PressTV -- “Global dependence on the OPEC for oil will rise in the next five to 10 years as output by non-OPEC nations falls,” IEA Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka said.

"We have seen an increase in non-OPEC supplies. But in the mid-term, non-OPEC production will decline, so dependency on OPEC oil will increase.”

Tanaka noted that the global oil market is currently well supplied. It is anticipated that there will be no change to OPEC production quotas.

Iran is OPEC’s second-largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia.

In 2009, Iran's crude production stood at approximately at 3.8 million barrels per day.

OPEC's 12 members — Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria, Angola, Ecuador, and Venezuela — produce about 40 percent of the world's crude oil
 (read more)

fuelfix.com -- The U.S. Coast Guard (and news organizations) should be forgiven if in the first hour of the Mariner accident there was confusion about whether it occurred on an oil rig or an oil platform.

But once it was clear this was a production platform and not a drilling rig, getting it right did matter.

Why? Because whether you love fossil fuels or hate them, there’s a big difference between drilling (what a rig does) and producing (what a platform does)..

First, the definitions:

•A rig refers to the piece of equipment that actually drills into the earth to tap into oil and gas reservoirs. These are mobile pieces of equipment that can either be self-propelled ships or vessels that are towed from one location to another.

•A production platform is usually a structure that stays in one  (read more)

Associated Press -- MADISON, Wis. — A federal appeals court on Friday reinstated Wisconsin's 71-year-old minimum markup law on gasoline, a decision that could save some jobs but increase the cost of gas.

Siding with an association representing small gas station owners, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the law that requires retailers to sell gas above cost does not encourage illegal price-fixing.

The court lifted an order entered last year that put enforcement of the law on hold after U.S. District Judge Rudolph Randa concluded it violated federal antitrust law and increased the price at the pump by up to 30 cents a gallon.  (read more)

Associated Press -- WASHINGTON - David Sandalow starts his five-mile commute each day by unplugging an orange extension cord connecting his Toyota Prius hybrid to an outlet in his brick carport.

His Prius, which was converted two years ago to allow him to recharge the battery from an electric outlet, gets more than 80 miles per gallon and lets him drive 30 miles on a single charge. He fills up his car with gasoline about once every month or two, an oddity in a transportation sector long dominated by the internal combustion engine.  (read more)

Detroit Free Press -- UAW's plan: Tap into worker discontent, focus on social justice

BRENT SNAVELY
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

On this Labor Day weekend, the role of those who advocate for workers and those who want to work -- such as the UAW -- has never been more important.

U.S. unemployment stands at 9.6%, with Michigan at 13.1%.
Those who do have jobs are often anxious about losing them and watching their benefits decline. Incomes are down. And working or not, many people are finding health care expensive or are lacking coverage altogether. For many, retirement seems but a dream.
With four new leaders at its helm, including UAW President Bob King, the union is trying to tap into this worker discontent and recommit itself to broader social-justice issues in an effort to rejuvenate its sunken
 (read more)

The Sydney Morning Herald -- Crude oil fell after service industries grew in August at the weakest pace in seven months, bolstering concern that the US economic rebound will slow.

Futures slipped after the Institute for Supply Management's index of non-manufacturing business, which covers about 90 per cent of the economy, fell to 51.5 in August from 54.3 the prior month. It was the smallest gain since January. Prices rose earlier when a government report showed companies in the US added more jobs in August than forecast.

"Prices are still pretty lofty, given supply and the economic backdrop," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC, a New York-based hedge fund that focuses on energy. "The economic outlook is at best mixed."
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Crude oil for October delivery declined 42 US  (read more)

all cars electric . com -- Fear is a powerful motivator. It has been used in the past to start wars, persuade kids to study at school and of course, sell life insurance.

But now GM appears to be gearing up to use the fear of running out of electricity to give the extended-range 2011 Chevrolet Volt a competitive edge over purely electric cars.
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BTW - This is similar, not a repost.  (read more)

New York TImes -- A new report from a University of Michigan researcher estimates that, even without going electric, U.S. cars and trucks could achieve an average efficiency of 74 miles per gallon by 2035. Compared to a federal 2005 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) baseline, that’s a tripling of fuel economy.

Under the researcher’s fuel economy projections, the average car in 2035 would save 5,254 gallons over its lifetime compared to a similar 2005 vehicle, and would emit 47 tons less carbon dioxide.

The report, commissioned by the Energy Foundation, is by John DeCicco, a senior lecturer at the University of Michigan and a former auto policy expert at the Environmental Defense Fund.  (read more)

Pottstown Mercury -- In the past, diesel fuel was always considered dirtier than gasoline. But newer standards regulating sulfur content and improved technology in diesel engines have made diesel somewhat kinder to the environment.

Many eco-advocates now tout diesel as a viable and preferable alternative to regular unleaded gasoline.

Where diesel fuel really shines over gasoline is improved fuel economy thanks to its higher “energy density”: Diesel contains more power per liter than gasoline.

Today’s diesel engines have 20-40 percent better fuel economy than their gasoline counterparts, which some say more than makes up for the fact that they also produce about 15 percent more greenhouse gases.  (read more)

CleanTechnica.com -- Put this one in the category of every cloud has a silver lining: E. coli, the bacteria notorious for contaminating food products from lettuce to ground beef, could also play a key role in developing the next generation of biofuels. A team of scientists from Rutgers University is working with computer modeling to tweak the pesky little bug into overproduce fatty acids, which can then be processed into biodiesel.

If the research is successful, chalk up another win for producing biofuels from sustainable, non-food sources that can be grown without competing for land with food crops. The growing list includes weedy plants, woody plants, algae and various microorganisms.
E. coli is short for Escherichia coli, which is a rod-shaped bacteria. Some strains are harmful but others are responsible  (read more)

GasBuddy Blog -- Just as some newspapers took to the press across the nation, gas prices shot up in areas of the Midwest yesterday. While some communities are seeing and enjoying falling prices, that certainly isn't true in parts of the country.

For those highway travelers- beware... many stations with a close proximity to major roads raise their prices slightly to make sure their margin is healthy. What that means for you- you'll have to be smart to avoid those stations, and what better way to outsmart them by using our GasBuddy apps and mobile site to beat the stations raising prices?

Beyond that, this Labor Day weekend will feature average prices that are slightly over a dime more expensive than last year. In 2009, prices over the long...  (read more)

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/09/02/129608251/cash-for-clunkers -- The government's "cash for clunkers" program boosted auto sales by 360,000 during the two months it was in place, according to a new study.

But in the seven months that followed, sales were down by 360,000 compared to what they would have been without the program, the study found.

The implication: The program didn't bring new buyers into the market. But it encouraged people who would have bought a car anyway to make their purchase a few months sooner.


Under the program, the government paid people about $4,000 to trade in old cars for newer, more fuel efficient ones. The idea was to both stimulate the economy by driving up auto purchases, and improve the efficiency of all cars on the road.  (read more)

CBC News -- A fuel tanker carrying 9½ million litres of diesel fuel has run aground in the Northwest Passage, the Canadian Coast Guard confirmed Thursday.
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Trigatti said the situation is stable and the modern, double-hulled ship wasn't damaged on impact. "And there's been no report of danger to the crew or loss of any product or pollutant," he said.
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Woodward's is a major oil supplier to Canada's Arctic. The tanker has been carrying diesel to resupply Gjoa Haven and other remote communities in the region.
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Woodward's has worked out a plan with the Nunavut government to free the beached tanker. Fuel will be pumped from it to another tanker until the stranded tanker is light enough to float. That operation could take more than a week
 (read more)

inhabitat.com -- By Timon Singh

"Hyundai has announced that they will sell hydrogen fuel cell cars starting in 2012 – three years before Toyota, Honda..."

"Seeing that renewable energy is becoming decidedly cheaper... Hyundai has said that will deliver the world’s first series production fuel cell vehicle in 2012, with 500 hydrogen vehicles rolling off the line that year and more afterwards."

"Hyundai plans to increase production of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles up to 10,000 units by 2015, the year when most other automakers will be just getting started on their FCVs. (FUEL CELL VEHICLES)

"With hydrogen refueling stations becoming more commonplace and the cost of hydrogen fuel cells dropping, customer demand is very likely to increase,...Hyundai plans to beat Toyota’s price tag of $50,000."  (read more)

Detnews.com -- By Christina Rogers

Detroit -- About 4,600 electric vehicle charging stations will be installed throughout the country -- including 280 in Michigan -- under a federally funded program, ChargePoint America, designed to build a fueling network for electric cars, industry and state officials said Thursday.

Detroit's alternative energy incubator, NextEnergy, in the New Center got the state's first charger under the program but more are expected to go up in Dearborn, Flint, Ann Arbor and other parts of Detroit. Homeowners, businesses and communities are eligible to apply for a charging station. Those chosen get the station for FREE.

The $37 million program, partially funded by a $15 million federal stimulus grant, aims to help communities prepare for a possible influx of electric vehicles  (read more)

Gas 2.0 -- I know we have a lot of readers from Southern California. Sure the weather is great, and the people are generally friendly, but for me it is just too crowded and congested to ever call home. Plus, for such a progressive place, there is a surprising lack of good public transportation. Then again, California has been making big strides towards electric and hybrid vehicles, whether en masse or one municipality at a time. Give credit where credit is due, I always say.

Much credit is due the Foothill Transit authority, which serves Pomona and San Gabriel. They have, at great expense, purchased two all-electric buses and charging stations from Proterra, an electric vehicle startup.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; electric vehicles make the most sense for cities. Most of these vehicle  (read more)

GasBuddy Blog -- 2pm UPDATE: Louisiana Gov: A sheen has been reported, but Mariner energy reports all 7 wells are shut in permanently- something that hasn't been confirmed. They believe that storage of oil on board was burning. Mariner says the fire is nearly burned out and contained. STAY TUNED.

Breaking news this noon from the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana Coast. The best news- all workers are accounted for.

More from CNN:

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Bill Colclough tells CNN that 12 people from the rig are in the water immersion suits as they await rescue.

Colclough told CNN there are reports the rig is still on fire.

"We don't know what caused the rig to catch on fire," he told CNN, noting the...  (read more)

USA Today -- Ford Motor, unique among car companies, has been cautioning would-be plug-in car owners that such machines will be a major power drain when hooked up at home for recharging.

Ford remains a backer of plug-in hybrids and electrics, with plans to have five on the market in the U.S. and Europe by 2013, but doesn't want folks to forget that the electric vehicles will have a serious appetite for kilowatts when you hook up the charging cord.

Recharging a battery car or plug-in hybrid "is like running a small house," says Jim Buczkowski, Ford's global director of electrical and electronics. "It's fine if your neighbor isn't doing it, too. If you have a whole neighborhood (recharging), the transformer on the pole isn't going to take it," he says.  (read more)

Bloomberg -- Crude oil is set for a drop to near $60 a barrel, extending a descent started in May, according to a technical analysis by independent analyst Jim Stellakis.

“Last month’s breakdown in crude oil is continuing the longer-term bearish pattern which was started by the May decline,” Stellakis said. The bear flag pattern is signaled after a break occurs below a rising trading range.

Crude oil for October delivery fell 27 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $73.64 a barrel at 10:07 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices for October dropped 9.4 percent in August, pushing futures below the support level. The contract lost $14.05, or 15 percent, in May.

The price target, expected over the next couple months, was derived by taking the length of the initial decline in May and projecting it lower f  (read more)

Daily Finance -- Just when many families have opted for "staycations" instead of traveling for the Labor Day weekend because of the lousy economy, they're finally catching a break on gasoline prices. Fuel is at its second-lowest level in five years, and some economists predict that it could drop much further in the months ahead.

The U.S. Energy Department said Wednesday that the average price of gas in the country was $2.68 a gallon, the least of this summer driving season. Only last year's $2.59 a gallon was lower in the last five years, the department said.

 (read more)

The Register -- Swiss boffins have mounted an investigation into the largely unknown environmental burdens of electric cars using lithium-ion batteries, and say that the manufacturing and disposal of batteries presents no insurmountable barriers to electric motoring. However, their analysis reveals that modern diesel cars are actually better for the environment than battery ones.  (read more)

GasBuddy Blog -- The Department of Energy released its weekly report on the condition of petroleum inventories in the United States today.

Here are some highlights:

Crude oil inventories increased by 4.1 million barrels to a total of 361.7 million barrels. At 361.7 million barrels, inventories are 18.3 million barrels above last year (5.3%) and remain above average. Supply at NYMEX delivery point, Cushing, Oklahoma decreased some 600,000 barrels to 36.3 million barrels this week. Supplies at Cushing have decreased for the last four consecutive weeks but remain at good levels.

Gasoline inventories decreased 0.2 million barrels to 225.4 million barrels. At 225.4 million barrels, inventories are now 20.3 million barrels, or 9.9...  (read more)

The Kids Science Zone -- Like most technologies, work on solar devices has proceeded in generational waves. First came bulk silicon-based solar cells built with techniques that borrowed heavily from those used to make computer chips. Next came work on thin films of materials specifically tailored to harvest the sun's energy, but still more or less borrowed from the realm of microelectronics manufacturing. Then came the third generation, described by one researcher and blogger as "the wild west," which among other objectives aims to build inexpensive next-generation solar cells by relying on decidedly low-tech wet chemistry.
 (read more)

CNN Monney -- By Chris Isidore, CNNMoney.comSeptember 1, 2010:

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The nation's top automakers reported disappointing sales Wednesday, resulting in the worst August for industrywide auto sales in 27 years.

According to sales tracker Autodata, U.S. new vehicle sales fell just short of 1 million vehicles, a drop of 21% from a year ago, which included Cash for Clunkers. That federal program created a sugar rush of sales by dangling an incentive of up to $4,500 in cash for buyers who traded in older gas guzzlers for more efficient models.

Industry sales also fell 5% from July levels. August sales typically outpace July, as deals become available on older models ahead of the fall introduction of new model year cars. August sales would equate to an annual sales pace of about 11  (read more)

NY Times -- The United Services Automobile Association, the financial services company that caters to the military, is arming customers with a new secret weapon when they shop for their next car.

That weapon is a car-buying service for USAA members that offers detailed price information and even shops around for the car. USAA says customers will average about a $4,500 in savings from the sticker price on new vehicles. The service, which is also available as an iPhone app, guarantees that the price will be the lowest and offers to pay the difference if a buyer finds the car at a lower price within three days of purchase.  (read more)