By Michael Kanellos

The U.K. today approved 10 sites for the possible construction of nuclear plants that could be deployed before the end of 2025, according to Power Engineering among others. The country also outlined an improved strategy for deployment. Nothing is set in stone and the approval does not take into account environmental factors, etc. It is just a starting point.

A group of utility companies have banded together to push for clean energy policies in the United States in response to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s stance on climate laws. They stand to gain from any new policies, which puts some ETF in a position to perform if ideas one day become reality.

A group of utility companies have come together to create American Businesses for Clean Energy. Most of the companies joining the group stand to gain from new energy policies in the United States. Keith Johnson for The Wall Street Journal reports that this action comes in response to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s opposition to current legislation.

The issue of nuclear power is taking center stage at climate talks in Copenhagen next month, and many companies are gearing up to prove their advancements with nuclear power. Related ETFS are set to rally.

Energy demand around the world is rising, making it an ideal time to address where nuclear power fits into the equation. There are about 70 new plants under construction globally, and there could be more as the world searches for a clean-energy solution.

By Michael Kanellos

A very interesting tidbit in the WSJ's Environmental Capital blog today:

Through the first six months of the Obama administration, campaign promises were largely moved to the back burner while all available resources were devoted to an economy spiraling further and further into recession. Now that the country has lifted itself out of the recession and a recovery, albeit a fragile one, is underway, Washington has resumed battling over proposed social overhauls. While health care reform has been the primary focus (and the source of the most heated conflicts), climate change initiatives have been making steady progress as well.

That’s not to say that Congress is anywhere near a unanimous resolution on the matter. While most legislators are politically savvy enough to come out in favor of legislation protecting the environment, their ideas of the best way to do so vary wildly.

I recently looked at a paper from the London Accord which used portfolio theory to recommend the best mixes of technologies to deliver different levels of carbon abatement. The most useful technologies to achieve the needed levels of carbon abatement were Forestry, Hydropower, Biofuels, Wind, Efficiency, and Geothermal. I suggested stocks that investors might consider to invest in each of these sectors.

Other technologies played on bit parts in the abatement portfolios (right) the report found are likely to achieve the needed levels of climate reduction most efficienctly.

By Daniel Harrison

Back in May this year, HardAssetsInvestor.com featured a story about an under-the-radar bull market in uranium. After having fallen along with everything else in the credit meltdown, uranium was beginning to show some strong gains in the first quarter, rising to $51/lb from the high 30's.

By Jeff St. John

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is making Senate Democrats an offer - give us support for nuclear power and offshore oil and gas drilling, and we'll consider supporting a cap-and-trade program.

By Eric Wesoff

Is it Green?

Despite a bad reputation, nuclear energy is becoming a source of alternative energy interest as we welcome a new era of “clean energy.” There are several exchange traded funds (ETFs) that could stand to outperform if nuclear energy winds up getting a role in fighting global warming.

Nuclear energy is becoming a clearer alternative energy source, however, the question remains on where to put the hazardous waste from the new proposed nuclear plants. The nuclear movement helps address the carbon dioxide problem contributing to global warming, and will help lessen the use of fossil fuels, reports Daniel Terdimen for CNET News.

Bickering between Democrats and Republicans is nothing new, an American tradition right up there with apple pie, baseball, and fireworks on the 4th. Even on issues that would seem to lend themselves towards a consensus resolution, the two parties have found ways to create disagreements, allowing them to play to the American public and paint their opponents as unreasonable or unconcerned politicians. With signs that the economy is finally beginning to turn (even if it is only the beginning of a long and slow journey back), Congress has turned its attention to clashes that had been tabled and neglected as they battled over bailouts, stimulus plans, and other economic measures. As they slowly turn their attention away from the crisis that has consumed the first half of the year, two issues appear to be taking center stage: healthcare and energy.

As the ETF industry has exploded onto the scene in recent years, sponsors have aggressively launched funds in an attempt to gain market share. While many of these new ETFs have attracted sufficient investor funds to justify continued operation, some have failed to garner a level of investment necessary to support an active, liquid market and been shuttered. And then there are those that remain in business but are cited as having "insufficient liquidity." Although there are certain rules of thumb – assets under management (AUM) of $25 million and daily volume of 25,000 are often cited as “liquidity thresholds” – there is no hard evidence to support these guidelines. In an effort to determine where illiquidity ends and an active market begins, I analyzed the impact of size and daily volume on the liquidity of various ETFs.

To start, I divided ETFs into six baskets based on three-month average daily volume:

Yet cleantech is a risky play because despite all the investment in the field, most clean technologies are not profitable. Only wind energy can currently compete with fossil fuels without subsidies. But with carbon legislation now inevitable, technological advances bringing costs down, and market values depressed by the financial crisis, the future is looking brighter for cleantech shares.

By Brandon Clay

Catching the mega trend is a tricky business. If you’re paying attention, you might have a chance. Green energy was one such trend - and now we think another such trend may be developing in nuclear energy.

In my previous article, I gave an overview of the current situation in the uranium market and why I think it's headed for a new, long term bull run.

Now is the time to take a look at some specific stocks.

By Lara Crigger

Uranium spot prices jumped another $2 Monday to settle at $51/lb (monthly contracts are trading closer to $44/lb). Sure, that's still a long way from their $136/lb peak set back in June 2007. But after a consistent downward slide since then, U₃O₈ prices seem to have bottomed, emerging from the downward spiral they've been on since last September:

By Eric Wesoff

Greentech Media, as the name suggests, focuses on renewable energy and a green sustainable future. There is contention in the green culture at large and in the Greentech Media offices as to whether nuclear can be categorized as truly “green.” (See the comment thread in this blog piece to witness contention amongst our readers.) Nuclear plants do not produce greenhouse gases but they definitely present a radioactive material and security risk. And uranium is certainly not a renewable resource.

Many of our readers at AboutETFs.com enjoyed our earlier article The Complete List of Currency ETFs and have been requesting a similar list for commodities. So, once again, by popular demand, here is our newest list, The Complete List of Commodity ETFs and ETNs, as of October 20, 2008.

COMMODITY BASKETS (All Commodities)

"A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar." – H. L Mencken

Drill here, drill now. Energy independence. Alternative energy.  Our two Presidential candidates continue to bombard us with solutions – and most are pie in the sky fiction.

Short selling has been a major topic on Wall Street lately, with the focus mainly on the short interest of individual stocks.  Below we highlight the US ETFs with the highest short interest as a percentage of shares outstanding as well as the ones with the highest short interest ratios. 

The most heavily shorted ETFs have short interest numbers that well exceed their shares outstanding.  The S&P Retail ETF (XRT) has a short interest figure that is more than 6 times its shares outstanding.  This seems a bit out of whack to us.