According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, six to nine storms could form in the Atlantic Ocean this season -- at least of two of them major ones. That spells trouble for platforms and refineries in the Gulf.

Ay, Caramba! If it's not one thing it's another with these pesky fossil fuels. At what point do we say "enough is enough"? It's high time the world kicked its oil and gas habit... and the way things are going, we soon might not have a choice.

But where there is pain, there is profit. The free market is good at solving problems for that very reason. Whoever figures out how to wean the world off oil will get very rich indeed -- and some farsighted companies are preparing to do just that. Sally Limantour has the details, and some big profits in hand to prove her case. Read on to find out more.

Warm Regards,

JL

Silicon Valley Titans Turn Oil Pain Into Billions
by Sally Limantour, Editor, Taipan

Crude oil trading above $130 a barrel has lots of folks tearing their hair out. But out west in Silicon Valley, the VC boys are grinning from ear to ear.

Why? Because they know that the world's oil pain is their gain... to the tune of tens of billions in profits, or maybe even more.

Take John Doerr, for example. You may not have heard of this Silicon Valley titan, but in the world of venture capital he's an investing legend. As a partner in one of the world's top VC firms, Doerr amassed a huge fortune for himself with pre-IPO stakes in companies like Netscape, Amazon.com and Google.

Now Doerr is onto the next big thing: "cleantech," which is shorthand for clean energy technology.

Doerr is convinced that opportunities in the cleantech space will be as lucrative as anything he's seen before. (From the man who helped launch Netscape and Google, that's really saying something.)

70% Gains for Starters

The good news is you don't have to be an ultra-connected VC like Doerr to make a killing in cleantech. There are amazing opportunities here for regular investors like you and me.

Showing is better than telling, so just take a look at the following chart.

That's the chart of a cleantech stock I recommended in the most recent issue of the Taipan newsletter. The company is a respected leader in a rapidly growing industry, with exciting technology and a $2 billion-plus market cap.

The pick was added to the Taipan portfolio as a patient investment buy. Little did we know that the very next earnings report would blow the roof off Wall Street's expectations. Shortly after we got in, the stock soared by more than 70% in just weeks.

I'll be advising my readers to take partial profits soon -- that's just good discipline when the profits come pouring in that quickly. But at the same time, this move is no flash in the pain. We'll be holding at least half the position for major long-term gains, as this company and others like it show potential for 100%, 200% or even 500% to 1,000% returns over the next few years.

Why Cleantech Is Red Hot

You might be wondering, why are these "cleantech" energy stocks so hot these days? What are the driving forces behind the kind of potential gains mentioned? There are a number of ways to answer that question, but the key factors boil down to three:

• Silicon Valley is pouring many billions of investment dollars into cleantech.

• Governments across the globe are desperate for clean energy alternatives.

• Due to the rise of emerging markets, the old way of doing things is simply not sustainable.

Now let's look at each of those quickly in turn.

Silicon Valley is pouring many billions of investment dollars into cleantech. Venture capitalists with big visions and deep pockets -- investors like John Doerr mentioned
earlier -- are more excited by cleantech opportunities than anything they've seen in years.

In addition to Doerr, other high-powered tech billionaires like Vinod Khosla, Paul Allen, and even Microsoft's Bill Gates are plowing their cash into cleantech. The Silicon Valley titans are convinced that this is where the next big fortunes will be made... and I think they're right.

Governments across the globe are desperate for clean energy alternatives. For governments and consumers alike, the pain of $135 oil is intense... and it could get worse before it gets better. If you think $4 a gallon gasoline is bad, for example, just imagine $12-$15 a gallon! That's one possible scenario seen by Charley Maxwell, known on Wall Street as the "dean of energy analysts," over the next five years or so.

Countries on nearly every continent, from Asia to Europe to North America, are desperate to ease the pain of their costly oil and gas habits. Cleantech solutions (think energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal) are the best long-term answer. And with oil soaring high, the alternatives can't come fast enough.

Due to the rise of emerging markets, the old way of doing things is simply not sustainable. Even if oil and gas were still cheap -- which it obviously isn't -- it wouldn't be possible for countries like China and India to embrace the old way of doing things. The strain on the planet is far too great.

China is already choking on pollution, for example, thanks to its heavy reliance on dirty coal and toxic diesel fuel. Smog chokes the lungs of China's cities. Acid rain is killing their lakes and rivers. Researchers are alarmed by ominous pollution levels and signs of climate change.

The story in parts of India and other rapidly growing countries is much the same... and this is all happening before hundreds of millions of newly minted middle class get hold of things like air conditioners and washing machines and family cars.

The simple fact is, the old fossil-fuel intensive ways only worked for 20% of the world's population. When the other 80% come on line -- a jump from roughly a billion energy consumers to 5 billion or 6 billion -- the planet cries "Uncle!" To maintain growth and avoid backlash in fast-growing emerging markets, an aggressive embrace of cleantech is the only answer.

Join Us for the Next Wave Higher

Just pick up any newspaper, or tune in to the TV or the radio. Listen to what people are saying about energy, pollution, and the amazing growth that's taking place. It's clear that the need for cleantech is urgent... not tomorrow or next week or some other far-off date, but right here and right now.

As mentioned earlier, my readers already picked up 70% gains in a matter of weeks on a recent investment buy. But there's plenty more where that came from. I have an entire stable of powerful cleantech picks waiting in the wings -- any one of which could serve up triple-digit, long-term returns.

So what do you say? Ready to stake your claim in the cleantech revolution? Join us in subscribing to the Taipan newsletter, and I'll be happy to rush you the next pick... hopefully before it racks up 70% gains this time.