"Ultracapacitors are lighter and more powerful than batteries, 10 times more powerful by size as well as 10 times lighter," notes Brendan Coffey.

The editor of Cabot Green Investor explains, "Within this market, Maxwell Technologies (MXWL) is a San Diego-based company whose patent-protected ultracapacitors are denser -- and therefore able to hold more energy -- than those of its competitors.

"In a simplified comparison of how powerful and quick Maxwell's ultracaps are, a lead acid battery takes 10 hours to fully charge. A lithium ion battery will charge in about an hour.

Continue reading Maxwell Technologies (MXWL): Bet on Better Batteries

Maxwell Technologies (MXWL): Bet on Better Batteries originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Two Stocks to Buy Now: Could One Be a Ten-Bagger?

Two Stocks to Buy Now: Could One Be a Ten-Bagger? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Growth and Income Experts Power Up FPL (FPL)

Growth and Income Experts Power Up FPL (FPL) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The editor of The Utility Forecaster explains, "That's a powerful driver for dividend growth, which has already averaged more than 9% the past five years."

Continue reading Utility Expert Powers Up Sempra (SRE)

Utility Expert Powers Up Sempra (SRE) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Maxwell Technologies (NASDAQ: MXWL) provides R&D services to the U.S. military and other government agencies; it's become the world's leading authority on ultracapacitors," says Timothy Lutts.

In The Cabot Stock of the Month report, he explains, "Ultracapacitors are handy little electronic devices that store and release electric energy more efficiently than batteries; they can be 10 times lighter than batteries and store and distribute energy 10 times more effciently than batteries."

"So what are ultracapacitors good for? Today, Maxwell-the primary American ultracapacitor manufacturer-is focusing its efforts on two fast-growing young industries: wind turbines and hybrid/electric vehicles.

Continue reading Maxwell (MXWL): Bet on a better battery

Maxwell (MXWL): Bet on a better battery originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

Continue reading American Superconductor (AMSC): Green gains in wind and wires

American Superconductor (AMSC): Green gains in wind and wires originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 20 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"President Obama has stated that he's been studying Roosevelt's first 100 days and the way out of the current economic mess will look a lot like the New Deal," says David Fessler.

The advisory panelist for The Oxford Club explains, "Seventy-five years after Roosevelt's inauguration, I think we will soon see President Obama get the ball rolling on his version of the New Deal, focused on two very specific areas: energy and infrastructure." Here, he looks at stocks poised to benefit.

"Saving energy will be one of his first initiatives. It's what will give us the quickest bang for our buck. Better insulation in homes, programmable thermostats, fluorescent bulbs, more fuel-efficient cars, energy management systems for use in larger-scale commercial buildings and beefed-up public transportation are just a few of the ways to save energy.

"The government will likely offer attractive tax incentives to rally support. So who stands to prosper from such initiatives?

"Big blue-chip companies, like Owens Corning (NYSE: OC), maker of insulated glass and building insulation; General Electric (NYSE: GE), manufacturer of wind turbines, energy control and infrastructure products; and Johnson Controls Inc. (NYSE: JCI), maker of energy management systems (for buildings and vehicles) and hybrid vehicle batteries.

Continue reading Energy savers: Betting on Obama's new New Deal

Energy savers: Betting on Obama's new New Deal originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Obama doubles renewable energy tax credit in stimulus plan

Obama doubles renewable energy tax credit in stimulus plan originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Four-day work week: "It's possible, but the best plan would be voluntary, allowing companies to opt in/out and adopt plans that meet their production needs," Dietz said.

• Mandated higher MPG for vehicles: "This is almost certain to be proposed by President-elect Obama, and will likely pass the Congress. It will reduce gasoline and diesel consumption."

• Mandated flex-fuel cars: "Another measure likely to become federal law and it would take pressure off oil consumption."

• Tax credit for fuel-efficient vehicles: "Another oil saver, and it stands a better than 50% chance of being passed by the next Congress."
  

• Federal funds for next-gen vehicle: "This will likely be included in any rescue package for General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. A next-generation vehicle would be a game-changer, energy wise, but it's years away."

Continue reading Is now a good time for the U.S. to kick its oil habit?

Is now a good time for the U.S. to kick its oil habit? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Our hope is that the new administration decides to fund 'the future'," says Sean Broderick. In Money and Markets he looks to some favored exchange traded funds offering long-term investors exposure to alternative energy, wind power, electric cars and the rebuilding of our nation's infrastructure.

"We need an efficient power grid that can carry renewable energy -- solar from the Mojave Desert and wind from the Great Plains -- to the population centers of the U.S. Too bad our power grid is 100 years old and falling apart at the seams. And demand is growing every year.

"In addition, we need more railroads for an energy independent America. Building those lines is a good bottom-up way to boost the economy. And we need an electric car program.

"I'm talking about developing mass-market battery-powered cars (hybrid or plug-in) that achieve at least 100 mpg of gasoline on new fleets by the year 2015.

"These three programs have one thing in common: Good American jobs that can't be shipped overseas. If you want to jump-start the economy, that's a 1-2-3 that might work.

Continue reading Obama Picks: Funding the future, from electric cars to wind power

Obama Picks: Funding the future, from electric cars to wind power originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Should Congress invest $50 billion in T. Boone Pickens' Plan to expand wind power?

Should Congress invest $50 billion in T. Boone Pickens' Plan to expand wind power? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"The positive side to any correction is that it brings valuations down to earth for stocks you may have thought were out of your reach," says Genia Turanova.

The contributing editor to Stephen Leeb's The Complete Investor explains, the "Along with the energy sell-off, unregulated utilities have declined even more-to bargain levels." Here's a look at Florida-based FPL Energy (NYSE: FPL).

"FPL is one of our favorite alternative energy holdings. And with the recent selloff, its yield once again qualify the stock as a legitimate full-fledged income plays.

"And as its quarterly results indicate, the unregulated utility is relatively immune to the nation's slowdown, making them among the surest growers in the marketplace today.

"The skies over the Sunshine State have been quite dark because of the housing sector's woes and the subsequent credit crunch. As a result, the Florida-based company's adjusted earnings per share increased 'only' 8% on a year-over-year basis.

Continue reading FPL Energy (FPL): Powered by wind and nuclear

FPL Energy (FPL): Powered by wind and nuclear originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wind, solar face yet another hurdle: The power grid

Wind, solar face yet another hurdle: The power grid originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"We've looked at several ways to play anticipated growth in wind energy; we've also considered titanium makers for that industry's ties to the production of lightweight, modern aircraft," notes Bill Martin.

In his BullMarket.com, he explains, "While the two trends might not appear to have much in common at first glance, Hexcel Corp. (NYSE: HXL) offers a way to play both the aircraft and wind markets.

"The connection is the lightweight, composite materials Hexcel makes that are used by producers in both sectors. Hexcel develops and manufactures advanced structural materials.

"It is the largest U.S. producer of carbon fiber; the world's largest weaver of reinforcement fabrics; and the number-one producer of composite materials.

"Its product was initially developed for the aerospace industry, but is now used in a wide range of applications -- from golf clubs to satellite arrays, and from the rotor blades of wind turbines to life-saving monocoques for Formula 1 race cars.

"It's been a rollercoaster ride for Hexcel's stock in the past 12 months. The shares hit their one-year peak of $27.19 in December 2007; by January 22nd they had plummeted to $17.. The shares rebounded through May, only to fade again. Year to date, HXL is off about 15%.

Continue reading Hexcel (HXL): Composite gains?

Hexcel (HXL): Composite gains? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The editor of Half-Priced Stocks looks at industrial product firm Trinity Industries (NYSE: TRN), explaining, "The company's most promising division is involved in the production of structural wind towers." Here's the advisor's of the latest addition to his "deep-discount' model portfolio.

"Led by states such as Texas and California, wind farms around the country will generate almost 50 billion kilowatt hours of electricity this year. Of course, the U.S. is still playing catch-up with many other regions.

"In fact, countries such as Spain, Portugal and Denmark all rely on wind farms for as much as one-quarter of their total power needs. Across Europe, wind turbines will account for roughly one-third of all new generating capacity installed over the next few years and could provide electricity for 90 million people by 2010.

"The outlook is even brighter in many booming, energy-hungry Asian markets. In China, installed wind power capacity surged +130% last year and will reportedly supply a great deal of the electricity needed for the upcoming 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

"Thanks to the great strides in engineering, wind turbine output has increased by a factor of ten (or higher in some cases) over the past decade.

Continue reading Trinity (TRN): Value play in wind power

Trinity (TRN): Value play in wind power originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"There's no 'silver bullet' solution to the energy crisis; but there are some solutions that do work," says Sean Broderick, referring to wind and solar power.

In The Safe Money Report he says, "There are with some choice ETF to power your own bottom line." Here's a look at the two green technologies and how you can invest in these developing fields.

"Many Americans are disgusted by the fact that, faced with an energy crisis, the government seems to produce nothing but hot air. So let me give you my appraisal of two alternative energy solutions that work -- along with some choice exchange-traded funds that can power your own bottom line. Here are two energy solutions that work right now.

Solution #1: Wind Power

"Critics will point out that the wind seems to stop blowing when you want electricity most -- on hot summer days. And that is a problem. However, a study last year by Stanford University shows that wind power from interconnected farms can be used as reliable base load electric power.

Continue reading Investing in solar & wind: Green ETFs

Investing in solar & wind: Green ETFs originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Pickens Plan: One piece in U.S. transportation energy puzzle

Pickens Plan: One piece in U.S. transportation energy puzzle originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"Wind power is a source of energy that is renewable, clean, has a low operating cost and is a technology that's been around for over century," says Ian Cooper.

The small-cap stock specialist and editor of the SC Trading Pit explains, "That's why we're adding a position in First Trust ISE Global Wind Energy ETF (NYSE: FAN), which lets you own 52 wind stocks at once."

"The nice thing about this ETF is that many of the holdings are non-US companies, meaning they're not reliant on news of green energy tax credits. But with the rest of the world investing in wind, we're given wider profit exposure. This is a great way to hold 50 up and coming stocks at $30 a pop.

"As oil prices stay high, the wind power and alternative energy themes are becoming increasingly popular, making the latest exchange-traded fund even more enticing.

"Just recently, the much-anticipated First Trust ISE Global Wind Energy ETF was launched. And not only will investors have an opportunity to profit from companies in the wind energy business, they can profit from companies that will soon enter the space.

Continue reading Blowin' in the wind: First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (FAN)

Blowin' in the wind: First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (FAN) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"To say that alternative energies are critical is a severe understatement." asserts Stephen Leeb, who looks at three plays in the sector that earn a spot in his Growth Portfolio.

The editor of The Complete Investor explains, "Readily scalable energy sources such as solar and wind account for under 1%. It's time to get serious."

Three of the stocks he has selected are holdings in his model Growth Portfolio: FPL Group (NYSE: FPL), Exelon (NYSE: EXC), and General Electric (NYSE: GE). Here's a trio of favorites.

"We have focused on those alternative energy stocks with the strongest growth profiles. None is a pie in the sky fantasy; all provide energy in the here and now and have significant and fast-growing revenue streams.

"The fact that their growth should continue to burgeon is one of the most heartening pieces of news on the energy front. We could argue that investing in these stocks not only will be good for your portfolio but is an act of patriotism as well.

Continue reading Three growth favorites in alternative energy

Three growth favorites in alternative energy originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading China, India see nuclear energy as essential to electricity plan

China, India see nuclear energy as essential to electricity plan originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.