It's hard not to pick up a magazine or turn on the cable network with out hearing or reading a story about the green energy movement.
The smart money still seems to be flooding into alternative energy investments too.
According to a recent Ernst & Young report using data from Dow Jones VentureOne, $571.6 million of venture capital was invested in 34 clean technology companies during the first quarter of 2008. A significant portion of investment was focused on alternative fuels ($178 million), energy/electricity generation ($148.3 million), and energy efficiency ($116.4 million).
Alternative Energy ETFsEven though the total number of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that invest in alternative energy strategies has jumped to 15 from just two over the past few years, the universe is still very small.
Currently, $5.84 billion in assets is invested in alternative energy ETFs.
The four ETF families that offer alternative energy investments are Claymore Securities, InvescoPowersShares, First Trust Advisors, and Van Eck Global.
