On September 5th we reported that Silicon Valley, the major green booster, had retrenched by pulling out of long-term investments in alternative energy. Today, the other shoe dropped. The Cleantech Group in San Francisco reported that venture-capital investment in clean technology fell 35% in Q4 from the prior quarter, the steepest quarterly drop in two years.

As President-elect Obama toots his green-energy horn, the smart money in Silicon Valley is reversing its position on the moneymaking potential of wind, solar and geothermal power sources.

An article in the New York Times last week about careers in solar energy revealed a shocking number – one that would certainly make me look elsewhere for job. As an investor, this particular number would also call into question the true growth of solar energy over the next few years.

Jim Nelson says savvy investors can make huge profits in the first 100 days of the Obama presidency. Three sectors facing a makeover under the new administration are biotechnology, renewable energy and defense. Jim says new legislation and funding could mean big gains for these three companies…

Andrew Snyder says solar panel manufacturer XsunX (OTC:XSNX) could be a great speculative stock buy. The company has just announced a major new two-year contract that could rejuvenate its business. But with a history of false dawns, Andrew says investors must tread very carefully.

The election of Barack Obama as president is essentially a vote for green energy over fossil fuels, says Andy Obermueller. Even though oil prices have fallen, wind power is a renewable energy source with a big global future. And investors should move quickly to make big profits when the government pumps money into the industry.

Energy investors may find themselves at odds in weighing whether to put their money into fossil fuels or green alternatives. Two separate articles in today’s Wall Street Journal provide a good backdrop for the current dilemma. Ultimately, we’re of the opinion that it’s still too early for alternative energy to make a convincing business case.

The election last night of Barack Obama to the White House has many green investors cheering, but their elation may be short-lived. For one, the ROI of alternative energy is still pegged to the price of fossil fuels. Second, environmentalists may find themselves at cross-purposes with one faction leading the charge for a greener grid while the other seeks to protect endangered species and offshore territory from solar arrays and wind farms.

Incoming president Barack Obama is expected to increase spending and provide new incentives to develop alternative energy. This provides a great opportunity for investors, says Sara Nunnally. She expects international companies like Acciona SA (MCE:ANA) from Spain to play a major role in expanding clean energy in the US.

The British government gave a huge boost to wind energy stocks this week, opening bidding for offers to build up to 25 gigawatts of offshore wind turbines by 2020 — triple the amount previously planned.

The European Union has set a target date of 2020 for 20% of its energy to come from renewable sources. The British Wind Energy Association said Britain will contribute 15%, meaning up to 40% of the country’s power will come from wind energy by the target date.

“The richest investment opportunities can be found in the fast-emerging alternative energy sector,” says Mike Burnick in The Offshore A-Letter.