Texas extended its already formidable national lead in wind power by clearing the way Thursday for a major expansion of the state's electrical power transmission network, valued at nearly $5 billion, a move that will triple its current wind power capacity.

Filling up the gas tank of an SUV is nothing compared to the amount of diesel it takes to run a 20-ton excavator all day.

America is at an energy crossroads, balancing growing demand for energy with the new reality of high prices, and that could mean renewed interest in the next generation of alternative energy options, even the controversial ones.

While there is a lot of environment-friendly talk in Washington, much of the real greening of America is taking place at the state level. More than half of the nation's states have adopted targets for reaching a certain percent of overall power generation from renewable energy sources.

Boone Pickens’ plan to massively expand wind production to free up more natural gas for vehicles is an audacious suggestion but it faces a key challenge rooted in natural gas’ virtue as a clean and versatile fuel for utilities to generate electricity.

Use the right energy for the right use. That concept lies at the core of a U.S. domestic energy plan unveiled Tuesday by legendary oilman T. Boone Pickens.

Like two rival filling-station owners across the highway in long-bygone price wars, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain keep putting up flashy signs and offering new incentives in hopes of attracting customers battered by $4 gas prices.

It's all about energy, these days.   This special report, "Powering The Planet", aims to inform and educate you about the global energy challenge. Now and over the coming months, you'll find useful guides on energy sources and investments, a resource center with related links on a host of subjects, as well as an exhaustive library of videos from CNBC. Users will also be able to access a special collection of podcast videos for downloading. And speaking of taking it with you, take our customized widget, please.

The record run-up in oil prices over recent years is igniting fierce debate over the "peak oil" theory — that once the maximum rate of global production is reached, a steep decline ensues.   Here we present two squarely opposed viewpoints on the issues from rivals who have been sparring for years. 

The US move to biofuels has been a remarkably successful experiment in renewable energy promotion despite its inadvertent, and probably exaggerated, effect on higher agricultural prices.  But the industry's future lies in next generation, non food-derived  biofuels.

Solar energy is playing a bigger role in General Electric’s energy portfolio, and GE Energy has announced it is taking a majority stake in PrimeStar Solar.

The options market is getting excited about an ethanol producer and dental technology, according to one expert.

Some entrepreneurs and analysts — recognizing that relative price increases in specific goods always encourage innovators to find ways around the problem — say they see an opportunity for creative solutions when it comes to rising agricultural prices.

The EFuel100 MicroFueler is the world's first portable ethanol microrefinery system — both a pump station and an ethanol distiller reduced to an appliance-sized unit, allowing users to create usable fuel for most cars with a simple mix of sugar, water and yeast.

Two  California entrepreneurs are launching a new technology that will enable people to create ethanol in their homes.