| The oil market is not the only one
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| | technology has improved enough to make it
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| looking up. Alternative fuel stocks are
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| | just as clean as other fuels. Shrewd
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| also attracting many investors. Because
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| | investors could buy shares in U.S. coal
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| oil and gas are expensive, Americans are
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| | producers, including the two biggest,
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| looking for cheaper nonfossil fuel and
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| | Peabody Energy Corp. and Arch Coal Inc.,
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| that demand is boosting the alternative
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| | both based in St. Louis, Missouri. Coal
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| fuel stocks as well. This is especially
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| | companies have profited from the current
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| good for anyone who cares for the
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| | oil boom.Investing in coal doesn't mean
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| environment -- the greens. If you
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| | that Big Oil isn't safe anymore. It only
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| consider yourself an environmentalist or
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| | means that you are on much firmer ground
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| a preservationist, this is perfect for
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| | when you have a diversified portfolio. If
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| you, for you are now able to support
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| | you look at both types of stocks, the
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| efforts to preserve the environment while
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| | difference isn't large. Exxon Mobil, for
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| at the same time profiting from those
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| | instance, returned 36 percent to its
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| efforts. It's a win-win situation.
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| | shareholders in market appreciation and
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| Consider this: Pacific Ethanol Inc., a
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| | dividends in 2005 and BP returned 21
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| small ethanol-producing company started
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| | percent. Peabody Energy stockholders,
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| in 2003 by Bill Jones, the former
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| | meanwhile, did far better in the same
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| secretary of state for the state of
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| | time period. They more than doubled their
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| California, has trebled its stock price
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| | money, and Peabody shares have risen more
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| on NASDAQ to about $30 a share within a
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| | than three and a half times since the
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| year of going public in March of 2005.
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| | company's initial public offering in
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| Like many other similar renewable fuel
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| | 2001. Arch Coal stock returned 65 percent
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| start-ups, millions of dollars in private
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| | in 2005 as well.Coal producers have
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| equity money are being thrown at Pacific
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| | benefited from increased demand from
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| Ethanol like the world is coming to an
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| | power plants and steelmakers in the
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| end. Billionaire Bill Gates, the chairman
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| | United States, China, and India. Massey
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| of Microsoft, is one of those investing
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| | Energy Co. of Richmond, Virginia, for
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| in renewable fuel stocks. Gates'
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| | instance, said its average selling price
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| investment company, Cascade Investment,
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| | for coal used in steel-making jumped 38
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| has agreed to pump $84 million in Pacific
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| | percent in 2005. Consol Energy, Inc. of
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| Ethanol.The U.S. government has
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| | Pittsburgh, the third largest U.S.
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| recognized alternative fuel as the fuel
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| | producer, plans a $500 million mine
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| for the future and has included a number
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| | expansion to keep up with orders.Soaring
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| of tax incentives in the Energy Policy
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| | prices for natural gas have given coal
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| Act of 2005, the energy law signed in the
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| | demand another lift. Many electric power
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| summer of 2005, to spur growth in the
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| | plants have switched from gas to coal,
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| alternative fuel sector. If you haven't
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| | which costs about half as much. In the
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| already, you should give alternative
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| | spring of 2006, Duke Energy Corp. closed
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| stocks a try as it will make you feel
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| | on a deal purchasing Cinergy Corp. for
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| morally stronger. It's been nearly three
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| | about $9 billion, in large part because
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| decades since efforts to promote
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| | of Cinergy's coal-fired plants.Back to
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| alternative fuel floundered after the
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| | oil, we've also seen that the market has
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| 1973 oil crisis, but it's making a
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| | been good to minnows as well. In fact,
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| comeback. Still, alternative fuel remains
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| | some smaller oil companies also have
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| a small industry, with small cap
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| | outperformed the giants. For instance,
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| companies dominating. Since 2005, 15 of
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| | Apache Corp. of Houston produced a
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| the 36 companies in the WilderHill Clean
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| | 12-month total return of 51 percent for
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| Energy index have made huge profits. That
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| | its stockholders, helped by increased
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| includes hydroelectric power and wind
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| | first-quarter selling prices of 51
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| energy, solar energy, and fuel cells.Some
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| | percent for crude oil and 11 percent for
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| of the most successful companies in the
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| | natural gas. Apache recently bought
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| renewable fuel sector are huge
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| | property from Shell, BP, and Exxon Mobil
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| conglomerates, like General Electric and
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| | and its profit rose tremendously in 2005.
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| Germany's Siemens, and also big oil
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| | Oil transport companies have not been
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| companies, like BP, that are hedging
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| | left behind. Overseas Shipholding Group
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| their bets. Investing in these companies
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| | of New York made an acquisition in 2005
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| offers a chance to own a clean energy
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| | that made it the world's second-largest
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| stock. Here's some information about GE
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| | oil tanker company. The bigger fleet,
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| worth knowing: It made close to $2
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| | combined with higher tanker rates,
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| billion in sales from production of
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| | boosted the company's 2005 earnings by
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| wind-powered turbines in 2005, treble
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| | about 40 percent. The world's biggest
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| what it made from that business unit in
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| | owner of oil tankers, Teekay Shipping
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| 2002. However, that's only 1 percent of
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| | Corp. of Vancouver, Canada, capitalized
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| GE's revenues.There's a lot of hope that
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| | on high energy prices in yet another way.
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| alternative fuel technologies developed
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| | In the fall of 2005, Teekay raised $132
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| by some of the smaller companies will
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| | million through the public sale of a 20
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| become commercially viable and help
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| | percent interest in Teekay LNG Partners
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| support the sector. As a result, stocks
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| | LP, whose ships carry liquefied natural
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| for these companies are expected to soar.
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| | gas and crude oil.Is it too late to buy
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| WilderHill Clean Energy Index gained 26
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| | energy stocks, large or small? BlackRock,
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| percent in the past 12 months alone,
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| | Inc., which manages $391 billion, doesn't
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| compared with 50 percent for oil. That's
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| | seem to think so. It reported to the SEC
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| not bad, considering this is not an
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| | in late summer of 2005 that after $870
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| established sector in the United
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| | million in purchases, it owned stakes in
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| States.Moreover, since continued oil
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| | Peabody, Arch, Consol, and Massey ranging
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| supply is uncertain, a lot more consumers
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| | from 3.3 to 8.8 percent. The money
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| are going to turn to coal, which is
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| | manager also has a 4.7 percent stake in
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| abundantly available in the United
| |
| | Newfield Exploration Co., an oil-and-gas
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| States, China, and India. Coal used to be
| |
| | company that returned 49 percent to its
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| frowned upon because of its dirt, but
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| | shareholders in 2005.
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