Renewed fear and scrutiny over the nuclear power sector have investors looking to alternative-energy sector exchange traded funds (ETFs).
As nuclear-power stocks experience a sell-off, the alternative-energy sector saw increased inflows, which experts believe will continue in the coming months, writes Jessica Toonkel for InvestmentNews. Alternatives usually come into favor when there are natural disasters related to oil and nuclear energy or when pricing gets too high. [Will Current Affairs Deter Interest In Nuclear ETFs?]
Speaker of the House, John Boehner said on Monday that there will be meetings this week to discuss the Japanese nuclear power plant situation and the potential for similar catastrophes here in the U.S., which means that future nuclear projects will likely include costlier added security. However, if damages in nuclear plants in Japan are contained, don’t expect big changes. [Renewable Energy Or Clean Energy ETFs? Its Up To You.]
No new nuclear power plant has come online in the U.S. since 1974, mainly due to the Three Mile Island incident, and nuclear energy only accounts for around 20% of total electricity supply, writes Martin D. Weiss for Money and Markets. On Friday, the House of Representatives scheduled a hearing on nuclear energy, and we can probably expect the focus to shift to Japan and greater political pressure to delay or cancel current plans.