Today, alternative energy is not alternative at all. Sustainable, yes. Clean, yes.

But not alternative.

Already 23 states and the District of Columbia have set standards requiring electric utilities to generate a certain amount of electricity from renewable sources.

Some states are even mandating that over 20% of electricity be generated in sustainable fashion in the next decade or so.

Surely technology implemented by law can't be considered alternative--that implies there is a choice in the matter.

Nonetheless, we're now at a critical point in the short history of sustainably-produced electricity. As it stands, we have the technology to produce electricity from wind, solar, geothermal, marine, and other well-known sources. And Green Chip investors have been profiting from them for quite some time now.

But what we're lacking are solutions for storing that electricity, for converting it, and for seamlessly introducing it to local grids--all without power interruptions and failures during peak load hours.

Solving these problems is becoming an industry unto itself. It's called...

Energy Intelligence

It comes down to this.

Electricity demand is projected to grow by 19 percent nationwide over the next decade, but transmission capacity is expected to only grow by 6 percent.

And while increasing transmission capacity is certainly one way to reduce strain on overworked grids, improving their efficiency is proving to be an even more attractive solution.

With more talk about efficiency and the obvious need for grid infrastructure improvements, investment grew in this category from $192 million to $476 million in just two years. That's nearly 150%!

According to a recent Clean Edge report, energy intelligence is the second most heavily venture-invested sustainable industry, behind only biofuels. Check it out:

That same report said that "with energy efficiency and demand response high on the list of many utilities as a "new" source of power, energy-intelligence companies may be the new darlings of energy tech."

Of course there's money to be made on the transmission side of this issue. But I think the efficiency side will bring even greater returns.

You see, one proposed solution is the development of a "smart grid", which would enable energy-draining appliances to adjust their power consumption based on the daily fluctuations of electricity prices.

Implementing this scheme would require the introduction of all sorts of cool new technology.

Things like smart thermostats that work with a building's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units. These devices display up-to-the-minute energy pricing and usage data, and can adjust your system according to the parameters you set.

Or how about smart meters that are continually in communication with a utilitity's headquarters and substations, allowing instant grid-wide changes, constant monitoring for problems, and remote meter reading and software updating.

Opportunities in this field are only limited by imagination.

And some of them are already being produced and installed. The New York State Electric & Gas Corp., for example, is currently awaiting approval to upgrade to a smart system.

But the best part here is the legendary profits that stand to be made. Can you imagine investing in few companies that will soon be providing solutions to the entire power grid?

Because I can. Just have a look at Telvent Git, SA, for instance. This is a company that provides real-time solutions to energy customers.

In the past six months, this stock has absolutely exploded...delivering gains of more than 53%!

And as more and more grids seek to introduce smart products, you can bet there will be plenty more charts like this. And Green Chip investors will certainly hear about them first.

In fact, we'll soon be releasing the name of one company in particular that's about to land some pretty significant contracts in this sector. If you'd like to be one of the first to get the name of this company, sign-up for our free e-letter, the Green Chip Review .

When our report is ready, we'll make sure you get first shot at it.

Until next time,

Nick