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BMW exec: Alt-fuel cars to stay niche

Ask Jim O’Donnell, president and chief executive of BMW North America, about the automaker’s plans for alt-fuel vehicles, and he assures that the  luxury nameplate will be there — with the 5-Series passenger cars and X3 crossover front and center.

But he also is convinced that hybrids, electrics and any combination will remain niche markets rather than supplant internal combustion for autos for some time.

“The price of gas in Newark (N.J.) was $2.38 a gallon when I left to come here this morning,” said O’Donnell, in town for the BMW Golf Championship this week at Cog Hill in Lemont. “Without a substantial increase in that, the U.S. market is not going to turn to alternative fuel vehicles.” Get the full story »

Skilling denied bail while conviction’s reviewed

A federal appellate court judge on Friday turned down former Enron Corp.  executive Jeffrey Skilling’s request for bail pending the continuing judicial review of his 2006 conspiracy and fraud conviction. The former Enron chief executive is serving a 24-year prison sentence.
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Gas prices expected to fall even more

Gasoline prices have been falling for weeks, and they could go even lower as autumn’s leaves begin to drop.

The national average for a gallon of unleaded regular was $2.681 on Friday, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. That’s 6.6 cents lower than a month ago and 8.5 cents higher than a year ago.

Offshore oil rig in Gulf of Mexico explodes

An offshore oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, west of the site of the April blast that caused the massive oil spill.

Interceptor police SUV to be made in Chicago

From WBBM Radio | Ford is announcing today that its plant on Chicago’s far South Side will begin making the new Police Interceptor utility vehicle, designed to have at least 20 percent better fuel economy than the current Crown Victoria police vehicle.

CBOE parent to add electronic exchange

The parent of the Chicago Board Options Exchange is hooking up some of the biggest Wall Street banks and trading firms to a long-planned electronic exchange, set to launch in late October.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Interactive Brokers Group Inc. are among the dozen firms forging connections to the new market, according to persons involved in the process. Get the full story »

ComEd asks ICC for $60 million

On the heels of a request for a 7 percent rate hike, Commonwealth Edison is asking the Illinois Commerce Commission to add $60 million to fund additional improvements. Get the full story »

ComEd seeks homes for solar panel test

ComEd said will letters go out this week to single family homeowners in the innovation corridor along I-290 – which includes 130,000 customers in Melrose Park, Bellwood, Maywood, River Forest, Oak Park, Forest Park, Broadview, Hillside, Berwyn and the Humboldt Park section of Chicago – asking for single-family homeowners to test solar panels.

The three-year photovoltaic pilot is partially funded by a $5 million U.S. Department of Energy grant and allows ComEd to install 100 solar arrays on residential homes in the corridor. The arrays produce enough electricity to power a small home and at the end of the pilot, the homeowners keep the panels, said Maryl Freestone, senior engineer and project manager for the PV pilot. Get the full story »

Gasoline demand dropped 3% last week

U.S. weekly retail gasoline demand on average fell 3.1 percent, to 9.169 million barrels per day, last week, as the summer driving season draws to a close, according to the SpendingPulse report released Tuesday by MasterCard Advisors. Year-on-year, U.S. gasoline demand rose 0.7 percent, in the week ending Aug. 27, the survey showed. Get the full story »

Deere selling windpower unit to Exelon

Deere & Co. will sell its wind energy business to a subsidiary of Exelon Corp. for $900 million, the company said Tuesday, potentially signaling an active merger and acquisition period ahead for the power industry. Get the full story »

U.S. pitches changes to fuel-economy labels

The fuel-economy sticker on new cars will change under plans announced Monday.

Will your new car get an A in fuel efficiency? A government proposal may add letter grades to showroom window stickers on new cars and trucks to reflect a vehicle’s overall fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Transportation Department and Environmental Protection Agency said Monday they were considering two options to upgrade the energy and environmental information that will adorn labels on new vehicles in car dealership showrooms, beginning with the 2012 model year. Get the full story »

Gasoline prices fall ahead of Labor Day weekend

There is good news at the gas pump, as Americans get ready to fill their cars, RVs and boats for the Labor Day weekend.

The national average price for gasoline has been falling steadily this month, reaching $2.678 for a gallon of unleaded on Monday, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. That’s about 6 cents a gallon less than a month ago and 7 cents less than it was on the Friday before the July Fourth weekend.

Gas prices drop ahead of Labor Day

Prices at gasoline stations across the country should keep dropping as travelers hit the road for late-summer trips.

The national average pump price has declined for 17 days in a row, reaching $2.682 for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline on Friday, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. The price is 6.3 cents lower than a month ago and about 6.2 cents higher than it was last year at this time.

Oil prices drop for sixth day on housing news

Oil prices sank again on Tuesday after a disappointing report on home sales underlined the slow economic recovery and weak demand for oil and gas.

Exelon begins $4.6B in Illinois projects

Exelon Corp. announced a “massive spending program” Monday that will invest $4.6 billion in Illinois nuclear projects, beginning with the 10-year decommissioning of Zion Nuclear Power Station in September.

The investment is well above the company’s usual expenditures for refueling operations. Get the full story »