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Coal Beats Solar as Analysts Favor Peabody Energy

Business Week -- March 17 (Bloomberg) -- Wall Street’s contribution to the debate on how to curb global warming: Buy coal, sell solar.

Peabody Energy Corp., the biggest coal producer, is rated a “buy” by 79 percent of analysts, while 44 percent recommend First Solar Inc., the largest maker of thin-film solar panels. The Stowe Global Coal index of 38 coal producers has gained 6.5 percent in 2010, and the Bloomberg Global Leaders Solar index of 38 solar module and component makers has dropped 17 percent.

While investors including T. Boone Pickens and Warren Buffett are pushing cash into green technologies, the tilt toward Peabody and away from First Solar is the widest in two years. It reflects a sense that government support for reducing air pollution may be waning, said Kevin Landis,


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Submitted Mar 18, 2010 By: LetemEatCake
Category: Daily News Article Discussions > Topics Add to favorite topics  
Author Topic: Coal Beats Solar as Analysts Favor Peabody Energy Post a Reply Back to Topics
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LetemEatCake
Champion Author Oklahoma City

Posts:2,988
Points:768,755
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Message Posted: Mar 19, 2010 11:02:06 PM

CruisinLinda from Tallahassee...

Exceedingly well said!

FuelBarge from Long Island...

"I shudder to go back to the late 1960's/early 1970's when I would visit my grandparents in NYC and the smog in the morning was absolutely horrible."

Let me add, I shudder to go back to the 1950-1960's when I would visit my Grandparents in Cleveland... when the Coal smoke and dust invaded every pore on my body outside. Nasty and dirty stuff.
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honda0105
Champion Author Tallahassee

Posts:15,279
Points:1,144,250
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Message Posted: Mar 19, 2010 6:23:03 AM

well, coal makes money for others, solar brings money into my pocket. Hmmm... trust grinning Wall Street sharks...? Not here.
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honda0105
Champion Author Tallahassee

Posts:15,279
Points:1,144,250
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Message Posted: Mar 19, 2010 6:22:10 AM

Linda: anything for an extra buck now. Who cares about the future... (sarcaasm off now).
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CruisinLinda
Champion Author Tallahassee

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 5:08:53 PM

"Clean coal" is an oxymoron. Coal is the tobacco of fuels. It is hard to believe that some Buddiescwould want to soil their nests.

Coal costs more because of its externalties (extra costs) to clean up its pollution and carbon emissions. It emits sulfur dioxide, which when mixed with water vapor In the atmosphere becomes sulfuric acid that rains on us and our cars and roofs.  The mercury in the particulates the smoke stacks spew falls on our vegetables and fruits in the fields and gardens. It also settles on ponds, streams and rivers and is ingested by the fish we eat. If government can't limit our use of coal and fouling our nests, the cost of coal will continue to rise with demand, and the cost of carbon credits will continue to fall. Coal is cheap only because we subsidize the coal industry by paying to clean their mess. We also let them blow up the tops of mountains and turn them into moonscapes. If we are going to subdize energy, let it be clean, safe and renewable energy like wind, solar, hydro and geothermal sources.    
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fordmexico
Champion Author Michigan

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 12:27:04 PM

"March 17 (Bloomberg) -- Wall Street’s contribution to the debate on how to curb global warming: Buy coal, sell solar."

I will trust my own instincts about our energy future before I believe anybody from Wall Street.
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packards42
Champion Author Washington

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 11:02:20 AM

Reality is the someone need to do clean coal now, then we could get off oil. Solar is great, but the cost effectiveness is not there with the government subsidization. I love to put it end, but the cost for 5000 watt would eat my lunch. Wind power is just cheaper and works at night.
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FuelBarge
Champion Author Long Island

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 9:59:00 AM

Government support for reducing air pollution may be waning? I guess you could rephrase that "the government is supporting dirtier air". I always figured politicians were full of hot air. I guess they have their own clean supply of fresh air and don't need to breath the stuff us lowly surfs do.

I shudder to go back to the late 1960's/early 1970's when I would visit my grandparents in NYC and the smog in the morning was absolutely horrible.
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sienko
Champion Author New Hampshire

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 8:55:08 AM

byoftDad said:

It will someday be as expensive to go solar as it is to buy oil and gasoline if we allow another country to beat us in solar technology.

--

Is that really what you meant? Solar is far more expensive already!
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gas_too_high
Champion Author Columbus

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 8:52:20 AM

Solar is an alternative that is part of the long-term solution, but coal is here and now.

GTH
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Lasing
Champion Author Colorado Springs

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 8:41:59 AM

I think wind & solar are good for our future, but they need time and money to mature. A hybrid system at home such as solar during the day, and wind at night, connected to the grid because storage is too costly, is the way to go. But... right now it cost too much. How many electric bills till the system is paid off? 30 years assuming no maintenance and it still works past that time? What if I don't live long enough to see the free electricity?
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AnObserver
Champion Author New Jersey

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 8:39:11 AM

Makes sense - the tecnology behind coal is proven while solar technology is just now emerging
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mmproteus
Veteran Author Ohio

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 8:25:29 AM

The most recent hype in the solar market was from promises of subsidies from developed nations. Now that their budgets are in free-fall, such subsidies are all cancelled, and the bottom line is back in vogue. Solar power will be competitive after the technology matures, same way it's been for the past 40 years.
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vandamme
Champion Author New York

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 8:13:00 AM

"The dirty secret of wind and solar is it takes a big pile of energy & money to produce turbines and panels. It takes another big pile of energy & money to install the systems. And even more to bring in the power lines. And the maintenance costs are high. Total up all those costs; fossil fuel prices have to more than quadruple before those alternatives are on equal footing. Most people bitch and complain about current energy prices. Will they put upt with 4x energy prices?"

Same applies to fossil fuel. But with solar power, in many cases you can generate your OWN energy on your roof; the fuel is free; you get energy in different forms (warm water, instead of using electricity from coal) and did you mention that there's an endless supply with no pollution. And energy prices WILL go up 4X whether you bitch about it or not. Just a matter of time.
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thirstyauto
Champion Author Milwaukee

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 8:07:23 AM

Ya know, we can run out of coal too!!!
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DieselKat
Champion Author Tennessee

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 8:07:23 AM

Coal and oil is something God gave the world to use along with other technologies, and there is no reason we can't use them all.
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LocalSpyGuy
Champion Author Tampa

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 8:06:24 AM

This is only temporary. Solar, wind, nuclear, etc. are the energy sources of the future.
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Tnerbeel
Champion Author Houston

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 8:04:37 AM

I know how to curb global warming-stop listening to the Al Gore/Chicken Little types and wait 30 years.
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naw62
Champion Author Maine

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 8:04:30 AM

You can't beat coal
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jeepman64
All-Star Author Indiana

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:59:44 AM

In the short run, sure, but what are we going to do when all that black smoke blocks out the sun?
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Digger5
Veteran Author Milwaukee

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:57:46 AM

Advances in solar are occurring daily, but it still needs to be less expensive, and more efficient for the average person to be able to afford it.
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FuelOilOH
Champion Author Cleveland

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:56:35 AM

Solar is big in Europe.
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Chitowner
Champion Author Omaha

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:56:24 AM

Look Coal is a base load meaning electricity all the time. Solar is a sunny day event not cloudy and not night. You folks want solar then burn candles to read at night.
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Asbury09
Champion Author Iowa

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:55:23 AM

free enterprise may make some mistakes but to really mess things up takes the government
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Spetsnaz
Champion Author Dayton

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:51:47 AM

interesting
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Cruiser340
Champion Author Grand Rapids

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:50:52 AM

home grown, oil and coal.
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byoftDad
Champion Author Columbus

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:50:31 AM

Solar is cleaner than coal, but we have a ready supply of cheap coal and men laid off that can mine it. It is a terrible thing that Obama and his administration are allowing the Chinese to become the number one producer of solar. It will someday be as expensive to go solar as it is to buy oil and gasoline if we allow another country to beat us in solar technology.
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mk9999
Champion Author Rochester

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:49:49 AM

Make coal into oil.
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TomT2Lee
Champion Author Cincinnati

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:49:48 AM

The dirty secret of wind and solar is it takes a big pile of energy & money to produce turbines and panels. It takes another big pile of energy & money to install the systems. And even more to bring in the power lines. And the maintenance costs are high. Total up all those costs; fossil fuel prices have to more than quadruple before those alternatives are on equal footing. Most people bitch and complain about current energy prices. Will they put upt with 4x energy prices?
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Bill68Prius
Champion Author Maryland

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:49:12 AM

Yes go coal rape our beautiful mountain tops and pollute our streams and rivers. Yes indeed coal, go away. solar panels can be made in America, same with wind turbines. Ever consider the potential of Geothermal. GO USA.
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no_monkey2002
Champion Author Tallahassee

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:48:41 AM

coal smokes,black clouds,getting it out of the earth leaves a hole for the future of the world go solar ,,,solar takes nothing but gives you everything..think about it a moment...what to do and what not to do..OBAMA the new begining of time...??
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MV_cmtr
Champion Author Columbus

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:48:38 AM

Change is never cheap...
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rvn4me
Champion Author Texas

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:46:49 AM

Since we already have everything in place to use coal, we should use more of it. Tell the greenies to back off.
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PurduePete86
Champion Author Indiana

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:45:41 AM

Obama finally running out of our Money?
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Rick01
Champion Author Utah

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:45:40 AM

How much is Peabody paying for this survey?
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gabckmyr
Sophomore Author Michigan

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:43:51 AM

Go coal! Made in the USA!
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rippinusoff
Champion Author Lexington

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:40:24 AM

ANAL lists... wow, they are smart
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ttwiw
Champion Author Austin

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:38:50 AM

Wow, surprising!
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fcdriver
Champion Author Tennessee

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:38:37 AM

if we burn more coal it will darken the sky and reduce the amout of sunlight comming through thrus reducing global warming!
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mplato
Champion Author Columbia

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:36:46 AM

just the enviromental impact of land is enought to rethink using solar....its a waist of good land.
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GasholeMI
Champion Author Lansing

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:36:31 AM

Does First Solar have any profits? If not, there is no reason to invest in it yet.
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MertieMan
Champion Author Lexington

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:35:55 AM

I vote for coal all the way plus coal will keep many individuals working and their families fed.
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theawesome1
Champion Author Cleveland

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:35:35 AM

The Clean Coal folks keep speaking up for what they believe. Our electricity in CLE is double what other folks are paying. From November- April we pay $44.15 and then they send a letter stating that we are $57.89 past due & payment is due by 5/1. Then we pay total power bill til November & reapply for the PIP plan. There is no assistance as there is for gas from State of Ohio.
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REKEY
Champion Author South Carolina

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:34:49 AM

Yes nothing like taking down a mountain and leaving all the deposits in the surrounding rivers to make you want to invest in coal. West Va was once a very scenic area. Why is it Pickens and Buffett are looking to the future and no one else is?
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ky_commuter75
Champion Author Cincinnati

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:30:53 AM

it's nice to see others going to the existing technology instead of billionaires pushing something they have a vested interest in.
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jimraehl
Champion Author Utah

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:30:02 AM

Might be okay in the short term, but too much coal is locked up by the environmentalists in national parks.
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Don1222
Champion Author Michigan

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:28:42 AM

New Coal technology and alternative energy. Buy American made in The USA.
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bar1035
Champion Author Charlotte

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:28:13 AM

totally misleading headline and first sentence. To the analysts its the stock potential and nothing else.
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BoerneWatch
Champion Author San Antonio

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:27:40 AM

Solar is still not cost effective. Coal, gas, natural gas or anything made from oil is cost effective.
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gasandgoAL
Champion Author Alabama

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:26:48 AM

coal has always been good
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Masercal
Champion Author Michigan

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Message Posted: Mar 18, 2010 7:26:30 AM

While coal is cheap and abundant, it does not solve our pollution problems in this country or around the globe. Continue to conserve and make the move to renewable energy today.
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