News stories on publicly-listed green energy stocks; renewable power links

Links to renewable power articles in the news, recent stories on windpower, solar energy investments, geothermal energy stocks and water desalination, water purification, water technology company stocks.



Full List of Windpower Stocks, wind energy company links



News stories, The Pickens Plan for American Energy Independence



The T. Boone Pickens Plan, Commentary and Analysis



Canada has massive potential for geothermal energy development



Micro-turbine manufacturer Capstone (CPST) To Make Turbines that Run on Solar Power



India's Titan Energy building 2 megawatt grid-connected solar plant



Clinton Foundation proposal to build world's largest solar farm in Gujarat, India



Solar Highway Installation Starts in Oregon - from Environment News Service





Forbes.com story on bullish analyst sentiment for First Solar (FSLR), thin film solar powerhouse


Geothermal power stock links, cogeneration company websites



Solar Energy stock list, article and analysis from the globe and mail



Palestinian swimmer provides glimmer of hope with his Olympic dream


T. Boone Pickens Interview on The Pickens Plan in New York Times




Complete List of Alternative Energy, Water Technology and Renewable Power Stocks



Water Purification stocks, water desalination companies



Bloomberg.com article on windpower giant Suzlon Energy (SUZL) reporting higher margins - July 31, 2008



Proposed Clean Energy IPOs, New Windpower and solar energy stocks:

* First Wind Holdings Inc company website. $450 Million IPO Filing (Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:00:00 PDT) info from Green IPO Watch at Renewableenergystocks.com

* GT Solar International Inc official website. Prices Initial Public Offering (Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:00:00 PDT) GT Solar International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOLR) today announced that the initial public offering of 30.3 million shares of its common stock has been priced at $16.50 per share.

* Western Wind Energy Corp. announces filing of final short form prospectus and conversion of special warrants (Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:00:00 PDT) Western Wind Energy Corp. (" Western Wind" or the "Company") announces that it has filed its final short form prospectus dated July 24, 2008

Offshore Windpower from Lake Ontario may be best alternative to nuclear and coal

Wind power a dilemma for Ontario
TheStar.com - Business - Wind power a dilemma for Ontario

COMPARING WIND AND NUCLEAR
So how does offshore wind stack up to nuclear? Moody's Investors Service, commenting in May about the rising cost of atomic power, said the potential cost of a new plant being proposed today is more than $7,000 per kilowatt of capacity. This equates to about $5.3 billion for every 750 megawatts of nuclear capacity added to the grid.

Helimax estimates that the average cost of offshore wind development in Ontario is about $3,800 per kilowatt, or $2.9 billion for 750 megawatts of offshore wind capacity – that is, a project the size of what Trillium has proposed.

Such a comparison, however, is misleading. The lifetime "capacity factor" of Candu nuclear reactors around the world is about 80 per cent, a figure some would call generous in the Ontario context. This means the reactors have produced energy on average that amounts to 80 per cent of potential capacity. Helimax said offshore wind turbines have a capacity factor ranging from 35 to 40 per cent.

So to get the same energy over the course of a year from an offshore wind farm you'd have to build twice as much. This makes offshore wind slightly more expensive than what Moody's is predicting for the cost of nuclear. But is it really? Offshore proponents are quick to point out that with wind power you don't need a lifetime supply of uranium fuel, don't produce toxic waste products, don't have to pay for long-term storage of those waste products, and have lower ongoing staffing and maintenance costs.

They acknowledge offshore wind isn't baseload power like nuclear. Then again, there's no risk of a 1,500-megawatt reactor shutting down for a month or two in the summer because of unscheduled maintenance, like we saw last summer at Pickering generating station.

Timing is also an important consideration. Ontario's first lake-based wind farms, should the province choose to go down the offshore path, could be built and operating by 2013 – a year before the last coal plant is scheduled for shutdown in Ontario. The new nuclear plant at Darlington, as much as the province may need it for baseload power, won't go live until 2018.



–Tyler Hamilton
June 30, 2008
Tyler Hamilton

KINGSTON–The sun was shining, the wind was gentle, and the water calm as a boatload of visitors to Kingston, guests of budding offshore wind developer Trillium Power, embarked last week on a three-hour tour of Lake Ontario.

The cruise was timed to coincide with a global wind power conference at St. Lawrence College.

Trillium's goal was simple: Show people, rather than just tell, how much stronger and consistent the wind is when venturing offshore.

About 30 minutes into the ride the mission was accomplished. What was a relatively smooth cruise became a stomach-churning experience as the wind-battered Catamaran, big enough to hold 180 people, began shifting back and forth in the water. Staff ran to keep bottles of wine from smashing on to the floor, while guests were urged to stay seated.

"The wind here is three times more powerful," said John Kourtoff, chief executive of Trillium, as he compared the potential wind energy from his project to existing onshore wind farms scattered around southern Ontario.

Kourtoff wants to build a 750-megawatt offshore wind farm in these waters, about 15 kilometres off the shore of Prince Edward County. That works out to about 150 wind turbines, seen as specks from the shoreline. And there's potential to double that.

Earlier this month, he announced the creation of Tai Wind, a consortium of North American offshore wind developers who hope, by combining their collective needs, to attract a turbine manufacturer to Ontario.

Already, Germany's Multibrid is seriously considering the invitation and, sources say, has begun high-level discussions between its executives and Ontario government officials.

Multibrid's interest is understandable. A recent report from energy consultancy Helimax concluded there were 64 sites on the Ontario side of the Great Lakes representing up to 34,500 megawatts of offshore wind capacity. This means the Trillium project is just scratching the surface.

Last week, for example, Toronto Hydro said it was renewing its efforts to establish an 80-turbine offshore wind farm near the Scarborough Bluffs.

"Offshore wind will be a driver of growth for the wind industry in the years to come," concluded investment firm Kyoto Planet Asset Management in a research report issued last week.

Also understandable is the government's interest. Embracing offshore wind is more than just adding more renewable energy to the grid, it could form the basis of a new "green" industrial strategy aimed at creating green-collar jobs. Multibrid is potentially the seed for that strategy, as it would need to develop a supply chain to support its Ontario growth plan. More than that, it sees Ontario as a manufacturing hub as it seeks to expand sales across North America and beyond.

It's welcome news at a time when production lines and plants are being shut down at Ontario automotive manufacturers. The idea makes so much sense that some unlikely alliances are being formed. When Trillium announced the Tai Wind consortium earlier this month, representatives from environmental groups WWF Canada and the David Suzuki Foundation shared the stage with the Canadian Auto Workers union, which fully backs the consortium's goals.

Natural Resources Minister Donna Cansfield told the Star that Ontario is "open for business" when it comes to offshore wind. George Smitherman, now minister of energy and infrastructure, wanted so much to express his support for wind industry growth in Ontario that just days after his appointment he made an unscheduled speech at the Kingston wind conference.

There's a sense of urgency, and a recognition that if Ontario doesn't act on the opportunity, other jurisdictions will.

But a big question remains: How much does offshore wind cost?

The Ontario Power Authority, the government agency that effectively determines which large power projects live or die, says offshore wind costs too much to be considered in its 20-year power system plan. It acknowledges that the technology provides more power than onshore projects, but not enough to justify the higher cost of building offshore wind farms.

"It should be borne in mind that there is currently no experience in Ontario with offshore wind resources, and it may be that additional information may become available over time that would justify further review of this issue," the power authority concluded in a recent amendment to its 20-year plan.

Herein lies a classic chicken-and-egg dilemma. How can the province get a true sense of development costs without forging ahead on at least one project?

We can point to ocean-based offshore projects in Europe and make comparisons, but there are major differences to consider that may work in Ontario's favour. For one, planting a big wind turbine in relatively shallow and calm lake waters would seem to be an advantage in terms of costs. And since we're talking fresh water, there's no risk of salt degrading the mechanical performance of turbines. Also important to consider is the degree to which local manufacturing could reduce turbine and component costs.

It's unclear whether the power authority has taken this into account. Nor has the agency considered larger economic considerations, such as job creation. Technically, it doesn't have that mandate. It exists to get what it perceives to be the cheapest, most reliable power it can for consumers and industry. Power authority executives, mostly former Ontario Hydro engineers who are smart and well intentioned, aren't naturally inclined to include wind, solar and other intermittent sources of renewable energy in their big-picture plans. They reluctantly do so under direction from the government.

The power authority, said one cruise guest, "has its hands full with nuclear" (see "Comparing").

Clearly, the government has some strategic decisions to make. Sooner, it would appear, than later.

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NewEnergyFinance.com defines Renewable Power and Clean Energy Sectors

What is New Energy?


At New Energy Finance we define the following 16 sectors as making up the clean energy industry:


Renewable Energy & Bioenergy Sectors

* 1. Biofuels


Liquid transportation fuels including biodiesel and bioethanol. These can be derived from a range of biomass sources, including sugar cane, rape seed (canola), soybean oil or cellulose. Our database excludes producers of base biomass, but includes suppliers of everything from the processing technologies and equipment, through the logistics of distribution, to manufacturers of energy systems which are specially adapted for the use of biofuels and products, and the services on which they depend.


* 2. Biomass, solid waste and biogas


Production and consumption of solid and gaseous fuels derived from biomass. Solid biomass for the energy sector can include a number of specially-grown crops, such as elephant grass or coppiced willow, but it can also consist of crop residues such as straw. We include in this sector processors of other waste matter for energy generation, such as sewage waste, chemical by-products and biogas produced from municipal waste, as their exploitation often involves the same technologies as grown-for-purpose biomass. Increasingly we are seeing developers, generators and utilities enter this sector.


* 3. Geothermal


Geothermal power has long played a part in the energy mix of countries with obvious geothermal resources, such as Iceland and Japan. Recent advances in two areas, however, mean that geothermal energy can play an increasing role worldwide: new drilling techniques allow users to tap into resources that had been too deep to access; and new ways of extracting useful power from lower temperature geothermal fields allow productive use of resources that could not have been used economically in the past.


* 4. Mini-Hydro (<50MW)


There may seem little new about hydroelectric power. Indeed at New Energy Finance we don't cover large-scale hydroelectric power projects. However, there are interesting developments in small-scale and low-head hydro power, and even very small scale hydro solutions. Hydro power is undergoing a renaissance and has a lot to contribute to the deployment of renewable energy globally.


* 5. Marine

The marine sector covers all technologies relating to extraction of energy from the sea. Possibilities include waves and tide, either via tidal barrages or tidal flow generators. Note that exploitation of marine biomass would be categorised in biomass, rather than in this sector.


* 6. Solar

The Solar sector covers all technologies that capture energy directly from the sun, either using a photo-voltaic (PV) material, or via a passive technology such as a concentrator or stirling engine. The solar energy sector is already substantial - cost reductions through new technologies or through increased manufacturing scale should see it breaking into new areas of energy demand over the coming decades.


* 7. Wind


Wind is the renewable technology that has had the biggest impact on our energy usage patterns over the past decade. The next decade will see continued activity, particularly in developing countries and offshore. The Wind Energy Sector includes components and sub-assemblies for wind turbines as well as manufacturers of turbines themselves. A big part of this sector, however, consists of the various developers, generators, utilities and engineering firms that have sprung up to exploit opportunities to build wind farms around the world.


Power Architecture Sectors

* 8. Generation Efficiency


This sector covers technologies that result in a step-change improvement in the generating efficiency or reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of existing power generation equipment. Important technologies in this sector include breakthroughs in motor or generator design, as well as software, sensor and control technologies which result in step-change improvement. This sector includes breakthrough CHP technologies (i.e. that are more than just relocating traditional generating equipment closer to heat users).


* 9. Smart Distribution


As sources of power supply become more variable (many renewable sources are intermittent), and the importance of reducing grid losses becomes higher with higher power costs, so the significance of improving power distribution will grow. This sector includes a number of technologies that target such improvement, from the forecasting of renewable resource availability, through software to balance supply and demand or find grid faults, to technology that allows peak shifting or intelligent meter reading.


* 10. Power storage


Many renewable energy and emerging energy technologies are either intermittent, or have response curves that are unable to follow the dynamic demands that will be put on them when deployed. Batteries and other energy storage technologies therefore become key enablers for any shift to these technologies. We call the sector power storage in order to underline the fact that hydrogen storage is in the Hydrogen sector, even though we include here mechanical technologies like flywheels that are straight potential replacements for batteries.


* 11. Energy Efficiency and Demand Reduction


Power efficiency and demand reduction approaches may not strictly be part of the renewable energy and energy technology industry, but they are highly relevant to investors in the space. Shifts in our sources of energy over the coming 20 years must be accompanied by wholesale improvement in our energy efficiency. This sector covers a range of technologies that reduce the use of energy in retail and commercial buildings, including advanced insulation, building components and intelligent systems for managing power consumption. It also includes technologies focused on reducing the use of energy in a wide variety of industrial processes.


* 12. Carbon Capture and Sequestration


Given the very substantial energy appetites of China, India and the US, and the substantial amounts of coal and natural gas available in those countries, it is highly unlikely that they will move rapidly enough to clean and renewable energy sources. One type of technology may allow us to continue using these fuels without adding to the emissions of CO2. Carbon capture and sequestration technologies involve the separation of CO2 from the exhaust stream from the burning of fossil fuels, and its long-term storage, either in depleted oil and gas fields, under the ocean or elsewhere.


Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Sectors

* 13. Hydrogen


The hydrogen sector covers everything from the production and storage of hydrogen, through its distribution and the various technologies and applications in which it can be used. Hydrogen is not, of course, a renewable fuel source - it is only a carrier of energy, in the same way electricity is not a source but a carrier of power. But if produced renewably hydrogen looks like a promising candidate to replace fossil fuels in transport as these are depleted, and governments and corporations are investing accordingly.


* 14. Fuel Cells


Many observers believe that fuel cells will lie at the heart of any post-fossil energy architecture. Although they have been around for 150 years and their performance is not in doubt, their high manufacturing costs and low reliability mean that they have yet to capture any mass markets. A large number of companies and research initiatives are hoping to change that over the coming decade. We draw a distinction between the hydrogen industry and the fuel cell sector: fuel cells can burn a variety of hydrocarbon fuels, and hydrogen can be used by other systems, such as internal combustion engines. There is, however, substantial crossover between the two sectors


Other Sectors

* 15. Carbon Markets


The ratification of the Kyoto Protocol gave a boost to the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS). Elsewhere in the world other carbon markets are emerging, whether as a result of regulation or for voluntary trading. The carbon market is not part of the clean energy industry, but will significantly influence its development. The main companies participating in the energy-relevant aspects of the carbon market are logged in this sector.


* 16. Services & Support

The rapid growth of the clean energy industry will require the development of a complete sector of service companies dedicated to serving the needs of technology and equipment suppliers, owners of renewable energy and biofuels assets, and so on. In this sector we put providers of information and research (such as ourselves), specialised clean energy financial services companies, consultants and the like.


In addition to these 16 sectors, which make up the clean energy industry itself, the New Energy Finance Desktop includes details of other active and important organisations of two types: the general financial services industry, and the Governments, NGOs and policy-makers.

There is, of course, a futher sector which could contribute very significantly to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions: nuclear power. We don't take an absolutist anti-nuclear position - in fact we believe that nuclear power deserves a place in the energy mix of most developed countries - but we don't consider nuclear power to fall within our remit. Whatever a country's position on nuclear power, the need to implement renewable energy and new technologies throughout the remainder of its energy architecture remains as urgent. And unlike increasing the use of renewable energy sources, reliance on nuclear power will not improve the world's energy security.


More suggested research:

Geotherma.Info Geothermal Energy Companies

WindIntell.com Windpower Stocks Investing

January Roundup, Alternative Energy Investing; Solar, Windpower, Geothermal

January 2008 was a wild ride for solar power stocks and other alternative energy investments, with many reaching alltime highs early in the month, only to fall 25% to 50% or more to hit 52 week lows and crash through support levels and trendlines. A lot of the air has been taken out of the sector these past few weeks, making it an excellent time to begin a dollar cost averaging program into a blend of managed and index alternative energy investment funs.



* Are Renewable Energy Stocks a buy?

* Green technology investing up 44% in 2007


* Xantrex (XTX:T) lands major wind energy contract


* Australia opens up Geothermal energy exploration


* Geothermal Power potential in Australia


* US and Canadian Geothermal Energy website and blog links


* UK Geothermal Energy Companies Website Links


* Scientific American article on future of solar energy


* Top Renewable Energy Websites and Blogs


* WindPower 2008 conference in Houston TX June 1st to 4th


* Global Windpower links, wind energy company info


* Best of 2007 Alternative Energy News

Are Renewable Energy Stocks offering a buying opportunity?

Some of the best names in the world have been hit hard by the recent selloff, so investors who have been on the sidelines during the runup may want to consider initiating a dollar-cost averaging program to begin buying in over the next 3 to 12 months.

Renewable Power Stocks down 50% from 52-week highs as of 24JAN08: SPWR, SOLF, FSLR, REC, WFR

SPWR: SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR) said revenue tripled to $224 million from $75 million in the year-ago quarter.

Alternative Energy companies down 25% from 52-week highs as of 24JAN08: ORA, QCLSF, SUZL, STP

There will be some big winners among these names ...

Leading Inverter firm Xantrex (XTX:T) in major windpower deal

article from: http://www.canada.com

Xantrex lands a deal to supply the wind

Bruce Constantineau
Vancouver Sun

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Burnaby-based Xantrex Technology Inc. has just secured a $25-million contract to supply wind power converters to an unnamed "leading North American wind turbine manufacturer."

It's a significant deal that represents about 10 per cent of the power electronics firm's projected 2008 revenues but it can't officially name the buyer.

"By agreement, we cannot disclose the purchaser," Xantrex chairman Mossadiq Umedaly said in an interview.

But the buyer is likely California-based Clipper Windpower Technology, because the contract announcement Tuesday indicates it's an extension of a previous $12-million deal to supply wind converters to a turbine manufacturer.

In November 2005, Xantrex announced a $12-million contract to supply Clipper Windpower with the converters.

Xantrex wind converters control and convert variable power from wind-turbine generators into high-quality AC power for utility grids and Umedaly said the wind market has very strong growth potential. Wind energy capacity in the U.S. grew by about 30 per cent last year.

"Wind power is very cost effective now, without needing any real significant incentives," he said. "As countries try to meet their renewable power targets, the use of wind will go up a lot."

Umedaly said renewable energy sources -- including solar, wind, biomass and hydro -- represent less than one per cent of most countries' energy supply and many want to boost that figure to 10 to 15 per cent by 2020.

"In North America, it's not unrealistic to think wind could supply 10 per cent of our power needs by 2020," he said.

Umedaly, who was recently appointed chairman of BC Hydro, said Xantrex wind converters are used on 2.5-megawatt wind turbines that can generate enough power for about 100 homes.

He wouldn't disclose the unit cost of the converters but they are believed to be worth about $125,000 US each.

PI Financial Corp. analyst Philip Tulk said the wind converter deal is an important transaction for Xantrex.

"It's probably more important than the numbers would indicate because the renewable side of Xantrex -- which represents about 40 per cent of total revenue -- is also the fastest-growing side of the company," he said in an interview. "Frankly, it's the most exciting side of Xantrex."

The company's three main product divisions include renewable, programmable and mobile power.

Tulk said about 70 to 80 per cent of Xantrex's renewable energy revenues come from solar power products but everybody likes the potential of wind power. He noted there are just four or five potential wind turbine customers Xantrex can sell to in North America and it would be good to find another customer besides Clipper Windpower.

full article continues at: Xantrex (XTX:T) news; windpower inverter contract

suggested browsing:

GeoTherma.info Geothermal Energy Investing website






WindIntell.com - Wind energy investing, Windpower stocks website

EarthFirst (TSX:EF) buying 144 megs of wind turbines from Vestas, for Dokie Ridge, BC

EarthFirst buys 48 Vestas V90 3 MegaWatt wind turbines for Dokie Ridge project in BC, Canada


VICTORIA, BC, Dec. 17 /CNW/ - EarthFirst Canada Inc. ("EarthFirst") (EF, EF.WT; TSX) is pleased to announce that it has placed an order with Vestas-Canadian Wind Technology Inc. for 48 of its V90-3.0 MW wind turbines to be installed at EarthFirst's 144 MW Dokie Ridge project located in the Rocky Mountain foothills of the Peace River region in north-eastern British Columbia, Canada.

China's Goldwind Sci & Tech IPO hoping for success like Suzlon, Vestas

Goldwind IPO as China seeks 120,000 megawatts of windpower

Goldwind Plans IPO as China Combats Climate Change (Update2)

By Ying Lou

Dec. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Goldwind Science & Technology Co., China's largest maker of wind turbines, plans to raise 1.8 billion yuan ($244 million) in an initial share sale to boost output as the country seeks to reduce its reliance on coal.

Goldwind will sell 50 million shares at 36 yuan apiece, the Xinjiang-based company said in a statement to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. can buy the stock today and tomorrow, and it will start trading ``soon'' after the sale, Goldwind said.

Chinese officials at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Indonesia are showcasing their government's efforts to curb emissions of gases that cause global warming. The nation's climate-change program sets a target to slash 950 million tons off greenhouse emissions by 2010 by using nuclear energy, biomass fuels, hydropower, gas and wind power.

``China is already the world's factory,'' Yang Ailun, climate change program manager at Greenpeace China, said in an interview in Bali, Indonesia on Dec. 11. ``It could be and should be the manufacturing hub of clean technology for the world as well.''

The nation wants to reduce a reliance on coal for almost 80 percent of the electricity used in the world's fastest-growing economy. China passed the U.S. last year to become the world's largest source of carbon dioxide gas, from burning fossil fuels and producing cement, according to the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.

`First Mover Advantage'

The share sale will help fund Goldwind's plan to spend about 1.9 billion yuan to expand capacity and on research and development, according to a Dec. 6 share sale document.

``As China's wind power sector takes off, we think Goldwind is well-positioned to become a major beneficiary, thanks to its strong brand and first-mover advantage,'' KGI Securities analyst Steven Liao wrote in a Dec. 12 report. ``We think Goldwind is an attractive investment target,'' Taipei-based Liao said. Goldwind has a 33 percent share of China's wind-power equipment market, according to KGI.

China became the world's sixth-largest wind power generator last year, with 2,604 megawatts of installed capacity, according to KGI. Capacity is forecast increase by 54 percent in the five years ending 2010, the fastest pace in the world.

A megawatt of wind power generating capacity produces about as much electricity as 225 to 300 U.S. households use in a year, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

Three Gorges

China may have installed wind power generation capacity of 120 gigawatts by 2020, given state backing for such projects, Greenpeace's Yang said.

``The power generated from the wind generation units will be the equivalent of five Three Gorges projects,'' Yang said. The Three Gorges Dam, on China's Yangtze River, is the world's largest hydropower venture, with planned capacity of 18,200 megawatts.

The project, in the central province of Hubei, can generate 84.7 million megawatt-hours of power annually, equal to 10 nuclear reactors, and is due for completion in 2009.

Liao estimates Goldwind's 2007 sales at 3.2 billion yuan and 7.2 billion yuan in 2008.

Vestas Wind Systems A/S, based in Randers, Denmark, is the world's largest maker of wind-powered turbines and forecasts sales of 3.85 billion euros ($5.67 billion) this year.

Suzlon's Sales

India's Suzlon Energy Ltd., which aims to be the world's third-largest wind power company by 2010, may have sales of $3.31 billion in the 12 months ending March 2008, according to the average estimate of 14 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.

China wants renewable energy make up 10 percent of its total energy consumption by 2010 and 15 percent by 2020 from about 8 percent now. China will spend 1.5 trillion yuan by 2020 to develop renewable energy sources including solar, wind and biomass.

China's investment on renewable energy will reach $20 billion this year, Xie Zhenhua, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, said yesterday at the UN conference in Bali.

Environment ministers from more than 180 countries are meeting in Bali to discuss an agreement to succeed the emissions-limiting Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012.


full article at:

Goldwind IPO article on Bloomberg.com; windpower stock news

Asia's 5th richest billionaire powered his fortune with wind energy play Suzlon (SUZL.BO)

Sunil Mittal 3rd richest self-made billionaire in Asia: Forbes
Sunday December 2 2007 21:51 IST

article from: http://www.newindpress.com

NEW YORK: Bharti Airtel's Sunil Mittal has been ranked third in Forbes magazine's 20 self-made Asian billionaires list, which also has five other Indians including Unitech's Ramesh Chandra, Suzlon's Tulsi Tanti, Gautam Adani, GM Rao and Uday Kotak.

In the latest list of 20, Sunil Mittal has grabbed the third place with a net worth of 12.5 billion dollars while Ramesh Chandra is at the fifth place with an estimated worth of 11.6 billion dollars.

Tulsi Tanti of Suzlon Energy holds the fifth position, while Adani Group's Guatam Adani is ranked 10th, G M Rao of GMR Infrastructure 13th and Uday Kotak of Kotak Group 20th.

The top two positions have been cornered by two billionaires from Hong Kong - Li Ka-shing (23 billion dollars) and Lee Shau Kee (17 billion dollars).

Hong Kong is represented by five people, while China and Malaysia have two each.

According to the US business magazine, Sunil Mittal began his first business in 1976 with "1,500 dollars borrowed from his father. Later, co-founded Bharti Group with two brothers. Now, their Bharti Airtel is nation's largest mobile phone operator, with more than 50 million customers."

Sixty-eight-year-old Ramesh Chandra studied structural engineering in the UK before moving into real estate business. The publicly-listed Unitech, run by his two sons, is currently expanding into developing theme parks and shopping malls.

Tulsi Tanti and family estimated to be worth 10 billion dollars is described as a former textile trader who turned to alternative energy when rising power costs threatened to put him out of business.

"With three brothers, he started a wind power venture in 1995. Now, his Suzlon Energy is the largest wind power company by market cap in the world," the magazine said.

Interestingly, Gautam Adani who is worth 6.7 billion dollars, dropped out of school and started his group way back in the 1980s. He began importing scarce plastic polymers and the company was listed in 1994. Later, he expanded his business into ports, call centers and edible oils.

Net worths are based on the most recently published Forbes magazine figures. March billionaire figures were used for Hong Kong and Taiwan. Regional rich list valuations were used for the other fortunes, it said.

Meanwhile, G M Rao -- estimated to be worth 6.2 billion dollars -- is described as the son of a commodities trader.

"(He) joined the family's small commodities trading company before moving into sugar and alloys. In 1996, he bought a license to build a power plant in Chennai when his original idea, a brewery, was stalled by prohibition. Since then he has won bids to modernise airports at Hyderabad and Delhi. In July, he won a 2.7 billion dollars contract to build a new airport terminal in Istanbul in a consortium with Malaysia Airports," Forbes said.

An ardent cricket fan, Uday Kotak, who is worth 4.6 billion dollars, left the family's trading business to start a finance company. He later converted the firm into a bank in 2003 and "stock soaring since buying out longtime partner Goldman Sachs last year." MORE

Taiwan, Japan and Singapore have one 'self-made billionaire' each in the top 20 list.

Vladimir Kim (worth 5.5 billion dollars) ranked at the 14th position is from Kazakhstan and is head of Kazakhmys "world's 10th largest copper producer."

"...All of these tycoons made their money the old fashioned way--hard work, determination, ingenuity and a little bit of luck," the magazine said in an accompanying report.

"Although these 20 have diverse interests in industries ranging from plastics to telecommunications, property seems to be the most lucrative industry for the self-starters. Seven entrepreneurs made all or part of their fortunes in real estate, more than any other industry," it added.

Invest in Windpower - Directory of Wind Energy Companies

Wind Power & Wind Energy Stocks

AAER Inc (TSX-V: AAE) is a wind turbine manufacturer, located in Bromont, Quebec, and operating with a strategy of progressively building its product's components. The Company's mission is to manufacture and maintain high-capacity, 1 to 1, 5 Megawatt (MW) wind turbines in North America. AAER uses proven European technologies to ensure high performance of its turbines in various wind conditions and on complex terrain.

Alternate Energy Solutions, Inc. is renewable energy company specializing in wind turbine development and integration, for clients, and the company’s portfolio of renewable energy generating assets. Target business focus is within the educational, municipal and agricultural sectors. Management is currently working and evaluating opportunities in the states of Michigan, Montana and New York, Canada and Eastern Europe.

Americas Wind Energy Corporation (AWNE.OB) AWEC is focused on the manufacturing and marketing of medium sized (500 – 1,000 megawatt (MW)) wind turbines for the North American market. AWEC strategy is to manufacture as much as possible in North America, providing both cost effectiveness and local content. All of our projects to date have made use of local tower manufacturers. AWEC is and intends to remain a virtual manufacturer. AWEC will subcontract the components of our wind turbines to qualified manufacturers and manufacturing partners to achieve the best in quality at the lowest cost. As a key part of the strategy of a virtual manufacturer, AWEC will maintain strict quality assurance programs and quality control procedures for our subcontractors and partners.

Babcock & Brown Wind Partners (ASX: BBW BBWPF.PK) Babcock & Brown Wind Partners (ASX: BBW) is a specialised investment fund focused on the wind energy generation sector, offering investors a unique opportunity to invest in a portfolio of globally diversified wind energy generation assets.

Cleanfield Alternative Energy (CDNX:AIR.V) Cleanfield Alternative Energy is the parent company of Cleanfield Energy Corp. and is committed to the development of renewable energy products for both consumer and commercial applications. Cleanfield's tailor-made VAWT can be mounted on a tower or suitable rooftop, offering electricity independence and security. Excess power generated by the VAWT can be stored for later use or, in some jurisdictions, sold back to the utility power grid system

Clipper Windpower (CWP.L) (United Kingdom) Manufacturer of wind turbines and developer of wind power projects in the Americas and Europe.

Coppenhagen Greentech Energy Systems Coppenhagen (GES-CSE) wind energy.

First National Power Corp. (FNPR.OB) First National Power Corporation, a development stage company, provides wind-driven solutions to power generation requirements. It engages in the operation of a propless wind power generator, which is under development; the Green Oasis, a portable electrical generation and storage, water purification, and satellite communication unit; and a biomass waste energy project, which is also under development.

Finavera Renewables Inc (Tier2) (TSX:FVR.V) Finavera Renewables, originally conceived in Ireland, has become a TSX Venture Exchange listed company and is dedicated to the development of renewable energy resources and technologies. The Company's objective is to become a major renewable and green energy producer by developing and operating its assets in the wind and wave energy sectors. Finavera Renewables has diversified its renewable energy portfolio to include wind power projects, wave power projects, and wave power technology development.

FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE: FPL) engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electric energy. It owns, develops, constructs, manages, and operates domestic electric-generating facilities in wholesale energy markets. The company produces electricity utilizing natural gas, wind, and nuclear resources. FPL Group also provides fiber-optic services to telecommunications companies and other customers. It primarily serves residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.

Gamesa Corp (GAM.MC) 18% of the world's share of the wind turbine market. Based in Spain

General Electric (NYSE: GE) engages in the development, manufacture, and marketing of various products for the generation, transmission, distribution, control, and utilization of electricity.The company’s services include product services; electrical product supply houses; electrical apparatus installation, engineering, and repair and rebuilding services. General Electric, through TIP Trailer Services, offers transport rental, maintenance, financing, and other related services. Through its affiliate, NBC Universal, Inc., General Electric produces and delivers network television services and motion pictures, as well as operates television stations, cable/satellite networks, theme parks, and program activities in multimedia and the Internet. Through another affiliate, General Electric Capital Services, Inc., it offers an array of financial and other services, including consumer financing, commercial and industrial financing, real estate financing, asset management and leasing, mortgage services, consumer savings and insurance services, and reinsurance.

Greentech Energy (GES.CO) (Denmark) The Group's principal activity is producing electricity by utilizing wind power. The Group is into commercial production of alternative energy on a commercial basis through renewable resources. The Company has subsidiaries in Denmark, Poland and Italy. It owns 19 wind mills in Denmark. The Group does not own any wind mills in either Poland or Italy but plans have been made and work is under construction to build mills there also.

Greenwind Pwr Cp NEW (GWDP.PK) Greenwind Power Corp (USA) is a Vancouver, BC-based company that is rapidly emerging as a company dedicated to the development and operation of renewable energy projects. Greenwind's primary focus is the development of grid based wind farms; however, Greenwind's secondary focus has been the research and development of economical wind/diesel hybrid systems coupled with the emergence of new developments in energy storage systems which systems would be utilized for off-grid applications. Greenwind sees this market as significant potential for additional growth of the company in the next few years. The company expects more news in the near future and will report it as developments occur.

Leader Resources Corp. (CDNX:LDR.V) Leader Resources is engaged in the wind energy development business. Its predecessor Leader Wind has successfully developed a 200 Megawatt project in Kincardine, Ontario. Details of this can be found on the press release dated November 2005. After the successful sale of this project, the company continued to acquire property for further wind development

McKenzie Bay International Ltd (MKBY.OB) offers a sustainable renewable energy solution to address the growing demand and escalating costs of electricity through the WindStorSM distributed generation system. “WindStorSM”, a wind energy system, will generate, distribute and store electricity at urban and off-grid locations with a WindStorSMWind Turbine, a proprietary ‘System Integrator’ and a battery.

Mass Megawatts Wind Power, Inc. (OTCBB: MMGW) a development stage company, engages in the production of wind turbines and sale of wind generated electricity. It develops its prototype wind energy production equipment, as well as locates and adapts suitable operating facilities. The company’s MultiAxis Turbosystem technology is expected to contribute wind energy as a factor in the production of electric power.

NaiKun Wind Energy Group Inc. (TSX V: NKW) Since 2000, the company has focused on renewable energy and is now concentrating on development of a major wind farm in British Columbia's Hecate Strait.

Plambeck Neue Energien AG (PNEFF.PK) (Germany) Wind energy projects, domestic and international.

Renewable Energy Holding plc (LSE:REH.L) (London) Our Vision: To become World leaders in all forms of renewable energy production. To form Strategic partnerships with Governments, Maritime Institutions and Intellectual Institutions. To make money for our investors.

Repower Systems (RPW.DE) (Germany) REpower Systems AG is one of the leading turbine producers in the German wind energy sector.

Scottish Power PLC (SPI) engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and supply of electricity to homes and businesses primarily in the United Kingdom. The company also offers gas storage and associated energy management services in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, and western Canada. As of March 31, 2006, it owned electricity transmission and distribution network, which extended to approximately 112,000 kilometers, with 65,000 kilometers of underground cables and 47,000 kilometers of overhead lines in the United Kingdom.

Sea Breeze Power Corp. (CDNX: SBX.V) Sea Breeze Pacific RTS (a British Columbia corporation jointly owned with Boundless Energy LLC, of York Harbour, Maine) was formed to ensure the existence of an economic path to market for the large amounts of renewable energy presently under development on Vancouver Island. Sea Breeze Power Corp.'s partner in the venture, Boundless Energy LLC, is the transmission and utility engineering principal of the Neptune Regional Transmission consortium whose bid was recently selected for the installation of a 67-mile, 600-megawatt HVDC submarine transmission cable from northern New Jersey to central Long Island.

Shear Wind Inc. (Tier2) (SWX.V) Founded in 2005, Shear Wind Inc. is headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Shear Wind management encompasses an extensive background of domestic and global business expertise with a strong entrepreneurial acumen. Engaged in the exploration and development of renewable energy in Canada, Shear Wind is focused on building a strong company based on a secure, clean and sustainable energy supply.

SkyPower (Private; minority owned by Lehman Brothers) - SkyPower is the leading independent renewable energy developer in Canada, and possesses proven expertise in developing, building and managing large-scale wind and solar power projects. SkyPower has developed a national footprint, with interests in over 50 renewable power projects at various stages of development in 8 provinces in Canada and select US states, representing over 7000 MW of potential energy. Recently SkyPower has expanded its reach into the international energy market and is helping countries meet their surging power demands through renewable energy solutions.

Suzlon Energy LTD (SZEYF.PK) (India) Suzlon specializes in providing total solutions in wind power generation integrating consultancy, design, manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance services on a global basis. A strength of Suzlon is its component strategy, in that most of its parts are standard aircraft technology, and so their machines do not face the risk of maintenance problems should the manufacturer cease to exist.

Tower Tech Holdings, Inc (OTCBB: TWRT.OB) engages in the engineering, manufacture, and sale of wind turbine extension towers and monopiles to the wind energy industry in North America. It offers wind tower support structures, monopiles, and turbine structure fabrication and assembly.

TXU Corp. (TXU) a Dallas-based energy company, manages a portfolio of competitive and regulated energy primarily in Texas. In the competitive TXU Energy Holdings segment (comprised of electricity generation, wholesale marketing and retailing operations), TXU Energy provides electricity and related services to 2.3 million competitive electricity customers in Texas, more customers than any other retail electric provider in the state. TXU Power has over 18,300 megawatts of generation in Texas, including 2,300 MW of nuclear and 5,837 MW of lignite/coal-fired generation capacity. The company is also one of the largest purchasers of wind-generated electricity in Texas and North America.

Vector Wind Energy (CDNX: VWE.V) is a developer of wind energy projects in Canada. Currently Vector has 23 active project areas around the country at various stages of exploration and development.

Vestas Wind Systems (OTC.PK: VWSYF.PK) KFX Companies:XCSE (Denmark) is the world leader in wind technology and a driving force in the development of the wind power industry. Vestas’ core business comprises the development, manufacture, sale, marketing and maintenance of wind power systems that use wind energy to generate electricity.

Windflow Tech ADR (WFLWY.PK) (New Zealand) Large wind turbine manufacturer. Windflow Technology's innovative Windflow design combines two technologies that reduce fatigue loads.

Zephyr Alternative Power (Privately owned) - Zephyr Alternative Power Inc. has been a Canadian corporation since 2002. Since that time, Zephyr's mission has been to develop, promote, and market various alternative energy and energy efficient technologies. Presently, the company is focusing on developing its patented Zephyr Vertical Wind turbine (ZVWT). This modular and scalable design is quiet, visually appealing and practical for residences and institutions. Zephyr's goal, in light of our growing global electricity consumption habits, is to internationally develop and market small to medium size installations (up to 50 kW).

Some info from: http://www.renewableenergystocks.com