In an effort to stimulate alternative fuel vehicle purchases, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed Assembly Bill 1500 – introduced by Assembly member Ted W. Lieu (D-Torrance) – which will allow such vehicles access to HOV lanes until January 2015. “Over the past few years the state has taken the lead…

In recent months, Toyota has gotten plenty of press play, but not necessarily the kind the company wanted. The automaker recalled more than 8 million vehicles around the world due to an accelerator-related safety issue and was then levied a $16.4 million fine by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for not disclosing the problem with the sticking pedals in a timely fashion. Amid myriad efforts to repair its public image, Toyota has…

Yesterday, the Ford Motor Company announced its plans to invest $135 million in two Detroit-area component plants as part of what the automaker is calling a “center of excellence” for manufacturing electric cars in Michigan. According to Ford, the investment will create 220 new jobs by 2012, including 130 hourly jobs at a transaxle…

According to a report organized by the Iowa Policy Project, a nonprofit Iowa-based research group, wind energy accounts for up to 20 percent of statewide electricity production and maintains reduced power costs – among the lowest in the…

President Obama dropped by Savannah Technical College in Georgia yesterday, one of the many stops on his White House to Main Street tour, stressing America’s need for clean energy to promote job growth and stimulate the economy. After formally addressing the crowd…