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.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

Gregg Early focuses on finding long-term growth opportunities among companies that specialize in niche, advanced technologies.

In his The New Tech Investor, he looks to AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) -- which is involved in innovative ventures in both wind power and unmanned vehicles -- as his favorite investment idea for the coming year.

"Two things make AeroVironment a unique company: its story and its stock price during the past year.

"The company has four divisions that by themselves seem very incongruous for moving the whole forward. It has a division that makes some of the most highly lauded and in-demand micro-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in service today.

"It also has a clean energy systems division that's best known for its 'architectural wind' turbines for urban settings, that are installed on manufacturing plants as well as office and apartment buildings.

"Its latter two division are the congruent in direction: one builds electric vehicle (EV) supply systems and the other supplies EV test systems.

This post is part of a special annual report -- Top Stock Picks '09 -- in which TheStockAdvisors.com asked 75 leading newsletter advisors to select their favorite investment for the new year.

"As the government and corporations look to get more environmentally sound, they'll be turning to Tetra Tech (NASDAQ: TTEK), an environmental consulting company," suggests 'green technology' specialist Brendan Coffey.

The editor of The Cabot Green Investor explains, "Tetra Tech is the expert people turn to the figure out the nitty gritty of getting eco-projects done." Here's his review of the stock, which he selects as his favorite investment idea for the coming year.

"President-elect Obama looking to resuscitate the economy, wants to do two things at once: immediate stimulate job growth with an aid package of perhaps $700 billion while laying the groundwork for the country's long-term economy health.

"He's identified the core of that dual strategy as going green -- to wean us off oil, counteract the eventual dire effects of global warming and make the country the technological leader in alternative energy, creating five million or more jobs in the process.

"Alternative energies are not just a pie-in-the-sky dream," says Paul Tracy and Nathan Slaughter from the StreetAuthority Market Advisor. "Denmark generates as much as 30% of its power from wind, Iceland uses geothermal energy, and producers are bringing down the cost of solar power."

"Overall, companies involved in alternative power technologies, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass, are getting plenty of attention from investors these days." Here, the advisors profile what they consider to the most attractive companies in the alternative energy space.

Suntech Power Holdings Co. (NYSE: STP), "which manufactures and sells photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, has two primary advantages: a low manufacturing cost base and highly efficient cells.

"For starters, Suntech is based in China, where labor costs (even for skilled research staff) are far lower than in the Western world. The Chinese government also subsidizes such research, further helping companies like Suntech.

"In addition, the firm's cells boast some of the highest conversion rates on the market, allowing the company to offer smaller panels that can produce as much electricity as far larger ones from competitors.

"Suntech has been ramping up its manufacturing capacity rapidly in recent years to keep pace with strong demand. Analysts are forecasting robust earnings growth of 45% annually over the next five years.

Each year Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, surveys the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is part of his 24th annual Top Picks Report.

Maxwell Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MXWL) is the top speculative pick for 2007 from Gregg Early. The editor of The Real Nanotech Investor: A Small World of Big Profits explains, "Maxwell specializes in a very arcane field, even in nanotechnology companies.

"Most of the press goes to bio-nano, batteries, or cosmetics when the press gets a hold of a nanotech story. Sure they're sexy -- curing cancer, electric vehicles, rub-on facelifts -- but they don't always have the substance that a business needs to make a real breakthrough.

"Maxwell is one of the few companies that specializes in capacitors and increasingly, ultracapacitors. This new generation of capacitor has the potential to revolutionize motive and stationary power storage and distribution as we know it. The company has just inked a deal for a 3 million unit order from one of Europe's largest wind turbine makers, which doubled the initial order the wind company previously placed. A very good sign.

"Maxwell is also working with a German OEM (original equipment manufacturer) regarding ignition systems that could make car batteries obsolete. There's certainly risk here but there's also plenty of potential reward. Buy Maxwell up to 14.35 as a 'home run' play."

To see Gregg's favorite conservative stock for 2007, click here.