Solar Panels Become a Cash Cow for Some Texans
Source: Fuel Fix, Purva Patel  (8/3/11)
"Despite Houston's sweltering heat, Grady Hill hasn't paid an electric bill since 2009. Solar panels and an energy-efficient home make more power than he uses for most of the year." More >

U.S. Dependence on Petroleum Imports Is Falling
Source: Kansas City Star, Steve Everly  (8/3/11)
"The U.S. once imported two-thirds of what the country's refineries needed. In 2010, imports fell to 49%. What happened?" More >

$50M to Aid U.S. Solar
Source: Renewable Energy World  (8/3/11)
"The DOE's SUNPATH program was started to help the U.S. achieve gains in solar manufacturing." More >

Global Lithium Supply Can Power EV Industry Through 2100
Source: MLive.com, Jonathan Oosting  (8/3/11)
"Could a limited supply of lithium threaten to undermine both private and public investments? Not according to recent research." More >

Tokyo Looks to Build Natural Gas Power Plant
Source: Japan Times, Takahiro Fukada  (8/3/11)
"The Tokyo Metropolitan Government wants to build a natural gas-fueled plant that can generate equivalent electricity to one nuclear reactor." More >

Structural Change in Gold, Silver and Currency Markets
Source: Julian Phillips, Gold Forecaster   (8/3/11)
"We have to face the stark reality that the currency system we now live under globally cannot provide a true measure of value."
More >

China Minmetals Calls for REE Production Suspension
Source: Reuters, David Stanway and Ruby Lian  (8/3/11)
"State-owned trader Minmetals has called on all firms in the REE sector to adhere to a national output quota by suspending production." More >

China Minmetals calls for rare earth production suspension
Source: Reuters, David Stanway and Ruby Lian  (8/3/11)
"State-owned trader Minmetals has called on all firms in the rare earth sector to adhere to a national output quota by suspending production starting from the beginning of August." More >

Field Notes: National Interest REE Projects Being Fast Tracked
Source: Jeb Handwerger, special to The Critical Metals Report   (8/2/11)
"What do you get when you put a professor, a fisherman and a creative Wall Street journalist together? Answer: science fiction, fishy stories and IPOs trying to sell the latest version of snake oil to unsuspecting investors." More >

Jon Hykawy: Offtake Agreements Rule REE Market
Source: Brian Sylvester of The Critical Metals Report  (8/2/11)
End-users are emerging as key players in the rare earth space. In this exclusive interview with The Critical Metals Report, Jon Hykawy, head of Global Research with Toronto-based Byron Capital, shares his views on where this trend is headed and what it means for REE producers who don't have offtake agreements in place. More >

Geordie Mark: Catalysts, Not Uranium Prices, Grow Stocks
Source: George Mack of The Energy Report  (8/2/11)
Because of ongoing nuclear power development in China, Africa and the Middle East, uranium prices could bounce back to pre-Fukushima levels of $70/lb. in 2012, says Geordie Mark, a research analyst at Haywood Securities. Instead of waiting for prices to rebound, some mining companies are moving ahead with regulatory and construction projects to drive value. In this exclusive interview with The Energy Report, Mark points to the ones that could be poised to pay off for investors when the market turns. More >

The Heat Is on Private Gas Well Owners
Source: thespec.com, Matthew Van Dongen  (8/2/11)
"A permanent plug may be the fate of thousands private natural gas wells still in use across southwestern Ontario, an end to a historic free ride amid fluctuating oil and power prices." More >

Oil Swerves Between Small Gains and Losses
Source: Market Watch, Claudia Assis and Virginia Harrison  (8/2/11)
"Crude oil futures alternated between edging higher and inching down as the U.S. debt deal cleared its first legislative hurdle." More >

Profit from Oil's Seasonal Low
Source: Forbes, Tom Aspray  (8/2/11)
"The usual summertime correction in oil prices is now setting up risk-controlled buying opportunities for stocks and ETFs." More >

Oil in the Family
Source: Gambit, Alex Woodward  (8/2/11)
"One of five offshore inspectors were recused from duties due to personal ties. Where will the industry turn to find experienced employees?" More >

Jordan Looking at All Energy Options
Source: UPI  (8/2/11)
"Jordanian officials said they are looking at all of their options in response to attacks on Egyptian natural gas networks." More >

Unlocking Tallow Tree's Potential as a Biodiesel Feedstock
Source: Biodiesel, Bryan Sims  (8/2/11)
"Producers shouldn't overlook the tallow tree as a potential methyl ester feedstock." More >

SA Mining Unions End Strike but Reject Platinum Miner's Offer
Source: Mineweb, Lawrence Williams  (8/2/11)
"The wage increases are below union demand but higher than mining companies' original offer." More >

Two Bills May Lower U.S. Geothermal Hurdles
Source: Renewable Energy World, Steve Leone  (8/2/11)
"When there's legislative movement to address long-acknowledged barriers, it's usually met with solid support or uniform skepticism." More >

South Korea Buys Gold for First Time in 13 Years
Source: Wall Street Journal, Se Young Lee and In-Soo Nam  (8/2/11)
"South Korea moved away from the dollar and toward an investment class widely considered a safer bet during crises." More >

Uranium Spot Prices Increase
Source: Bloomberg, Jason Scott  (8/2/11)
"Uranium spot prices rose 1%, snapping several months of price declines as new investors entered the market." More >

Senate Approves Debt Ceiling Increase Bill
Source: Market Watch, Steve Goldstein  (8/2/11)
"The Senate approved legislation that would increase the $14.3 trillion debt limit by up to $2.4 trillion." More >

Is the Debt Ceiling Raise Bullish for Gold?
Source: Eric McWhinnie, Wall St. Cheat Sheet  (8/2/11)
"Even though critics of gold will quickly call an end to gold's run on a decline, investors should keep the big picture in mind." More >

Metals and Miners Show Impressive Strength in Weak Market
Source: Jeb Handwerger, Gold Stock Trades  (8/2/11)
"Our indicators set us firmly on the highway marked gold, silver and rare earths." More >

China Considers Tightening Rare-Earth Quotas
Source: The Wall Street Journal, Yajun Zhang  (8/2/11)
"China is considering tightening regulations on exports of rare-earth metals amid concerns that sharply higher global prices have led to a surge in smuggling." More >