SAN FRANCISCO - No stranger to sequels, California Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger hopes to sell the state on the virtues of electricity deregulation for a second time, despite the expensive legacy of the first attempt.

Gary Yaquinto: Since the Industrial Revolution, the world’s economic engine has been fueled by fossil fuels. Some scientists have been warning, however, that if we don’t restrict our carbon-belching ways now, Earth’s polar ice caps will shrink, weather patterns will become ever more extreme, and coastal cities like New York City will become swampland.

Failing schools, crime and single-parent households are just a few of the challenges facing urban communities. Now, thanks to "Club Green" - radical environmentalists and their supporters - soaring energy prices join the list.

The outcome of the Republican primary fight for Arizona Corporation Commission could determine whether utilities have to purchase more expensive renewable energy - and whether their customers have to pick up the tab.

Homebuilders are navigating this year's traditional selling season without the government tax rebates that a year ago infused the housing market with a short-lived burst of activity.

WASHINGTON - Terry Grandchamp’s Virginia homeremodeling business is booked through spring and he’s planning to bump up his prices to help cover the high cost of gasoline and building materials.

The future of Arizona's solar industry is shining brighter with the extension of federal solar-energy tax credits, which was part of the financial bailout bill approved Oct. 3. Not only are tax credits extended for eight years, but the amount of the incentive has been greatly increased.

Better start stocking up on diapers and detergent. Consumers hit hard in recent months by sharply higher prices for gasoline and food should prepare to start paying more for various household items following Dow Chemical Co.’s decision to raise its prices by up to 20 percent to offset the soaring cost of energy.

Modern living does not have to be that hard, energy efficiency experts say.

In ancient Greece, the rulers of Sparta strove to create a utopian society by criminalizing excessive consumption, imposing rigid egalitarian rules and demanding absolute discipline from their citizenry.

Tempe’s YMCA branch is one of four in the Valley set to get solar panels next year in an effort to reduce energy costs. The panels are projected to reduce electric use by 21 percent at the Tempe location. The panels are manufactured by German-based Centrosolar America, which has a U.S. office in Scottsdale.

BOSTON - Citgo, the Venezuelan government's Texas-based oil subsidiary, has suspended shipments of heating oil for poor families in the United States, citing falling oil prices and the world economic crisis, the nonprofit organization that distributes the fuel said Monday.

 Lori Singleton: Is the solar boom of the 1980s repeating itself today? If you lived in the Valley during this time, you may remember seeing solar water heating systems popping up on rooftops. The rising fuel costs of the 1980’s, combined with federal tax incentives spurred a frenzy of solar investments.

Phoenix plans to sell off 13 homes as part of a program intended to help stabilize neighborhoods hit by foreclosures by purchasing vacant, neglected homes with federal funds, refurbishing them and reselling them.

Phoenix plans to sell off 13 homes as part of a program intended to help stabilize neighborhoods hit by foreclosures by purchasing vacant, neglected homes with federal funds, refurbishing them and reselling them.

Buzz words such as “subsidies” and “loopholes” have been thrown around by politicians for decades. If you’re seeking to impose punitive financial policies, these words are certainly more appealing than terms like “tax” or “penalty.” The Obama Administration is currently pursuing tax increases on the oil and gas industry under the guise of ending accounting loopholes.

WASHINGTON - The economy ambled into the fall steadily but unstartlingly, with fresh signs of a slowdown as consumers watched spending more warily.

A member of the state’s congressional delegation is trying to get the White House to provide emergency aid for those who need help with summer utility bills.

It’s getting cold in Arizona, a fact that raises thermostats here and eyebrows across the country. Most Americans believe Arizona is always sunny and warm in the winter and sunny and unbearable in the summer.

 Jazz artist Althea Rene will kick off a Green Jazz Series in September that is designed to raise awareness about the environment while benefitting low-income families in the Valley.

More people in the "Valley of the Sun" have turned to the sun for their electricity this year, resulting in a boom for the solar energy industry.

Phoenix plans to sell off 13 homes as part of a program intended to help stabilize neighborhoods hit by foreclosures by purchasing vacant, neglected homes with federal funds, refurbishing them and reselling them.

There is an old trick called “the dollar bill test” that can help you see if your refrigerator is working overtime.

Higley Unified School District’s governing board is opposing a planned 4.8 percent increase in electric rates by SRP, and is hoping other school districts take similar action.