Engineering

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Ore. town is poster child for geothermal energy, toasty sidewalks during winter and all. When snow falls on this downtown of brick buildings and glass storefronts in southern Oregon, it piles up everywhere but the sidewalks. It's the first sign that this timber and ranching town is like few others.

Ways investors can play this commodity . For most of the past 50 years, since the birth of environmental awareness, coal has been the "black sheep" of the power-production family. Now, thanks to more efficient furnaces, better exhaust-scrubbing systems and other technological advances, coal is regaining favor in the world's energy markets. However, the biggest factor in coal's recent price surge is steadily increasing demand for the fossil fuel in power generation and steel-making process, abetted by rising costs for other types of fuel, like oil and natural gas. The question for investors, of course, is will this rising demand continue - and how can you profit if it does? The answer to the first part of that question is almost certainly, "yes," but solving the second part is a little trickier.

Judge orders repair of treatment plants in US Virgin Islands after waste dumped into ocean. Federal authorities won a court order Wednesday requiring officials in this U.S. territory to repair sewage plants that have dumped raw waste at beaches renowned for snorkeling and surfing.

Oppenheimer analyst: chip demand continues to improve, driven by PC, TV and smart phone chips. Driven by the personal computer, television and smart phone markets, demand for semiconductors continues to improve and is ahead of what's generally expected for this time of year, according to Oppenheimer analyst Rick Schafer.

Maine's 2nd- and 3rd-largest electric utilities agree to merger. Two of Maine's larger electric utilities would merge under an agreement announced Friday, creating a greater impetus for a north-south power transmission line for wind farms.

Willbros posts smaller loss on cost cuts, revenue sinks as energy cos. delay capital projects. Willbros Group Inc., an engineering and construction company, reported Thursday a narrower fourth-quarter loss as it cut costs as its revenue fell by more than half.

Shell said Thursday it had closed down two gas plants feeding Nigeria's power stations so that it could carry out repairs on a damaged supply pipeline in the restive oil-producing region.

Obama meets with key senators in bid to advance climate legislation. President Barack Obama made a renewed push for a long-stalled climate and energy bill Tuesday, urging lawmakers at a White House meeting to pass a comprehensive bill this year.

Prospect emerges of nuclear-powered Middle East as Israel and Syria seek atomic energy. Is the Middle East about to go officially nuclear?

Fluor, Babcock & Wilcox to market carbon dioxide capture systems for power plants. Fluor Corp. and Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group Inc. said Tuesday they have formed an alliance to market and sell carbon dioxide capture systems for coal-fired power plants.

A chip for spot: British dog owners could be forced to microchip and insure their pets. British dog owners may be forced to microchip their pets and take out insurance, part of a proposed crackdown on the country's dangerous canines.

Minister: Israel wants to build nuclear plants to secure energy supplies, fight global warming. Israel's infrastructure minister says his country wants to build nuclear power plants in cooperation with its Arab neighbors.

The state Transportation Department has launched an internal review of possible design flaws in Big Dig handrails that have been linked to the deaths of seven motorists. Transportation Secretary Jeffrey B. Mullan ordered the study following a Globe story last month that detailed the dangers posed by the handrails, which dismembered several people who became entangled in the railings and were dragged from their vehicles. Barrier and accident reconstruction professionals said the rails were poorly designed and potentially unsafe. ``To respond to recent concerns raised about the railings, we convened a committee of senior- level engineers with expertise in safety, crash railing systems, and structural design that will review the issue and detail its findings and recommendations to the secretary and highway administrator by the end of the month,'' the Department of Transportation said in a statement yesterday. ``We look forward to discussing the committee's work with legislators and all in

DETROIT (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp on Monday sought to discredit an outside study critical of its electronic safety systems and said it had found no flaw with its throttle controls.

A look at federal reservoirs being used for water supply without initial authorizations. A list of federal reservoirs by state that were not initially authorized for water supply but are now being used for that purpose:

Tesla says loss of engineers in crash was hard, won't derail plans to launch Model S in 2012. The death of three Tesla engineers in a plane crash last month was a heavy blow for the tight-knit Californian electric car maker, but it is holding onto its plan of producing and selling the new Model S within three years, its chief designer said Wednesday at the Geneva Motor Show.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made a small dent in Chile's growing needs following a massive earthquake, handing over 25 satellite phones while promising more Tuesday in the country's capital.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made a small dent in Chile's growing needs following a massive earthquake, handing over 25 satellite phones while promising more Tuesday in the country's capital.

Teledyne buys minority stake in Optical Alchemy with option to take over company. Teledyne Technologies Inc. said Tuesday that one of its subsidiaries has acquired a minority stake in Optical Alchemy Inc., a company that makes sensors for surveillance equipment.