Clean Tech the Next Big Thing

So the markets have been pretty slow today, probably a result of it being Friday combined with March Madness hitting full stride with its second wave of round 1 games. Lately there has been a lot of noise concerning the energy crisis we apparently put ourselves into. This made me think of a quote, by Paul Romer, I remembered hearing in a class a few years back; "A crisis is a terrible thing to waste." This is a perfect quote to explain the big push in “clean-energy” companies that have sprung up the past few years.

California’s Silicon Valley has exploded with Entrepreneurs trying to make a dollar solving the energy crisis. One major company that comes to mind is Bloom Energy; if you have not heard about them check out the piece 60 minutes did on this company. Apparently they have created a fuel cell which can wirelessly power homes and buildings 24/7; furthermore, this energy is cheaper and cleaner than the present grid technology. Some Major companies like Google, FedEx and EBay have already purchased the bloom box and say it has saved them money on their electric bills.

The point is as an investor, especially a young one, it is important to ask yourself, what is the next big thing? Sure Microchips, Software, and Dotcoms had their day but what will be the big player in the next decade. With more silicon in the US going toward making solar panels than computer chips seems that clean-energy isn’t a bad guess.