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Gas prices in Oregon edge up a half-cent

OregonLive.com -- The average price of a gallon of unleaded gas in Oregon rose slightly to $2.76, up half a penny from last week.  (go to article)

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Gas Tip Tuesday!

GasBuddy Blog -- How many of you travel with extra "stuff" in your car all the time? Perhaps some luggage, folders, files, paperwork, clothing, or other items have been in your car for months. To make your dollar go as far as possible, make sure to remove all items that aren't necessary in your car- clean the trunk, keep only necessary items.

All that "dead" weight can reduce your fuel economy 2-5% for each hundred pounds. Maybe there's a stroller or car seat that hasn't been used in months. It'd be a better idea only to haul it when necessary as well because if something were to happen to you, any loose objects may become projectiles and injury you or passengers.



In addition to that, make sure that when you do haul extra items ...  (go to article)

Submitted Nov 17, 2009 By:
PD
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Ford Fusion is Motor Trend’s Car of the Year

Detroit Free Press -- Ford has successfully used the improved fuel efficiency and new look of the Fusion to win new customers.

The automatic 2010 Ford Fusion S gets a combined 27 miles per gallon, which is better than a similar model of the Toyota Camry, which gets a combined 25 m.p.g., and the Honda Accord, which gets 25 mpg
 (go to article)

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Edmunds $500 Gas Card Giveaway

Edmunds.com -- Between now and November 30, 2009, you can enter the Edmunds Newsletter Gas Card Sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 gas gift card from one of three gas station chains by clicking the link and following the instructions. Note that you must be a legal resident of the United States, at least 18 years old (19 years old in Alabama and Nebraska, 21 years old in Mississippi) and meet the other eligibility requirements in the Official Rules to be eligible to enter.  (go to article)

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Top 10 car features

Jalopnik -- Carmax, the nations largest used car retailer, has put together the top ten features new car buyers yearn for in online searches. But, rather than just listing them, we've tried to divine why someone might want each of these gadgets.  (go to article)

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America's Growing Fuel Glut Could Torpedo Oil Prices (USO)

The Business Insider -- Last week was particularly worrisome for oil, since U.S. fuel inventories (distillate stocks) rose during a time of year when analysts expected a drop. The American fuel glut continues due to weak demand, and as shown below, is far worse than anything seen in recent years.  (go to article)

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Crude choppy amid dollar rise, options expiry

Reuters -- U.S. crude oil futures
seesawed near unchanged on Tuesday as the dollar's bounce
pressured and with December options expiration and approaching
oil inventory reports in focus. "The complex is giving back a small chunk of yesterday's
strong gains of more than 3 percent once again on financial
guidance that has featured some strengthening in the dollar and
some softening in the equities," Jim Ritterbusch, president at
Ritterbusch & Associates in Galena, Illinois, said in a note. The dollar was stronger, but pared gains against the yen
and euro, after data showed smaller-than-expected gains in
producer prices last month, adding to the view that U.S.
interest rates will stay low. [USD/] U.S. stocks fell at the open, retreating from 13-month
highs, but trimmed losses later. [.N]  (go to article)

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Oil Prices Slip After PPI Data

WSJ -- Crude-oil futures were down slightly Tuesday just as recent highs were coming back in sight, though a smaller-than-expected gain in wholesale prices limited losses.

Light, sweet crude for December delivery traded 14 cents, or 0.2%, lower at $78.76 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude on the ICE futures exchange traded 25 cents lower at $78.51 a barrel.

Oil futures have risen steadily all year as a primary venue for funds leaving the weakening dollar, as crude becomes cheaper for holders of other currencies.
 (go to article)

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Fiat Engine to Be Built by Chrysler in Step Toward Larger St

Bloomberg -- Chrysler Group LLC, in a step that will let Fiat SpA increase its controlling stake, plans to invest $179 million in the next five years at a Michigan factory to build the Italian company’s 4-cylinder, 1.4-liter engines.

The move will allow for the production of as many as 250,000 engines annually, according to documents Chrysler submitted to the state of Michigan for job-creation tax credits. The company said it expects the project to add 155 jobs.

The fuel-efficient engine would be used in the Fiat 500 subcompact next year and satisfy a requirement for the Italian company to be able to acquire 15 percent more of Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Chrysler. The site would be the first confirmed location of Fiat technology being added to a Chrysler facility.

 (go to article)

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Petrobras, Sonangol Find ‘Excellent’ Oil in Angola

Bloomberg -- Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Brazil’s state-controlled oil producer, and Angola’s Sonangol EP said they discovered “excellent quality” oil in a well off the African country’s coast.

The oil was discovered in the deepwater Manganes-01 well in a block known as Bloco 18/06, 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Luanda, Petrobras, as the Rio de Janeiro-based company is known, said in a regulatory filing today. Petrobras and Sonangol made the discovery at a depth of 1,500 meters (4,921 feet).

 (go to article)

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GOP Official Off Base with GM Remarks

The Detroit Free Press -- As if we needed more proof that America's politics are poisoned beyond belief, now we have Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, pouncing gleefully upon news of General Motors Co.'s $1.2-billion third-quarter loss, in a harebrained attempt to score political points.
 (go to article)

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Disagreement is a Good Sign at New GM

Detroit News -- CEO Whitacre's recent comments, ranging from downplaying the likelihood of a GM initial public offering next year to questioning apologies in the aftermath of GM's decision to keep and restructure its Adam Opel GmbH operation in Europe, could signal high-level discord, dissatisfaction and communication lapses that stand to hurt the automaker more than they help.  (go to article)

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Tree may offer fuel solution: expert

WA Today -- Cars could soon be running on a biofuel produced from a common legume tree.

A team of experts at the University of Queensland (UQ) has been studying 20,000 pongamia pinnata (Indian beech) trees lining Brisbane's streets as a green and cost-effective alternative to dwindling fossil fuels.

Pongamia trumped all other biofuels, including sugarcane and sorghum, the UQ's head legume researcher Professor Peter Gresshoff told energy experts at a national climate change symposium in Brisbane on Tuesday.  (go to article)

Submitted Nov 17, 2009 By:
GM
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Scientists Finally Find Way to Create Clean Fuel From Coal

Electric -- It now seems that scientists have come up with a way to turn coal and waste into cleaner fuel. This would be done by trapping millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide, and thus, keeping it from entering into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Scientists have now named this new process gasification. This is something that is already used to clean up dirty materials before they are used to generate electricity or to make renewable fuels. Overall, the technique involves heating organic matter up to produce a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide called syngas.  (go to article)

Submitted Nov 17, 2009 By:
GM
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Limitless energy: Algae photosynthesis creates hydrogen fuel

Digital Journal -- Plants created the hydrocarbons which are polluting the world. Now they’re about to provide the hydrogen, without the carbons. Scientists have duplicated the photosynthetic processes of algae.

Using nanotechnology, with a platinum catalyst, they’ve produced hydrogen. Algae are the simplest plants. They reproduce in trillions on a few photovolts of sunlight. As clean energy goes, including production processes, it can’t get a lot cleaner than this.

Professor of biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology at UT Knoxville Barry Bruce successfully isolated the photosynthetic processes of various species of algae. Using the platinum catalyst, these materials can produce a “steady supply” of hydrogen.  (go to article)

Submitted Nov 17, 2009 By:
GM
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OPEC to Keep Output ‘As Is,’ Kuwait Oil Minister Says

Bloomberg -- The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will leave its crude production target “as is” at a December meeting and will ask members for better adherence to quotas, Kuwait’s oil minister said.

“We will ask for more compliance, that’s all,” Sheikh Ahmed Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah said in Kuwait City today. The group’s average compliance with its goal of cutting output should be more than 65 percent, he said.

Oil has climbed by 77 percent this year, trading above $80 last week, on speculation the pace of the global economic recovery is accelerating. The rebound in prices, which had dropped as low as $32.40 a barrel in December, came after OPEC members agreed to cut production late last year.

Crude prices between $75 and $80 a barrel are “good” and “comfortable,” he said.  (go to article)

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E85 causes headaches for those without flex fuel cars

News and Observer -- "....Sometimes you've got customers who are not accustomed to looking at the fuel type," said Mack McLamb of Dunn, president of Carlie C's IGA, which sells E85 at a Benson station. "They're looking at the price. They see which one's the cheapest, and they push that button."

McLamb recalls two customers who had to have their cars towed and their tanks drained after they made the E85 mistake. One driver barely made it home before the car stalled. The other car broke down next to the fuel pump.

For Kerry Wilt of Cary, the damage was serious and the cause, at first, was a mystery.

His wife's Accord stalled the day after she unknowingly tanked up on E85. After three trips to the Honda dealer and $700 to replace ruined fuel injectors, the mechanics were still puzzled...."
 (go to article)

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American Refiners Have a Problem - And the Government is Mak

Stock Blog Hub -- For instance, if Shell's refinery produces gasoline, Shell must buy credits for emissions from the refinery during production of the gasoline and for emissions released from the gasoline when I go to a Shell gas station to fill my tank. ...  (go to article)

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Techno Toyota: 2010 Prius

CNN Money -- One of my rules for covering the auto industry is to never judge a new car based on the manufacturer’s preview.

It is all too easy at these events to get swept up in an atmosphere of artificial excitement. You have been flown to some distant resort in California or Arizona in the middle of winter for a test drive. You are seeing a car for the first time, weeks before the general public. And you are surrounded by engineers, executives, and public relations operatives whose jobs depend on generating excitement for the vehicle at hand.

What car ever looks bad under these circumstances?

Last spring, I violated my own rule after driving the new Toyota Prius gas electric hybrid at a long-lead event in Napa Valley. I loved the car. For one thing, I was preconditioned to treat Toyota’s. . .  (go to article)

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Oil down to near $78 as dollar rebounds

AP -- Oil down to near $78 as dollar rebounds
By PABLO GORONDI (AP) – 15 minutes ago

Oil prices fell to near $78 a barrel Tuesday as traders continued to focus on the dollar's exchange rate, whose rise makes crude more expensive for international investors.

Prices were also supported by forecasts indicating expanding oil demand in Asia next year, helping to offset a sluggish U.S. economy.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark crude for December delivery was down 68 cents to $78.22 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $2.55 to settle at $78.90 on Monday.

Traders are trying to anticipate the strength of the global economic recovery and how much crude demand may grow during the next 12 months.

The International Energy Agency, which  (go to article)

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Gold eases on dollar strength; copper, oil also dip

Commodities -- Spot Gold prices traded 0.7% lower till 4.00 p.m. IST and hovered around $1,130/oz levels. Prices eased from the record high of $1,143/oz as on the back of dollar strengthening that made the yellow metal look unattractive for holders of other currencies.

The Dollar Index gained 0.4% after touching a low of 74.68 yesterday. This technical rebound in the dollar put pressure on dollar-denominated commodities. Spot Silver prices fell 1.4% till 4.00 p.m. IST as the stronger dollar exerted pressure on the commodity.

Copper prices declined 1% till 4.00 p.m. IST, pausing for breath after the previous session’s sharp rally and awaiting fresh direction from the dollar. Copper prices gained 5% on Monday but slipped today as selling pressure reeled in to book profits and a stronger dollar also  (go to article)

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Crude up as dollar weakens, equities rise

Reuters -- U.S. crude futures ended more
than 3 percent higher on Monday as a weakened dollar prompted
investors to buy into commodities. The day's robust gains more than offset Friday's losses,
which came amid demand worries on higher petroleum inventories,
souring consumer sentiment and an increased U.S. trade
deficit. The rally paused around midday as the dollar pared losses
after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, in remarks
delivered in New York, said that the U.S. central bank is
attentive to changes in the greenback. Investors reading into Bernanke's remarks later concluded,
however, that his words did not signal any change to monetary
policy. As a result, the dollar sank back against a basket of major
currencies, having earlier dropped as data showed U.S. retail
sales rose in  (go to article)

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DNREC chief denies oil-transferring bid

Delaware news -- Delaware's top environmental officer has turned back a second attempt to break a state-sanctioned monopoly on the business of using barges to lighten crude oil tankers arriving in the Delaware Bay and Delaware River.
Collin P. O'Mara, secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, ruled that New York-based Bouchard Affiliates had failed to prove that it was in business on the Delaware before passage of the Coastal Zone Act. The conservation law banned new heavy industries and bulk transfer operations from the river and bay in 1971.
 (go to article)

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Where can I juice up my ride?

washingtonpost.com -- Makers of electric cars address the shortage of recharging stations

As their manufacturers see it, the electric cars entering U.S. showrooms as early as next year will be engineering marvels: stylish, battery-operated, zero-emission wonders.

Yet for all their technological prowess, there's one practical question that unsettles the green dreamers and entrepreneurs alike:

Where, oh, where, can you plug them in?

While most electric cars are expected to be recharged at home, the predicament of a driver who runs out of battery power on the road has yet to be settled, and the issue of "range anxiety" has set off an array of billion-dollar speculations.

On Monday, a coalition of companies that includes Nissan, FedEx, PG&E and NRG Energy issued a report calling for billions of dollars in gov  (go to article)

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Don't bet on a hydrogen car anytime soon

washingtonpost.com -- Just in time for Thanksgiving, a familiar techno-turkey is back on the national policy table: the hydrogen-powered car. The Obama administration had flatlined funding for President George W. Bush's pet initiative, briefly but heavily touted a few years back as the driving force toward a future "hydrogen economy" in which gas would displace gasoline.

Two wars and a financial sinkhole later, most Americans had managed to forget the whole thing. But then last month the Senate improbably restored $187 million for H-car research programs to an appropriations bill.
 (go to article)

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CEO is stepping down from beleaguered GMAC

MSNBC - www.msnbc.com -- NEW YORK - Troubled auto and home lender GMAC Financial Services said Monday CEO Alvaro de Molina is stepping down.

Michael A. Carpenter, a member of the company's board of directors, has been named his successor.

De Molina's sudden resignation comes as the lender is in the midst of negotiating with the Treasury Department over a third round of taxpayer assistance. GMAC is instrumental to the operations of automakers General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, but its finances have been haunted by bad loans it made during the housing boom.  (go to article)

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In signal to West, Iran boosts fuel output

The Houston Chronicle -- TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran temporarily boosted gasoline production by about 30 percent on Tuesday to show the West it can cope with any sanctions targeting its fuel imports.

Oil Minister Massoud Mirkazemi said the move to raise output by 14 million liters per day increased total output to 58.5 million liters. Domestic consumption stands at about 66.5 million liters per day.  (go to article)

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US Retail Gasoline -3.7c In Week To $2.629/Gal - EIA

WSJ -- The national average retail price of regular gasoline fell 3.7 cents a gallon to $2.629 a gallon in the week ended Monday, the Energy Information Administration said.

Prices dropped for the second straight week, dropping to their lowest level since Oct. 19. The latest drop was the biggest since the week ended Sept. 28. Gasoline prices have dropped 6.5c in two weeks after rising 22.6c in the previous four weeks.

Prices are 55.7c, or 26.9%, above a year earlier, the biggest year-on-year price rise since Oct. 6, 2008.

Nationwide, prices are 36.1%, or $1.485 a gallon, below the record $4.114 a gallon hit July 7, 2008.

Priced dropped in all regions, led by a seven-cent fall in the Midwest. California prices dropped 2c to their lowest level since Aug. 3.
 (go to article)

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Crude Takes Breather After Sharp Overnight Gains

WSJ -- Crude futures traded slightly lower Tuesday, taking a breather after gaining over 3% overnight as the market looks ahead to fresh US weekly oil stocks data for signs of a demand recovery.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude futures for delivery in December traded at $78.65 a barrel at 0606 GMT, down 25 cents in the Globex electronic session. January Brent crude on London's ICE Futures exchange fell 20 cents to $78.56 a barrel.

Oil prices may be supported by a weak dollar, but "a lot of fundamentals are suggesting that prices should be lower," said Mark Pervan, head of commodities research at ANZ Global Markets.
 (go to article)

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Crude Oil Drops as Rising Dollar Curbs Demand for Commoditie

Bloomburg -- Crude oil declined as the dollar rose, curbing demand for commodities, and before a report expected to show stockpiles rose in the U.S.

Oil prices eased today as traders sold futures to lock in yesterday’s 3.3 percent gain. U.S. crude stockpiles probably rose last week, according to a survey before the U.S. Department of Energy’s weekly report tomorrow.

“Until the DOE report comes out the market will look for cues from external factors like macro releases and the dollar,” said Amrita Sen, a London-based oil analyst at Barclays Capital.

Crude oil for December delivery fell as much as 50 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $78.40 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange and traded at $78.61 a barrel at 10:01 a.m. London time. Crude closed up 3.3 percent yesterday  (go to article)

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Going with the wind: Little goes long way

The San Diego Union-Tribune, LLC -- Small-scale turbine maker in Barrio Logan
BY ONELL R. SOTO
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2009 AT MIDNIGHT

Wind power isn't just about towering turbines in the desert producing electricity for thousands of homes at a time.

It can be done on a much smaller scale, and a start-up San Diego company is hoping to prove it can be profitable.

Helix Wind, based in Barrio Logan, has developed an innovative turbine design, which spins on a vertical, rather than horizontal axis, that it says will help produce power in remote areas far from the electric grid — and in big cities like Chicago.

And it is buying up a couple of other small turbine makers, which it says will enable it to offer a variety of products depending on what its customers need.

...
 (go to article)

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Colonial Pipeline Limits Gasoline Shipments on Excess Orders

Bloomberg.com -- By Christian Schmollinger

Colonial Pipeline Co., which operates the largest pipeline linking U.S. Gulf Coast refiners and East Coast markets, will limit shipments of gasoline because orders exceeded the company’s ability to deliver fuel on time.

The Alpharetta, Georgia-based company issued the requirement, known as an allocation, in a bulletin to shippers for the 67th cycle. The restriction applies to shipments on Colonial pipelines running north of Collins, Mississippi.

Excerpts

The pipeline ships products in five-day cycles that run back to back. When the pipeline is full, refiners may have to sell excess supply into the Gulf Coast market,which can depress spot prices.

The Gulf Coast is home to about 45 percent of U.S. refining capacity, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
 (go to article)

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Chinese Wind Turbine Firm Plans U.S. Plant

Reuters.com -- NEW YORK,(Reuters) - China's A-Power Energy Generation Systems (APWR.O) has signed a cooperation agreement with equity firm U.S. Renewable Energy Group (US-REG) to build a plant in the United States to supply wind energy turbines to renewable energy projects in North and South America.

The joint announcement in Washington late on Monday came three weeks after A-Power said it planned a $1.5 billion wind farm project in West Texas along with U.S. companies,

Monday's announcement said the turbine plant is expected to produce 1,100 megawatts of wind energy turbines annually, enough to power 330,000 homes. It will employ about 1,000 workers and create additional jobs during construction, the companies said.

"the plan calls for wind turbine components to be sourced from U.S. manufacturers."  (go to article)

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A Roadmap to Vehicle Electrification

WIRED.COM -- By Chuck Squatriglia

The first mass-market electric vehicles are expected in showrooms next year, and a coalition of business leaders has laid out a sweeping plan for the adoption of EVs and the infrastructure to support them.

Excerpts

So radical a change is necessary, the coalition argues, because the United States already imports more than 65 percent of its petroleum, a situation that is no longer sustainable.

“The risk of sudden and prolonged interruption to steady world oil supplies looms over the U.S. and world economies,” the coalition said. Electricity, on the other hand, can be generated in the United States using a variety of sources. Hitting the 2040 target would cut oil consumption in the passenger car fleet from 8.6 million barrels daily to 2 million.
 (go to article)

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Autonomous Cars Will Make Us Safer

WIRED.COM -- By Daniel Bartz

Excerpt

(1939) “These cars of 1960 and the highways on which they drive will have in them devices which will correct the faults of human beings as drivers,” Futurama creator Norman Bel Geddes !explained in his book, Magic Motorways.

Bel Geddes’ vision was so compelling President Roosevelt invited him to the White House to discuss the possibility of an automated highway system. The idea has tremendous appeal when you consider the economic cost of traffic accidents and the 41,000 lives lost each year.

Five years ago, the World Health Organization issued a report that found auto accidents cost the United States $230 billion (.pdf). Of that, $31.7 billion was spent on health care. That cost will only grow, because the WHO expects auto accidents to be the No. 3 killer worl  (go to article)

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Crude Oil Trades Near $79 on Recovery Optimism, Weaker Dolla

Bloomberg.com -- By Christian Schmollinger

Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil traded near $79 a barrel in New York after rising the most in six weeks on optimism fuel demand will increase amid improved prospects for an economic recovery in the U.S., the world’s biggest energy consumer.

Oil prices eased today as traders sold futures to lock in yesterday’s 3.3 percent gain as equities climbed to 13-month highs. Stock markets rose after U.S. retail sales increased more than forecast and Asian leaders pledged to maintain stimulus spending. Crude also gained as the dollar weakened, increasing the appeal of commodities as an alternative investment.

“As usual after we get these big gains you always have a bit of profit-taking coming in,” said Tetsu Emori, a commodity fund manager with Astmax Ltd. in Tokyo. “Th  (go to article)

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GM will launch sale across all brands this week

Autoweek Magazine - www.autoweek.com -- General Motors will launch a big incentive program on each of its four brands starting Wednesday, Nov. 18.

Chevrolet will go with the “Red Tag Sale,” Buick-GMC with the “Holiday Event” and Cadillac with the “Seasons Best” sale.

Details about the incentives were not immediately available this morning.  (go to article)

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Overseas sales key to Chrysler, GM Rebound

The Oakland Press -- For better or worse, both General Motors Corp. and Chrysler Group LLC are counting on overseas sales to help propel their recoveries.

The fact is GM is an international company and apparently the post-bankruptcy board decided that it has to act like an international company if it is going to succeed

For Chrysler’s new management, the task was nowhere near as agonizing.
All they had to do was read Chrysler’s own sales statistics to realize that an opportunity was being lost or frittered away.
 (go to article)

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Buffett’s Berkshire Discloses Exxon, Nestle Stakes (Update3)

Bloomberg.com -- Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Warren Buffett’sBerkshire Hathaway Inc. disclosed stakes in oil producer Exxon Mobil Corp., candy maker Nestle SA, trash hauler Republic Services Inc. and insurer Travelers Cos.

Buffett’s company had about 1.28 million shares of Exxon, the world’s largest oil company, Berkshire said today in a regulatory filing disclosing U.S. equity investments as of Sept. 30. The stake in Irving, Texas-based Exxon was valued at about $87.6 million at the end of the third quarter. Berkshire increased its stake in Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the largest retailer, by 90 percent to 37.8 million shares from 19.9 million as of June 30.

“The demand for oil’s going to be there certainly as the economy improves,” said Paul Howard, an analyst with Janney Montgomery Scott LLC’s Langen McAlenney  (go to article)

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U.S. Economy: Sales Rebound From Year’s Biggest Drop (Update

Bloomberg.com -- Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Retail sales in the U.S. rebounded more than forecast as demand for autos climbed, and a regional gauge of manufacturing showed expansion for a fourth month, easing concern the recovery will cool after government incentives end.

Purchases increased 1.4 percent in October after a 2.3 percent drop in September that was larger than the previously estimated, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s general economic index, where positive readings signal growth, fell to 23.5 this month from a five-year high of 34.6 in October.

Stocks added to a global rally after the reports signaled rising demand at retailers from discount chain TJX Cos. to luxury store Saks Inc. may foreshadow a better holiday shopping season,  (go to article)

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Diesel prices drop slightly to $2.790

Land Line -- The U.S. Energy Information Administration is reporting that the average price for diesel fuel has dropped 1.1 cents per gallon from a week ago to average $2.790 on Monday, Nov. 16. This is the second straight week the EIA is reporting a decline in diesel prices around the country.  (go to article)

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Gas prices drop though oil futures climb

Los Angeles Times -- Pump prices edged lower nationally and in California over the last week, the Energy Department said Monday, and analysts were predicting the trend would hold in the near term despite a strong day for oil futures.

The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline fell another 2 cents in California to $2.961, according to the Energy Department's weekly survey of filling stations. Analysts said the state's numbers should continue to fall because the wholesale trading price for the unfinished fuel that is blended into the state's gasoline was running at $2.01 a gallon.  (go to article)

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Gasoline prices remain near 2009 high

The Houston Chronicle -- Gasoline prices remained near their highs for the year today as a weaker dollar and rising global stock markets boosted oil prices.

Prices at the pump fell 0.4 cents overnight to $2.631 a gallon, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. That is down 6 cents from the peak of $2.691 reached Oct. 30. In Houston, drivers paid an average of $2.44 a gallon, down from $2.48 last week, according to an Energy Department survey.

But the gap between now and a year ago continues to widen. Prices are now 52.6 cents higher than last year at this time when gasoline prices slid along with oil prices as the recession took hold.  (go to article)

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Administration to seek seatbelts in motorcoaches

The Houston Chronicle -- WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Monday it will propose long-sought safety requirements for long-distance buses, including seatbelts and stronger roof standards.

A motorcoach safety plan released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calls for developing performance requirements for bus roofs before the end of this year and issuing a rule by early next year on installation of seatbelts.  (go to article)

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BP hits more oil near previously announced Gulf find

The Houston Chronicle -- BP Plc, the U.K. oil producer that reported a “giant” discovery in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico in September, found more crude in the area with Devon Energy Corp.

BP confirmed the presence of oil in Lower Tertiary deep- water reservoirs after well tests in a western extension of the Kaskida field, the London-based company said today in a statement. The find, in Keathley Canyon Block 291, is located five miles west of the Kaskida discovery well, BP said.  (go to article)

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ENERGY-DENMARK: Samsø Island, Beyond Fantasy

Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS) -- The Danish island of Samsø, has [a]... reputation as a model of sustainability is due to the fact that it uses wind turbines and solar panels to generate all of the electricity consumed by local residents.

Enough to meet the community's electricity demands, supply the island's entire public transportation system, and have a surplus of 10 percent to sell to other regions of Denmark.

The community is interested in experimenting with electric cars.

"The distances here are very short, less than 50 kilometres," said Søren Hermansen, director of the island's Energy Academy and a pioneer in the local environmental revolution.
 (go to article)

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UPDATE 1-Anderson Energy posts Q3 loss, hit by lower gas pri

http://www.reuters.com/ -- * Q3 loss C$0.06/shr vs EPS C$0.04 last year

* Revenue falls 63 percent

* Funds from operations falls 69 percent

* Sees 2009 production of 7,500-7,600 boed

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Canada's Anderson Energy Ltd (AXL.TO) posted a third-quarter loss, hurt by the drop in crude oil and natural gas prices, and forecast a higher 2010 production.

The company said it expects 2010 production between 8,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) to 8,500 boed, compared with its 2009 forecast of 7,500 boed to 7,600 boed.  (go to article)

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Canadian Stocks Gain on Higher Oil, Gold Prices; Barrick Ris

http://www.bloomberg.com/?b=0 -- Nov. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian stocks rose for a second day, led by energy and materials stocks, as a lower U.S. dollar boosted commodity prices, Asian leaders pledged to maintain stimulus and U.S. retail sales rose faster than forecast.  (go to article)

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TSX drives ahead on higher commodity prices

http://www.vancouversun.com/index.html -- Markets opened higher Monday, as oil and gold prices climbed higher and retail numbers in the U.S. came in better than expected.  (go to article)

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China Surpasses U.S. as Top Vehicle Market

Detroit Free Press -- China has surpassed the U.S. as the world’s largest car market, and consumers there are expected to buy as many as 50 million new cars and trucks a year by 2020, the chief executive of a Chinese industrial real-estate developer told a group of automotive suppliers today.
 (go to article)

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America's Dirtiest Vehicles

Forbes.com -- Just because a car has low fuel efficiency doesn't mean it's the worst polluter on the road. The Chevrolet Suburban and Dodge Challenger are some of the biggest gas-gulpers available, but they don't cause quite the environmental harm other cars do.

That title is reserved for vehicles that combine their poor gas mileage with high tailpipe and greenhouse gas emissions. Think along the lines of some of the bulkiest cars on the road, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevrolet Trailblazer and Dodge Dakota.

[Tip: consider both fuel consumption & emissions.]  (go to article)

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U.S. Army’s New Research Center Puts Fossil Fuels on Notice

Gas2.0.org -- If we need just one more reason to be convinced that the era of fossil fuels is quickly winding down, 30,000 square feet of evidence is going up right now in the suburban Detroit town of Warren, Michigan. That’s where the U.S. Army is building its new Ground System Power and Energy Laboratory (GSPEL), and it’s no accident that the site is deep in the heart of the U.S. auto industry.  (go to article)

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