Government-Sponsored Energy Gains

Cleantech is back, baby.

Call it the Obama bounce. Call it the result of wasteful stimulus spending. Call it whatever you want. . . we're profiting from it.

Here's a chart from the past five trading days that has two common themes:

The first theme: all these clean energy and related green infrastructure stocks are up between 10% and 30% over the past five days.

The second theme: Alternative Energy Speculator members have profited from every single one of them. . . sometimes more than once.

Here's a snapshot of our last few plays, rarely seen by non-members:

Company	Symbol	Exchange	Date	Initial	Sold	Status	Sold Date	Percent
JA Solar Holdings	JASO	NASDAQ	2009-03-03	$1.83	$2.08	Sold	2009-03-04	13.66%
JA Solar Holdings	JASO	NASDAQ	2009-03-05	$1.82	$2.00	Sold	2009-03-09	9.89%
LDK Solar Co.	LDK	NYSE	2009-03-05	$4.52	$5.00	Sold	2009-03-10	10.62%
Renesola Ltd.	SOL	NYSE	2009-03-05	$2.16	$2.38	Sold	2009-03-10	10.19%
Shaw Group Inc.	SGR	NYSE	2009-01-07	$22.24	$24.60	Sold	2009-03-10	10.61%
Comverge, Inc.	COMV	NASDAQ	2009-02-17	$5.13	$5.94	Sold	2009-03-12	15.79%

That's a total winnings of 70.76%. . . on just six closed positions so far this month!

And that doesn't include the 108.19% worth of gains we closed in January and February this year, as the broader market reached lows not seen in a decade or more.

Plus we have another four positions ready to be closed for gains at any time, including a second round of profits on Renesola (NYSE: SOL), which we've already played once this month.(See above.)

Times are exciting for sure, and I wanted to give you a little insight as to why those quick gains are only a sample of what's to come.

How We Got Here

Of course, the road to these recent profits has been arduous. Cleantech top stocks in general have been beaten down in line with broader markets over the past six months, off anywhere from 30% to 50%.

But I've been saying for months now that cleantech would be one of the earliest sectors to rebound. And we're seeing and profiting from that right now.

Several factors have led to this rebound, and we're using each one as a profit catalyst at the Alternative Energy Speculator.

At the risk of redundancy, I'll say that the recently-signed stimulus, with its huge cleantech portion, was the starting gun for this rally.

In total, the most recent stimulus allocated $104 billion to cleantech and related infrastructure ― a full 13% if the $787 billion tab.

Those billions will serve to create demand across multiple cleantech sectors, from increased tax incentives for solar and wind to direct funding for smart grid and clean water projects.

Once word of that stimulus hit The Street, investors came running and drove shares of clean energy companies skyward. I had already instructed readers to set their traps, and we cashed out when Wall Street jumped on the bandwagon. 

We've already closed out of several double-digit winners on stimulus hype alone. And the bulk of the money hasn't even started flowing yet. . . so there are plenty more green stimulus-induced profits to come.

But the stimulus isn't the only thing allowing for easy clean energy and water gains, additional legislation is being debated that would turn the recent government vaccination into a full-fledged shot of steroids.

Where We're Going

The stimulus has certainly done its job, at least with respect to the cleantech sector. New tax incentives and loan guarantees included in the bill have induced banks into funding cleantech projects once again.

I've seen numerous reports of foreign and domestic banks willing to fund new solar and wind projects thanks to investment return visibility created by the stimulus. New laws ensure banks know exactly how long a cleantech project will take to pay off and all but guarantee the investment return timeframe.

That's what the markets crave right now: clear visibility and guidance.

The sectors that have clear and positive guidance are the sectors on the upward move. Cleantech has it, and is about to get more of it. And you can profit every step of the way.

You see, Congress has promised to have another piece of energy legislation out the door by Memorial Day.

All indications are that cap-and-trade and a national renewable portfolio standard will make it into the bill. When that happens, cleantech stocks will skyrocket.

Cap-and-trade would make burning fossil fuels much more expensive, ushering in a new era of cleantech competitiveness. Utilities will be forced to use increased amounts of renewable energy, as well as employ smart grid and energy efficiency technologies, if they want avoid paying hefty fines for going over their emissions limit.

That will mean buoyed demand and balance sheets for the companies that provide those technologies, which will translate into higher stock valuations. But you need to stake your claim before the legislation is debated on the floor and passed ― that's when anyone with an internet connection or newspaper will know what's going on.

This is your early warning. Alternative Energy Speculator can help you secure early positions before the herd comes running.

But cap-and-trade isn't cleantech's only early Congressional Christmas gift. A national renewable energy standard (RES) is also in the works.

Here's what the New York Time's had to say about a potential RES this week:

A national renewable electricity standard is intended to create jobs, drive down green energy costs and increase clean power's market share. While there is debate about how fast that can happen and how big the impact will be, the mandate appears inevitable. A renewable electricity standard is expected in the coming months because Democratic leaders want it, President Obama supports it and there probably are enough votes to pass it in both the House and Senate.

It bears repeating: the mandate appears inevitable.

Many investors don't get how important this action is. It will create a guaranteed market for clean energy and related infrastructure. The government is mandating it. It would be like if Congress guaranteed Coke an increased percentage of the soft drink industry or mandated that Apple maintain a certain share of personal computer sales.

These are government-sponsored profits.

In 2008, renewable energy barely accounted for 3% of the nation's electricity production. By all indications, the legislation about to be passed would require 6% by 2012 and 25% by 2025.

So we're looking at doubling supply from renewables ―which is one of the President's goals― in the next three years. Many cleantech top stocks will double in that same time.

How to Come Along

The easiest way to capitalize on all this action is to join the Alternative Energy Speculator.

Our total winnings on the heels of the recent stimulus are well over 100%. That'll be chump change compared to the profits we're about to take on even more beneficial legislation.

Membership to The Speculator only costs $139 per quarter. . . a fee you can make back after just one winning recommendation.

I think you'll agree that's a nominal fee to pay for multiple stock recommendations in the following sectors:

Solar Energy

Wind Energy

Geothermal Energy

Water Infrastructure

Energy Efficiency and

Smart Grid

You'll also get instant alerts sent directly to your email whenever there's a new recommendation or breaking industry news.

And you get access to the interactive Alternative Energy Speculator portfolio, which lists each company covered, "buy under" prices, target prices, and investment profiles.

If you haven't read it yet, you'll also get a copy of the newly-released book Investing in Renewable Energy: Making Money on Green Chip Stocks, which I wrote with Chris Nelder and Jeff Siegel.

Best part is. . . there's no limit on the amount of winning recommendations you'll receive. I send them whenever I see opportunity.

That's why my readers have racked up over 70% already in March. But like I said, there is even more legislation on the way that will drive cleantech stocks higher.

If you join today, there's no reason you can't be sitting on over a dozen winners in short order just by following the interactive portfolio and heeding my advice.

Enough sitting on the sidelines wondering whether or not now is the right time to invest. We're reaping government-sponsored energy gains right now, and will continue to for some time.

This is an easy chance to capitalize on the cleantech wave and the billions of taxpayer dollars being set aside to ensure its success.