Plug Power

It was a strong week for the broad stock markets and an even stronger week for clean tech sectors, capped off with a bonanza for shareholders of San Jose, California-based solar panel company SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ: SPWRA). SunPower and French oil multinational Total S.A. (NYSE: TOT) announced late Thursday that Total was buying 60% of SunPower for approximately $1.4 billion at $23.25 per share -- lifting the stock to close today at $21.69 per share, 34.5% higher than Thursday’s close and up 36% for the week.

Here are the TOP 20 performing companies on the EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index during Q1 2011 (January 3 through March 31).

Solar power technology companies continued this week to lead the overall green indices and ETFs as well as the broad markets. 

The EnergyBoom Solar Subindex (E•B Solar) increased 4.06 percent and the Guggenheim Solar  ETF (TAN) gained 3.32 percent on the week, compared with the S&P 500 (+0.13 percent), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (+1.43 percent) and the NASDAQ composite ( -1.51 percent).

Here are the Top 10 Renewable Energy News Stories You May Have Missed this Week:

A closer look today at Plug Power, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG), whose 66.7 percent gain last week led the EnergyBoom Clean 100 Index (E•B Clean 100). 

Plug Power, based in Latham, New York, announced in April 2010 it was restructuring to cut costs, focus on its GenDrive fuel cell power units for fork lifts and halt development and manufacturing of its stationary backup and off-the-grid fuel cell power generators. 

Most green sector stock market indicators, including all five EnergyBoom indices, trounced the broader markets in the United States and overseas this week. The best performance was turned in by the EnergyBoom Solar Subindex (E•B Solar) which increased 5.28 percent.