There’s no question that the green revolution is quickly approaching. In fact, some say it’s here already. In 2021, the International Energy Agency reported that “renewable electricity growth is accelerating faster than ever worldwide, supporting the emergence of the new global energy economy.” Since then, this trend has only increased as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the global need for energy independence. This focus on the green revolution has created significant opportunity for investors looking to ride the green wave right to the top through renewable energy stocks.
Digital trading platform CMC Markets has been analyzing data on the renewable energy stocks that investors are most commonly seeking out. The platform recently revealed the most Googled renewable energy stocks, providing insight into the companies investors are most closely following — and why.
Let’s take a closer look at the most searched names.
| TSLA | Tesla | $278.78 |
| GEVO | Gevo | $2.56 |
| PLUG | Plug Power | $26.74 |
| RUN | Sunrun | $34.64 |
| BE | Bloom Energy | $24.62 |
Tesla (TSLA)
It’s no surprise that one of the most popular stocks on the market is the most searched for in the renewable energy space. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) transformed transportation when it brought electric vehicles to the mainstream. According to CMC’s data, on average. TSLA stock receives 7.87 million searches worldwide every month.
The company has given investors plenty to search for. When it successfully enacted a stock split in August 2022, it made TSLA accessible to a new group of retail investors. On top of that, anticipation for the long-awaited Cybertruck is keeping both fans and investors on their toes. Now Tesla is on the fast track to producing cheaper batteries that could further transform EV production again.
The EV leader isn’t just making progress on the vehicle front. Elon Musk recently hinted that Tesla may be about to increase the availability of its Powerwall home battery pack. This would be another significant step forward for renewable energy. Regardless of what happens elsewhere within the sector, Tesla will remain on the front lines of the green revolution.
Gevo (GEVO)
It may seem odd to see a penny stock on a list with some of its industry’s top players. But investors have made it clear that they are interested in Gevo (NASDAQ:GEVO). This renewable chemical and biofuels company receives an average of 425,00 monthly searches. It is well-positioned to help the world in its transition away from fossil fuels.
According to Gevo’s webpage, it is “in an advanced state of developing renewable electricity and renewable natural gas for use in production processes.” In July 2022, GEVO stock rose when it entered into a five-year agreement to provide jet fuel to American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL).
As InvestorPlace contributor Muslim Farooque reported, Gevo boasts several other airline contracts as well. “With the growing need for renewable energy, there are multiple use-cases for Gevo’s products,” he noted. Farooque ranked GEVO as an undervalued penny stock with significant upside. CMC’s data indicates that many other investors share this mindset.
As the green revolution continues, demand for Gevo’s technology will only increase, pushing it out of penny stock territory.
Plug Power (PLUG)
Plug Power (NASDAQ:PLUG) is a prominent player in the fast-growing field of hydrogen fuel cells. The company has seen its shares rise more than 15% over the past six months after signing a deal with Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) to provide liquid green hydrogen. InvestorPlace analyst Louis Navellier is bullish on PLUG following this news. As he wrote:
The deal with Amazon makes it more realistic than ever before for Plug Power to achieve its $3 billion revenue goal for 2025. This arrangement will also keep Plug Power very busy. That’s because the company will ‘supply 10,950 tons per year of liquid green hydrogen to fuel Amazon operations.’
Plug Power’s 319,000 average monthly searches indicate that many other investors share Navellier’s optimism that PLUG will rise in the coming months.
Sunrun (RUN)
Despite its trading symbol, Sunrun (NASDAQ:RUN) is not a stock that investors should run away from. The company deals in photovoltaic solar energy generation systems and battery energy storage, two fields that are growing rapidly. It receives an average of 54,000 searches per month, making it the most googled solar energy stock to date. It has also traded better than any of the renewable energy stocks on this list on a six-month basis, rising more than 25%. Most recently, it shot up on news of new partnerships in the solar space.
As InvestorPlace contributor Joel Baglole noted, Sunrun stands to benefit significantly from the Inflation Reduction Act. Baglole also sees the company as having a competitive edge due to partnerships with Costco (NASDAQ:COST) and Home Depot (NYSE:HD). As he stated, “these alliances allow it to market its installation services directly to customers in the retailers’ stores nationwide.”
Bloom Energy (BE)
This clean energy winner also deals in fuel cell production. It often moves in solidarity with its competitor Plug Power. Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) has been revered for its fairly recent turnaround from a disregarded stock to one of its sector’s top players. Close on Sunrun’s heels, it receives an average of 49,000 global searches per month and investors are right to be watching it closely. Farooque has ranked it as a top pick among fuel cell stocks, citing its significant growth potential throughout the coming decade. In his words;
By 2031, it expects annualized sales growth to average between 30% and 35%. A major contributor to long-term growth could be its large-scale solid oxide fuel-cell power generation platform which could generate close to 300 kilowatts of power on a typical configuration. Such technologies could prove perfect for niche-based projects.
Farooque isn’t the only expert who sees tremendous growth opportunity from fuel cell stocks. Fellow InvestorPlace contributor Josh Enomoto reports that it “could lay the groundwork for tomorrow’s zero-carbon economy.” Enomoto is highly bullish on PLUG, citing geopolitical pressures as a likely growth catalyst for renewable energy stocks, specifically those in the fuel cell arena.
On the date of publication, Samuel O’Brient did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.