Sunny skies are here for Ausra, the solar thermal company backed by Kleiner Perkins and Khosla Ventures. The company is looking for a buyer, and it's already talking to three, according to a report by Reuters. Everything is up for grabs, from a majority stake in the company to 100% of it, and the back-and-forth going on is at a "very aggressive level."

The businesses looking to pick up Ausra are said to be global power generation conglomerates but haven't been named yet. So, the clean energy company would be a way for one of them to diversify.

"I'm excited about Quanta Services (PWR), a contracting company that specializes in building utility transmission and distribution infrastructure," says Ian Wyatt.

In his Top Stock Insights, he explains, "The current focus in the U.S. of projects that improve energy conservation, utilize renewable resources, and improve air quality make Quanta an excellent long-term growth opportunity.

"Its customers are in the electric power, gas, telecommunications, and cable television industries. These are stimulus spending customers; i.e., big government organizations and utilities companies.

The clean technology private equity momentum continues. In New York, a group of partners has launched NewWorld Capital Group, a private equity firm that will focus on mid-market investments in clean energy infrastructure companies in the United States and selectively in Europe.

The new fund will work closely with Ambienta, a European environmental assets private equity firm in Italy. Both said they plan to collaborate on finding and analyzing investment opportunities -- with NewWorld taking care of the United States and Ambienta addressing Europe.

Investors hoping to ride the climate change bandwagon have had a roller coaster ride over the past two years. Greentech stocks soared with the oil spike in 2007 and 2008, then crashed with stock market and commodity price declines in 2009. Since then, some of the most obvious stock plays have strongly rebounded. Many solar stocks have posted high double-digit gains since rebounding off year-to-date lows in March 2009.

The leading solar panel manufacturer, FirstSolar (NASDAQ: FSLR) has appreciated by 45% from lows of near $100 to a closing price of $154 on October 14. "I wouldn't be stepping into buying these stocks right now," says Pacific Crest senior analyst Mark Bachman, who covers solar stocks. Still, he rates FirstSolar as a market perform and considers it the best solar stock at present on his coverage list.

"A smart grid is one of the holy grails of 'green' technology, enabling utilities to deliver resources when and where they're needed and reduce resources when they're not," says Brendan Coffey.

In The Cabot Green Investor, he explains, "There are larger companies in the smart metering arena, but Echelon (NASDAQ: ELON) has posted some significant wins in the marketplace recently and appears primed to generate more."

"Right now, grids are set up to provide as much power as needed at peak times, all the time. Studies show that when customers are part of a smart grid, and have more information to reduce energy usage, demand is slashed by up to 50%, particularly in areas where rates are discounted depending on the time of day.

"If there was ever a stock we can hold for a few years, natural gas company Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK) is it," says Ian Wyatt. Here's the latest from his Top Stock Insights.

"Chesapeake Energy is the largest independent natural gas company and most active driller of wells in the US. Its operating activities include the onshore exploration and production of natural gas.

"The Obama administration is keen on achieving energy independence for the US. Natural gas is a good option for energy, since it is inexpensive, clean and domestic. I believe the administration will continue to push natural gas as an alternative to oil, and create incentives for the industry.

General Electric Company (NYSE GE) plans to ramp up its solar power division. GE already has a foot in the market, but up to this point it has produced only $200 million in sales.

GE made a minor acquisition in the solar field with the purchase of Astropower, and it acquired a stake in PrimeStar Solar. Now GE is taking a long-term view of the energy market and sees it as a multi-billion dollar industry. Jeff Immelt, GE's chief executive officer, told the Financial Times that energy was "clearly one of the big industrial businesses filled with what I would call seismic change, whether it's clean energy or scarcity of resources."

If you want to feel like what you do for a living makes a difference, you'll soon face an embarrassment of riches.

The alternative energy industry -- the green business -- is about to ramp up its hiring, with the next year likely to show an increase in demand, according to U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.

According to the chief economist at the International Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris, the world could be hurtling toward an energy crunch that could effectively kill any global economic recovery. Dr. Fatih Birol said in an interview that most major oil fields in the world have eclipsed their peak production. Birol noted that the public and many governments are oblivious to the fact that oil is running out faster than earlier predicted, with global production likely to peak in roughly 10 years.

Birol said, "One day we will run out of oil, it is not today or tomorrow, but one day we will run out of oil and we have to leave oil before oil leaves us, and we have to prepare ourselves for the day. The earlier we start, the better." It will not be cheap to convert from our dependence on oil, but the cost may be better than the possibility of having no oil whatsoever; or having $200-per-barrel oil.

"No US utility owns more of them than Exelon Corp. (NYSE: EXC), with 17 reactors," explains Roger Conrad, who chose the stock as his latest "growth spotlight" in The Utility Forecaster.

"Carbon free and, above all, paid for, existing nuclear plants are among the most prized assets in the power business.

"Some 80% of company earnings come from its unregulated generation fleet, 90% of which is nuclear. And it's by far the best-positioned US utility to ramp up nuclear output.

"I'm adding Itron (NSDQ: ITRI) to my diversified portfolio of stocks in the alternative energy space," says Elliott Gue.

In The Energy Strategist he explains, "The firm will benefit from both the HR 2454 bill (a cap-and-trade system designed to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions) and the stimulus bill which included direct subsidies aimed at promoting efficiency and building a more intelligent electric grid.

"Itron is a leading play on energy efficiency and smart grid technologies, a key, near-term component of cutting carbon emissions.

"Itron (NASDAQ: ITRI), which is involved in the build-out of smart grids -- has been our radar screen for awhile," says growth stock expert Toby Smith.

In his ChangeWave Investing, he suggests, "As the top supplier of smart meters and meter infrastructure for the electricity industry, Itron is by far the best-positioned company for the smart grid build-out."

"The build-out of smart grids employs technologies that deployed across an energy grid which allow greater efficiency and flexibility during energy distribution and transmission.

"The cool thing about smart grids is that they are capable of isolating and better managing power outages and disruptions, integrating local power generating equipment, and avoiding electricity congestion or bottlenecks.

"Over the past year, ITC Holdings (NYSE: ITC) has been focused on identifying ways to integrate wind and other renewable resources into the power grid," notes growth stock expert Alexander Green.

In The Oxford Club Communique, he explains, "This young company -- that despite being in the midst of the biggest economic slowdown in more than 70 years -- is taking in more than $600 million in annual revenue, enjoying 46% operating margins and experiencing 72% quarterly profit growth.

Brendan Coffey is a specialist on "green" investing; in his The Cabot Green Investor, he looks to alternative energy firm American Superconductor (NASDAQ: AMSC).

Here's his review of the company, which is a player both in wind power and energy efficient wiring that can play a role in improved power grid systems.

"Long an R&D company, focusing on highly conductive wiring, American Superconductor made a game-changing purchase of an Austrian wind company, Windtec, in early 2007.

"Zero greenhouse gas emissions, 90% average availability as a power source, minimal land requirements and competitive costs: those are just a few of the advantages of geothermal power," explains Roger Conrad.

In his leading-edge New World advisory, he looks at one favorite play on the sector: Ormat Technologies (NYSE: ORA), which operates a dozen geothermal plants worldwide.

"Geothermal's chief disadvantage is geographical limitations to large-scale applications. Geothermal plants are mainly economic in areas of subsurface or volcanic activity.