Wall Street’s Irrational, Dangerous Hatred of Solar Stocks

Wall Street’s Irrational, Dangerous Hatred of Solar Stocks

The solar sector is among the most hated on Wall Street. Many names in the solar sector that are heavily shorted, in spite of it being the fastest growing energy sector in the U.S. Meanwhile, the world is using oil faster than it’s being pumped, which is economically dangerous, because oil price spikes have preceded all recessions since 1970. More renewables could serve to lessen our ridiculous economic vulnerability to oil prices.

The Global Reporting Initiative Year in Review: 2010 a Memorable Year

The Global Reporting Initiative Year in Review: 2010 a Memorable Year

In this post Elaine writes about this just released comprehensive review by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) of what it has been doing between July 2009 and June 2010. It covers such topics and events as the well attended third GRI conference in Amsterdam in May 2010where the GRI announced its goal that large and medium sized companies should by 2015 be required to report on their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance. It goes on to cover in greater detail the various specifics that are included in this GRI review.

Unpredictable Oil Prices are Hurting Everyone

Unpredictable Oil Prices are Hurting Everyone

The recent swings in the spot price for crude oil — especially in light of the currently rapid rising spot prices are cause for alarm. Noting that the current run up of prices looks a lot like period leading up to the sudden price spike that occurred in the summer of 2008. It goes on to argues that the global economy needs a better market regulating mechanism that can help manage these swings and reduce their amplitude so they become less damaging to the world’s economies. The energy business — whether it is alternative energy or oil, gas or coal exploration and development — has huge up front capital needs. This needed capital is much harder to raise in a climate of such extreme near term price uncertainty.

Getting Scholarships to Pay for Your Green MBA is Not as Hard as You Think – Part 1

Getting Scholarships to Pay for Your Green MBA is Not as Hard as You Think – Part 1

Many people would love to obtain a green MBA, but are put off by the high costs. This is the second in a series of post that explain how to get financial aid for attending a green MBA program. This post tells readers where to look for scholarships, fellowships, and other types of financial aid, as well as how to create a strategy that will dramatically increase their chances of success at winning not just one source of financial aid, but multiple sources. The first post, I Want a Green MBA, But How Do I Pay for It?, includes information on calculating the costs to attend; how to start cutting costs before you attend; how to get organized for the coming onslaught of admissions and financial aid activity;financial aid forms; and working with financial aid offices at the schools you are thinking about attending.

Clean Energy Sector Ups Spending on Lobbyists

A recent report from research firm New Energy Finance, spending on Washington lobbyists by the clean energy industry has accelerated rapidly in recent years, but still lags behind that the fossil fuel industry. Through the first six months of 2009, the sector spent an unprecedented $r12.1 million on lobbying, According the Center for Responsive Politics, During the same period, oil and natural gas spent $82.2 million on lobbying, with ExxonMobil alone contributing $14.9 million. That’s $2.8 million more that the entire clean energy sector.

New Reports Grade Social Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting of 48 U.S. Energy and Utilities Companies

The Roberts Environmental Center of Claremont McKenna College (CMC) recently released a detailed analysis of the social responsibility reporting efforts of America’s top energy and utilities corporations. The two reports contain a compilation of Pacific Sustainability Index scores evaluating the environmental and social reporting of the 48 U.S. energy and utilities companies on the 2008 Fortune 1000 list.The reports score companies based on the reporting, intent, and performance of environmental and social sustainability efforts. The research, based entirely on material released on the firms’ Web sites, found that two of the smallest firms – Mirant (energy sector) and Pinnacle West Capital (utilities sector) – did the best jobs of describing details of their socially beneficial actions and environmental management. The lowest scores were also shared by small firms – Adams Resources and Energy, Inc., and Atmos Energy Corp. – but there was a good mix of firms of all sizes throughout the range of scoring. In neither sector is size a predictor of good reporting.