Earth Equity News

Houston Plans for Electric Car Surge. By Chris Baltimore, Reuters, February 16, 2010. "Houston, nicknamed the Petro Metro for the profusion of oil and gas companies that dot its skyline, is an unlikely host for an electric-car revolution. But the fourth-biggest U.S. city that claims the title of the 'Energy Capital of the World' is competing with cities like San Francisco to be the nation's electric car capital... Even if a small percentage of Texas drivers switch to electric cars, the payoff could be substantial. The Houston area alone is home to 4.5 million vehicles that travel 86 million miles a day, according to state statistics. And Texas leads the nation in producing clean, carbon-free electricity from windmills. But the state must build billions of dollars worth of transmission lines needed to channel the wind power to urban centers... U.S. utilities have moved in recent months to cement ties with automakers... Utilities see electric cars as a perfect market for spare electricity that is generated by power plants in off-peak hours that could be sold to consumers who will recharge their electric cars during late-night and early-morning hours when power is the cheapest."