LDK Solar Co.Ltd. (NYSE: LDK) shares were up 20% late Monday after an independent audit report put the inventory errors that had been in question at zero.

Shares of First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) gave up 7% falling almost $20.00 per share on Monday.  The company announced today that John Gaffney will join the company as its Executive Vice President and General Counsel, effective January 15, 2008.  The market is more to blame than this, although some may consider this legal advisor more of an M&A advisor.

Capstone Turbine (NASDAQ:CPST) was down almost 6% late Monday at $1.44, although this one is still up from being included in our "10 Stocks Under $10" weekly newsletter.  The good news came last week, although the run in share prices looked a bit high.

ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) Research & Engineering Company (EMRE) announced today that its MTG technology for converting methanol to gasoline has been selected by DKRW Advanced Fuels (DKRW) as part of DKRW’s coal to liquids (CTL) project in Medicine Bow, WY. The approximate 15,000 barrel per calendar day unit will be based on commercially proven MTG technology which incorporates improvements since the technology was originally commercialized by ExxonMobil 20 years ago in New Zealand.

Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTI) announced today that Dennis “Kilowatt” Berube has set the National Hot Rod Association’s world speed record for electric dragsters driving an electric vehicle powered by Altairnano battery packs with a a speed of 153.6 mph on Saturday, December 15, covering a quarter-mile in 8.10 seconds.

XSunX Inc. (OTC-BB: XSNX) has been rated Speculative Buy with a price target of $1.50 by Beacon Equity Research Analyst, Lisa Springer, CFA.  Beacon Equity Research was directly compensated a total of $15,000.00 directly from the company for enrollment of XSNX in its research program and other services.  This stock rose a whopping 63% today to $0.48 late Monday.

Ocean Power Technologies (NASDAQ: OPTT) saw shares rise 2% to $12.63 in late day trading after the company posted earnings.  Its revenues were up 204%, but only to $1.7 million and it posted a net loss of $1.9 million.

Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTI) saw its shares slide 17% late Monday to under $17.00 after it announced the successful and on-time delivery and installation of all equipment required to complete the integration of its 1.5MW production facility:

• Testing, integration and qualification of the new manufacturing line is set to begin in January 2008.
• Product qualification and certifications are planned to commence once the line completes integration and achieves initial operating capacities.

Amtech Systems (NASDAQ: ASYS) fell some 6% to under $12.00 late Monday after it announced receipt of $8.9 million in additional Solar orders.

Last week, Nymex Holdings Inc. (NYSE: NMX) and a group of Wall Street trading houses plan to launch an exchange for trading carbon emissions and other environmental products.  This is being dubbed the Green Exchange. 

Also last week were some favorable research calls from Wall Street analysts covering GREEN STREET (AMSC, CLNE, ESLR, FSLR, ITRI, SPWR)

Less than one week ago, oil magnate T. Boone Pickens was still calling for $100 oil and said high prices are going to be the new norm.

Jon C. Ogg
December 17, 2007

Jon Ogg can be reached at [email protected]; he produces the SPECIAL SITUATION newsletter and he does not own securities in the companies he covers.

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