Report finds cleantech VC investment falls in 2009; energy efficiency, transportation improve. Venture capital investors have cautiously begun backing a broader array of clean technology companies such as those specializing in energy efficiency, batteries and electric vehicles, according to research released Wednesday.

South Dakota utilities regulators approve electric rate increase for Xcel Energy. The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on Tuesday approved a settlement allowing Xcel Energy Inc. to increase its overall electric rates by about 5.5 percent for residential and commercial customers in the state.

US Sen. Bingaman of New Mexico says bill to reduce greenhouse gas emissions unlikely in 2010. The chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee said Tuesday that it's unclear whether Congress will be able to pass cap and trade legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions this year.

HECO inks contract for renewable biodiesel made from used cooking oil and waste animal fat. Hawaiian Electric Co. says it has taken an important step in its efforts to create a clean energy economy for Hawaii.

Audi 2009 US sales fall 6 percent, December sales rise 17 percent. Audi said Tuesday its 2009 sales in the U.S. fell 6 percent, while December sales rose 17 percent.

An alternative approach to developing a greener energy industry . Political bickering and posturing has reached a fever pitch with media attention focused on the climate conference in Copenhagen. Are we at GTO the only ones who believe it is extraordinarily naive to expect representatives from a hundred-plus nations to come to a substantive agreement that will create near-term changes? When you realize that the politicians are attempting to alter the largest and most powerful industry on the planet, the challenge becomes all the more onerous.

South Dakota State researchers discover long-ignored moth, new fly munching on switchgrass. Researchers at South Dakota State University have rediscovered a long-ignored moth and found a new fly, both of which like to munch on switchgrass, a crop billed as a future feedstock for next-generation ethanol.

Minnesota Power buys high-voltage line to bring wind power to state from North Dakota. Minnesota Power has bought a high-voltage power line that it plans to use to deliver wind power.

Inspector general: Backlog of historic reviews delays stimulus projects in California. Dozens of construction projects funded with federal stimulus money are being delayed in California because the office that oversees historic preservation is overwhelmed with applications, the state's stimulus watchdog said Monday.

Garbage to gas: Landfill energy projects on rise as government seeks to cut greenhouse gases. Hundreds of trash trucks across California are rumbling down city streets using clean fuel made from a dirty source: garbage.

National Park Service says Nantucket Sound eligible for special protections. Federal officials on Monday agreed to a request by two Indian tribes for special protections for Nantucket Sound, a move that could delay construction of a proposed wind farm off Cape Cod.

New Mexico regulators give utility more time to file renewable energy plan. New Mexico regulators have given the state's largest utility another three weeks to turn in a filing that spells out how it will incorporate renewable energy into its portfolio.

National Park Service says Nantucket Sound eligible for special protections. Federal officials on Monday agreed to a request by two Indian tribes for special protections for Nantucket Sound, a move that could delay construction of a proposed wind farm off Cape Cod.

Independent study says Michigan's plan to fight climate change also would boost state economy. Michigan could gain a significant economic boost and thousands of new jobs by reducing emissions of gases that cause climate change, according to an analysis released Monday.

National Park Service says Nantucket Sound eligible for special protections. Federal officials on Monday agreed to a request by two Indian tribes for special protections for Nantucket Sound, a move that could delay construction of a proposed wind farm off Cape Cod.

Mass. unveils landmark ocean-management plan, Sets new limits for offshore wind farm projects. Massachusetts has released the final version of a landmark ocean-management plan, creating a vast regulatory map for the state's coastal waters and setting new limits for offshore wind farms.

Old Dominion Electric Cooperative in Va. to get electricity from new Pennsylvania wind farm. A wind farm in Pennsylvania that will provide power to Old Dominion Electric Cooperative has begun commercial operation.

Report: Up to 40,000 new Nebraska jobs over next 2 decades if more wind farms built in state. Harnessing Nebraska's largely untapped wind-energy resources could create up to 40,000 jobs over the next two decades if a federal goal is met, according to a report.

Three deal breakers vital to the success of a deposit . Of the many aspects of a rare earth deposit vital to its success, John Kaiser of Kaiser Bottom Fish Online argues that there are three deal breakers. These three things, when assessing the quality of potential resource investments in the smoking hot rare earth sector, should be meticulously scrutinized. In the order that John told them to me on our latest episode of resourceINTELLIGENCE TV, these essential attributes are rock value, tonnage footprint and distribution of metals.

NASA Sunday celebrated Mars rover Spirit's bountiful, six-year stint on the red planet, way longer than the three months it was forecast to last. But it all may soon come to an end, stuck as it is in Martian sand.