Cows producing electrical power? On six farms in Vermont, cow manure is used to produce methane, which in turn runs engines that generate power. Vermonters are even willing to pay a premium to use this home grown, total green electricity.

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Lots of good news on the economy this week: Contracts on home sales have risen for the sixth straight month. NPR reports, "The pace is 12% above this time last year. If those sales generate additional spending on furniture, paint, appliances and other home-related goods, then the ripple effects could spread."

Also this morning, an index of the manufacturing sector's health rose to 52.9% in August from 48.9% in July. "The year-and-a-half decline in manufacturing output has come to an end, as 11 of 18 manufacturing industries are reporting growth when comparing August to July," said the survey's committee.

(Read more at NPR)

AP reports: "Two alternative energy companies planning to buy a closed Ford Motor Company factory near Detroit want to convert it into the country's largest renewable energy park, with at least 2,800 workers building storage batteries, solar panels, and possibly wind turbines.

Xtreme and Clairvoyant officials said they like the Wixom factory because it has a rail line, a big electricity grid, large buildings, and is close to a major interstate, making it easier to bring in supplies and ship out products."

(Continue reading AP story)