LANSING - While Michigan House Republicans are confident they have found a long-term solution for the funding of heating assistance for the poor, the funding of energy efficiency projects that used to come out of the same pot of money will be much different. The plan that Rep. Kenneth Horn (R-Frankenmuth) came up with after
LANSING - Detroit's Cobo Center has earned Green Venues Michigan Steward certification from the Michigan Energy Office, which encourages venues to implement environmental initiatives and cost-saving "green" practices. ?Cost-saving green business practices have been extremely positive for job creation and retention in the hospitality sector,? said Martin Dober, vice president of new markets of the
DETROIT ? The latest news on the Chevrolet Volt is that General Motors is going to change battery suppliers. GM had been buying lithium-metal-oxide batteries from LG Chem. Now it will switch to lithium-phosphate batteries from A123. The lithium-phosphate batteries are less likely to catch fire if damaged, but they hold about 10 percent less
LANSING - Environmental groups applauded Governor Rick Snyder's decision to veto a bill that would have largely barred state departments and agencies from issuing rules more restrictive than the federal government, but the Republican sponsor of the bill fumed at Snyder's action. Snyder's move was not a surprise. Gongwer News Service reported November 10 that
LANSING - A proposed general vessel permit for ships operating on the Great Lakes would allow international freighters to operate their ballast waters on international standards, and environmental groups on Thursday criticized that proposal as too weak to protect the lakes from additional invasive species. The proposed rule was issued by the federal Environmental Protection
DETROIT - Sino Ambassadors signed a deal to set up two venture capital funds with the Hanson Group, a major Chinese conglomerate, to invest in Cleantech companies with ready-to-market products. Hanson will then produce and sell the products in China while also providing capital to scale up operations here. Hanson is a massive real estate
LANSING ? Michigan House Republicans say they have found a way to avert a potential major crisis this winter for low-income residents facing utility shutoff notices. Rep. Ken Horn (R-Frankenmuth) chair of the House Energy and Technology Committee, said two bills will be introduced Wednesday that should ensure people have access to those emergency funds.
WASHINGTON DC - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday opened a formal investigation into the safety of the battery packs in the Chevy Volt following a series of collision tests. In three tests since May, the NHTSA has found that damage to the Volt's battery resulted in a fire after a side collision
DEARBORN - The Plug-In Ready Michigan Project Kickoff ? which supports the Clean Energy Coalition ? will be held at the SME building on the main campus of Henry Ford Community College Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to noon. The purpose of this meeting is to establish a community-based electric vehicle infrastructure readiness plan for
LANSING - After weeks of reviewing the state's 2008 energy reform laws, the chair of the Senate Energy and Technology Committee said he isn't convinced the 10 percent cap on customer choice should be augmented. Sen. Mike Nofs (R-Battle Creek) said after hearing testimony from about 60 people, there are some minor changes with the