Texas planning massive wind-energy project off Galveston coast Texas has proposed what could become the nation's first offshore wind farm, about seven miles off the coast of Galveston Island in the Gulf of Mexico. The massive project would involve construction of around 50 wind turbines over some five years and would be expected to generate 150 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 40,000 homes. Herman Schellstede, president of Wind Energy Systems Technologies, the company developing the project, thinks the region's energy history lends itself to wind power. "Are Texas and Louisiana in the energy business or the oil business?" …

Oil companies made record profits, and all we got was this moral outrage Pity the poor oil firms: The five largest are expected to reap a record $28 billion in collective earnings this quarter, and all signs point to a lucrative six months to come, but they can't brag about it -- at least not publicly. If they did, people might ask inconvenient questions, like: Why are we making you rich by paying so much for gasoline right now? Or: Why are we facing freezing our heinies off this winter because we'll have to choose between eating and heating our …

Spiking utility costs may hit laundromat customers in the pocketbook Better start hoarding those quarters: Soaring energy rates are driving up the price of washing your stinky drawers. The Coin Laundry Association, a trade group representing about 5,000 "retail self-service laundries" nationwide, says its members are looking for ways to rein in skyrocketing utility bills. Laundro-operators are cutting the amount of drying time a quarter buys and looking at more energy-efficient washers and dryers that operate cooler -- but longer -- as well as other possibilities. Thomas Rhodes, owner of a Florida laundromat chain, says he's considering taking advantage of …

1 -- rank of Hurricane Wilma in Atlantic storm intensity on record1 12 -- Atlantic hurricanes so far this season, tying a record set in 19692 21 -- named storms so far this season, tying a record set in 19332 145 -- wind speed of Wilma at press time, in miles per hour3 140 -- wind speed of Hurricane Katrina as it hit Louisiana, in miles per hour4 18 -- states included in federal disaster declarations after Katrina5 90,000 -- area covered by federal disaster declarations after Katrina, in square miles5 94,525 -- area of United Kingdom, in square miles6 …

The future of the Arctic Refuge? "The threat to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has never been greater than it is today," according to Brian Moore, legislative director for the Alaska Wilderness League. And, though the battle over the refuge has a Groundhog Day quality to it -- haven't we heard this same alarm sounding before? -- this time advocates on both sides of the issue agree: Congress is closer than ever before to green-lighting oil and gas drilling in one of the largest remaining undeveloped wild areas in the United States. Wednesday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee …

CIA investing in "plug and play" clean power generator Warning: this blurb will self-destruct in five seconds. It seems clean energy has a spooky new backer. The CIA is investing, via a venture capital firm, in a Virginia start-up called SkyBuilt, which has developed a clean electricity generator for use in the field. The Mobile Power Station uses solar panels and wind turbines to generate up to 150 kilowatts of electricity, with batteries for backup. It's enough to power a small emergency medical facility or military field-operations center, and could easily help power communications and other vital services in disaster-relief …

Mass. governor may weaken power-plant rules as winter approaches Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is the latest lawmaker looking to sacrifice environmental protections in the face of sky-high energy prices and what looks to be a frigid winter. He's considering weakening some air-emissions restrictions on oil-burning power plants in his state, saying it may allow them to produce more energy this winter. Massachusetts and the rest of New England get almost half of their electricity from plants burning natural gas, but with natural-gas prices hitting new highs, some worry that utilities will find it more profitable to just cease operating …

Wind-energy customers pay less than those buying fossil-fuel power Customers of Xcel Energy in Colorado who purchase wind power got a pleasant announcement last week: Not only would they not be paying a premium for their clean energy -- they would be paying less than customers getting electricity from natural gas and coal-power sources. Xcel subsequently signed up as many new wind-energy customers in one day as they typically do in two months. Wind programs in Oklahoma and Texas are also becoming competitive with gas and coal, and wind turbine manufacturers say they're sold out until 2008. Many industry observers …

Major new study says severe weather is likely on the way Winter as we know it in the northeast U.S. will vanish. Summers across the country will be hotter, particularly in the parched Southwest. Rain will be less frequent but more torrential when it happens. Loss of property will be "catastrophic," exotic diseases will spread, species will die off. Skippee doo! These apocalyptic scenarios are predicted for the end of the century by a major new study from researchers at Purdue University. The study, which assumes that carbon dioxide emissions will roughly double over the next 100 years, lines up …

Dear Umbra, I am lucky enough to live across the street from a farmers' market, and I shop there all summer. But when summer's done, the market closes and I am left to buy produce from California. Would it be better for me to buy a small freezer and freeze farmers' market veggies for winter, or to forgo the freezer and buy from the grocery store? Which is worse: long-distance transportation or the juice used by a freezer? Anne McKibbinChicago, Ill. Dearest Anne, Don't be so sure your produce comes from California. It could come from South America. One of …