Fossil fuels still ahead of clean energy

Falling gas prices have undermined solar and wind power in the past few months. 2011 is expected to see a dramatic increase in fossil fuels, favoring oil and coal producers.

Fossil fuel investments will continue to outstrip low-carbon alternatives this year, darkening a sector struggling to shake off the financial crisis and sagging political momentum on climate change.

Soaring fossil fuel prices, where the European oil benchmark is pushing $100 a barrel, favor oil and coal producers, while falling gas prices have undermined wind power generation especially in the United States.

And the financial crisis has hit capital-intensive renewable energy projects, trimming demand for wind turbines, while the near-term solar future is clouded by cuts in European subsidies.

In all, that contributed to a dire 2010 in green equity markets, where the climate change theme under-performed global stocks by 10-20 percentage points, and new momentum is expected to be slow in 2011.

GreenMomentum - Fossil fuels still ahead of clean energy