Five Alternative Energy Stocks I’ll Research “One of These Days”
I have more ideas than I have time to explore them, and it's getting out of hand. I still need to write the promised articles on Evergreen Solar (ESLR) and Lithium Technology Corp (LTHU), but there are many others that have caught my attention over the last six months or so. Since the list keeps getting longer, I thought I'd just give you a taste of some of the companies in my inbox, and why they seem interesting. Since I may or may not ever write articles about any of these, I thought I'd give people the opportunity to...
BT gets behind renewable energy
British Telecom has announced a three-year plan to get all of its energy needs from renewable sources - the biggest such project in the world. The electricity used, worth hundreds of millions of pounds, could power a city the size of Nottingham. Renewable sources of energy include wind, wave and solar power, rather than using fossil fuels like oil or coal.
Administration Lays the Groundwork for Hydropower Boom
Tom Konrad CFA The US Department of the Interior, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the US Army Corps of Engineers are quietly laying the groundwork for a renewable energy boom that you might not expect. What they've done is announce a memorandum of understanding to work together to support environmentally sustainable hydropower. They're not talking about building new dams, which have questionable environmental benefit, but rather to remove barriers to developing cost-effective hydropower at existing dams and waterworks. Hydropower does not get much attention from investors. In large part, that's because of the lack...
Hydropower: The Renewable Energy Elephant in Room
There is a form of renewable energy which accounts for approximately one sixth of world electrical generation, and unlike wind and solar has a natural form of storage which costs a fraction of any other form of electricity storage, and has black start capability. Given all these positive characteristics, it may seem surprising that we have not yet written about it. The renewable energy in question is Hydropower, and the reason we've not covered it before is that the facilities are typically owned and run by governments or diversified utilities. Until now, the only Hydropower investments I have been...
Some Thoughts on Water, Electricity and Climate Change
Most forms of electricity generation use water. Thermal generation (coal, natural gas, nuclear, biomass, and Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)) evaporate water for cooling, although they can substitute air cooling, but only by sacrificing efficiency. Moving in the other direction, many dry coastal regions use desalinization to essentially convert electricity into clean drinking water. A plant was recently approved in Southern California, despite environmental concerns. Lack of water use is one of the less recognized advantages of wind and solar photovoltaic generation, but is a significant advantage in the arid West. Next week, I will be publishing an article which...
Tidal flow to power New York City
Verdant Power plans to plunge six electricity turbines into the East River. If the $4.5-million project is successful, the generators will form the first farm of tide-powered turbines in the world. The plan is to attach the machines, which look like small wind turbines, to concrete piles hammered into the bedrock nine metres below the river's surface. As the tide surges in and out, the heads pivot to face the current and the blades spin.
Water Treatment With a Latin Beat
by Debra Fiakas, CFA
The post “Water: Invisible Crisis” on December 6th highlighted the building problem of inadequate supplies of quality water in Latin America. The World Water Council’s Comision Nacional Del Agua reports that As much as one-third of the Latin America population lacks access to safe water. Unabated pollution and lack of water treatment have been identified as culprits. In South America, for example, 40% to 60% of water comes from aquifers that are subject to increasing pollution from untreated run-off from mining and agriculture operations.
Our survey of Latin America water sector in South America found an interesting mix of pollution abatement and water treatment...
Green energy seen as $100 billion market in decade
Renewable energy like wind and solar power and hydrogen fuel cells could blossom into a $100 billion a year global market in less than a decade as technology costs fall, according to a study. The combined market for "green" sources of energy has already grown 68 percent since 2002 to more than $16 billion last year, according to Clean Edge, a research and publishing firm based in California. You can view and download the complete Clean-Energy Trends report at the following link.
Internal Hydro International Inc. Announces Purchase Contract of $2,250,000 for 100 Energy Units and...
Internal Hydro International Inc. (IHDR) announces that the Company has entered into a purchase agreement with El Tigre Development Inc. (ETIG) for the purchase of 100 Energy Commander Units. The purchase price of the 100 units will be $2,250,000.00 for placement by ETIG in the United States and elsewhere. The agreement calls for IHDR and ETIG to share in revenue generated from each unit beyond the purchase price. The Energy Commander technology uses IHDR's patented low impact hydro technology utilizing water or gas flow from any source where pressure is present. The technology uses water or gas pressure...
Campaign for renewable energy begins
Colorado House Speaker Lola Spradley, R-Beulah. and U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Eldorado Springs, co-chairs of Amendment 37—the Renewable Energy Initiative—kicked-off their statewide campaign Thursday with stops throughout Colorado. Amendment 37 would require 10 percent of Colorado's electricity be generated from renewable energy by 2015. The program is scaled beginning with a 3 percent requirement by 2007, 6 percent by 2011, and 10 percent by 2015.
ENDESA Will Invest Euro 286 Million in New Wind Farms and Mini Hydro Plants...
ENDESA (ELE) has received authorisation to build and start up new wind farms and mini hydro plants this year, requiring an investment of Euro 286 million. The start-up of these projects, part of ENDESA's Strategic Plan, will add 277 MW to ENDESA's generation capacity, 252 MW in wind (for a Euro 250 million) and 25 MW in mini hydro capacity (for an investment of around Euro 60 million). Facilities already under construction and expected to come on stream in 2005 include the wind farms at Pena Ventosa and Chan do Tenon in Galicia, Las Hoyuelas in Castilla La...
Internal Hydro International, Inc. Enters Into Discussions To Acquire Worldwide Licenses For Turbine Electric...
Internal Hydro International, Inc. (IHDR) has entered into discussions with a USA corporation, Turbine Electric Power, Inc. for the purpose of structuring an LOI between the companies. Turbine Electric Power, Inc. holds the 'exclusive worldwide rights' to install, sell, market and distribute a new 'high tech' micro turbine electric power generator on all electric powered vehicles. This new micro turbine will provide 'on board' continuous electric power to recharge battery systems and additional 'on demand' power directly to the electric motors of all electric powered vehicles. This turbine charging system will preclude the necessity of electric powered...
Clearing Up Some Confusion Over Community Solar In New York
Community Solar in New York has a messaging problem. It is confusing, and even some industry professionals have given up in disgust because of aggressive marketing and a lack of clarity.
Fortunately, aggressive marketing is not universal among community solar developers.
Unfortunately, the lack of clarity is almost universal.
How Community Solar Works in New York
The system the New York utility regulator set up for community distributed generation (CDG, a term which includes community hydropower and community wind as well as community solar) is counter intuitive for most potential customers.
As shown in the diagram above, the electric utility pays for a project's...
Income From Hydroelectric Power
by Debra Fiakas CFA Are you an investor hungry for current income? Is there a green line of global warming fear running through your investment selections? I have stock that fulfills both requirements. Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners (BEP: NYSE) is a renewable power producer with assets in Canada, the U.S. and Brazil. Brookfield generates over 5,900 megawatts of power each year from plants running on river water, wind or natural gas. Another 2,000 megawatts is apparently under development in Canada and Brazil. What Brookfield does best is hydroelectric production. The company claims over 170...
Wave machine supplies power to national grid
British engineers have succeeded in supplying electricity generated from wave power to the national grid for the first time. A machine off the coast of Orkney has been generating electricity for a week. Its performance is being monitored by scientists at the European Marine Energy Centre. also more about this story at
What A Portfolio Approach To Climate Policy Means for Your Stock Portfolio
Portfolio theory can lend insights into which carbon abatement strategies policymakers should pursue. If policymakers listen, what will it mean for green investors? Tom Konrad, Ph.D., CFA Good Info, Not Enough Analysis I've now read most of my review copy of Investment Opportunities for a Low Carbon World. The quality of the information is generally excellent, as Charles has described in his reviews of the Wind and Solar and Efficiency and Geothermal chapters. As a resource on the state of Cleantech industries, it's generally excellent. As an investing resource, however, it leaves something to be desired. Each chapter is written...
