As you consider alternative energy (solar and wind, in particular) keep their relative size in mind. Solar is currently 1% of 7% of US energy sources. Wind is currently 5% of 7% of energy sources.

While those sources may grow tremendously, and while some of the companies in the space may do very well, the nation will have to invest heavily in more traditional energy sources in the short-term to make a significant difference in supply and prices.

Alternative energy may be our future, but our immediate solutions must come from traditional energy sources and/or conservation.

There may well be more profit potential in clean coal investments or coal liquefaction or coal gasification, for example, that in wind or solar over the short-term.

This situation may be useful in making choices between ETFs such as:

TAN (solar)
FAN (wind)
NLR (nuclear)
KOL (coal)
USO (oil)
UNG (gas)

The chart above is what the US Dept of Energy, Energy Information Agency says about current energy sources.

By Richard Shaw
http://www.qvmgroup.com

Richard Shaw leads the QVM team as President of QVM Group. Richard has extensive investment industry experience including serving on the board of directors of two large investment management companies, including Aberdeen Asset Management (listed London Stock Exchange) and as a charter investor and director of Lending Tree ( download short professional profile ). He provides portfolio design and management services to individual and corporate clients. He also edits the QVM investment blog. His writings are generally republished by SeekingAlpha and Reuters and are linked to sites such as Kiplinger and Yahoo Finance and other sites. He is a 1970 graduate of Dartmouth College.

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilizing methods believed reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any trading losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Do your own due diligence.

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