Archive for February, 2009
« Previous EntriesThe Nuclear Comeback
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
The natural gas crisis caused by the cutoff of supplies from Russia earlier in the year crystallized for many nations the threat of being overly dependent on another country for their energy supplies. Over the past decades, countries in Europe have shut down nuclear reactors, which caused them to turn to [...]
Raymond James’ Pavel Molchanov Has 3 Solar & Wind Stocks Investors Might Want to Consider
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
Raymond James & Associates’ alternative energy analyst Pavel Molchanov has three solar and wind plays for investors during this time when the credit crisis and the recession have combined to force many green energy projects to be postponed or cancelled. Why these three? Because, Molchanov told EnergyTechStocks.com in an exclusive interview, each has [...]
Investing in Ethanol: A Case Study of Terrible Investment Advice
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
Comically Terrible Timing
In June 2006 I read an article at Financial Sense that promoted ethanol as a great place to put your money:
Investing in Ethanol: A “New” Stock Play on Soaring Energy Prices and Why Now is the Time to Invest in this “Fuel of the Future”
Among the gems in the [...]
This is a Good Idea?
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
Regular readers know that I would be strongly in favor of increasing gasoline taxes in exchange for income tax credits. I think such an idea would be politically palatable, provided it is clearly communicated to everyone that 1). If they make efforts to conserve, this system would be better for them [...]
Survival Training Pays Off
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
When I was working in Aberdeen, Scotland in 2007 I had to fly out to oil and gas platforms in the North Sea. Regulations there require that anyone doing so has to undertake survival training in case a helicopter goes down in the sea while transporting people to the platforms. I [...]
The Biggest Energy Bill in History
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
At least according to the New York Times, if you pull out the energy-related provisions from the just passed stimulus package, the $80 billion “would amount to the biggest energy bill in history.”
An $80 Billion Start
An excerpt from the NYT editorial:
RENEWABLE ENERGY In addition to new money for research into alternative [...]
Electric Vehicle Update
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
In 2009 and 2010 we should see a lot of hybrids and fully electric cars hitting the roads. I spent a little time this weekend reviewing the potential offerings. Here is where some of the more frequently-mentioned offerings stand.
1. The Aptera 2e
The Aptera 2e
This is probably the most unusual offering. I [...]
The Potential of Jatropha
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
The previous post provided an introduction to Jatropha curcas, a tropical, oil-producing shrub. In this essay I want to get into why I believe there is great potential for jatropha to make an impact on the world’s energy supply. I will also explain the hurdles that need to be overcome.
Jatropha Curcas [...]
Jatropha Curcas
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
I have written a few posts in the past about Jatropha curcas, a tropical shrub with the potential to make an important contribution to our fuel supplies. (See here and here for previous essays concerning jatropha). While I believe that the present status of jatropha has been exaggerated, I believe the [...]
Coming Debate Over Carbon Capping Should Actually Give Wall Street Something to Cheer About
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
Despite the frightening state of the U.S. economy, it still appears to be “politics as usual” in Washington, aided and abetted by journalism as usual.
Yes, the economic recovery act should be vigorously debated. But does anyone – anyone – think the debate has been conducted thoughtfully in the House and the Senate by elected officials who [...]
Impending Gasoline Supply Crunch
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
Implicit in the previous post on the recovery of gasoline demand is that the conditions are setting up for a gasoline supply crunch - and the price rise that goes along with that. As I pointed out, refiners are cut back, but they can turn that around pretty quickly. The low [...]
Gasoline Demand Has Recovered
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
It’s been taking place slowly, week after week, but low gas prices have brought gasoline demand back up. There has been anecdotal evidence that suggested demand might be heading higher, such as recovering sales of gas guzzling cars. But for watchers of This Week in Petroleum, the data confirm the anecdotes: [...]
Did One of the Biggest Energy Tech Breakthroughs Ever Just Happen at UK’s Cambridge University?
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
Move along, day traders. There’s nothing to read here.
But serious long-term investors want to know about the new light-emitting diode (LED) breakthrough that could alter the world’s energy future.
Yes, potentially it’s that big a deal.
Very roughly 40% of the energy the world uses, and 50% of the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) it emits, [...]
3 Electric Utilities to Own in This Recession, And 3 That Investors Should Probably Avoid
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
Officially, U.S. electricity demand in 2009 is expected to be up about 1.2%. But well-known electric utility analyst Daniel Scotto’s own forecast is for demand growth to be no better than 0.2% this year. Moreover, Scotto told EnergyTechStocks.com in an exclusive interview, the U.S. electric utility industry could experience negative growth for the [...]
15 ‘Silver Bullets’ for Solving Our Biggest Energy and Environmental Problems
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
`Silver Bullets’ for Solving the Energy Crisis #1 - Put Oil Companies to Work on Geothermal Energy
‘Silver Bullets’ for Solving the Energy Crisis #2 – Quicken Deployment of Stop-Start, Mild Hybrid
‘Silver Bullets’ for Solving the Energy Crisis #3 – Adopt the Berkeley Solar Financing Model
‘Silver Bullets’ for Solving the Energy Crisis #4 - [...]
Water Infrastructure Firms Now Appear To Be Just One Catastrophic Accident Away From Big Rally
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
As reporters well know, the best stories often hide in plain sight, slowly building over months or even years until, inevitably, something spectacular happens that catapults a story onto the front page.
When the big bang finally occurs, it often sets off a big sector stock rally, which is why investors should have paid very [...]
Detroit’s Trying, But the Six Best Companies to Own For the Electric Vehicle Revolution Are From Asia
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
While U.S. automakers were grabbing the media spotlight last week with their new electric vehicle models, in Washington renowned “green” venture capitalist John Doerr was telling Congress what it didn’t want to hear, that the U.S. badly lags in the global cleantech revolution. When it comes to solar, wind and advanced batteries, Doerr [...]
From Long Shots to Big Shots? 5 Energy Small Caps That May Thrive Under Obama
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
If you’re looking for hidden gems that could benefit from Barack Obama’s new green energy economy, companies that haven’t been touted from one end of the digital spectrum to the other, then read on, provided we all agree in advance that likely only one or two may grab the brass ring.
Whether you come away [...]
In 10 Years Josh Landess Will Be Clean Energy’s Warren Buffett. Investors Should Get to Know His Research Now
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
Everyone knows the legend of Warren Buffett. EnergyTechStocks.com believes that 10 years from now, Josh Landess will be clean energy’s investing legend.
Landess co-manages an index, not a fund, a distinct advantage for investors in this age of Wall Street scandals. As co-manager of the Wilderhill New Energy Global Innovation Index, Landess probably is [...]
China’s GP Batteries and BYD Show They May Be Forces to be Reckoned With In US Plug-in Market
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
Although they received scant media attention in the U.S., two Chinese companies just made moves that may position themselves for big paydays in the rapidly-evolving plug-in electric hybrid vehicle (PHEV) industry.
BYD Company Ltd., whose stock trades in Hong Kong, just started selling the world’s first mass-produced plug-in cars, or so the New York [...]
ETS – Investor Alert 12-30-08
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
Even as New Zealand waves on establishing a carbon cap-and-trade market, its neighbor Australia appears to be barreling through local business opposition and will launch a national carbon trading market in 2010. www.greencarcongress.com
Overall, the Rudd government said in a white paper, the country’s goal is to reduce its carbon emissions 5% to 15% [...]
Russia to Sit on $56 Billion of CO2 Credits, Awaiting Kyoto Successor Before Cashing In
Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
Russia reportedly plans to sit on $56 billion worth of carbon credits until after 2012 rather than sell them in the trading market created by the Kyoto global-warming treaty.
The implications of this are significant. It means there is less chance the market price of a carbon credit will implode during the global recession. [...]
Energy at the WSJ
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
The online version of the Wall Street Journal has a new section devoted entirely to energy:
Energy - WSJ
It contains numerous energy-themed articles ranging from ‘going green’ to changes in the refining industry to investing in natural gas to thin film solar panels. Excellent stuff.
Here are some snapshots of the wealth of [...]
Big Oil Buys Big Ethanol
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
Some people think that the oil industry is hostile toward the ethanol industry because they consider them a real threat. But I always point out that the oil industry dwarfs the ethanol industry by such a large amount that it could easily buy up all the available assets of the ethanol [...]
The Green in the Stimulus Package
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
The stimulus package that President Obama would like to see passed - and is currently under debate in Congress - has about $100 billion (of $900 billion total) that is devoted to renewable energy and environmental projects. Today CNN published a story that detailed this portion of the package:
$100 billion jolt [...]
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