Energy Infrastructure - Green Chip Review

The Difference Between News and Ideas

Welcome to the Green Chip Review Weekend Edition — our insights from the week in everything alternative and cleantech, as well as links to our most-read Green Chip Review and sister publication articles.

I was writing an article this week about the history and development of the Green Chip websites, when I realized something few people may know...

We've been covering the green side of the market longer than anyone else.

Since before First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) and Suntech (NYSE: STP) were publicly traded...

Before an Inconvenient Truth finished filming...

Before terms like smart grid and cleantech were even coined...

We were giving green stock advice before wind turbines graced the plains, and certainly before CNBC and Bloomberg were quick to jump on the latest solar news.

The Gains We Underestimated

When a tiny mining exploration company took control of a $273 billion resource in Greenland this past January, we knew there would be a commotion.

What we didn't dare dream was that our readers would net triple-digit gains almost over night. But they did.

Learn more here.

The Difference Between News and Ideas

Sometimes, I get frustrated when I put together these weekly news round-ups for you.

You see, many of the topics that are "news" now, we covered months — and sometimes years — ago... when they were merely ideas.

Take the Chinese cleantech boom, for example, which we've been touting since 2007. Back then, we told readers that China would be a clean energy force to reckon with, that their solar companies could produce at lower costs, that their non-democratic government could fast-track project with minimal bureaucratic red tape.

As such, many of our readers have profited handsomely from our Chinese cleantech picks like JA Solar (NASDAQ: JASO), Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL), Hong Kong Highpower (NASDAQ: HPJ), and plenty of others.

But only lately, as the hindsight data is revealed, has the mainstream media jumped on board, with everyone from the Wall Street Journal to the New York Times touting China's cleantech abilities and the United States' laggard position.

It's not "news" until it happened.

But the profits are made while it's happening (... Whatever it is.).

That's the difference between news and ideas.

You read the news. You profit from ideas... and you usually read them here first.

This Week's News (And Our Ideas)

So it's news this week that Japan, South Korea, and China are spending $9 billion on "infrastructure and information technology to make electricity networks more efficient."

It's news, according to Reuters, because Zpryme, a market research firm, compile the data and released a report.

But it's been an idea for the past year, as we constantly reported on the necessity of a smart grid to aid the deployment of renewable resources. Green Chip readers have profited from this idea... others are only now reading the news.

It was also news this week when a Chinese wind turbine maker, A-Power Generation (NASDAQ: APWR), announced it's building a production plant in Nevada. The plant will have an annual capacity of 1,100 megawatts and create 1,000 long-term jobs.

I guess it was only an idea on February 10, when I ran an article entitled, Chinese Cleantech Companies: Made in the USA (by China), in which I specifically mentioned A-Power and their plans for a U.S. plant.

In the month it took for that story to go from a Green Chip idea to mainstream news, the stock has gone up more than 17%.

In other news this week, German solar installer Phoenix Solar (XETRA: PS4) announced it's "expecting business in the ongoing first quarter to be significantly better than in the year-earlier period."

But we've been reporting on the German feed-in tariff cuts since last year, and how that would lead to more installations fueled by Chinese-built panels before the subsidies disappeared, i.e, higher business in the first and second quarters.

And finally, it was news this week that China and India signed up to the Copenhagen Accord for fighting climate change, after being lambasted by politicians and the media alike for stymieing the talks last December.

But we've been reporting on China's and India's ambitious climate energy and energy goals for some time now and how, in many ways, their goals are more ambitious than ours are. In an article entitled The Clean Energy Batter: U.S. vs. China, I reported that China and U.S. actually have similar emissions targets, but China's are official policy while the U.S.'s are simply White House announcements.

So you couldn't have known the real story before it hit the wire.

And that's really the point of Green Chip: To know the market so well that we're ahead of it. And by reading these pages, you are, too.

Our premium services take that one step further, and help you invest in green trends before others know about them.

We help you invest in the ideas that will be profitable when they become news.

You can read this week's ideas below.

Call it like you see it,

Nick

How to Rebuild America: The New Road to Energy Sustainability
In his report "How to Rebuild America," Editor Chris Nelder writes a letter to Congress on behalf of the American people, asking for a real energy plan...

A Game-Changer for Nuclear: The Most Profitable Advancement in Half a Century
Green Chip reveals the readers the news of a discovery... still under the radar... that could prove to be the greatest advancement to the world's energy crisis in 50 years! This company has the worldwide monopoly on this "a monster metal." Find out why you should buy this stock while it's still selling for less than 20 cents...

Birth of the Supergrid: 9 Nations and 20 Companies Plan Europe's Clean Power Future
Editor Sam Hopkins uncovers the investing opportunities in burgeoning plans to develop a pan-European power grid.

The Global Energy Race: The Countries Keeping Their Energy Dollars
Energy & Capital Editor Nick Hodge discusses the battle plan of developing countries in today's energy war...

Renewable Energy Capacities by Country: An At-a-Glance Look at Wind, Solar, Geothermal, and Biofuel Energy Resources
Guest Contributor Hilary Stingley discusses Colorado's new renewable portfolio standard.

The Profitable Stocks behind Cash for Caulkers: How to Profit from Cash for Caulkers Investments
Green Chip Editor Jeff Siegel highlights opportunities in energy efficiency and green building.

Investing in Africa with ETFs: Globe-leading Growth Stuns Even the IMF
International Editor Sam Hopkins highlights several plays on Africa's world-leading growth in 2010.

New Green ATF Seizes Canadian Power Grid: A $30 Mil Market Created Overnight
Green Chip Review reports on the ambitious plans by our neighbors to the north as BC Energy Plan outlines 55 green policy actions to be executed between now and 2016 — and how readers can make money with the planned economy that pays you. But hurry... only seven days remain to claim 171% gains.

How to Rebuild America

Dear Congress,

We, the American People, want a New Deal for energy.

We're tired of watching the rest of the world kick the clean energy industry into high gear while we're still stuck in neutral, debating a weak cap-and-trade bill that doesn't come close to meeting our energy challenge.

Indeed, we believe the focus on climate change is fundamentally misguided. We should be thinking about what we put into the engine, not what comes out of the tailpipe. If we get energy transition right, the emissions problem will take care of itself. Incentivize, don't penalize.

The "shovel ready" stimpak was nice, but we know that most of those jobs won't be permanent. We also know that far more of it went to the dead end of roads and cars than to real, long-term fixes to our energy crisis.

Consider rail, the most viable solution to our oil-guzzling problem. You spent decades starving Amtrak of the funding that would make it truly viable, then doled out a paltry $13 billion stimulus for high-speed rail in America. That's about 2% of what you need to spend on it. Meanwhile, China is spending $556 billion on a rail construction plan that will link nearly all its provincial cities in the next five years. The Shanghai-Beijing link alone is expected to create half a million jobs.

The desire for instant jobs gratification has actually done rail more harm than good. Directing the understaffed Federal Railroad Administration to sort through hundreds of plans and distribute a huge chunk of stimulus money as quickly as possible, before it had a chance to develop its national high-speed rail plan, bogged the agency down, and misdirected its priorities, effectively setting back real progress.

Short-term thinking is what got us into this mess, and it's not going to get us out.

We're all for unleashing the can-do spirit and manufacturing might of America. We're ready to do our part. But we're going to need more than short term support. It's going to take more than a one-year program to restore jobs that we spent three decades sending offshore.

The incentives that Congress has created for renewables and efficiency have always had the fatal flaw of being too short-lived. The resulting boom-and-bust cycles were devastating, and caused America to lose the edge in clean tech. Meanwhile, countries that made 20-year commitments to transforming their energy systems have become the world's leaders in it.

It's also time to tell us the truth about the future of energy. We understand now that we have a real problem which no amount of drilling or military intervention is going to cure. In return we promise that this time, we won't crucify you—like we did President Carter.

The Challenge

Here is our reality:

• Oil production has peaked. Supply will be flattish for the next 2-4 years, then begin a long decline.

• We will lose roughly 25% of our oil supply in 25 years; 50% in 50 years; 100% in 100 years.

• To compensate for the decline of oil with renewables, the world would need to build the equivalent of the entire world's existing renewable energy capacity, every year.

• Since that is impossible, efficiency and a long transition to renewably powered infrastructure must make up the shortfall. This will take 50 years or more to achieve.

• It's likely that we will also see the peaks of natural gas and coal in the next 20 years. Hydropower and nuclear will do little more than hold their current market share.

• By the end of the century, nearly everything will have to be powered by renewably-generated electricity, not liquids or gases.

The cap-and-trade bill's aim to cut 600,000 barrels per day off U.S. oil demand — which is currently 19 million barrels per day (mbpd) — over a period of 10 years is a joke. That's roughly the same amount that U.S. demand has grown over the last year.

We need to cut closer to 2 mbpd in 10 years, 6 mbpd in 20 years, 8 mbpd in 30 years and 10 mbpd in 40 years.

Do you have what it takes to confront this challenge, knowing that some of the solutions will be politically unpopular, impact your constituents back
home, and take many times longer than your term in office to achieve?

Can you do what authoritarian and parliamentary governments elsewhere are already doing?

How to Rebuild America

It's time to come up with a real plan, an honest plan, to rebuild America under a new energy paradigm. One with serious, achievable 30-year and 50-year milestones that will slash our need for fossil fuels.

A plan based on facts and science, not political expediency. One that will create true, long-term wealth, prosperity, resiliency, and self-sufficiency.

We need a Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security to prepare the country for the decline of oil, not sweet lies from the EIA which completely ignore it. As Lester Brown observed, "only Sweden and Iceland actually have anything that remotely resembles a plan to effectively cope with a shrinking supply of oil."

We want to stop spending half a trillion dollars a year for imported oil, and develop a defense strategy for the day when our imports dry up.

We need stable, simple feed-in tariffs, which have been proven successes in Germany, Japan and Spain...not complex, corruptible, ineffectual policies like cap-and-trade or cap-and-tax. And we need them for 30 years, not one.

We want solar on every rooftop, a wind turbine in every field and a micro-hydro turbine in every running stream, wherever viable resources exist. Distributed generation is resilient, and brings value to every community. Along with it, we need distributed power storage, and a smart grid with micro-islanding so we can fall back on our own resources if the grid goes down.

We want a plan to manage our resources for the long term health of our society, like Norway and Saudi Arabia have. Instead of planning to use our remaining oil and gas so we can drive in inefficient cars more cheaply, we should be planning to convert it into the renewables and efficiency gains we'll need in the future.

We want a defensive strategy for our grid with hardening against cyber-attacks.

We need to reverse the long process of globalization and bring manufacturing back home. Instead of a society now dependent on complex, world-spanning, highly optimized supply chains, we need local resiliency, redundancy, and diversity in all the essential sectors: energy, water, food, and security.

Finally, we need energy education at all levels — from the street to the universities, from business to government employees.

Do you have the guts to tell the truth about our energy challenge, and bring America up to speed on what she must do? Or will you wimp out and kick the can down the road a little farther, as your predecessors have, leaving America to learn about it the hard way and pay a price so much higher than it would be today?

Time to Act — Wisely

The days of economic growth may be gone forever for import-dependent developed countries like the United States, unless we downsize, relocalize, and work hard on energy transition.

Green Chip Publisher Jeff Siegel has been hard at work on a major research report that centers on one Canadian province's effort to rid itself of dirty energy, once and for all. You can read all about the BC renewable revolution right here. We might be wise to take a lesson from our neighbors to the North...

What we need now is an honest, long-range strategy. We need to build rail, rip up roads and unwanted, unsustainable housing, replant farmland, massively beef up the electrical grid, and deploy millions of renewable energy generators — the more distributed, the better.

By planning for it now, we could achieve a somewhat orderly transition away from liquid fuels and toward efficient electric transport. We'll still create millions of new jobs, only they'll be the right jobs. Jobs that won't disappear the next time oil spikes.

Congress cannot meet this challenge without teamwork and good sportsmanship. The Greens, the Browns, the Department of Energy, Congress and all of us must work together. It will take sacrifice on all sides.

We sincerely hope you are up to the challenge.

Until next time,

Chris

Investors to Gain 171% as Canadian Province Pulls the Plug on Coal and Oil

As you read this, British Columbia is forcing its coal/oil power industry out of business.

While funneling over $30 billion to a new generation of companies to fill the void.

One in particular is about to nearly triple its market capitalization off a single hydro project!

Don't wait to read about it in the Wall Street Journal. Get the name and ticker symbol right now.

Why We Have Been and Will Continue to Be Bullish on Chinese Solar Firms

As always, it was a busy week for cleantech news. But above all else, we finally got a week that looked like this for nearly all green sectors:

Industries represented in that chart include wind, water, solar and smart grid — each up 10% or more for the week buoyed mostly by news originating outside the United States.

Over the past few months, we couldn't have made clearer how bullish we are on Chinese solar firms. We laid out the reasons time and time again... German subsidy cuts pushing first half demand; falling polysilicon costs; high volume on shipment to multiple markets.

Lazard Capital joined the party this week, with one of its analysts saying, "We expect strong 4Q09 earnings across our coverage universe, driven by potential for higher shipments resulting from the demand pull in Germany, along with modestly lower pricing and declining silicon costs." Canadian Solar (NASDAQ: CSIQ), Renesola (NYSE: SOL), and Yingli (NYSE: YGE) were mentioned by name.

You can see how Canadian Solar did this week in the chart above. Yingli reports on Monday morning. We're expecting good performance from the entire group for at least the first half of the year.

This week, Germany made official its solar subsidy cuts, giving some firm guidance to the industry and probably creating a bit more business from China for those waiting for the official announcement.

And China had some news of its own...

Environment Minister Pan Yue said the country is studying ways to implement a new carbon tax.

Battery-maker BYD (HK: 1211) partnered with Daimler (NYSE: DAI) to jointly develop an electric vehicle for the Chinese market.

And the head of China's National Energy Administration told China Daily his office has drafted a 10-year plan calling for 15% renewable by 2020. (I shouldn't have to remind you that the U.S. still has no national policy for renewable energy integration.)

Largest Gas Find in U.S. History Sparks "Louisiana Land Rush"

This is big... real big. In the swampy outskirts of Red River Parish, Louisiana -- 271 miles northwest of New Orleans -- a group of scientists made the discovery of a lifetime...

What they found more than 1,000 feet beneath the surface is the single largest natural gas deposit in U.S. History... and so far, the fourth largest deposit ever found on earth!

The four companies at the forefront are already up 51%, 80%, 41% and 66% -- since March 2009. And they're poised to run even more.

Isn't it time you made similar gains?

Some brutally honest declarations followed here in the States...

John Doerr, the billionaire investor behind Kleiner Perkins — the venture capital firm that brought us the Bloom Box — said that China is squarely winning the clean energy race. His message was clear: "My conclusion is China is winning. My conclusion is that we are barely in the race today. China's growth in renewables is astounding. The results of their policies are really staggering."

And during a talk in New York about the Clinton Climate Initiative, the former president noted that "China's support for wind and solar will surpass that of the U.S."

In many ways, it already is. Reuters reported earlier this week:

China grew its market share in the solar industry to nearly 50 percent in the fourth quarter of last year from just 2 percent three years earlier. The United States, on the other hand, went from 43 percent to 16 percent in the same period.

China has also pushed ahead fast in developing wind power. It overtook the United States in new installations and in manufacturing of wind turbines last year, nearly doubling its wind generation capacity from 12,100 megawatts in 2008 to 25,100 megawatts at the end of 2009.

Meanwhile, Congress continued the stalemate on domestic soil. Senator Lindsey Graham declared "cap-and-trade bill in the House and Senate are dead." And Senator John Rockefeller introduced legislation that would delay for two years the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon dioxide emissions.

In ten years, these will be the same guys wondering why we're dependent on Chinese wind turbines and solar panels.

Call it like you see it,

Nick

P.S. In case you missed any of this week's Green Chip articles — along with popular stories from our sister publications — you can catch up on them now...

British Columbia Power Costs to Increase: Canadian Utilities Struggle with Demand Trends
Editor Sam Hopkins sees through the Olympic afterglow to Vancouver's looming power rate increases and energy upheaval.

Pickens Plan — Game Back On: Billionaire Back to Backing Wind
Green Chip Editor Nick Hodge talks about a new Pickens Plan announcement, what it means for the wind industry, and how you can invest.

A Solution to the Coming Energy Crisis?: The Latest News in Nuclear
Short of nuclear fusion — still decades away — this discovery could prove to be the greatest advancement to the world's energy crisis in 50 years! Green Chip reveals the company with the worldwide monopoly on this monster metal — and why you should buy this stock while it's still selling for less than 20 cents.

Residential Solar Installers: Rooftop Solar in for a Boost
Green Chip's Nick Hodge discusses the residential solar boom in California and elsewhere... and the one company poised to take advantage.

Cash for Caulkers: Is It Worth It?
Editor Jeff Siegel takes a look at the new Cash for Caulkers program as President Obama outlines incentives this week in Washington.

Desalination Companies as an Energy Play: The Commodity All Energy Technologies Need
Energy & Capital Editor Nick Hodge exposes water as an overlooked play in the energy space and offers an easy way to start investing.

British Columbia Power Costs to Increase

Gold medals last forever, but Olympic cheer won't withstand an energy upheaval in British Columbia.

The Canadian province and its largest city Vancouver just hosted what many are calling the greenest Olympiad ever. With its reputation as a clean, coastal metropolis where quality of life is high, few observers or visitors seemed surprised that Vancouver set up online energy monitoring, made extra efforts in energy efficiency, and even aimed for carbon neutrality throughout this winter's Olympic fortnight.

Yet this week — just a few days after Canada's gold medal wins in men's and women's hockey over their neighbors to the south — Canadians and British Columbia residents in particular must confront per-capita energy consumption that beats the USA's average.

In 2006 (the last year for which data are available), Canadians used 8,262 kilograms of oil equivalent (kgoe) per person, compared to 7,768 kgoe for each U.S. resident.

As economic conditions fluctuate — 2006 was a boom year — intake numbers will move up and down as well. Nevertheless, provincial utility BC Hydro is preparing for a future with a clear upward trend in energy appetite and rising costs for Vancouver residents.

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15% in Rate Increases Loom for BC Hydro Customers

As February turned into March, BC government heads in the capital Victoria looked up every once in a while to watch their national heroes go for gold, but their attention was focused mainly on the provincial budget.

Everyone knows that the Olympics are seen by host cities and countries as a spending target unto themselves. Historically, the public spaces, transportation upgrades, and economic activity are an easy sell (not to mention every sports-minded person in the world knowing your city's name).

Across Canada, Montreal's Stade Olympique still stands, though the last race of the Montreal Olympiad was run almost 34 years ago. In Beijing, on the other hand, the famed "Bird's Nest" where the 2008 Opening Ceremonies were held is set for demolition — the Chinese evidently aren't interested in keeping urban mementos that hold 90,000 people.

Despite the desire to bask in Vancouver's afterglow, Finance Minister Colin Hansen announced on March 2 that he wants to pump up infrastructure spending in 2010 and 2011 while cutting funding in the out years to balance the budget. Where governments can rely on taxpayers to make such spending surges happen, BC Hydro is turning to ratepayers for the influx of funds.

BC Hydro customers are looking at 15% in rate increases over the next two years and up to 33% by 2013, with a 9.26% increase taking effect as soon as April 1. That adds up to about $7 extra on everyone's monthly bill — not enough to break the bank for most — but as incremental changes go, it's a sizable one that brings questions.

Namely: "What are we getting for the money?"

Instead of a winter sports wonderland, BC Hydro is upgrading hydroelectric facilities that are a generation old. The newest site slated for capacity expansion is the Revelstoke Dam, built way back in 1984.

The utility has already started bringing school-bus sized transformers to the generating station site, the local Revelstoke Times Review reports, and the goal is to bring new turbines online by October. Eventually, the Revelstoke buildout will add 500 MW to the nearly 2000 MW already up and running, and 40,000 additional residential customers are expected to be served by the upgrade during peak usage hours. In total, BC Hydro (whose full name BC Hydro and Power Authority, indicating a reach beyond just dam-based energy) serves 94% of the province's population centers.

Of those 1.8 million or so customers, nearly all are expected to ramp up consumption in the coming decades.

Gold for BC Hydro? Not So Fast

On its website, BC Hydro awards itself a "gold medal" for its consistent supply of power to the Vancouver Olympics. "By flawlessly powering the games," they say, "we feel we've won a gold medal, too."

Operating 30 hydroelectric plants plus a few natural gas ones, BC Hydro did avoid outages that could have left Bob Costas in the dark. Nevertheless, its upgrade plans don't seem to include any significant changes that will accommodate significant demand increases.

"The demand for energy could grow by as much as 40 percent over the next 20 years as the economy recovers, so we have to be ready for that," BC Hydro spokeswoman Susan Danard said in Thursday's edition of Canada's Globe and Mail national newspaper.

Canadian national net energy consumption grew from 309 billion kilowatt-hours in 1980 to 529 billion kWh in 2006 — a 71% jump. If the 40% in 20 years reckoning is correct, British Columbia electricity residents may be upping their wattage at a slower rate than the country as a whole. However, much of BC Hydro's current price pressure is due to declining non-residential consumption.

Third-quarter net income at the utility was down 50% in 2009 from 2008, as the provincial forestry market weakened and mills used less power. When the timber companies perk up, the power supply rope will tighten even more. The $7/month surcharge may seem like a small bump to avoid power shortages in the jewel of the Canadian Pacific.

If British Columbia is going to continue as a model for energy efficiency, it needs to diversify. The Canadian Wind Energy Association says that as of late last year, every Canadian province has wind energy capacity. Nationally, about a million homes can run off wind-generated power that totals 3359 MW. That represents a tenfold increase over the past six years!

By advancing beyond dam expansions, BC could help make another order of magnitude increase in Canadian clean power achievable.

Jeff Siegel is in Arizona today, but he's told me to let you know that a full report on British Columbia's top green power developer is coming your way very soon.

Regards,

Sam Hopkins

International Editor

P.S. - I'll be in Morocco in mid-April to take part in the Agissons Vert International Green Business Congress. There's a lot brewing in North Africa as European countries compete to establish utility-scale solar in the sunny region, and I'm going to see what's going and which companies are involved first-hand. You can find out how to join me in Casablanca here.

Cleantech's Yin Yang

The battle of cleantech yin and yang raged on this week as multiple billion-dollar announcements continued to remind us of the industry's coming of age.

In Australia, top cleantech operator AGL Energy Ltd. said it's shelving $1 billion in planned wind investments because of "uncertainty in the government's climate change policies."

Then on the same day, the government announced it had in fact overhauled its renewable energy scheme, leading Reuters to report "the changes would unblock multi-million dollar commercial projects planned by companies including AGL Energy Ltd. and Pacific Hydro."

So it looks like the balance of forces is equal in the land down under.

But here in the States, Deere Co. (NYSE: DE) has begun looking at options for its $1 billion wind portfolio (34 farms, 706 MW) under guidance from Goldman Sach's (NYSE: GS). Potential sale was given as one of the "options," but no reason was given for why the company was looking.

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In a $1.37 billion announcement of its own, the federal government awarded a loan guarantee to BrightSource Energy to aid development of 400 megawatts worth of solar thermal plants in California. It's the biggest single cleantech funding award by the government to date.

Big save from the Feds, but they choked on the next shot...

The Environmental Protection Agency announced it is softening carbon emission requirements on big industry, offering more exemptions for big polluters and delaying any firm regulation until 2011.

I would submit the agency is yielding to pressure from Congress, industry lobbyists, and the Texas lawsuit, two of which we discussed last weekend.

Luckily, Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) was there to step in, declaring in a webcast it will eliminate 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas from its supply chain by the end of 2015 — the equivalent of taking nearly 4 million cars off the road.

But Congress dropped the ball once more, as a survey of 12 key swing vote senators from both parties showed passage of a climate/energy bill this year is all but impossible.

Only one thing could save evil from reigning: Bloom Energy, which emerged from stealth mode this week with a 60 Minutes feature on their fuel cell.

Away from our shores, the battle remained one-sided, with perhaps even a bit of emerging romanticism between Europe and Asia.

Britain and Japan were sitting in a tree after Mitsubishi agreed to invest over $150 million in UK turbine development facility. The move furthers the Isle's ambitions of becoming an offshore wind energy mecca.

The country remained in the limelight when research firm Verdantix reported "large British businesses will spend over $5.3 billion on climate change initiatives in 2010." And that "will grow by 14 percent a year to reach $8.4 billion in 2013."

Not to be outdone, the British government announced a new Plug-in Car Grant. Capped at nearly $8,000, the grant will cover a quarter of the cost of electric cars for private and fleet buyers.

And finally...

The German government made public its new feed-in tariff (FiT) cuts. Rooftops and "brownfield" installations get a 16% cut after July 1. Farmland installations are no longer available.

Green Chip has covered this topic well, as subsidy reduction is a sure sign of an industry's maturity. And we've also correctly forecast the outcome: A rush on eligible installs would occur, fed by a rush of imported panels from China.

This is exactly what is (and has been) happening. And new financial reports are showing the result, which Green Chip investors have been capitalizing on...

Chinese companies are killing their quarterly reports. Trina (NYSE: TSL) just reported a $49.2 million quarterly profit, worth $0.74 per share. Estimates were only $0.60 per share.

And more companies are reporting soon, leading Deutsche Bank to practically upgrade the entire sector, saying it expects "Chinese solar firms to be the major beneficiaries of a growth in global demand for photovoltaic modules in 2010."

The success is coming at the peril of European based firms though. SolarWorld (XETRA: SWV), Germany's largest solar company, says it won't meet sales estimates for 2020; Q-Cells (XETRA: QCE) won't give an outlook for the year; and Renewable Energy Corp. (OSLO: REC) says the first two quarters would be "challenging."

We'll continue to help you navigate, starting with a summary of this week's coverage below...

Call it like you see it,

Nick

SEC Mandates Disclosure of Climate Risk: The SEC's Energy Game-Changer
Energy & Capital Editor Nick Hodge takes a look at a recent SEC ruling and divulges how it will impact energy investors.

The Golden State's Latest Wind News: The Recent Law that Will Propel Wind to Profit
Green Chip reports: On January 1, 2010, a new California state law went into effect. And now, 20% of all power generated by California utilities must be generated from renewable sources. This single wind energy stock could deliver gains of more than 112% in the next 4 months!

Arizona Anti-Solar Bill Defeated: Bureaucrats Backpedal on Solar-Killing Bill
Green Chip Publisher Jeff Siegel explains why bureaucrats have been forced to kill a bill that would've gutted the state's solar industry.

Change Coming to German Solar Industry: The World's Solar Panel Leader is Transforming
Editor Sam Hopkins separates fact from fiction in the plan to cut Germany's feed-in tariff (FIT) this summer.

Arizona Solar Bill: Bureaucrats Bully Arizona Solar
Green Chip's Jeff Siegel calls out bully bureaucrats that seek to sink solar momentum in Arizona.

Bloom Energy IPO?: Bloom Energy Featured on 60 Min
Editor Nick Hodge dispels rumors of a Bloom Energy IPO after the company was featured on 60 Minutes.

Debating Climate Change: Debating Climate Change Won't Make You Rich
Green Chip's Jeff Siegel explains why debating climate change won't make rich, but reveals some opportune places to look that could.

The Verdict on the Bloom Box and the 60 Min Coup: Is the Bloom Box Energy's Holy Grail?
Green Chip Editor Chris Nelder takes a critical look at the new Bloom Box fuel cell system, and concludes that it's a modest improvement over standard natural gas-fired power...

Why the "We" vs. "They" Stuff is Getting Old

We've been saying that nuclear energy would see a resurgence under the Obama Administration, and more evidence to that effect surfaced this week...

On Monday, the administration announced $8.3 billion in loan guarantees that will allow Southern Co. (NSYE: SO) to start work on two new reactors. They'll be the first in the States in nearly three decades.

But that amounts to only a fraction of the $54 billion he's requested for the industry, which the Department of Energy says will be enough to get eight more reactors underway.

It's funny how nuclear has evolved as the only political common ground in the energy debate...

Most other issues are bitterly divided, which is one reason Evan Bayh, a long-time U.S. senator, announced he won't seek reelection. United Nations climate chief Yvo de Boer, who oversaw the failed Copenhagen talks, announced he's stepping down for similar reasons.

And that wasn't the only divisiveness this week...

On Tuesday, BP America, ConocoPhillips, and Caterpillar rescinded their membership in the U.S. Climate Action Partnership — a group lobbying for progressive energy legislation — saying it would hurt their businesses.

Win Big When the Next Domino Tumbles

First there was housing... then the banks. And after that it was the automakers that came crashing down. Next up is a Commercial Real Estate Crash.

And unfortunately - just like the rest of them - the government's last-ditch efforts to prop up this domino are all doomed to fail.

But a 372-year-old investing technique is the answer to it all. And it might not only save your portfolio during this $1 trillion crisis... but also make you a fortune!

To learn more about this moneymaking opportunity click here.

This We vs. They stuff is getting old. Climate change and peak oil affects us all, and all companies — oil majors included — have a part of the solution to offer.

But apparently Texas didn't get the memo. It filed a petition in federal court this week challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's finding that carbon emissions endanger human health.

Governor Rick Perry called the EPA's finding "misguided." Of course, that's moronic. Let's hook his mouth up to a tailpipe for a day and see if his health improves.

Outside the Divided States, the rest of the world continued laying plans that will ensure continued economic prosperity, job creation, and energy security...

German-based Siemens (NYSEL: SI) — Europe's largest engineering group — said it will focus on mergers and acquisitions in its pursuit to become one of the top three turbine producers in the world.

Five new companies joined the $549 billion Desertec initiative, which plans to harness solar energy in the Sahara with which to power all of Europe. (The plan is genius.)

Italy announced it will double its solar capacity this year to 2,000 megawatts as installers race to claim incentives before they expire later this year.

And the European Wind Energy Association was out with a report this week showing "the European Union will meet and could even exceed its target of getting 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020."

The U.S. has no such national target.

In a brilliant soccer analogy this week, Chris Nelder summed up perfectly what we as a nation need to do and what will happen if we don't:

We need to learn teamwork and good sportsmanship. The Greens, the Browns, the Department of Energy, Congress and all the states should work together to score a win for Team America.

Or we can stay in the pee wee league while the smart teams go on to play for the resource championship of the world.

You can catch the full article below.

Call it like you see it,

Nick

Renewable Energy Legislation: Legal Eagles Help Cleantech Stars Rise
Editor Sam Hopkins has met some legal eagles whose sights are fixed squarely on cleantech, and he explains why lawyers are imperative to the success of the sector.

The Monster Metal: The Most Profitable Nuclear Advancement in 50 Years
Short of nuclear fusion (which is still decades away), this discovery could prove to be the greatest advancement to the world's energy crisis in 50 years! Green Chip reveals the company with the worldwide monopoly on this monster metal — and why you should buy this stock while it's still selling for less than 20 cents.

What Soccer Can Teach Us about Energy Policy: An Energy Playbook for Team USA
Energy and Capital Editor Chris Nelder draws some lessons from the world's most beloved sport about how to formulate good energy policy...

The Coming End of a 40-Year Drug War: Why It Could Mean Massive Profits for Investors
Green Chip reports: The same drug cartel that has fed our nation's oil addiction for more than four decades is about to crumble. This new report reveals why a staggering amount of money is about to be made from the end of the biggest and most powerful monopoly of our nation's history.

Nuclear Energy's Second Wind: How to Harness Energy's New Picks & Shovels
Energy & Capital Editor Nick Hodge covers the recent surge in nuclear news and the one company about to capture growth on the fuel side of the business.

The Single Uranium Stock to Buy Right Now: Uranium on the Rise as Obama Goes Nuclear
Publisher Brian Hicks explains what a pro-nuclear President means for uranium, and recommends a stock that should see gains of 100% — or better — by July.

China's Clean Energy Progress: Who's Winning the Cleantech Arms Race?
Green Chip Editor Nick Hodge discusses China's clean energy progress and how the U.S. is in danger of falling behind.

The Continuing Tale of Cleantech's Maturation

Last week, we covered the emergence of China as a cleantech stalwart during a time in which the U.S. has shown scant progress.

The theme isn't much different this week, though there is more positive news to report on a global basis...

For starters, maturation of the cleantech market was evident this week by the number of mergers and acquisitions taking place, and the number of new initiatives announced by blue chip companies.

SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWRA) announced they're buying European solar integrator SunRay in a $277 million deal.

The world's largest nuclear plant builder, Areva, is buying the much-hyped solar startup Ausra for an undisclosed amount. But you can bet it was a hefty sum, as venture capitalists alone had more than $130 million tied up in the company.

And there were other announcements showing cleantech's maturation...

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Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is building a green distribution center in Vancouver. The refrigerated warehouse will be 60% more efficient than current centers, thanks largely to improved forklifts, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and solar panels.

United Technologies (NYSE: UTX) said they're on the verge of making "bigger bets" in the space, including a possible takeover of turbine maker Clipper Windpower (LSE: CWP).

And while litigation is rarely a good thing, GE's decision to sue Mitsubishi over wind turbine patent infringement shows just how big the financial implications of cleantech have become.

But despite the positive announcements, all cleantech roads are still leading to China.

Solar companies based there came out swinging as earnings season got underway. JA Solar (NASDAQ: JASO) and Renesola (NYSE: SOL) each beat estimates, sending shares higher.

Europe is scaling back its feed-in tariffs (FITs) — which is also a sign of market maturation — and solar integrators are rushing to buy discounted Chinese modules before the subsidy cuts take place later this year.

The rest of the group will be reporting over the next few weeks, and good results are expected across the board.

And Datang Corp., China's second-largest power producer, said this week that it plans to float shares of its renewable energy unit in a $1 billion Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO).

If that weren't enough, we learned this week that China has finished design work on three Westinghouse nuclear plants. Construction will begin this year on all three plants.

Westinghouse, a unit of Japan's Toshiba, already has four reactors under construction in the Middle Kingdom. Areva (the company that bought Ausra) is building two.

Nuclear growth in China — and elsewhere — is the reason Green Chip began covering the space this year.

We'll continue covering that story — and all other green business trends — as it develops.

You can catch up on the rest of this week's Green Chip coverage below...

Call it like you see it,

Nick

The Rooftop Solar Market: Local Solutions Crack the Solar Financing Nut
Green Chip Review Editor Chris Nelder sees the pieces falling into place that will set the stage for an explosion of distributed rooftop solar in the United States.

Thank You, Mr. President: How Obama has Made Green Investors Rich
Green Chip reports: How what started as a campaign promise to be ‘greener' has become the surefire investment of our lifetime... and how those who invest appropriately are going to make an absolute fortune over the next four years.

Geothermal Energy in Iceland: Could Magma Heat Power Your Car?
Green Chip Editor Sam Hopkins breaks down key lessons from his meeting with the head of Iceland's National Energy Authority.

Chinese Cleantech Companies — Made in the USA (by China): Where China's Spending $12Mil/Hour
Energy & Capital Editor Nick Hodge discusses China's clean energy spending, how they're outpacing the U.S., and why they'll soon emerge as a cleantech powerhouse.

Investing in Green Chip Stocks: 5 Green Chip Stocks to Buy While They're Cheap
Editor Jeff Siegel reviews 5 Green Chip Stocks to buy while they're still cheap.

The Monster Metal: The Most Profitable Nuclear Advancement in 50 Years
Short of nuclear fusion (which is still decades away), this discovery could prove to be the greatest advancement to the world's energy crisis in 50 years! Green Chip reveals the company with the worldwide monopoly on this monster metal - and why you should buy this stock while it's still selling for less than 20 cents.

Maryland Offshore Wind Power: New Study Says 12,000 Turbines Could Go Offshore
Energy and Capital Editor Sam Hopkins reports on the latest news over Maryland's clean energy capacity. According to his research, 20% of the state's electricity will come from renewable sources within the next decade. Sam targets one opportunity that Marylanders are focusing on right now.

Investing in Green Chip Stocks

A doctor walks into an examining room and tells his patient that he has some good news and some bad news.

The good news is that his tests show he has 24 hours to live.

The patient asks, "What's the bad news?"

To which the doctor replies, "I meant to tell you about this yesterday."

Timing is everything, my friends.

And while jokes about bad timing can certainly give you a good laugh, there's nothing funny about it when you're at the losing end of a poorly-timed trade...

Big Pharma's Survival Strategy

$7.5 billion a year in research and development is simply too big a pill for Big Pharma to swallow.

That's why they're buying out their breakthroughs for pennies on the dollar.

And their biggest target right now... is one I'm guaranteeing with my own money.

Learn all about it right here.

I certainly got a dose of that bitter pill when I first began studying energy markets back in the early 1990s.

You see, the more I read and the more I learned, the more I was convinced that this very dangerous and unsustainable fossil fuel foundation on which our energy economy was built would ultimately leave us vulnerable to economic and environmental catastrophe.

There was no swaying my belief that alternative energy solutions were the only way by which we could avert disaster. So I began sharing what I had learned, and I also jumped on a few early alternative energy startups that, well, went belly up.

Now understand that these were not bad companies...

Management was always top-notch; the technology was about as advanced as it came back then; there was definitely some big money backing these operations. In fact, most of the guys I knew back then are now major players in the alternative energy industry.

But none of that mattered back then. Because, while it was obvious to me that we would not be able to quench our future thirst for energy with only conventional fossil fuel resources, no one else seemed to know it — or even cared to discuss it.

The fact is back in 1993-1994, you would've been hard-pressed to find more than a dozen investors who knew about peak oil, the liquidation of natural capital, or the billions in subsidies that have kept the fossil fuel machine purring for all these years.

You weren't going to read about this stuff in Newsweek; you weren't going to hear it from the major news organizations, and you know damn well the politicians weren't going to bring it up.

But all that has changed. And today, there's a wealth of data available for any investor willing to take the time to do the research. Not to mention, literally hundreds of alternative energy stocks to choose from.

Of course, there is one thing that hasn't changed — and that's the importance of timing.

Is the Timing Right for these Green Chips?

In 2009, timing allowed us to help a lot of investors make a lot of money. Especially in energy efficiency, where our Comverge (NASDAQ: COMV) play delivered gains in excess of 145.5%, and our EnerNOC (NASDAQ:ENOC) play finished the year with a gain of 321.07%.

But as the year came to close, I began cautioning against a market that was just getting too hot — especially considering the still very volatile global economy.

This is the reason editors Nick Hodge, Sam Hopkins, and I have only provided coverage on a few stocks so far this year.

Bottom line: The timing simply hasn't been right for the kind of buying spree we witnessed last year after the market bottomed out.

But it's getting pretty damn close again. Especially in solar, where an overreaction to a German feed-in tariff cut put additional downward pressure on a broader market-driven decline...

It was a double whammy that has pushed a number of quality solar stocks down to some pretty attractive levels.

Especially the Chinese players.

You see, while a cut in the German feed-in tariff (which is absolutely necessary if you want to avoid a massive bubble) will not make life easy for German manufacturers, the Chinese manufacturers — with their significant pricing advantages — will inevitably benefit from new market share.

The first half of this year will still be a bit bumpy. But by the end of the year, it will be many of these Chinese players profiting big time from Germany's solar market — this, by the way, is not insignificant.

This is a very pro-solar country, representing about 50 percent of the global market for photovoltaics (oddly enough with nowhere near the solar potential as in the United States), a pro-solar government, and pro-solar banks with relatively deep pockets for financing.

So in an effort to capitalize on what is sure to be a continuation of China's solar dominance going forward, we're looking to pick up shares of the following Chinese solar stocks on major dips:

Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE)
JA Solar (NASDAQ: JASO)
Canadian Solar (NASDAW: CSIQ)
Suntech Power (NYSE: STP)
Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL)

At current levels, I have little doubt that these stocks will deliver gains of anywhere between 10 to 30 percent by summer — assuming the market doesn't implode again. And for sake of clarification, I wouldn't necessarily cross that off as a possibility, either.

Again, it's all about timing.

But while it's impossible to pinpoint the bottom with complete accuracy, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know a bargain when you see one.

And as we learned last year, those who are in it for the long haul — and can exercise a little patience — will be rewarded.

To a new way of life, and a new generation of wealth...

Jeff

Notes from This Year's RETECH Expo

I spent part of this week at RETECH 2010, keeping up to date with global policy initiatives, cleantech capital flows, and gaining perspective on the short- and long-term scenarios for our industry.

There were facts and data aplenty, and as soon as I reread my notes and comb through the PowerPoints, I'll be passing the information along to you. But the short version is this...

The United States had better get its act together. We've still no federal renewable energy standard; no carbon pricing mechanism; no robust incentive or tariff plans to bring solar and wind to parity; no way to streamline big projects; and no 21^st century grid to handle the new generation sources that we're behind in deploying.

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Meanwhile... China emerged last year as the number one wind market in the world, nearly doubling their capacity with 13 gigawatts installed. They're spending $12 million an hour ensuring not only that they win the cleantech arms race... but that they're in a position to export that technology around the globe.

China's financial commitment to cleantech is fully 3% of their GDP. The funds that have been allocated here in the States work out to about 0.5% of ours.

During a session at the conference, Hunter Jiang, president of GCL Solar Energy, didn't mince words about his country's position. After ruminating on China's laggard position throughout modern history's industrial revolutions and commenting on how automobiles and computers were cradled elsewhere, he said, "Today we are the leader."

Next year his company, GCL Solar Energy, will produce 21,000 metric tons of polysilicon. Their wafer capacity will be 2 gigawatts.

Elsewhere this week...

Brazil's Cosan (NSYE: CZZ) — GCI stock pick and world's largest ethanol and sugar processor — agreed to merge its ethanol and fuel distribution businesses with Shell in a $12 billion deal.

The European Union decided this week to hold a technology competition for capture and sequestration (CCS). The prize is nearly $6 billion, and will be taken from the bloc's carbon market.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, the International Monetary Fund said it's working on plans for an international "green fund" to help developing countries deal with climate change. IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said it "could climb to $100 billion a year."

In the U.S., our wake up call continued...

The International Energy Agency warned this week that we can't meet our emissions goals unless we put a price on carbon (Remember, the EU is handing out $6 billion prizes from their scheme.).

According to executive director Nobuo Tanaka: "To really achieve these (emission) targets, the U.S. certainly has to introduce carbon prices either by cap-and-trade or carbon tax. The Senate must pass this comprehensive energy and climate bill otherwise it cannot design a cap and trade system."

And while the president's budget calls for a "comprehensive market-based policy" to fight climate change, it dropped any projected revenues from such a scheme. Last year, Obama forecast revenues of $646 billion in the years 2012-2019 from an emissions trading program.

That's pretty much the last nail in the cap-and-trade coffin.

We also learned that cellulosic ethanol makers won't come close to meeting their 100 million gallon Congressional output target this year. Instead, the target will be more than 90% less at just 6.5 million gallons.

Yet, I mentioned to find a few bright spots...

The Obama budget asked Congress for a second time to end nearly $40 billion in subsidies for the oil and gas industries and to direct those funds to foster the clean energy economy.

And a report by the RES-Alliance for Jobs found that a federal RES of 25% by 2025 will create three times more jobs than other measures currently being debated by Congress. With unemployment hovering at 10%, Washington is all about jobs these days.

If energy security and reduced emissions won't get Congress to act... maybe a few million green jobs will.

Expect full coverage of the conference next week. You can catch up on the rest of this week's coverage below...

Call it like you see it,

Nick

The Best-Kept Secret of the New Decade: A Single Chinese Lithium Battery Company
The same inventor who perfected the lithium-ion batteries that enable your laptop, cell phone, and other devices to last days on a single charge has been working on his latest to capitalize on the future of transportation. Green Chip reveals this tiny Chinese battery company and what you need to know to get in on this profit opportunity.

The Monster Metal: The Most Profitable Nuclear Advancement in 50 Years
Short of nuclear fusion (which is still decades away), this discovery could prove to be the greatest advancement to the world's energy crisis in 50 years! Green Chip reveals the company with the worldwide monopoly on this monster metal — and why you should buy this stock while it's still selling for less than 20 cents.

Nuclear Energy Stocks: Nuclear Hurdles & Profitable Leaps
Energy and Capital's Nick Hodge gives readers the ins and outs of the upcoming nuclear revival, including the best way for investors to play this growing trend.

Sugar and Cellulosic Ethanol Stocks: Shell Bets Billions on Brazilian Ethanol
Editor Sam Hopkins writes from D.C. today, where he's attending the American Council on Renewable Energy's RETECH expo, and mining the showcases and speakers for new stock picks...

Green Dividend Stocks: Green Stocks That Pay Investors a Bonus
Green Chip Editor Nick Hodge discusses green dividend stocks, how to identify them, and why they're a good buy during rough times.

Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Opens: Tennessee Plant to Turn Corn Cobs into Fuel
Green Chip's Sam Hopkins reports on news of DuPont Danisco, opening a demonstration plant in Tennessee in February where cellulose-rich corn cobs and switchgrass will be converted to fuel.

Green Dividend Stocks

Now that the market has taken a sustained slide after a months-long bull run, more and more people are asking about safe green investments.

Specifically, they want to know about green dividend stocks.

Of course, dividend stocks are nothing new in the investment world. But in case you're not familiar, here's a brief recap.

What are Dividend Stocks?

When a company turns a profit, it has a few options:

It can pay down debt;
It can repurchase shares;
It can reinvest in the business; or
It can share the profit with shareholders.

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When a company chooses to share its profits with shareholders, it pays a dividend.

The dividend can vary in percentage and must be approved by the company's board of directors. The amount you receive is called a dividend yield.

My colleague Steve Christ succinctly described dividend yield in a recent Wealth Daily article:

Dividend yield is simply your rate of return from dividend payouts, exclusive of any stock price appreciation. It's calculated by dividing the dividends you receive over a year's time by the price you paid for the stock.

For example, your dividend yield is 5% if you paid $20 per share, and you receive $1 per share in dividends ($1/$20) over the 12 months following your purchase.

Dividend yield, however, is not a fixed number. It changes along with the share price. For instance, say someone else buys the same stock a week later when the share price had moved up to $25.

Instead of 5%, their dividend yield would only be 4% ($1/$25).

In short, it is a cash payout that you receive for simply being a shareholder, sort of like receiving a bonus based on a company's earnings.

What's more, dividends are taxed at a much lesser rate than other income.

During times of market angst, many investors turn to dividends because they are paid regardless of the stock's performance — especially if the company has a solid history of dividend payouts.

Are There Green Dividend Stocks?

When choosing a dividend stock, you'll want to look for its annual dividend rate. For most investors, the easiest way to do this is in the Key Statistics section on Yahoo! Finance. Take Emerson Electric (NYSE: EMR) for example, the smart grid and efficiency specialist...

You'll see that it pays a $1.33 annual dividend (Rate), or 3.2% (Yield) of the current share price. That means you get $1.33 per year per share. The Yield will change based on the stock price, but the Rate will remain the same, until changed by the board of directors.

Now, some green stocks are in nascent industries like wind and solar, and haven't yet established the constant earnings and cash flow required to offer a dividend. You're probably better served by checking out larger companies like utilities, water companies, and transmission and distribution companies.

Anything above 5% yield is pretty good, but you'll want to check the company's website to see its history of payouts. General Electric (NYSE: GE), for example, has been constantly decreasing its dividend.

Here's a brief list of green dividend stocks to get you started:

ABB (NYSE: ABB)
ESCO Technologies (NYSE: ESE)
Flowserve (NYSE: FLS)
Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI)
Lindsay Corp. (NYSE: LNN)
Integrys Energy (NYSE: TEG)
Ormat Technologies (NYSE: ORA)
United Technologies (NYSE: UTX)
Veolia Environment (NYSE: VE)

Call it like you see it,

Nick

Obama Highlights Energy as Sector for Innovation in State of the Union

The disparity between cleantech news and stock performance couldn't be greater.

News of completed deals, capacity expansion, IPOs, and the availability of capital whirled around the wire all week... yet the sell-off continued, putting us back to November levels:

Of course, it's hard to blame investors for taking profits on a market that surged 60% since last March.

I'd like to think of it as the inverse of the "two steps back" colloquialism; this is our one step back before marching forward.

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So we know that stocks have been off a bit. Here's this week's portion of the reasons they'll come back...

We learned on Monday that U.S. wind capacity surged 39% in 2009, from 25,100 MW to 35,000 MW. The 9.9 GW installed last year far surpassed the 8.4 GW installed in 2008.

More than 85,000 people now find work in the U.S. wind energy industry.

On Tuesday, General Motors continued to cement the future of electric transportation. As Chris Nelder pointed out this week (you can catch his article below), the Volt is quickly emerging as GM's flagship product — much like Toyota's Prius — and the company embraced it by announcing it will set up a $246 million plant to build electric motors.

That's on top Ford's $450 million battery plant announcement a few weeks ago.

Things were really heating up by Wednesday, before the State of the Union was even delivered.

In a major breakthrough, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted 3-2 that "companies have a responsibility to discuss the effects of the environment and pending rules on their business." That decision should add to the value of cleantech companies while detracting from those with climate or carbon risks.

The same day, a $3.9 billion BlackRock energy fund anointed the cleantech sector, saying it's about to increase its exposure to solar stocks. More than half of the mega energy fund is now weighted in renewable energy

By Wednesday night, the wheels were really turning as the President mentioned "clean energy" or "clean technology" at least four times in his first State of the Union address.

Here's a little piece of it:

...We need to encourage American innovation. Last year, we made the largest investment in basic research funding in history, an investment — an investment that could lead to the world's cheapest solar cells or treatment that kills cancer cells but leaves healthy ones untouched.

And no area is more ripe for such innovation than energy. You can see the results of last year's investments in clean energy in the North Carolina company that will create 1,200 jobs nationwide, helping to make advanced batteries, or in the California business that will put 1,000 people to work making solar panels.

But to create more of these clean-energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives, and that means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country...

It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development...

It means continued investment in advanced biofuels and clean-coal technologies.

And, yes, it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy in America.

And the industrial world is taking notice of the trend. Power equipment giant Alstom declared on Thursday that it "expects demand for renewable and nuclear technologies to outstrip growth in coal and gas fired electricity projects."

I've been telling you nuclear would heat up this year...

And by the end of the week, Obama had proposed a tripling of government loan guarantees for nuclear reactors to more than $54 billion.

Look for a new Green Chip nuclear play in the coming week to take advantage.

You can catch the rest of this week's coverage below.

Call it like you see it,

Nick

Reduce Your Monthly Energy Bill by 44%: How You Can Stick it to Your Power Company
The tech behind this little company is a foolproof winner. It makes so much sense, for so many reasons, that Alternative Energy Guru Nick Hodge has no doubt everyone will be using it within the next decade.

Spain's Solar Power Market Meets Morocco: Europe Looks South for Clean Energy Growth
International Editor Sam Hopkins highlights Morocco's role in reinvigorating the Spanish solar power market and generating more local energy for North Africa.

How to Profit from Energy Efficiency: The NYSE Itself is Bullish on this Tech
Energy & Capital Editor Nick Hodge discusses the business of energy efficiency and how investors can profit as global companies optimize their operations.

Green Energy, the Belle of the Ball in 2010: The Day the World Turned from Brown to Green
Green Chip Editor Chris Nelder marks the moment when public sentiment switched from fossil fuels to green energy.

Scott Brown Energy Agenda: Will this Senator Kill Renewables?
Publisher Jeff Siegel reviews new political influence in Washington and discusses how it could impact renewables.

Seeing 2020: Part III, Kauai in the Next Decade
Contributing Green Chip Editor Jon Letman completes a three-part series as he details how climate change evokes real change in Hawaii's communities.

Green Energy: The Belle of the Ball in 2010

Every once in a while, the tone of the energy market shifts in a way that seems subtle at the time, but is a major turning point in hindsight. I believe one is happening now.

January 2007 was such a moment, a time of palpable excitement around renewable energy. Solar, wind, and other renewable plays exploded that year, and First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) gained 866%.

July 2007 offered another, when the IEA had its "come-to-Jesus moment." The depletion of mature oil fields was finally out of the bag and in plain view, and it worked a sea-change on the debate about the future of oil. Fairy tales of endless growth gave way to a more earnest discussion about whether unconventional oil could replace conventional oil, which had flatlined since the end of 2004.

I marked Memorial Day 2008 as the moment when peak oil emerged from obscurity in the media, and the debate shifted from denial to serious inquiry. My intensive study of the subject, Profit from the Peak, had just been published and numerous media appearances followed where I explained what peak oil was about.

Now, anyone who is paying attention knows what it means (or at least think they know what it means), and the topic is casually included in financial and news discussions.

A small California wind energy company is now developing a wind farm worth $700 million.

Here's how to get your cut!

But those were mere eddies compared to the wave I can feel building now. It's as if all the political momentum — indeed the entire public dialogue about energy — has suddenly changed from Brown to Green.

In the wake of the failed Copenhagen talks, and with the potentially imminent death of cap-and-trade legislation, the world seems to have realized what I've been saying all along: It's better to incentivize than penalize. Focus on generating renewable energy first, and then worry about the emissions that remain.

Automobiles

Peak oil awareness has clearly motivated the auto industry to shift aggressively into electric propulsion. Toyota U.S.A. President and COO Jim Lentz said in November, "Our model on future energy is that we will probably see peak oil some time around the end of the next decade, so whether it's 2017 or 2020, it's gonna be some time in that neighborhood."

GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz was even blunter in his keynote at the LA Auto Show in December: "Going forward, the automobile industry simply can no longer rely on oil to supply 98 percent of the world's automotive energy requirements."

Their response has been dramatic. Toyota's Prius and GM's Volt are their new flagship products. BMW, to my great relief, has abandoned its hydrogen car program and is going full-throttle into electric cars. Nissan and Mitsubishi are tooled for mass production of their electrics. Better Place, the recharging infrastructure and battery swapping play, has raised $700 million and it's not even in operation yet.

Rail

Rail is moving back onto the U.S. national agenda, with $8 billion in new grants for high speed rail announced this week as part of its $13 billion share of the federal stimulus package. Florida is expected to capture $2.5 billion of that for a high speed link from Orlando to Tampa. A $171 million Department of Transportation loan announced this week will green-light the rebuilding of San Francisco's Transbay Terminal as a high-speed rail depot while the project's $400 million federal stimulus application is reviewed.

To be sure, $8 billion is a paltry beginning-perhaps 2% of the federal commitment that will be needed to really rail-ify America. The San Francisco-Los Angeles high speed line alone will cost on the order of $40 billion. The full cost of installing high speed rail and intra-city light rail across America will be somewhere in the low trillions, it will probably take us decades, and most of the interstate links will have to be federally funded.

The stimulus money for high speed rail isn't part of some comprehensive national transportation strategy to counter the peak oil threat, because no such strategy exists. But it could be the best investment in the hastily conceived, shovel-ready jobs stimulus package, because it will give us in a critically important long-term asset.

For perspective on that $13 billion, consider that Beijing is already executing its plan to build a $556 billion high speed rail system linking nearly all its provincial cities in the next five years. The Shanghai-Beijing link alone is expected to create half a million jobs. And unlike the $779 billion in the U.S. stimulus package that will not go to rail projects, Beijing's investment will result in a permanent and absolutely vital asset.

Were the U.S. doing anything of the kind, I might never worry my weary head again about peak oil.

Wind and Grid

A study released this week by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) showed that as much as 30% of the eastern seaboard and the Midwest could be powered by wind, and 20% could be done by 2024 — if the transmission lines existed.

NREL estimates the grid will need 20,000 new miles of backbone at a cost of around $90 billion. Building it would create around 280,000 new jobs and give us a critical long-term asset. It's a perfect example of appropriate federal investment in national infrastructure, yet it faces NIMBY opposition everywhere. A heavier hand may be required to push it through. It's good to see transmission reform legislation making its way through Congress now, but I pray it doesn't blow up into a states' rights hubbub.

Compare that to the $42 billion HVDC "super grid" that nine European countries plan to build around the North Sea that will enable all of them to use renewable power, whether it's being generated by offshore wind in Denmark, wave power in Scotland, solar power in North Africa, or hydropower in Norway. It will form the heart of a much larger, $400 billion pan-European super grid; a critical link in achieving the EU's 20% by 2020 target.

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Or compare again to China, with its $217 billion investment in electric grid infrastructure from 2006 to 2010 alone.

The good news is that while building the electric infrastructure of the future isn't cheap, it isn't expensive either. The NREL study concluded that the avoided future cost of coal-fired power would more than offset the cost of the new grid infrastructure. We must assume that's before even factoring in any externalized costs, or any peak-oil adjusted estimates of the future costs.

However we'll have to move faster. NREL's 20% scenario is based on 225,000 megawatts (MW) of new wind capacity, or 16,000 MW a year through 2024. The U.S. installed only 10,000 MW of new capacity in 2009 according to the AWEA, so we'd have to post a 60% growth rate from current levels to deploy that much.

Meanwhile, ten times that — more than 100,000 MW of offshore wind capacity alone — is currently under development in Europe.

Solar

Solar power is making progress on several different fronts.

The snowball of Chinese solar manufacturers opening plants in the U.S. rolls on, with the announcement that Suntech (NYSE: STP) is building a new plant in Arizona.

Distributed local generation is making great strides. In California, the Southern California Edison utility has launched a competitive bidding process for 225 MW of rooftop solar capacity, with a project size of 1-2 MW. Another 250 MW will be purchased from independent solar developers. Utility PG&E is expected to launch a similar 500 MW offering soon. Even better, a proposed feed-in tariff for 1 to 10 MW-sized renewable projects is in the works. The progress for bellwether California in distributed generation bodes well for the rest of the country, suggesting that transmission grid support for utility-scale solar may become less of a hurdle for the industry as a whole.

Incentive programs elsewhere in the country continue to enjoy enthusiastic receptions where the price is right. A new $4 million incentive offering for residential and small commercial solar in Massachusetts was fully subscribed in the first four hours this week, reflecting a strong build-up of demand. Generous rooftop solar incentives in states like New Jersey and New York are being exhausted and replenished yearly.

Materials research in photovoltaics (PV) continues to show promise as well, in areas like cell backing materials, adhesion methods, new cell formulations and production methods, and longevity testing and hardening. PV looks well on its way to cutting costs on a Moore's Law curve.

Building efficiency is also enjoying an explosion of subsidies and new plays. Watch this space for developments in that sector.

Brown Going Down

Meanwhile, things aren't going too well for the fossil fuel sector, which is under attack on every side.

Oil remains precariously balanced on the narrow ledge of prices, as does natural gas to a lesser extent. The supply of both remains sufficient to keep the specter of shortage marginal pricing at bay. Inventories are reasonably high, and prices aren't high enough to induce new drilling for high-risk or high-cost prospects. Even so, the worsening outlook for the refining sector continues to support the price of gasoline and other finished products.

Costs remain a bit too high for the comfort of marginal producers, as evidenced by an interview with Royal Dutch Shell CEO Peter Voser in London's Financial Times this week. The company was no longer counting on growth from tar sands production, he said, and its plan to expand operations in Albert by roughly half a million barrels per day remained shelved. Conventional oil and gas drilling is their new strategic direction, simply because the costs are so much lower than for tar sands development. (This, of course, is no surprise.)

The commodities markets in general seem to be showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, or at the very least recency bias. The trade is overwrought on fairly inconsequential signals, and there seems to be a roughly equal balance between those expecting higher and lower prices. I'm beginning to suspect that this will be a low signal-to-noise ratio year for the commodity sector, with traders slugging it out in a narrow price range and fewer solid tradeable opportunities than the last several years offered.

Concerns over public water supply contamination from hydraulic fracking shale gas operations aren't going away, and the EPA has set up a consumer complaint hotline. We simply don't have enough information yet to know whether the issue is overblown or a serious enough problem to kill the practice. However, public sentiment isn't likely to yield to science on this issue any time soon and could dampen the enthusiasm for new shale gas development.

The effort to stop mountaintop removal in coal operations isn't going away either, and emissions control is still very much in play at the EPA.

The Gains We Underestimated

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The news is nearly all bad. The fossil fuel industry wakes up every day to a drumbeat of reports on oil spills, tanker traffic interruptions, environmental lawsuits, and so on, but their main sales pitch to the public is a weak one about jobs. Their message continues to fall hard on the consumer's ear, which is much more attuned now to the questions on long-term supply, security, and sustainability.

The Browns are looking more the lumbering, hidebound beast every day; meanwhile, a thousand alternatives sprout around them. They trumpet their investments in clean energy, but the fact remains that it still represents a small fraction of their investment in new BTUs overall.

I don't know what to call it: the Great Eye, the hive mind, the ideasphere... but it has turned and its attention is fixed on renewables. The Browns will find it hard to get any love this year, but the Greens will be the belle of the ball.

Until next time,

Chris

Note: If you want to see where the Greens gather to do business, you should join my colleagues and Green Chip International editors Sam Hopkins and Nick Hodge at the ReTech 2010 conference in Washington, D.C. taking place February 3-5. You can choose from 6 different informational tracks that will get you up to speed on all the changes taking the U.S. and global economy from Brown to Green. Check the conference website for more information.

Scott Brown Energy Agenda

Sometimes, talking politics in these pages can incite a hostile response.

Certainly those less-than cordial messages that show up on our message board from time to time remind me of this. But rest assured those messages don't dissuade us.

Because bottom line: When it comes to investing in energy, it's imperative to pay very close attention to what's going on in Washington. Like it or not, policy can dictate the performance of various energy sectors.

We've seen proof of this with President Obama and his alternative energy agenda.

Although despite the overwhelming evidence that proves renewables to be both environmentally and economically superior to fossil fuels — don't think for a second that the backward fossil fool mentality in Washington has gone gently into that good night just because the President's supporting the transition to clean energy.

Take Democrat Robert Byrd, for instance. The West Virginia Senator is often the first to sing the praises of coal while folks in his home state have had to sit by and watch roughly 2,000 miles of their streams be buried in mining debris, due to the highly unsustainable practice of mountaintop removal.

Or Republican Jim Inhofe, who has blatantly and unapologetically lied about the cost of climate legislation. The Oklahoma Senator has been quick to call out some climate scientists for manipulating data — yet Inhofe doesn't seem to have a problem manipulating his numbers when it suits him.

The point is, we always have to monitor the actions (and words) of those on the Hill.

Because not only can these actions (honest or dishonest) affect our portfolio, they can also deter progress on the kind of alternative energy development that will help provide a safer, cleaner, and more economically-sustainable energy economy.

And this is why we've decided to take a closer look at newly-elected Senator Scott Brown's position on energy and the environment.

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Don't Rush to Judgment

He flipped the switch on the Democrats' reign in Washington. And now, many Democrats are worried that Scott Brown will put the kibosh on any kind of quality environmental and energy legislation.

Of course, this assumes that all Republicans seek to stall clean energy progress. And that's definitely not the case. Especially for those who represent states that are now home to wind farms, turbine manufacturing facilities, and geothermal power plants. You know, the types of things that provide jobs and revenue!

It also assumes that Scott Brown — because he is a Republican — has zero environmental credibility.

But that may not be the case. And rushing to judgment on something like this accomplishes little more than continued partisan bickering.

The fact is if you step back and take a look at Brown's track record, you'll find that his position on some of these issues may not actually be so black and white.

For one, Brown supported Massachusetts' Ocean Management Plan. This is a plan that sets standards for the development of offshore wind and tidal energy projects. It also provides protections for environmental resources in about 60 percent of Massachusetts' coastal waters.

However, Brown also opposes the Cape Wind Project, saying that putting turbines in that location would be like putting turbines on Boston Common.

Well, at least he admits it's about the location and didn't try to manufacture an excuse like so many other opponents have...

Brown also supported the 2008 Green Communities Act, which provided the Commonwealth's 25 percent by 2030 renewable portfolio standard.

Now we know that Brown is not a supporter of Cap & Trade, but he seems to support reducing emissions through conservation efforts and by integrating more wind and solar. Of course, Brown is also a huge supporter of nuclear, which while there are no emissions issues, there are still plenty of environmental issues that are too often swept under the rug.

Don't Blame Me, I Voted For. . .

Of course, at the end of the day what matters most is what Brown will offer going forward. We hope folks will at least give the Senator a chance before launching partisan criticisms.

We all know that it's not uncommon for people these days to go out and print up "Don't Blame Me I Voted For..." bumper stickers or attack the other side because, well, they're on the other side. But when we talk about the environment and we talk about energy, we can't continue to waste time on such nonsense.

Because while all those flag-waving hypocrites disguised as patriots are busy throwing around empty rhetoric and Thomas Jefferson quotes, we're spending more than $500,000 every minute on foreign oil.

And while all those talk show bullies and D.C. spin doctors continue to mock environmental sustainability efforts, we're quickly depleting our limited fresh water supplies, allowing tar sands operations and coal-fired power to take precedence over the one thing we can't live without — water.

This is NOT acceptable.

Not for the environment and not for the economy. And make no mistake about it — both are connected.

To a new way of life, and a new generation of wealth. . .

Jeff

Long-term Positives for the Green Sector Far Outweigh Recent Blip

Stocks slid this week on multiple concerns, ranging from a pullback in Chinese lending... to a new Obama bank plan... to missed blue chip earnings.

Closer to cleantech, a German solar subsidy scare and the realization that an energy bill won't be possible this year added to the selling sentiment. Of course, I've been telling you we wouldn't pass meaningful legislation this year.

The main reason an energy bill won't pass is an overambitious agenda. You can't tackle health care and energy in the same year. But the election of Scott Brown has given the Dems one less vote, and has already led House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to announce the bill could be split in two.

I think cleantech stocks will have a good year anyway.

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Nonetheless, stocks sank as the negative news startled the masses. And after such a sustained bull run, there were plenty of profits to be taken.

A look at a weekly chart for major wind, solar, and smart grid ETFs tells the story:

The German solar subsidy cut was probably the biggest news of the week... though the market reacted in entirely the wrong way. First of all, a subsidy cut is a sure side of industry maturation, which is a long-term bullish indicator with short-term pangs.

The cut will mostly affect European producers, since their prices are higher than manufacturers in Asia. They'll either have to cut prices or buy cells and modules from China. As such, Chinese solar stocks should've bounced on the news. The opposite reaction has created buying opportunity.

In fact, I'm seeing good buys in multiple cleantech sectors. So be sure not to fall victim to shortsightedness. The long-term positives far outweigh the blip we're experiencing this week.

There have been increased applications for initial public offerings (IPOs), which points to confidence in the public market's ability to provide funding. Chinese turbine blade maker HT Blade, Indian PV cell maker Indosolar, Chinese polysilicon producer Daqo, and wafer maker JinkoSolar have all said they'll test their luck on major exchanges.

And it seems investors are constantly forgetting the great growth ahead for the cleantech industry. Renewable energy capacity has only made a small dent in developed nations. Continued growth in the U.S. and Europe, coupled with leap-frogging in India and China — where billions need energy and water — will lead to several doublings over the next few decades.

We've talked about cleantech growth in China for weeks on end now. This week, India announced new rules for trading clean energy certificates with the aim of "doubling green power generation to 25,000 MW in four year."

Other long-term bullishness came domestically, when the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory released a report saying wind energy could power 20% of the eastern grid. The report, which came out this week, said the goal would require a $90 billion investment in turbines and transmission. (You can catch that article below.)

That alone would create investment opportunities. But wind growth isn't limited to the eastern U.S.; it's expanding all across the globe. And if $90 billion seems unrealistic, consider Canada. A $6.7 billion deal was announced in Ontario this week to build four wind and solar power clusters with a capacity of 2,000 MW.

So don't let a few bad days in the market get you down... or allow you to question the future of cleantech. Deals are getting done, projects are being completed, and there is plenty of growth ahead.

We're still very much in the early stages of this energy transition, and those that take note early, support the transition, and invest... those folks will be rewarded accordingly for years.

You can catch up on the rest of the Green Chip's coverage below.

Call it like you see it,

Nick

The Little Contraption that'll Save You Big in Utilities: Introducing the "Negawatt Box"
Green Chip reveals the only company boasting the technology to reduce your monthly energy bill by 44%.... and explains why the Negawatt Box is your opportunity to double — even triple — your money within the next year. Our office has saved hundreds of dollars with this new energy-saving technology — in just three months!

Peru Wind Energy Projects: The Profits from this Energy Armada are Coming Soon
International Editor Sam Hopkins files this report from Peru on the clean energy auctions going on right now in Lima, Peru...and how you can profit.

The End is in Sight for this 40-Year Drug War: The Coming End Could Mean Massive Profit for Investors
The same drug lords have had consumers completely at their mercy for the last four decades. But their kingdom is about to crumble... Green Chip reveals why a staggering amount of money is about to be made from the end of the biggest and most powerful drug cartel in our nation's history.

A Look at Energy Management Stocks: How Saving Energy is Returning Billions
Energy & Capital Editor Nick Hodge describes how blue chip companies are adding billions to their bottom line by saving energy... and how investors are profiting, as well.

DOE Wind Report: New Report Shows No Technical Barriers to 20% Wind Integration
Green Chip Publisher Jeff Siegel shares the latest data from the DOE shows no fundamental technical barriers to 20 percent wind integration.

Energy Efficiency Companies: Profiting from "The Fifth Fuel"
Green Chip Editor Nick Hodge discusses energy efficiency, the billions being spent on it by the Fed, and how investors can profit by keeping an eye on the trend.

Energy Efficiency Companies

No energy play is currently hotter than energy efficiency, in all its forms. Think about it...

For several years running now, the hottest cars at the Detroit Auto Show — and most auto shows, for that matter — have been cars that use less gas: the Tesla, Volt, new versions of the Prius, etc.

And this year was no exception. In fact, the show added an all-electric wing called Electric Avenue that hosted popular attractions like the Nissan Leaf, Volvo C30, and the Ford Fusion Hybrid, which won Car of the Year.

There wasn't a Hummer to be found. Ironically, GM is halting production of all Hummers this week as the brand continues its stay in auto purgatory.

Efficiency is all the rage in home appliances, too. I just bought a new Energy Star dishwasher made by Maytag, thanks to a $300 million rebate program made possible through the stimulus — the equivalent of Cash for Clunkers for water heaters, air conditioners, clothes washers, and more.

Surely you haven't heard anyone asking for appliances that use more energy or cars that use more gas...

And the reason for that is simple: using more energy costs more money.

The Economist Calls it "The Fifth Fuel"...

After uranium, coal, gas, and oil...

And there's one company that has a monopoly on it.

Giant banks like Citigroup, Credit Suisse, and Goldman Sachs... are all investing in it.

But this report is about to blow the lid off "The Fifth Fuel" story... And how investors can buy the company that makes it for less than $1.00.

The share price will easily double - or triple - as word gets out.

The Fifth Fuel

It's not as sexy as erecting a massive wind farm or commissioning a new nuclear reactor — and it certainly offers far fewer photo ops — but businesses and decision-makers the world over are quickly starting to realize the power of energy efficiency.

Wal-Mart is adding billions to its bottom line by making its stores and supply chain more efficient. Boeing has outdone Airbus with its 20% more efficient Dreamliner. Forbes recently reported that "BP made over $2 billion substituting efficiency for fuel; DuPont and Dow Chemical, $3 billion apiece."

That's what's so exciting about energy efficiency... A small investment on the front-end leads to huge savings on the back-end. And it applies to every business...

Retail chains can save money by retrofitting stores with energy efficient lights and HVAC systems. Grocers can improve the electricity use of their massive coolers and freezers. Companies producing goods can optimize their factories and distribution chains.

It's like a brand-new, earth-shattering discovery has been made. Only it's not a new product — it's a concept. The idea is to do more with the energy we already have access to. And the net savings have been dubbed "The Fifth Fuel."

And there are two best parts here...

First, there are incentives available for many of these upgrades. I already mentioned the $300 million available to upgrade your appliances. The Cash for Clunkers budget came in at $3 billion. And just this month, the Department of Energy announced $187 million to improve efficiency for heavy-duty trucks and passenger vehicles, $47 million to improve efficiency in the information technology and communication sectors, and $37 million for next generation lighting.

Second, there's more than a handful of publicly-traded companies on the receiving end of not only billions of gov't cheese, but also billions in sales from the private sector as the financial benefits of efficiency are realized.

They Spend, You Profit

As these billions are spent on energy efficiency upgrades, a few companies (and their shareholders) are making a lot of money.

For example, Ford, Cummins, GE, IBM, BAE, HP, Yahoo!, and many others have all been declared recipients of energy efficiency dollars from the federal government.

And look how companies that provide energy efficiency solutions have been performing:

Veeco Instruments (NASDAQ: VECO), a smart lighting company — and the best performing stock in the chart above — has gone from about $3.00 to over $32.00... since March.

Many companies have made runs like that. And more are about to.

I actually have my eye on one company — currently trading for less than $1.00 — that's about to make a similar run.

They make a device called a "Negawatt Box" that can drastically reduce energy consumption in both residential and commercial buildings. And a tax credit is being offered to all who install it.

Our electrician recently installed one at our Baltimore headquarters... and we quickly realized 44% savings on our utility bill.

The device is so unique — and the investment opportunity so large — that I've compiled a full report about the company.

It describes not only how to take advantage of the product for yourself, but also how you can profit by owning shares of the company that makes it.

Call it like you see it,

Nick

These Days, It IS Easy Being Green

When it comes to cleantech news, the weeks just seem to be getting busier.

It's great news for us as a community of green investors, but it makes it difficult to some up the news in just a few paragraphs.

Last week was full of evidence pointing to the increased global traction of clean technologies. And that theme continued this week.

On the same day Kenya announced a government-backed $26.5 million open-end clean energy fund, the African nation also announced a power purchase agreement with Lake Turkana Wind Power to forge ahead with a 300 MW project.

In Italy, a 14% annual rise in solar capacity was announced, from 700 MW to 795 MW. That came just days after announcing a 30% rise in annual wind capacity.

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Expect increased capacity numbers like that from countries across the globe...

And especially from China, where progressive policy is paying off with steel in the ground. Solarfun (NASDAQ: SOLF) announced three new contracts this week, worth 12.65 MW. Suntech (NYSE: STP) announced it has sold out of panels through at least the second quarter. And Yingli (NYSE: YGE) is expanding so fast that it earned a $3.4 million tax credit this week to build a plant here in the States.

If that weren't enough, the Chinese solar market is now so robust that U.S.-based firm eSolar licensed its technology to a Chinese firm anxious to build a 2,000 MW facility to crank it out.

But China isn't the only Asian nation with a green future...

As the Detroit Auto Show presses on in Michigan, several Asian firms are getting excited about battery technology. South Korea's LG Chem will supply batteries for Ford hybrids with annual sales estimated to top $440 million.

Toyota has set up an independent division to "accelerate next-generation batteries." And Hitachi announced it is also entering the lithium-ion battery market with a new product.

But the most poignant piece of global cleantech entrenchment news came from the International Renewable Energy Agency or, more precisely, from countries that will join at this week's meeting: Mexico, Belgium, and Kyrgyzstan. China and Saudi Arabia will attend as observers, but are likely to join soon.

And here's a piece of news to show just how far cleantech has come over the years: a $19.1 million deal has been announced by the Good Energy Group to replace turbines at the UK's oldest wind farm, built in 1991.

Finally, Deutsche Bank was out with a new report this week that told us what we already know. It showed that "companies specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy such as wind and solar power outperformed peers across the wider global economy last year and expected more to come in 2010."

Said the head of the bank's global asset management: Cleantech companies will present "the economic and investment opportunities of our lifetime."

We prove that each and every day.

You can catch up on the rest of this week's coverage below.

Call it like you see it,

Nick

iShares Peru EPU ETF: Peru Exchange-Traded Fund Delivers Major Gains
International Editor Sam Hopkins reports on why Peru is in a perfect location for future growth, highlighting two investments that offer investors a chance to get a piece of the action. Sam is currently in Lima, rooting around for the market's best profit opportunities, and will report to readers from Peru and share his findings upon his return.

20 Years of Non-Stop Revenue: The Single Wind Play that Will Make You Rich in 2010 — and Beyond
Green Chip brings readers the latest news on the most powerful wind play in North America, and why it will bring massive profits to investors when a new California state law demanding hikes in renewable energy production went into effect on New Year's Day...

Out-Screw Your Power Company: Introducing the Negawatt Box
Green Chip reveals the only company boasting the technology to reduce your monthly energy bill by 44%. This stock can afford you with the opportunity to double — even triple — your money within the next 12 months. Our office has saved hundreds of dollars in just three months with this new energy-saving technology... so why wouldn't you?

A Nuclear Energy Revival: An Easy Path to Nuclear Profits
Energy & Capital Editor Nick Hodge discusses why nuclear energy is poised for a revival... and how you can harness it for profit.

Green Side of the 2010 Detroit Auto Show: Electric Cars Shine at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show
Green Chip's Jeff Siegel discusses electric cars in the spotlight at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.

The Renewable Energy Landscape in Peru: Why Peru Could Make Clean Energy Investors a Fortune
International Editor Sam Hopkins brings you a special report from Peru, where he's just beginning a research trip to uncover clean energy opportunities...

Cape Wind Project: Cape Wind Project to Get Final Decision by April
Green Chip's Jeff Siegel talks about the anticipated announcement from the U.S. Interior Department, which will issue a final decision on the Cape Wind Project by April.

The Renewable Power Rebellion

I speculated in my article last week on how Southern California and Arizona might fare in a relocalized future where small regions are forced to become self-sufficient.

This week, we'll draw some insights from communities that have gone local.

Jefferson, the Almost-49th State

Following two previous unsuccessful rebellions in 1852 and 1854, residents of the area from roughly Mt. Shasta in Northern California to just above Coos Bay in Oregon made a serious attempt to secede from the states in 1935, out of frustration over the lack of state support for their critical transportation infrastructure needs.

A Time magazine article from 1938 lauded the area's "rich deposits of chrome, copper, gold, iron, coal, limestone, and platinum beneath an evergreen blanket of several billion feet of virgin timber," which remained largely inaccessible for a lack of good roads and rail.

It described how a local self-made resource magnate named Gilbert Gable had tried to get approval from the Interstate Commerce Commission to build a rail link from Port Orford over the mountains to the Southern Pacific rail line 50 miles inland, in order to bring the region access to eastern markets. A rival group made its own bid for a rail connection from the SP line to Crescent City, on the California-Oregon border.

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Both applications were denied by the ICC. The examiner commented, "Recent army reports show that the prospect of future growing importance of the ports of Port Orford and Crescent City definitely may be discarded as a factor of consequence in this proceeding."

Frustration grew until November 27, 1941, when the residents created a provisional government and elected a governor, declaring themselves the State of Jefferson, the 49th State of the Union. A Proclamation of Independence was published and pamphlets were distributed. Armed citizens put up road blocks on the main north-south artery of U.S. Highway 99 where they collected tolls for crossing their new state line.

The Proclamation's intent was clear: "Until California and Oregon build a road into the copper country, Jefferson, as a defense-minded State, will be forced to rebel each Thursday and act as a separate State."

One week later, amid much fanfare, the state's new governor was inaugurated in Yreka. Signs had been posted around town saying: "Our roads are not passable, hardly jackassable; if our roads you would travel, bring your own gravel." Hollywood showed up and shot some newsreels.

But three days after the inauguration, the whole thing was over with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The nation united behind the war effort and built good new roads into Jefferson to access its much-needed copper and timber.

Some useful observations can be drawn from the Jefferson experiment.

First, it highlights the importance of getting resources to market. In an age when declining fossil fuels increasingly jeopardize truck transport, alternatives will be needed.

Locals may have to find ways to finance the rail and ship transport infrastructure for their goods — even if they have to do it on their own. Government officials are typically shortsighted about securing critically important infrastructure.

Second, it demonstrates that even in the not-too-distant past of the U.S., regions can (and will) secede if the support of larger entities fails. The notion that our union could fall apart under the pressures of the coming decades is hardly outlandish.

Indeed, I didn't have to wait long for the fulfillment of my prophecy last week that California should expect another debt downgrade. This week, S&P cut its rating on California's $63.9 billion general obligation debt from A to A-. More severe budget cuts are sure to follow, starting with health and human services. As the budget squeeze rolls downhill, it's forcing counties and cities to follow suit.

Issuing IOUs to state residents instead of tax refund checks is one thing; but when schools, law enforcement, food assistance, and basic transport begin to fail, it's another thing entirely. The impact of such cuts always hits the welfare and working classes first... people who would rally for secession if their state and nation failed them.

I have personally heard locals near the southern Mendocino County border joke about blowing up the Highway 101 Bridge in Hopland, if the worst should happen and hungry hordes from Southern California begin to migrate north. I've also heard residents of the redwoods have no great love for those of the plastic lands.

Some thought experiments may be useful here.

If our critical infrastructure were to become unreliable as state and federal unions fail, which communities would fare best? Those utterly dependent on freeway transport, like Dallas; or those with ample rail, seaborne, and pipeline capacity, like Houston? Those who can disconnect from the grid, like Texas; or all the other states, which cannot?

As Scott Pugh of the Department of Homeland Security said at the ASPO conference last year, "Texas can secede from the union any time they think they should."

And where would the boundaries of the new regions be drawn? Would I, as a resident of the Bay Area in California, prefer to end up in Mexicali, with its massively overbuilt and overpopulated deserts... or in Jefferson, with its low population, timber and minerals, farmland, ample rainfall, and a working rail and port infrastructure?

Where would offer the better opportunity to secure a food supply within a 100-mile radius: Las Vegas, or a town in rural Iowa?

Which has the most old-school, low-energy shipping infrastructure to fall back on: Baltimore or Chicago?

The Marin County Secession

Another type of secession is playing out right now, right here, which could become a model for the rest of the country.

In 2002, California passed a state law (AB 117) allowing communities to form their own entities to buy electrical power as so-called Community Choice Aggregations (CCAs). The notion is that CCAs could choose to buy more renewable energy than the existing investor owned utility (IOU) monopolies provide, while those utilities continue to own and maintain the distribution network and billing.

State revenues normally distributed to utility energy efficiency programs, plus the usual charges per kilowatt-hour, would be redirected to the CCAs, enabling them to buy green energy and alleviate the need for building new peak-capacity plants (typically powered by natural gas). Customers are automatically enrolled in the CCAs unless they opt out.

According to the New York Times, the nation's first test of the concept in Ohio has been an unmitigated success with 126 municipalities participating in 67 CCAs, providing power to about 800,000 customers with only a 5% opt-out rate. The latest supply contract signed by one of the CCAs, the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC) offers rates 6% lower than the local utility. Thank you, Ohio.

In California, however, it's been a long road for those who have taken it. None have succeeded yet.

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San Francisco is very close, with several bids for potential suppliers in hand. It intends to obtain 51% of its electric supply from renewables by 2017 — more than double what the ineffectual state renewable portfolio standard (RPS) mandates.

The Kings River Conservation District in the San Joaquin Valley, the farming area that forms the southern part of California's Central Valley, tried to form a CCA since the law was passed but has essentially given up. It was simply going to cost them too much to fight the opposition of PG&E, the state's largest utility.

With 15 million customers, PG&E has the budget and the lawyers to easily win a pitched battle with a struggling farming community. Instead, Kings River has opted to issue bonds and build its own power plants running on local solar, micro-hydro, and biomass resources.

In Marin County, where I live, the effort to create the Marin Energy Authority (MEA) CCA has been under way for six years. The county and all but three cities within it have so far chosen to join the MEA, which is scheduled to sign a power supply contract with Shell Energy North America on February 4. At that point, the majority of the county's customers would be enrolled in the program — unless they opt out.

The MEA aims to source 25% of its supply from renewables initially, growing to over 60% by 2015, and eventually to 100%.

PG&E has launched a multi-pronged assault on the MEA, feeding sour analysis and misinformation to a grand jury investigating the proposal; creating negative press; sending out a direct mail assault full of distortions under the auspices of a "Common Sense Coalition," which I stapled to my wall, and sending consultants to represent its views at local government meetings.

With the contract deadline at hand, the battle has intensified as city councils and the county board of supervisors decided whether to remain with the program.

I have followed the MEA since its creation, including brief correspondence with Paul Fenn, who authored the CCA laws, and conversations with local elected officials who support the MEA. Over the last two weeks, I showed up at my city council and county meetings to share my view on why it's imperative for municipalities to take control of their own renewable energy procurement. And I have a meeting scheduled this week with the mayor to explain my reasons in more detail. I consider it my civic duty and a fulfillment of my resolution to work harder on local solutions.

CCAs are a different sort of secession than the State of Jefferson, but the aims are really the same: to let local communities take advantage of their resources when their faith in the state has failed.

Smart grid technologies and rooftop solar need not wait for sweeping support from the federal and state levels. Indeed, given the extraordinary fiduciary stress that federal and state governments are under, I don't believe local communities can afford to wait for it. Local supply is now the name of the game. God bless the child that's got his own.

Add in "micro-islanding" capabilities, so small services areas can disconnect from the larger grid and get by on their own distributed generation capacity, and you have the seeds of a full-blown renewable power rebellion. I have no doubt that if we pulled out all the stops on local generation capacity, and pumped water up the mountain as storage capacity, that we could get by on our own just fine.

After years of watching my state government fail to meet its renewable energy targets... of watching my utility monopoly stymie the rapid deployment of renewables... of watching the public utilities commission install a torturous obstacle course of red tape in the path of rooftop solar... I'm willing to carry that rebel flag.

It might be the only way forward.

Until next time,

Chris

Cleantech in 2010

If this first week of the year taught us anything, it's that the cleantech revolution is now truly a global affair with global implications.

France, for example, is grappling with establishing a new carbon tax. Trivial as that may seem, the world is actually looking to them for leadership, as dozens of countries contemplate their own domestic schemes for carbon reduction.

It's a dicey situation because some countries are already part of a system through Kyoto, and adding a domestic system leads to complications. Who gets exemptions? Which sectors/companies fall under which schemes? And so on...

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In the U.S., the question now isn't whether or not to regulate emissions, but how to do it. Momentum seems to be waning for cap-and-trade as a carbon tax gains more favor. France's decision could give some guidance.

Continuing the global theme, Kenya (Yes, Kenya!) invited tenders this week for the construction of a 10 GW wind farm after receiving a $28.6 million loan from Spain. Consider this the result of the "poor nation" debate theme a few weeks ago in Copenhagen. We'll start seeing more projects like this one, which will only lead to the further expansion and entrenchment of renewable energy resources.

Imagine renewables leap-frogging fossil fuels in developing nations.

Or imagine renewables taking over in the most oil-rich nations of the world. We've covered several instances of this already, and we learned this week that Qatar is on the cusp of moving forward with a $1 billion solar project.

Even Morocco is in on the action. The country said it will begin taking bids for a solar power plant next month as part of a $9 billion solar energy project. And get this: that project is part of a larger European solar scheme valued at $564 billion. Yes, $564 billion. We'll be sending Sam Hopkins to Morocco later this year to get the investment scoop.

(For now, Sam is headed to South America next week to check out Peruvian stocks — some of the most popular and best-performing among emerging markets on Wall Street. Stay tuned for coverage from Sam's trip delivered to your inbox in the coming weeks.)

Action has stayed steady in familiar markets as well...

Polish state-owned utility, Energa, signed a deal this week to build wind farms with a total capacity of 80 MW. Poland still gets 90% of its energy from coal.

The UK completed its third round of leasing this week for what will eventually be the world's largest string of offshore wind farms, slated for a capacity of 32 GW by 2020. Portugal's EDP Renewables and Germany's E.ON came away big winners. Incidentally, a report by Carbon Trust came out this week saying the cost of that massive project could be cut by 40%, based on new technology and site selection.

Chinese solar continues to soar: Solarfun (NASDAQ: SOLF) said it will increase its production capacity this year; modules will climb to 700 MW from 550 MW and cells will go to 480 MW from 360 MW. An Oppenheimer analyst upgraded the entire sector. (We've been saying it would run...)

Finally, here in the U.S., ethanol seems to be staging a comeback. Production was up in October after months of decline and the Street has been rewarding cellulosic players.

And President Obama announced $2.3 billion in new tax incentive from the stimulus by saying, "The Recovery Act awards I am announcing today will help close the clean energy gap that has grown between America and other nations while creating good jobs, reducing our carbon emissions and increasing our energy security."

It looks like the New Year is starting the right way. You can catch the rest of this week's coverage below.

Call it like you see it,

Nick

The Outlook for Geothermal Energy Stocks: Where the Hot Spots Are in Geothermal Energy
International Editor Sam Hopkins takes a look at the geothermal industry in 2010 and what you can expect to see.

Energy Efficiency Stocks: The Fifth Fuel
Energy & Capital Editor Nick Hodge discusses his energy habits and how they can have implications for mainstream investing.

The Best-Kept Secret of the New Decade: A Single Chinese Lithium Battery Company
The same inventor who perfected the lithium-ion batteries that enable your laptop, cell phone, and other devices to last days on a single charge has been working on his latest — the "locked-down lithium strategy" — to capitalize on the future of transportation. Green Chip reveals this tiny Chinese battery company and what you need to know to get in on their profits.

Wyoming Wind Power: Wyoming Wind Power Limited to About 80 Percent of the State
Publisher Jeff Siegel explains how, under new Bureau of Land Management guidelines, about 20 percent of Wyoming is now off limits to wind energy development.

China Clean Energy Stocks: The Fastest-Growing Energy Market in the World
Green Chip Editor Nick Hodge discusses China, the fastest-growing renewable energy market in the world, and the opportunity it presents for investors.

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China Clean Energy Stocks

If last year was any indication of things to come, the cleantech scene will once again be dominated by China this year.

Evidence of this trend is everywhere, from the amount of attention given to Chinese cleantech initiatives by pundits to the stellar returns China-based companies have been offering.

Chinese Solar Companies

Just look how Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL) fared in 2009 compared to the Dow Jones and U.S.-based First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR):

Chinese solar companies, as we've been saying, have generally been outperforming their peers as they capture a larger share of the global market. They've been able to keep their average selling prices (ASPs) more stable, and lower poly costs may actually lead to higher margins this year, perhaps in the 30% range.

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In plain speak: Chinese solar firms will be more profitable than companies based elsewhere.

What's more, several large European solar markets are set for subsidy-reductions this year. Beyond implying that the solar market is maturing, these subsidy reductions are also driving up demand as customers race to complete installations while there are still tax breaks or incentives available.

Most of that business is going to Chinese companies — even European solar producers that used to provide competition are now becoming customers.

And it's not just exports that are exploding; the domestic market is booming as well. Greentech Media reports that China currently has a solar capacity of 140 megawatts but could reach 1,400 megawatts by 2012. That implies 900% growth over the next three years.

Green Chip investors will be poised to reap the benefits. I've already begun preparing thousands of members for this coming windfall.

Chinese Wind Companies

Companies with exposure to the Chinese wind market have done just as well.

American Superconductor (NASDAQ: AMSC) has exclusive contracts with Sinovel, the largest turbine producer in China and fifth-largest in the world. Shenyang-based A-Power Generation Systems (NASDAQ: APWR) enjoyed a 300% year, and even earned a turbine contract for a farm based in Texas.

Both companies crushed the Dow Jones and even Vestas Wind Systems (COP: VWS), the largest turbine producer in the world. Take a peek:

There are about 20,000 MW of installed wind capacity in China right now. That number will double to 40,000 MW by 2011... and it'll grow 875% to 195,000 MW by 2020.

You'll want to get in sooner rather than later.

Chinese Smart Grid

Of course, with such rampant growth in their solar and wind industries, the Chinese will have to build out their smart grid, as well.

They won't be immune to the same problems were having here in the States, namely that the best renewable resources are located in sparsely populated areas.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Duke Energy is already in talks with State Grid Corp. — China's largest distributor of electricity — to form a joint venture. State Grid would provide transmission solutions in the States and Duke would provide energy efficiency expertise in China.

Batteries are also a top priority in the Middle Kingdom as a means to store clean energy and use it when needed. Look what Hong Kong Highpower (NASDAQ: HPJ) did in the second half of the year, as lithium batteries caught on as a major investment theme:

China-based electric and hybrid vehicle maker BYD (HK: 1211) did even better. Readers that followed my advice and bought that stock late in 2008 are now up more than 500%.

And here's the best news of all: China recently passed a law requiring electricity distributors to purchase 100% of the renewable energy available. With that kind of law on the books, you can bet there will be a rush on renewable energy installations in the coming year.

In 2009, I was able to close 51 winning positions for members of my Alternative Energy Speculator... 20 of these were Chinese. Even more could come from China this year.

But you have to be a member to benefit. The four big winners discussed above — Trina, American Superconductor, A-Power Generation and Hong Kong Highpower — we're each recommended to my readers and sold for profit last year.

And I already have my eyes on this year's Chinese gems.

You can make sure you get detailed guidance on how to profit from this trend by becoming a member today. Just use this link to sign up for a no-risk trial.

If 2009 was good (and it was), this year is going to be even better.

Call it like you see it,

Nick

P.S. In addition to Peru and Morocco, my colleague Sam Hopkins will be traveling to China this year. He'll bring us his findings from Peru in the next month or so, after he meets with renewable energy integrators in the region, so keep an eye out for that. I'll be sure to keep you aware of his travel — and the opportunities he finds — as it happens.

A Happy New Year for Cleantech

Overall, it was a great year for cleantech. Take a look at the performance of some representative companies:

Each of those stocks — and many more — were in the portfolios of our premium products, leading thousands of Green Chip investors to nice profits.

Major drivers this year included global stimulus packages that focused on clean energy and efficiency, a major energy bill working through Congress, and the recent climate talks in Copenhagen.

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Acute water shortages and an EPA decree to regulate emissions are also driving water and pollution-control stocks higher.

Global solar and wind installations grew markedly, and the necessity for a smart grid is now understood by all.

In sum, 2009 was a definitive turning point for the cleantech industry; a launching pad for the next decade of expansion.

Check out the archives to see all of Green Chip's vast coverage of the year.

For this shortened week, there is only a bit of news to report...

There was more action in China this week as Vestas (COP: VWS) — the world's largest turbine producer — announced a 40 MW order from China Datang Renewable Power Co. Vestas also announced a 48 MW order from an anonymous customer in Spain.

China also passed a law requiring grid operators to buy every single drop of renewably-produced electricity. Man, next year is going to be good...

On the Iberian Peninsula, the wind has been blowing a bit harder than usual. Spot power prices there fell to their lowest levels since 2007, thanks to excess supply from wind turbines. In fact, there was so much juice flowing from the turbines that Spain had to shut some down in order to balance the load.

Yet we still hear arguments that wind is expensive and provides inefficient power.

Here in the States, California said it has 70 GW of planned renewable energy in its project pipeline.

In two blows for the industry, venture spending was off 36% in 2009, but that was to be expected with credit still tight. And Michigan issued an air permit for a new coal plant, putting a step closer to construction. Remember, no new coal plants were started in 2009... in fact, 26 were canceled.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the growing murmurs about nuclear energy. I know this is a touchy topic in the green space.

This week, the U.S. announced loan guarantees to kick-start the construction of new plants and the United Arab Emirates completed a $40 billion deal to acquire nuclear reactors.

We'll address nuclear on a case-by-case basis, but expect it to start making it into our nexus of coverage next year.

Catch up on the rest of this week's coverage below.

Call it like you see it,

Nick

Green Chip Stocks: Green Chip Stocks Year-in-Review 2009
Green Chip Publisher Jeff Siegel provides a Green Chip Stocks Year-In-Review for 2009.

An "Alternative" Resolution: New Year, New Ways to Profit from Alternative Energy
Green Chip's Nick Hodge will close 2009 with more than 60 winners in his Alternative Energy Speculator portfolio. From solar to geothermal to battery companies, his readers are sitting pretty after a year of investing in the alternative energy sector. You could be enjoying the same wealth in 2010...

China's Renewable Energy Boom: National People's Congress Presses Utilities for Integration
International Editor Sam Hopkins takes a look at China's new clean energy mandate and what it means in 2010.

China High Speed Rail: China High Speed Rail Ups the Ante
Green Chip's Jeff Siegel explains how an effort to expand its high-speed rail network leads China to deliver what looks to be the fastest rail link in the world.

A Global Water Crisis: The Only Market to Rival Oil
Energy & Capital Editor Nick Hodge discusses the global water crisis via California, and includes market implications of severe shortages.

Russia China Lithium Batteries: Siberian Plant Will Produce Electric Car Components
Green Chip's Sam Hopkins explains why out on the frozen tundra, green technological cooperation between Russia and China is heating up.

Energy Infrastructure - Green Chip Review

The Difference Between News and Ideas

How to Rebuild America

Why We Have Been and Will Continue to Be Bullish on Chinese Solar Firms

British Columbia Power Costs to Increase

Cleantech's Yin Yang

Why the "We" vs. "They" Stuff is Getting Old

The Continuing Tale of Cleantech's Maturation

Investing in Green Chip Stocks

Notes from This Year's RETECH Expo

Sugar and Cellulosic Ethanol Stocks: Shell Bets Billions on Brazilian Ethanol Editor Sam Hopkins writes from D.C. today, where he's attending the American Council on Renewable Energy's RETECH expo, and mining the showcases and speakers for new stock picks...

Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Opens: Tennessee Plant to Turn Corn Cobs into Fuel Green Chip's Sam Hopkins reports on news of DuPont Danisco, opening a demonstration plant in Tennessee in February where cellulose-rich corn cobs and switchgrass will be converted to fuel.

Green Dividend Stocks

Obama Highlights Energy as Sector for Innovation in State of the Union

Green Energy: The Belle of the Ball in 2010

Automobiles

Rail

Wind and Grid

Solar

Brown Going Down

Scott Brown Energy Agenda

Long-term Positives for the Green Sector Far Outweigh Recent Blip

Energy Efficiency Companies

These Days, It IS Easy Being Green

The Renewable Power Rebellion

Jefferson, the Almost-49th State

The Marin County Secession

Cleantech in 2010

China Clean Energy Stocks

A Happy New Year for Cleantech

Sugar and Cellulosic Ethanol Stocks: Shell Bets Billions on Brazilian Ethanol
Editor Sam Hopkins writes from D.C. today, where he's attending the American Council on Renewable Energy's RETECH expo, and mining the showcases and speakers for new stock picks...

Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Opens: Tennessee Plant to Turn Corn Cobs into Fuel
Green Chip's Sam Hopkins reports on news of DuPont Danisco, opening a demonstration plant in Tennessee in February where cellulose-rich corn cobs and switchgrass will be converted to fuel.