"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.

"USEC (NYSE: USU) is the nation's leading supplier of enriched uranium for use in commercial nuclear power plants -- in fact, it is the only supplier," notes value investor Nathan Slaughter.

In Half-Priced Stocks newsletter, he explains, "Low-enriched uranium is commonly used as fuel in nuclear reactors, and no other company in the U.S. provides it, giving USEC a dominant position in a key niche market." Here is his review.

"Its competitive advantage? USEC has the single best competitive advantage there is: zero competition -- at least in the United States. While the firm does have a handful of rivals overseas, it has reaped the benefit of being the lone U.S. supplier.

"The company has also been awarded lucrative contracts to perform work for the U.S. Department of Defense.

"The company also benefits from the nation's longstanding nuclear non-proliferation treaty with Russia. Specifically, it participates in the salvaging of old Soviet nuclear warheads under the 'Megatons to Megawatts' program, which essentially gives the firm a sharply discounted source of uranium.

For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.

"My more speculative favorite for 2008 is Market Vectors Nuclear Energy (ASE: NLR)," says scientist and technology stock expert Josh Wolfe, editor of the Forbes Wolfe Emerging Tech Report.

"The Market Vectors Nuclear Energy exchange traded fund is one of the first dedicated nuclear energy ETFs, with exposure to both domestic and international companies. It began trading in August 2007.

"I'm a nuclear bull for a few reasons. As fears of global warming rise, fears of nuclear recede -- even environmentalists are getting on board. A month ago for the first time in US history, a coal plant was denied in Kansas on environmental grounds.

"I've called this the 'Kansas Syndrome' -- like the 'China Syndrome' that crippled growth of nuclear power for three decades -- coal's future may soon be in doubt.

"Nuclear power is about to enter a new phase of rapid growth," says Tony Sagami. "Plain and simple, the demand for uranium is going to go through the roof."

"What's the best way to profit from this unstoppable trend?" he asks. In his Asia Stock Alert, he answers: Cameco Corp. (NYSE: CCJ). "The biggest producer of uranium in the world should be a cornerstone of your natural resource portfolio.

"According to the World Nuclear Association, there are nuclear power plants 34 under construction, 86 on order or planned, and 223 proposed. By 2013, 48 additional nuclear power plants should go into service, and over the next 10 years, an additional 100 plants will be built, with 40 of them in Asia.

"All those new nuclear power plants, of course, are going to need uranium. Next year, uranium demand is estimated to hit 83,000 tons. But according to the Uranium Information Centre, the world only produced 46,720 tons of uranium last year.

"We're talking about a huge increase in the demand for uranium and a severe production shortage. That is, of course, extremely positive news for uranium prices and uranium producers.

"In any industry, one of the most sure-footed means of keeping profits steady is to own the suppliers of production means -- the old 'invest in the picks and shovels' approach," explains Neil George in Personal Finance.

He says, "For refiners, it means pipe, compressors, and the other bits used to crack crude into further profitable products." Here, he looks at a trio of favorites: Dresser-Rand Group Inc. (NYSE: DRC), Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE: SGR), and Tenaris (NYSE: TS).

"Dresser Rand is a leading global producer of highly specialized compressors and turbines, nearly 95% of which are used in the energy business. Compressors are used extensively in refineries; they're a crucial part of equipment used to process heavy and sour crude oils. The reactions used to process these more-complex crudes require generating extreme pressure and temperature.

"Dresser's products are also used to process Canadian oil sands. Dresser is also involved in some high-tech deepwater equipment work. The company has designed a subsea compressor and separator for Norway's Statoil.

"This equipment literally sits on the seafloor; the compressor helps to separate gas from oil and transport these commodities by subsea pipeline to distant floating production platforms.