Daniel Fisher On Energy

The Big Trend

Global warming will shift from vague concern to serious business opportunity, as local and national governments worldwide use taxes, regulations and incentives to push less carbon dioxide-intensive technology. Big winners will include companies like General Electric (nyse: GE – news – people ) and Siemens (nyse: SI – news – people ), that make advanced generating equipment, and companies that can reduce emissions and sell the excess on markets like the Chicago Climate Exchange.

The Unconventional Wisdom

Despite global-warming concerns, coal will continue to grow in popularity. At $1 per million Btus–one-fifth the cost of natural gas–it’s just too cheap to ignore. Coal already supplies 50% of U.S. electricity–and watch for U.S. demand to exceed the government’s modest 1.3% projected increase in 2006.
The Misplaced Assumption

That peak oil production is just around the corner, meaning global oil supply will begin an inexorable downward slide. Higher prices will continue to stimulate the discovery of new reserves for at least another century.

Forbes