CenterPoint working to restore heat to homes in Buffalo CenterPoint Energy is working to restore natural gas to thousands of customers near Buffalo, Minn. The utility shut off service yesterday because of a problem with its delivery system.October 13, 2006
City of Buffalo left without natural gas service Service was cut off after problems with repair and maintenance work on gas lines, and officials said it could be two days before the service was restored.October 12, 2006
Crops bounce back for a strong harvest Minnesota's corn and soybean farmers are harvesting decent yields following a year of weather uncertainties. There's was too much rain, then too little. A mid-summer drought nearly ruined the October finish.October 4, 2006
Suburban health club wants you fit and green Lately, the word "environmentalism" is popping up a surprising amount in the world of business. In suburban White Bear Lake, one fitness club has even changed its business goals to include improving the health of the planet.September 24, 2006
Delivering windmills Dock workers in Duluth are getting used to handling a challenging new cargo: windmills for wind farms in Minnesota and North Dakota.
Business in windmills is booming -- despite inconsistent federal support.September 22, 2006
Ethanol makers search for cheaper raw material There could be a major change underway in how ethanol is made. Several companies want to start producing the alcohol fuel from plant fiber. Most ethanol now is made from corn. How likely is the transition to what's called cellulose ethanol?September 22, 2006
Gasification may turn coal into 'clean' fuel Some energy experts say America should turn to coal as its main source of energy. But coal produces pollution. How to overcome that dilemma? The answer might be found in a new power plant planned for northern Minnesota.September 20, 2006
Coal is back; so are concerns over pollution Utilities are embracing coal as a plentiful, relatively cheap source of energy. But environmentalists say coal-fired power plants
remain a major source of air pollution.September 19, 2006
New energy from old sources In the Midwest, two of the biggest energy kings are coal and corn. There are new challenges to those popular energy sources.September 18, 2006
Mixed signals on energy policy As U.S. consumers grapple with their dependence on foreign oil, the country is also sorting out its priorities in a national energy policy.September 18, 2006
Minneapolis goes green to save green The buildings we live and work in consume a lot of energy. When the buildings are owned by government, taxpayers end up footing the utility bill. Minneapolis officials have signed on to a plan which commits them to dramatic energy savings in new public buildings.September 14, 2006
North Dakota oil patch is booming Rising oil prices are bringing new exploration, and hundreds of millions of dollars to North
Dakota oil fields.August 28, 2006
Conservationists push a more efficient light bulb Want to save money and the environment? It could be as easy as changing a light bulb, according to organizers of the Minnesota Energy Challenge.August 24, 2006