ROCHESTER HILLS - General Motors Ventures made its sixth investment last week, investing $7.5 million into solar panel maker Sunlogics to build solar-powered electric charging stations for the Chevy Volt electric car. GM Ventures, the venture capital arm of General Motors, has invested $45 million into a variety of start-ups, mostly in cleantech and vehicle
JACKSON - As a result of strong customer interest, Consumers Energy's energy efficiency incentive program for electric business customers has reached its 2011 energy savings goal. But the utility will still receive applications to the program for this year on a waitlist basis. Natural gas business customers still may apply for 2011 incentives from the
ROMULUS - DTE Energy announced Wednesday that it is installing four free plug-in electric vehicle charging stations at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Two of the charging stations will be installed on the eighth floor of the McNamara Terminal parking deck, and two will be installed on the fourth floor of the Big Blue Deck adjacent to
LANSING - Michigan utilities have been trying to limit what they have to contribute to electric transmission development in the region, but new rules initially approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last week could indicate the state is losing that battle. FERC adopted for comment new rules that would require beneficiaries of any new
DETROIT - Toyota Motor Corp said it expects U.S. sales of at least 16,000 plug-in Prius hatchbacks in 2012 after the model debuts early in the year. The new version of the world?s best-selling hybrid, designed to be recharged at a standard 110-volt outlet, will go at least 13 miles solely on its lithium-ion battery
TROY - Behr America is creating a new thermal management portfolio to meet progressively stricter automotive emissions and fuel-economy legislation worldwide. New legislation, high gasoline prices, the drive for energy independence and environmental consciousness are driving major challenges today facing the automotive industry: improving operating efficiencies and gas mileage while improving passenger comfort and safety.
LANSING - A study released by the Union of Concerned Scientists said Midwestern states can create renewable energy more easily than other places in the world, revitalizing the economy and create a healthier environment. The report, "A Bright Future for the Heartland: Powering the Midwest Economy" shows that if Michigan tapped its potential to produce
LANSING - The Department of Treasury issued a requirement Tuesday that gasoline retailers prepay sales tax on gas at 21.3 cents a gallon, the highest level in history, a day after Treasury officials met with oil industry representatives urging a change in the prepayment law so that the state gets more revenue and station owners
DETROIT - DTE Energy received a $5.4 million federal grant through Clean Energy Coalition to fund the conversion of more than 170 gasoline-powered fleet vehicles to run on compressed natural gas. The grant, which was awarded to Clean Energy Coalition?s Green Fleets program by the U.S. Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment
LANSING - Rejecting arguments that the proposal was too expensive and that the state law directing the plan did not give enough time for customers to challenge the proposal, the Court of Appeals has upheld a renewable energy plan by Consumers Energy that would call for developing 900 megawatts of electricity produced by renewable resources.