IN BRIEF / Southland

Capstone Turbine Corp. has been awarded $3 million by the Department of Energy to develop more energy-efficient power generators.

Chatsworth-based Capstone manufactures refrigerator-size microturbines that produce 30 to 60 kilowatts of electricity--enough to power a fast-food restaurant, a hotel or a small office building.

The DOE grant will fund research to develop a generator that can recapture its discarded heat and use that energy for climate control inside office buildings, company spokesman Keith Field said.

The DOE handed out a total $18.5 million to various companies for similar generator projects. Honeywell International Inc. received the largest grant at $4.2 million.

Capstone stock was unchanged at $19.05 on Nasdaq.