The U.S. Department of Energy considers succinic acid to be a valuable commodity since it can be refined with less energy than petroleum.

FORBES: Starbucks To Turn Stale Pastries Into Plastic?

Factory output is rising, consumer spending has been surprisingly strong, and for the first time in decades, the US is a net energy exporter of refined oil products.

FORBES: 2011: So Eventful... and Uneventful

Japan imports nearly all of its oil and natural gas consumption, and the earthquake, having wreaked havoc on select nuclear power facilities, will likely result in a sustained change in the composition of Japanese energy demand, including an increased demand for oil and some refined products.

FORBES: Japanese Oil Demand Likely To Jump

Total refined product sales slipped 4.5% from a year ago, which suggests higher energy prices are being met by resistance as demand contracts.

FORBES: Hey Exxon, See You Soon Down At $60

The Section 45 credit is also available for energy producers who use geothermal sources, animal waste, municipal waste, biomass and refined coal.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Any policy to reduce heat-trapping pollution will inevitably target the main sources of Americans' energy: the coal burned by power plants for electricity and the oil that is refined to run automobiles.

NPR: PROMISES, PROMISES: Climate Change

The most recent statistics from the Energy Information Administration prior to Katrina showed that 43% of the crude oil America consumes daily is refined on the Gulf Coast in Louisiana or Texas.

FORBES: Not In My Backyard