It's summertime, and that means cool suds, hot duds, and once again we're looking at higher fuel prices across the board. The average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. is up 2 cents from yesterday, now at $2.69 a gallon.  And crude oil's not looking any more optimistic than last year, either - now creeping toward $70 a barrel with peak season 2 months away. (You can keep track of this stuff for yourself on SectorMatic.com/auto.html.  In fact, why not make SectorMatic.com your home page?  I'm just sayin'...)  Now, I regret to inform you that I will not be providing you with the average price of a half-rack of Rolling Rock or the current tag on a decent pair of swim trunks.  You'll have to make that tally on your own.

So here's the thing.  Not only is the price of gas going up, summertime typically means higher home energy bills.  Alternative energy experts tell us that the transition from a petroleum-driven economy isn't likely to be a smooth one. The amount of new technology and infrastructure that needs to be developed is quite frankly staggering.  As access to cheap oil lurks ever closer to being a thing of the past, as a society we now have to scramble to play catch-up.  We have about 30 years left of reasonably "cheap" oil and gas.  Some experts tell us within 20 years after that, we need to be at least 90% independent of crude altogether. Unfortunately, the thirst for oil is growing, not slaking, and it's growing faster now than it did even in the 1970s.  But it's not all doom and gloom - we do have options.

Solar City Here I Come

You may have noticed, if you are one of those observant types, that there is a trend toward homes that are powered by alternative energy sources.  For instance, in Florida the world's first all-solar city is under development.  It's called Babcock Ranch, and upon completion it will include 19,500 houses and about 6 million square feet of retail, light industrial, and office space.  That ain't a bad start.

From wind turbines to hydrogen fuel cells and biomass gases, this trend is one that needs to continue into the 21st century and beyond. Even beyond the civic development factor, folks as individuals need to get “off the grid” and stop relying so much on government and giant oil corporations.  So with that in mind, here are some energy alternatives both to harness and to invest in. By using any of these or a combination thereof, our society can start to move away from using fossil fuels and those old electrical grids.  Here we go!

Energy Options For Your Home & Portfolio

1. Wind Power: Wind turbines continue to be developed that are progressively more energy efficient and less costly. “Wind farms” have been springing up in many nations, and they have even become more strategically placed over time so that they are not jeopardizing birds as former wind turbines did.
2. Solar Energy: This involves the manufacturing of solar cells which gather and focus the energy given off directly by the sun, and translate it into electricity or, in some cases, hot water. As with wind energy, solar energy creates absolutely zero pollution.
3. Ocean Wave Energy: This is seen by governments and investors as having enormous energy generating potential. A generator in France has been in operation for many years now and is considered to be a great success. The Irish and Scots are running experimental facilities.
4. Hydroelectric Power: You got it - this comes from dams. This has been with us for a while and where it is set up, it is a powerful generator of electricity and cleaner than a grid. However, there are certain limitations to the availability of the right places to set up a large dam. Many run-of-the-river, or small and localized, hydroelectric generators have been set up in recent times due to this limitation.
5. Geothermal Energy: This source is extremely abundant, since it lies directly beneath our feet, just a few miles below the earth's surface. This energy is produced by the heating of water through the actions of earth's fantastically hot molten core. The water turns to steam, which can be harnessed and used to drive turbine engines which in turn generate electricity. Great amounts of research and development should be put into geothermal energy tapping.
6. Waste Gas Energy: This is essentially methane produced as a byproduct of other processes.  This type of energy reverses the usual energy-pollution relationship by creating energy from waste that lies in the dumps, from some air pollutants, and such things as steer manure - thus making it a popular choice in beef range states and Washington, D.C.  This gas is used in fuel cells and can be used in standard gasoline generators.
7. Ethanol: This is a gasoline substitute created from stuff like wheat, sugarcane, grapes, strawberries, corn - even wood chips and wood cellulose. There is controversy over this fuel with regard to its ever becoming truly economical or practical except in very localized areas, but the technology is constantly being refined... just like during Prohibition.
8. Biodiesel: This energy is created out of the oils contained in plants. So far, the commercial stores of biodiesel have been created using soybean, rapeseed, and sunflower oils - or leftover french fry oils from McDonald's. Right now biodiesel is typically produced by entrepreneurial minded folks or those who want to experiment with alternative energy, but commercial interest from companies is on the rise. And so far it's only used by early adapters - those who don't mind the smell of french fries. Biodiesel burns much cleaner than oil-based diesel.
9. Hydrogen Fuel: This process essentially extracts hydrogen from water and uses it to create energy.  The byproduct?  Water.  I dunno - you go figure that one out.  As I understand it, this tactic is still under development.
10. Atomic Energy: I gotta tell ya, this one is not my favorite, but I'm including here because, well... I'm thorough. Atomic power is created in atomic energy plants using the process of nuclear fission. This energy is extremely efficient and can generate huge amounts of power. There is concern from some folks about what to do with the "relatively small" amount of waste product that atomic energy gives off, since it's radioactive and takes hundreds of years to decay into harmlessness.  Now, frankly, when the horseless carriage was invented, it emitted a "relatively small" amount of waste product, and the Los Angeles basin was carpeted in orange trees - not orange skies.  Somebody wasn't thinkin' ahead.

Now, all of these sources of energy have their place. They all have their perks and drawbacks.  Which ones become predominant will both decide the economy and be decided by the economy. There was a time just over a decade ago when it was unclear whether the DIVX or DVD movie format would win out in the consumer technology sector.  It was clear, sure, that VHS was on its way out.  Ultimately folks chose DVD, and an industry went wild.  Now DVD technology is being replaced by digits online - watching movies "in the cloud." The disc format served its purpose, sure, but the technology has cycled through again.  Whatever change happens in our changing world, it's sure to be driven by need and effectiveness.  And you can take that to the bank!  ...Yeah, like that.

For more great ideas about investing in the Energy Sector, check out SectorMatic Money Site. With literally THOUSANDS OF ARTICLES and A WORLD OF PRODUCTS, your chances for genuine happiness are rapidly approaching the infinite. Hey, we aim to please. SectorMatic - it's for you!

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Until next time,
JS
Spokesman

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