The current

Plug pulled on FutureGen

A crippling blow dealt to FutureGen, the U.S. government's marque effort to develop a "clean coal" power plant, likely will make it harder for the utility sector to slash carbon dioxide emissions and keep coal in the mix as a cheap electricity source.

On Jan. 30, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said the Bush administration was yanking its support for the project, whose price tag had ballooned to $1.8 billion, nearly double original estimates. Energy Department officials said it was time to confront the cost issue, before equipment was ordered.

States had competed vigorously to land the plant, which would have turned coal into hydrogen-rich synthetic gas for generating electricity while pumping CO2 underground for permanent storage. A federal site in Mattoon, Ill., won out.

WALL STREET JOURNAL

Field tests give ethanol a boost

Ethanol producers are hoping that the findings of a new study will make the case for boosting per-gallon ethanol content regulations. Testing carried out for the American Coalition for Ethanol by researchers at the University of North Dakota and Minnesota State University Mankato found that, in some cases, gasoline blends of 20 to 30 percent ethanol improved vehicle fuel economy, contradicting conventional wisdom.

Researchers tested four 2007-model vehicles: a Ford Fusion, a Toyota Camry and two Chevrolet Impalas. "All of the vehicles got better mileage with ethanol blends than the ethanol's energy content would predict, and three of four actually traveled farther on a mid-level ethanol blend than on unleaded gasoline," the trade group said.

DOW JONES NEWS SERVICE

Good night, South Africa

South Africa's Parliament held a special session to debate an electricity crisis; the country has been hit by a series of blackouts since the new year. The energy minister suggested, among some of the ways to conserve power, that people should go to bed early.