GOOD FOR BUSINESS:

Cleaning Up With 'Socks and Knocks' (Bill Paul, April 21, 2005, Motley Fool)

One of the media's favorite themes is that the Bush administration refuses to clean up the environment because it is in bed with the energy industry.

But in fact, the Bush administration is about to require the electric power industry to spend a whopping $40 billion over 10 years to install equipment that significantly cuts the airborne pollution emitted by coal-fired power plants, perhaps 700 in all, that are a key cause of numerous medical and environmental maladies.

As much as environmentalists are unhappy with this new federal initiative because they don't think it goes far enough in reducing the sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and mercury coming out of coal-fired generators, utilities argue that the rule goes too far.

Assuming that spending on equipment to reduce airborne nasties does occur, it could spell opportunities for investing in the companies receiving all those orders.