GE on June 6 announced an investment and licensing agreement with California-based eSolar that enables GE to deploy what it terms as “Integrated Solar Combined Cycle” (ISCC) technology to customers worldwide.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and visiting researchers from Wuhan University in Wuhan, China are reporting results of investigations into a new sodium-ion battery scheme that would improve energy storage from intermittent solar and wind generators.

A satirical June 8 report from the car-enthusiast Jalopnik web site points out that Nissan has employed a diesel truck with a diesel generator to recharge a total of 86 pilot-test Nissan Leaf electric vehicles (EVs) in Japan when the car batteries unexpectedly ran-out of power earlier than predicted.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) announced June 7 that it will consider expanding its electric-vehicle (EV) rebate program at the July board meeting – assuming the state budget with EV rebates becomes available by this autumn.

“We have noted with disappointment that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members June 8 were unable to agree on the need to make more oil available to the market,” the International Energy Agency (IEA) noted in a statement the same day after the 12 OPEC members announced the failure to agree to raise production quotas during their meeting.

ExxonMobil Corp. has acquired privately held natural gas company, Phillips Resources, and related firm, TWP, Inc., for US$1.7 billion – effectively gaining 317,000 acres for exploration in the Marcellus shale basin, according to a June 8 Reuters report.

NYMEX light sweet crude for July delivery settled at US$100.74 per barrel (/bbl), $1.65 on June 8, in response to the weekly supply statistics from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showing a much greater-than-forecast drawdown in crude inventories.

U.S. crude stockpiles dropped by 4.9 million barrels – far surpassing analyst forecasts – and refined product stocks increased, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA) report for the week ended June 3.

Marathon Oil Corp. announced June 7 that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has completed its review and declared effective the Registration Statement on Form 10, as amended, filed by Marathon Petroleum Corp. (MPC) in preparation of MPC’s planned spin-off by Marathon effective June 30, 2011.

A Washington, D.C.-based non-partisan group on June 7 released a new analysis examining how improved fuel-economy standards could reduce U.S. dependence on oil.