Trends to watch in the energy world

Lots of data out there, so little time.

Several groups are counting on algae as the next big source of energy.  If you play with its genes, you can get it to belch out more hydrogen at cheaper prices than just about anything else (no one has actually made this trick work reliably yet), which means that algae farms could be a source of 'cheap' hydrogen.  Algae also grows damn fast which means you could use it as bio-mass for a bio-mass reactor making both energy and bio-diesel. 

Here is an article on one viewpoint:

Want alternative energy? Try pond scum To the growing industry of biodiesel and ethanol refiners with their eyes on biomass, algae looks like green gold.

By Clifford Carlsen 

TheDeal.com

Published: December 27, 2006, 4:00 AM PST

Mounting concern about U.S. dependence on foreign oil and about global warming is causing a surge of interest and investment in biomass, hydrogen, solar power and other alternative energy sources. But bubbling beneath the surface of this wave--in more ways than one--is a technology that, while lacking an existing market or powerful lobby to advance its profile, may soon emerge as the most promising source of portable liquid fuels and that can offer unique environmental benefits to the electrical generation industry.

http://tinyurl.com/yhhyt3

Personally though, I am betting this too shall pass.  My reasons?  Over the past twelve months we have seen everything from soybeans to corn to sugar cane touted as the best choice as alternative fuel source of the next decade/century/millennia!

I think that, unless you have time to check it out carefully and money to burn doing it, hold your investments (mental and monetary) until some clear fore-runners break from the pack.  When someone opens an algae farm and starts selling the hydrogen..... when someone figures out how to cheaply and reliably transport the hydrogen..... When someone figures out how to grow fuel crops without impinging the world food supply..... When Ford/GM/Chrysler/Toyota/Mazda starts selling a bio-diesel family car as a standard item instead of a special retrofit......  

Of course, I am not a pundit and I talk from a minimal amount of research, but that my opinion.