One investor may emphasize avoiding polluters or fossil fuel producers, sidestepping Exxon ( XOM), for instance.
But it sends a signal, not only to fossil-fuel producers like those concentrated around writer Christopher Helman's base in Houston but also to "alternative" energy providers and to all of us as burners of the stuff.
New farm legislation, handing out billions of dollars in federal government subsidies to American producers, has poured fuel on the flames.
Blending of local and imported coal would have increased costs for power producers which source the fuel from the state-run monopoly supplier.
But if the fuel is to fulfill those possibilities, producers must work closely and openly with state and federal regulators as well as their communities.
Grocery stores and food producers will see gains from lower fuel costs because it will simply cost less to get their products to market, with benefits accruing to companies like Hain Celestial (HAIN) and Whole Foods (WFM).
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The boom in ethanol has been driven by three main components--a blenders' credit that creates an incentive for producers who add ethanol to their fuel, an import tariff that keeps out foreign competitors, and a renewable fuels standard that sets the level of production.
With the share of natural gas used to fuel power plants expected to keep rising, gas producers are saying that between 29, 000 and 62, 000 miles of new pipeline is needed over the next 25 years.
These producers are guaranteed a market, since regulations oblige fuel merchants to mix ethanol into petrol.
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Many fossil fuel stocks have been profitable in recent years, but because neither the producers nor consumers pay to emit climate-warming carbon pollution into the atmosphere, those profits are grossly distorted.
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Then, there is the 51-cent tax credit paid to blenders of the fuel and a 54-cent tariff on imported ethanol to keep cheaper foreign producers out of the market.
Such a protocol would enable producers to obtain a verifiable credit for net carbon uptake in biofuel or fuel feedstock products.
This essentially eliminates the competition for domestic ethanol producers, which for consumers also reduces the opportunity to save money on their fuel costs.
Natural gas producers like Exxon and Chesapeake Energy will of course benefit from higher demand for the fuel, but profits might be held down with increased supply.
But much of the cynicism is centered on corn-based ethanol that some consider not just an inefficient fuel source but also one that also creates food shortages, driving up the cost of feed for livestock producers.
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