Used Adult Diapers and Other Weird Sources of Fuel

You may have previously read our article about flywheel stocks, the companies that make battery-free electrical storage devices, such as Active Power Inc. (ACPW) which trades on NASDAQ. We also wrote about stocks that produce power from hot air from the ground, like Calpine Corporation (CPN). Then there is one source of green energy that I didn't include in my book, The Green Light on Green Stocks. It was the body heat used by a Swedish company to heat companies.

Now there is a new source of fuel: dirty adult diapers. Due to Japan's rapidly aging population and its limited landfill sites, the country has been inundated with piles of used dirty adult diapers. Fortunately, a company has come up with a solution. Super Faiths Inc. has created a manufacturing process that processes used adult diapers into solid fuel. This fuel is now being used in a Tokyo hospital.

So what other companies use weird fuel? One company that uses an eclectic group of sources of fuel to produce electricity is Hawaiian Electric Industries (HE), which is one of the leading utilities involved in the use of renewable energy sources for the generation of power. Hawaiian Electric uses sugarcane waste to run its generators along with municipal waste and waves from the ocean. Of course the company uses other less exotic power sources such as wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, and hydroelectric. Earnings for the latest quarter ending June 30 spiked by an incredible 43% on a 7.5% rise in revenues. The stock trades at 15.5 times forward earnings and has a 4.8% yield. The company has scheduled its earnings announcement for November 7.

If you like interesting stock lists like this, check out the many free lists of stocks at WallStreetNewsNetwork.com that can be downloaded.

Disclosure: The author didn't own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

Steaming Hot Geothermal Stocks

One of the alternative energy industries that hasn't received much press coverage is the geothermal group of stocks. Geothermal generation utilizes natural underground heat sources that powers a turbine which turns a generator. The word 'geothermal' comes from the Greek words 'geo', which means 'earth', and 'therme', which means 'heat'.

One big advantage of geothermal over the solar and wind industries, is that geothermal energy doesn't rely much on government subsidies or tax credits. In addition, geothermal plants run 24/7, all day and all night, whether the sun is shining or not and whether the wind is blowing or not.

Ormat Technologies Inc. (ORA) a Nevada based company, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, was founded in 1965. It owns and operates geothermal power plants, selling electricity in the United States, Guatemala, Kenya, Nicaragua, and the Philippines. They also provide products and services to other geothermal power generators. The forward P/E is 23, the PEG is 2.15, and the yield is 0.7%.

Calpine Corporation (CPN) was originally founded in 1984. This Houston, Texas based company provides electricity in the United States and Canada through the ownership and operation of its own power generation plants, through geothermal and natural gas. The company went through bankruptcy and came out of it, now traded back on the New York Stock Exchange. The stock has a forward PE of 33.5 with a PEG ratio of 4.13.

Nevada Geothermal Power, Inc. (NGLPF.OB) is a company that explores for and develops geothermal projects in the United States to provide electrical power. They own a 100% leasehold interest in the Blue Mountain, Pumpernickel, Black Warrior projects in Nevada and the Crump Geyser Project in southern Oregon.

Raser Technologies (RZ) which is a Utah based company that trades on the New York Stock Exchange, and founded in 2003, is an environmental energy technology company, which develops geothermal power. The company has a portfolio of geothermal interests in Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Indonesia which generates seven megawatts of power. The company recently generated negative earnings.

Sierra Geothermal Power Corp (SRAGF.PK) is a developer of renewable power from geothermal sources. They have investments in 15 geothermal projects located in Nevada and California. This is a very low cap stock and should be considered very speculative.

US Geothermal Inc. (HTM) which is a Boise based company, founded in 2002, is involved in the development of geothermal energy power plants in the Raft River area of Idaho, the Neal Hot Springs area located in eastern Oregon, and interests in an operating geothermal power plant and geothermal energy leases in Nevada. Earnings for the latest reported quarter were negative.

Constellation Energy Group (CEG) is an electrical generating company that owns and operates generating plants and fuel processing facilities utilizing various types of fuel including nuclear, coal, natural gas, oil, solar, geothermal, hydro and biomass. The forward P/E is 10.3 and the PEG is 1.1. The company pays a yield of 2.7%. Geothermal is a very small part of the company's business.

IdaCorp, Inc. (IDA) is a holding company which owns Idaho Power Company, which is involved in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy primarily in southern Idaho and eastern Oregon. Their electrical generation comes from hydroelectric, natural gas, diesel, coal, and geothermal plants. The forward P/E is 11.4 and the PEG is 2.68. The stock yields 3.7%. Geothermal is a very small part of the company's business.

PG&E Corp. (PCG) is a California-based electric and gas utility that serves 5 million customers. Their electrical generation comes from natural gas, nuclear, hydro, coal, geothermal, wind, and several other types of renewable sources. The P/E is 11 and the PEG is 1.76. The stock yields 4.4%. Geothermal is a very small part of the company's business.

For a list of electric utilities, natural gas utilities, or water utilities, go to WallSteetNewsNetwork.com.

Author does not own any of the above.

By Stockerblog.com.