Renewable energy — certainly electricity from windmills — has to compete against energy from other sources. The typical base line price competition for electricity is the price for a kilowatt generated in a coal-fired plant. Lately, with the price of natural gas down so low, even gas-fired electricity is competitive with coal. So where does that leave windmills?

Natural gas prices are dropping like a rock today, but the bearishness is not preventing a few bulls from taking million-dollar stands. As winter approaches, things are going to get very interesting.

Do you remember this time last year? As spring turned to summer, energy prices were moving upward. By mid-July 2008, oil prices peaked at $147 per barrel. But as with Gen. Pickett and his famous charge at Gettysburg, that lofty level of $147 was the high-water mark for oil prices.

Recently, natural gas prices have been lower due to reduced demand during this recession and excessive supply from domestic natural gas fields.  Natural Gas prices are poised to head much higher.  This gives you an opportunity to accumulate one of the best natural gas companies Chesapeake Energy stock (CHK) at a great value.

“Investors who want some exposure to natural gas while at the same time mitigating some of the fluctuation in gas prices would do well to consider adding a few shares of Inergy to their portfolio.”

The markets are moving. While the nation’s biggest companies are making the headlines, some of the smallest firms are creating the most profit potential.

Earlier this week, T. Boone Pickens, the 81-year-old Chairman of BP Capital, appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box to discuss the progress of the “Picken’s Plan.”

In the energy market, crude oil for August delivery rose 27 cents from Wednesday to close at $60.41/barrel. August reformulated gasoline gained more than 3 cents to finish at $1.6638/gallon.

In the energy market on Wednesday, crude for August delivery fell again, closing at $66.73/barrel, down $2.58. August reformulated gasoline lost 6.82 cents, to $1.7908/gallon.

On October 29, 2008 a pipeline company, Western Gas (NYSE:WES), announced plans that made its shareholders very happy. I wasn’t a shareholder at the time but its announcement caught my attention and I began following the company.