Germany

Feeding the globe's insatiable energy appetite is a highly dangerous business. And, unfortunately, events like the BP oil spill are not once-in-a-generation freak accidents. Here, we take a look at the biggest energy-related accidents in 2011.

Market changes and an investment of $800 million to $1 billion over 15 years could bring more than 100 GW of geothermal energy to the US grid by 2050, according to a study recently released by a multi-disciplinary research group at MIT. That investment, is less than the cost of a single “new generation” coal-powered plant, and the amount of energy is equivalent to 200 coal-fired power plants or 100 new nuclear power plants.

New York to London in an hour?  That might be in the future if high-speed vac-trains move from concept to reality.

Electricity rates in Germany drop by up to 40% during the hours in which solar power or wind power are active -- and this is what Merit Order ranking is all about, using the cheapest available electricity source first - and then filling in the gaps with more expensive coal-fired electrical power generation.

First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR), the world's largest maker of thin-film solar panels has seen its value fall to an all-time low today.  At 4:00 PM EST, the company's shares were down 6.78%, trading at $19.25 on the Nasdaq.

The March 11, 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster has precipitated a world of change in Japan's nuclear power industry.

Germany, Europe's industrial giant, is set to commence an unprecedented reconstruction of its energy infrastructure, the government has announced.

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) recently awarded a contract to ChargePoint Services (CPS) to install charging points for the Olympic Games.  Athletes, officials and VIPs will soon be transported from venue to venue in electric vehicles during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.   

DuPont, the leading U.S. chemical maker, and Yingli Green Energy Holding Co., a top Chinese PV panel manufacturer, reached a $100 million deal this week with the goal of boosting supplies of solar-energy materials and promoting broader adoption of solar energy worldwide.

On Thursday, lithium-battery developer Ener1, Inc. (NASDAQ: HEV) filed a voluntary petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.