Poland could delay building its first nuclear power plants as natural gas, including shale gas, becomes less costly, the prime minister of the central European heavyweight said Tuesday. With a population of 38 million, Poland uses about 14 billion cubic metres of natural gas a year, of which 60 percent is imported from Russia. Poland relies on coal-fired plants -- fuelled mostly by its own plentiful supplies -- for 90 percent of its electricity and is keen to find alternatives which could help it limit greenhouse gas emissions in line with EU limits.

By Nichola Groom (Reuters) - What a difference a decade makes. Ten years ago, Chart Industries Inc <GTLS.O> was on the verge of bankruptcy after taking on too much debt during a spree of acquisitions that included an equipment maker for storing cryogenic liquids like liquefied natural gas.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Illinois came a giant step closer to approving the nation's strictest regulations for high-volume oil and gas drilling on Friday, as lawmakers approved a measure they hoped would create thousands of jobs in economically depressed areas of southern Illinois. The Senate passed the legislation 52-3, one day after it was overwhelmingly approved in the other chamber. Gov. Pat Quinn promised to sign it, calling the legislation a "shot in the arm for many communities."

WASHINGTON - The Energy Department on Friday conditionally approved a Texas company's proposal to export liquefied natural gas, only the second such project allowed to move forward amid a production boom that has led to glut of domestic natural gas. The action would allow Freeport LNG Expansion L.P. to export up to 1.4 billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas per day from its terminal near Freeport, Texas, south of Houston. The DOE said granting such a permit for shipments to countries that do not have free trade agreements with the U.S. was in the public interest.