Articles by Grist staff

Utility PG&E agrees to buy electricity from future wave-power farm

The utility Pacific Gas & Electric this week became the first power company in the United States to sign a deal agreeing to purchase electricity generated by wave power. The wave-power farm that would generate said electricity is still years from completion — not to mention government approval — but securing a power buyer is […]

Independent scientists will review federal spotted-owl recovery plan

Under fire for allowing politics to interfere with prudent decision-making about a recovery plan for the Northwest’s iconic spotted owl, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is undertaking a “good-faith effort” to have independent scientists review the plan, which in its current form would increase logging in owl habitat. A USFWS spokesperson adds that the […]

Hybrid Technologies converts gas-powered cars to electric

Obsessed with MINI Coopers but also like the idea of zero-emission electric vehicles? Have your car and drive it too: a company called Hybrid Technologies guts cars such as the MINI, smart fortwo, and PT Cruiser, and replaces their gas tanks with an electric motor and a stack of lithium batteries. Convinced? Starting in 2008, […]

U.S. House approves toned-down energy bill, Bush to sign it tomorrow

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a toned-down version of an energy bill that will boost fuel-economy requirements for cars and light trucks to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 — the first such increase since 1975. The bill, which was approved by the Senate last week, also mandates using 36 billion gallons of […]