ENERGY

Energy Dept. Predicts Cheaper Oil, Coal, Alternative Power: In the year 2010, oil, gas, coal and alternative energies could all be dramatically cheaper than previously predicted, according to newly revised government estimates. Crude oil could be 16% cheaper than department forecasters believed only a year ago; coal prices could be 28% below 1994 predictions. Researchers at the department’s Energy Information Administration, which released the report, titled “Annual Energy Outlook 1995,” said they revised their figures downward due to faster-than-expected commercial penetration of new technology across all energy sources.