Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT), General Motors Company (GM), NRG Energy Inc (NRG): Rethinking ROI in the Energy Sector

Liebreich said that electric vehicles are going to be tremendously important, as well, in that they also add resilience to the electric grid. Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is making giant strides in this arena, and just made a major announcement today about new programs to make its consumer experience even better. The company is offering new warranties on batteries, loaner cars to customers with their own in the shop, and more.

Liebreich pointed to General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) as another player in this area. The company has just announced that its Chevrolet Spark EV is setting a new benchmark for efficiency with an EPA-estimated 119 MPGe (miles per gallon gasoline equivalent), and it has a new electric Cadillac on the way at the end of the year.

Liebreich had, perhaps, the warmest praise for NRG Energy Inc (NYSE:NRG) , describing the company as a model of resilience. “NRG is trying to cannibalize its core business model,” said Liebreich. Presciently, the company “would rather cannibalize itself than push back and defend against others.” NRG, the biggest power provider to U.S. utilities, has begun providing electricity directly to consumers, bypassing its traditional clients. NRG Energy Inc (NYSE:NRG) has gotten into the rooftop solar business for both residential and commercial customers, and intends eventually to offer natural-gas generators to pick up the slack when the sun don’t shine. And that, my friend, is what we call a paradigm shift.

Foolish bottom line
With all the uncertainty in the future of energy, investors should look for companies that are not afraid to throw out the rule book and rethink what their place is in this world. Look for companies that are resilient, offer a diversity of solutions to the complex mix of challenges out there, and that introduce intelligence and efficiency to the grid. Those are the ones that will thrive.

The article Rethinking ROI in the Energy Sector originally appeared on Fool.com.

Sara Murphy has no position in any stocks mentioned. Follow her on Twitter @SMurphSmiles. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors and Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Lockheed Martin and Tesla Motors.

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