Utilities' Green Plea: Best Your Neighbor

Weirdest entry on list: digital picture frames

(NEWSER) - You're probably spending $100 per year on energy costs for devices that are plugged in—even if they're switched off, an EPA spokesperson tells Mother Jones . She lists six of the worst offenders you should consider unplugging first if you want to save energy—and cash:

• Cable boxes: Yes, these seemingly innocent devices suck up a lot of electricity , about as much as your refrigerator. If you can't bring yourself to unplug it, at least ask for a multi-room box so you can use just one for all your TVs.
• A/V equipment: Worried your DVD player or iPod docking station will forget what time it is when you turn it off? Many Energy Star-approved devices will remember what time it is, so try using those instead.

(NEWSER) - President Obama's cap-and-trade energy plan is actually a "cap-and-tax" plan that is an "enormous threat to our economy," Sarah Palin writes in the Washington Post. In an op-ed piece she predicts will disappoint "the chattering class," who prefer "personality-driven political gossip," she says fighting this bill will be a priority for her. We need energy policy reform, she says. "But the answer doesn't lie in making energy scarcer and more expensive!" More»

As the economy worsens, electric companies get tough on delinquent bills

(NEWSER) - Utilities are growing increasingly aggressive about shutting off the juice even as more customers struggle to pay their bills in a sinking economy, reports the Wall Street Journal. The trend has regulators and consumer advocates worried companies have become too focused on their bottom lines, but utilities say they’re battling rising costs and trying to keep shareholders happy. More»

Law boosts emission standards for first time since '70s

(NEWSER) - President Bush today signed a sweeping energy bill that will improve automotive fuel-efficiency standards, boost biofuel production, and kill off the incandescent light bulb, the Washington Post reports. Bush said the law would reduce US dependence on foreign oil and even the likelihood of terrorist attacks. Both the White House and Congressional Democrats claimed victory in the year-long haggling process. More»

Some corporations may profit off tighter greenhouse gas regulations

(NEWSER) - Some utility companies may actually benefit financially from the Supreme Court ruling forcing the EPA to crack down on greenhouse gas emissions, the Wall Street Journal reports. While it will cost them millions in the short-term to meet new requirements, utilities in government-regulated markets—mostly in the Southeast, Great Plains, and West—can pass those costs on to consumers at a profit. More»