Tesla Motors Inc (TSLA): How Has America Fared As An Investor?

With America in the midst of an oil and gas boom, some projections from the EIA estimate that the U.S. will be a net natural gas exporter by 2020 and a net oil exporter by 2035. By increasing our alternative-energy consumption — a purely domestic source — we can more quickly replace our fossil-fuel consumption and export it to premium markets much sooner than projected. Doing so would dramatically shift our energy deficit and take a massive chunk out of the United States’ $38 billion trade deficit.

What a Fool believes
Both sides can debate the philosophical aspect of this topic until they’re blue in the face. Critics will point out the $535 million that went down the drain with Solyndra. Defenders can now point to the $465 million Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) paid back to highlight the project’s success. Combined, though, these two loans represent only 3% of the entire loan program. Rather than giving a final verdict on the program based on these two companies, we should should see how the entire loan program does at accomplishing the goals I’ve mentioned. If these programs can deliver a market primer for alternative energy and help us bring down the energy deficit, then it has done its job.

The article How Has America Fared As an Investor? originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Tyler Crowe has no position in any stocks mentioned. You can follow him at Fool.com under the handle TMFDirtyBird, on Google +, or on Twitter, @TylerCroweFool.The Motley Fool recommends Berkshire Hathaway, Ford, Goldman Sachs, and Tesla Motors and owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway, Ford, and Tesla Motors.

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