Investing in Renewable Energy – Harnessing the Wind and the Sun

Investing in renewable energy sounds a lot more futuristic than it really is. There have been endeavors to create viable ways to utilize renewable energy sources such as wind, sun and running water for decades. Niagara Falls has one of the largest water-driven power plants in the world and that was built back in 1956 and there were plans to utilize water power in Upstate New York dating back as far as the 1800’s. But investing in renewable energy has taken on a new urgency because of the threat that relying on foreign energy poses to the United States and the fear that our current natural resources will run out in the foreseeable future.

Investing in renewable energy does have its challenges. As quiet and even majestic as windmill farms can be, some environmental groups oppose them because the large turbines could pose a threat to the birds in the area. Most people that are experienced in investing in renewable energy are familiar with the challenges and understand that there will always be a group of some kind opposed to anything that has to do with the environment. That just means that there is a lot of research and lobbying that needs to be done in order to get renewable energy up and off the ground.

The best part about investing in renewable energy is that it is something the federal government is backing. Barack Obama used his presidential campaign to push for financing renewable energy projects. When Obama took office as the president, he announced that the government would be investing in renewable energy research and had hoped to see the new energy methods implemented in the next few years. While government backing is nice, most people know that a project requires more significant investment to get off the ground. That is where the potential in renewable energy can be found.

If you are considering the possibility of investing in renewable energy, then do your research before you write your first check. While there is incredible potential in investing in renewable energy, you need to make sure that you are getting involved with a company that has a decent track record at making renewable energy methods a reality. The industry is new and the track records are hard to find, but if you want to make a profit on your investment then you need to do your homework first.