The Motley Fool recently hosted a climate change summit, at which speakers showed little love for big oil and fossil fuel companies. In a world where carbon intensity presents increasing risk, panel experts urged attendees to consider cleaner energy sources. So it raised the question: Where would they recommend we put our money?
John Vechey of PopCap Games moderated the summit. His first panel guests were Dr. Rachel Cleetus and Dr. Joe Casola. Cleetus is a climate economist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Casola is the program director for science and impacts at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES). In the video below, they offer their ideas for where our energy system is headed.
Cleetus discusses a new breed of energy companies that are working to incorporate and promote renewables. She specifically praises Xcel Energy (XEL 1.07%) for its investment in wind power. Just today, Xcel announced a new 200 megawatt wind farm project in Minnesota.
Casola, for his part, offers several examples of new technologies to look for in the sector. He addresses the strong potential of combined heat and power (CHP) technology. General Electric (GE -1.75%) is a leader in this area. The company's Jenbacher CHP systems convert waste heat accrued during an engine's operation into energy, achieving energy savings of around 40%.
Forward-thinking utilities are increasingly incentivizing CHP technology. National Grid (NGG 1.32%) offers dedicated gas rates, rebates, and incentives for CHP projects. The company has also designed, built, and maintained CHP plants. Watch the video below to learn more.
