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What are clean energy industries?

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Clean energy is considered an alternate to the traditional fossil fuel and nuclear options of energy that are currently most widely used in the United States. Clean energy is renewable and less hazardous to the environment. New technology is being developed yearly as businesses and individuals use their creative resources to tackle the problems of traditional "dirty energy" - electricity, nuclear power, gasoline, oil refineries. "Dirty energy" is any energy that has potentially harmful bi-products (such as nuclear energy) or produces wastes or pollution when utilized.

Clean or alternate energy sources are becoming a more and more viable option as technology advances, the prices of oil and natural gas continue to rise and the cost of producing clean energy continues to fall. "For example, global solar markets rose 55 percent from 2004 to reach $11.2 billion in 2005, and global wind markets rose 47 percent to reach $11.8 billion in 2005. Going forward, Clean Edge predicts that the solar market will reach $51.1 billion in 2015, with projections for wind only slightly flatter at $48.5 billion." (Cleanedge.com)

Those interested in socially responsible investments should research the possibilities of investing in solar energy, wind energy, compact tidal generators, biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) and a new technology known as flash carbonization. Also, new technologies are being developed all the time. A report from Cleanedge.com states that the four most prominent energy sources in the next few years will be solar energy, wind energy, ethanol and biodiesel. "In total, we project these four clean-energy technologies, which equaled $40 billion in 2005, to grow fourfold to $167 billion within the coming decade," states the report.

Solar energy, wind energy and compact tidal generators seek to harness natural forces to produce energy. Biofuels are fuels that are manufactured out of natural resources. One biofuel, ethanol, is typically produced from corncobs, sugar cane, sugar beets and grain. A new technology is being developed that can produce ethanol from the waste products that traditional ethanol leaves behind, such as corn husks and straw, making it doubly clean.

Flash carbonization is a process that converts wastes such as tree trimmings, agricultural wastes, biomedical wastes and tires into carbon products. The process results in charcoal which is faster to make and has 200% more energy value than current charcoals on the market.

Next Page: How Can I Learn More About Investing in Clean Energy Companies?

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