Johnson Controls today participated in a signing ceremony in Tianjin, China to announce a planned $200 million automotive battery plant, pending final approval.

The state-of-the-art facility will supply automakers and the aftermarket in China with high quality maintenance-free lead-acid starter batteries and advanced batteries for start-stop vehicles.

Tremendous savings can be made on the cost of energy when customers band together to bid down the price, says Jeffrey D. Hiatt, and there are other ways to save, too.

In today’s economic climate, it’s vital to reduce expenses without impacting operations or service. In this regard, business owners in states where deregulation exists have an ace up their sleeve in the form of ‘reverse energy auctions’.

Alan Swaby looks at a Chilean coal project that is going to create a greater level of energy security while increasing the economic activity of a region that has long been stagnated.

Nobody’s perfect. What quality or ability do you wish you had?

In my various roles, public speaking has played a major part. It certainly gets easier the more you do and the more you acquire new techniques. I do wish that I was able to take to the stage and engage in communication that is flawless and natural without endless hours of preparation and hesitation. After public speaking, the feedback I receive is always positive and the feeling is exhilarating, but the build-up is distracting and that’s what I need to master.

Saudi-owned Al-Muhaidib Contracting Company is focusing on its home market and the provision of large-scale projects to cater for its booming economy and population.

The so-called ‘developed world’ may be facing economic slowdowns and currency turmoil but activity in Saudi Arabia is sufficiently vigorous for Al-Muhaidib Contracting Company to refocus on its home country and reduce the distractions of international exposure.

A solar-powered plane the size of a jumbo jet landed in Morocco last night following a 19-hour flight from Madrid.

Pilot Bertrand Piccard landed in Morocco’s Rabat-Salé international airport at 23:30, completing the world’s first intercontinental flight in a plane powered by the sun.

The plane, named the Solar Impulse, was powered by 12,000 solar cells turning four electrical motors.

Achieving energy independence has become a top priority for the country, said Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych during a meeting in Washington, DC.

The meeting of the working group on energy security was co-chaired by the Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Boyko and Special Envoy of the United States Secretary of State for Eurasian Energy, Richard Morningstar. 

LeMay - America’s Car Museum (ACM), opened Saturday in Tacoma, Washington, celebrating America’s love affair with the automobile.

An eclectic mix of people gathered at the debut of the Pacific Northwest’s newest attraction, including Washington Lt. Governor Brad Owen, GM Vice President of Design Ed Welburn, Tonight Show host Jay Leno, jewelry magnate Nicola Bulgari, and hundreds of car enthusiasts.

In one of the first major solar energy projects in the Middle East, Bahrain plans to implement a solar smart grid in Awali.

"The Middle East has for some time evaluated the integration of solar energy for reduction of reliance on non-renewable energy sources,” said Marty Youssefiani, CEO of Caspian Energy Holdings. “However, Bahrain is among the first in the region to implement a project of this kind, demonstrating a serious commitment to long term solutions."

While the UK celebrates the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in the rain, enterprising registration plate specialist Regtransfers.co.uk is offering for sale the regal MAJ 357Y number plate.

As the Queen’s state cars are not required to display number plates, here is an opportunity for someone to have their very own piece of royal history.

The ‘majesty’ number plate is one of thousands of private number plates available for purchase in the UK, with hundreds of thousands of variations of many popular names.