are reluctant to pour more money into stocks this spring. One lower-risk way to invest is to buy stocks that also pay decent dividends. Here are three options in the energy sector.

New York's Tallest Building Is Now One of Its Greenest

The Empire State Building is perhaps best remembered as the site of King Kong's last stand, but in real life, the monkey on the building's back wasn't a giant gorilla -- it was a giant electricity bill. But that was before one of the most remarkable green renovations ever undertaken.

California's SolarCity Sees a Bright Market on the East Coast

The big solar panel installer has announced its second East Coast deal in a month: It's buying the residential solar business of Vermont-based groSolar, after picking up Maryland's Clean Currents. And SolarCity isn't the only West Coast solar player heading East for growth.

Can the U.S. Tap the Hot Geothermal Market?

American companies have a golden opportunity to expand the country's top spot globally. Industry leaders meeting in New York laid out the huge opportunity but also warned that red tape and a relative scarcity of skilled personnel threaten to stifle efforts to build this clean-energy source.

First Solar Forecasts
46% Higher Sales in 2011

First Solar, one of the world's biggest solar manufacturers, is looking toward 2011 with plenty of good cheer. According to its latest forecast, released Tuesday, the company expects sales to heat up some 46% in spite of lower subsidies in Germany, the world's largest solar market.

U.S. Manufacturing Output Rises 0.5%, the Most Since July

The nation%u2019s manufacturing recovery accelerated in October as factory output jumped 0.5%, the Federal Reserve said. Overall industrial output was flat in the month, but the typical autumn plunge in utilities output skewed the top-line stat lower.

Google Invests in Offshore Wind Energy Network

Google is taking an investment stake in the construction of a major undersea power network off the mid-Atlantic coast, the company announced Tuesday. The project is designed to deliver enough energy to power 1.9 million households from offshore wind turbines to the Eastern Seaboard.

Ex-GM CEO Fritz Henderson to Lead Sunoco Spin-Off

Former General Motors CEO Frederick "Fritz " Henderson has found a new job, but not within the auto industry. Energy giant Sunoco has tapped Henderson to lead SunCoke Energy, a spin-off it is forming early next year, the company said Thursday.

GE-Hitachi Nuclear: A Global Sales Push

Hitachi and General Electric's nuclear power unit will open five new sales offices around the world by the end of this year. Target markets include the U.S., Vietnam, the U.K., Spain and Poland.

Industrial Surveys Show Economic Recovery Slowing

One nation industrial and two regional surveys released this week provided further evidence that the U.S. economic recovery weakened somewhat in the second quarter, as manufacturing growth slowed.

Gadgets That Can Help You Cut Electricity Costs

Companies are rolling out a growing number of energy-monitoring tools intended to help consumers monitor and reduce their energy use and save money. Here's a roundup of some of the niftiest technology and services on the market.

Here Comes a Pedal-Powered Cell Phone Charger

Nokia is jumping on the environmentally friendly bandwagon with its new bicycle charger. The device will do precisely what you'd expect: allow cyclists to power up their cell phones as they ride.

Nuclear Power Industry Faces Critical Labor Shortage

For decades, the nuclear power industry has had a hard time finding qualified workers. But now, as the industry receives unprecedented levels of government support, it's facing an all-out talent drought. According to data released in 2009 by the trade group Nuclear Energy Institute, "To maintain the current nuclear work force, the industry may need to hire as many as 25,000 more workers in the next five years."