Alternative Energy
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China, Europe Lapping the United States in the Clean Energy Race
If the United States doesn't take drastic measures to engineer new clean energy policies and investment initiatives, it will continue to take a back seat to China and Europe, which are driving the clean energy market toward a profitable future.
Both clean energy companies and a skilled workforce are heading overseas, where government policies are creating a more welcoming and promising market for clean energy products.
Take Massachusetts-based Evergreen Solar, Inc (Nasdaq: ESLR). In 2008, it used $58 million in government aid to open a new Massachusetts factory to build silicon wafers and cells and assemble solar panels. But in November 2009, it announced the assembly of solar panels would be moved to Wuhan, China, where solar panel manufacturing will cost far less than in the United States.
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How to Profit From the Geothermal Energy Push
Geothermal energy isn't a new concept in the United States.
It's actually been around for some time, with numerous geothermal power plants in California, Nevada and a few other western states. There are new plants on the drawing board, too. Unfortunately, the recession has stifled the construction progress on many of them.
But all that's about to change. Thanks to a few key technological developments - and a big cash infusion from the government - the stars are aligning to produce the perfect storm for this super-green energy source.
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Profit From the First Biofuel Winner – Before it Goes Public
Weeds are hardly my favorite flora. My hay fever doesn't like them and neither does my lawn. But a flax called camelina - needing little nitrogen and water - may just be the first big winner in renewable biofuels.
It is going to provide investors with a whole new way to play the renewable energy market. And its impact will be, quite literally, up in the air.
Anybody who flies has been feeling the pinch of exploding ticket prices. Having jetted over a quarter of a million miles in the last 18 months, I can attest to the connection between rising fuel prices and ticket hikes. And without a major change in how we source jet fuel, this problem will simply get worse - especially with ridership slowly returning as the crisis bottoms out.
Jet fuel is already imported in greater volume, and the refineries that can provide it reliably worldwide are limited. That's because refining puts jet fuel (which is really high-level kerosene) among the so-called "middle distillates" - along with diesel and low-sulfur heating oil. But prioritizing the need for high-octane gasoline ("light distillates") has taken up more of the available refinery capacity.
They're producing less diesel and jet fuel than the market requires, pushing up the price.
And jet biofuel may be an answer.
It's hardly theoretical.
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The Real Story Behind Solar Energy in 2010
By the time 2009 is in the books, the record will show that solar energy stocks endured a tough year. That's hardly a surprise, given that so many Wall Street analysts (yours truly not among them) lambasted the sector for much of the year.
Analysts also expect the carnage to continue into 2010, and are predicting losses for as many as half of the world's solar companies.
The "thought process" of a Wall Street analyst - and I use that title loosely - goes something like this:
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Exxon Deal For XTO Energy May Set Off Wave of Energy Mergers and Acquisitions
In a deal that may set off a wave of mergers and acquisition (M&A) activity in the energy sector, Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM), the biggest U.S. oil company, agreed to buy XTO Energy Inc. (NYSE: XTO), the largest U.S. natural gas producer, in an all-stock deal valued at $31 billion.
Exxon, which hasn't made a major acquisition since it bought Mobil ten years ago, is taking advantage of the low gas prices pressuring smaller, debt-laden gas exploration companies. The economic downturn and discoveries of vast pools of North American natural gas have kept a lid on gas prices, leaving companies in the industry strapped for operating cash.
The deal announced yesterday (Monday) values XTO at $51.69 a share, 25% higher than Friday's closing price. XTO holders will get 0.7098 share of Exxon for each share of XTO. The Texas-based oil giant will also assume $10 billion in debt. -
Copenhagen Climate Summit Could Reshape the Investment Landscape
Leaders and policymakers from nearly 200 nations yesterday (Monday) commenced an 11-day summit in which they will attempt to hammer out some details of a carbon treaty that could have significant impact on businesses and investment.
The Copenhagen summit aims to put finer points on what, up to this point, have been dull notions about how to respond to global climate change. World leaders from both wealthy and developing countries will attempt to set new carbon emissions goals, outline a timetable for achieving those goals, and detail on how they will be financed.
Some analysts are skeptical that such an immense undertaking will be met with success. Emerging and developed nations have clashed in the past, as poorer nations contend that climate change is a problem wrought by industrialized countries. Industrialized nations, they argue, should therefore be held to higher standards and offer financing to emerging markets that are ill equipped to deal with reform.
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Former Oilman T. Boone Pickens Taps Wind Power, Natural Gas to Replace Foreign Oil
By Jennifer YousfiManaging Editor He made his fortune as an oilman, but yesterday (Tuesday) legendary investor T. Boone Pickens unveiled a plan to cut U.S. dependence on foreign oil through the power of alternatives such as wind and natural gas. "We're paying $700 billion a year for foreign oil. It's breaking us as a nation, [...]
