Government-Sponsored Asphalt

clipped from uk.reuters.com Some analysts questioned Obama's ability to boost spending on higher-cost renewable fuels during a recession. SOLAR EQUIPMENT STOCKS SOAR ON SPEECH Solar stocks climbed after Obama said his economic recovery plan would result in more jobs building solar panels. First Solar Inc rose 4.6 percent to $155.36, LDK Solar closed 5.2 percent higher at $14.50, and SunTech Power was up 6.3 percent at $12.75. The shares outpaced the broad S&P 500 index, which climbed only 0.3 percent. Not everyone cheered Obama's plan. Private companies could use domestic energy resources like oil and coal to create jobs without the hefty price tag for taxpayers, said Thomas Pyle of the Institute for Energy Research, in a statement. "The road to economic recovery will be paved with private sector investment, not government-sponsored asphalt," he said.