by Jim Stanton, Contributing Editor, Sector Watch

When oil prices moved to over $30 a barrel in the mid 1980s, it was considered a significant event.

It also signaled the birth of small ethanol companies in the Midwest. Many of them managed to hang around long enough to get a second wind when Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and the ensuing Gulf War pushed oil prices past $40.

But the renewed interest in ethanol proved to be short-lived, as oil retreated below $20 a barrel just four months later. As a result, many of those smaller ethanol companies couldn’t survive as profitable alternative energy investments.

Flash forward to today, where we’ve seen crude oil prices double in just the past four months. Worldwide oil demand has soared, particularly from fast-growing countries like China and India, and although the global downturn has seen the pace of demand slow, when the global economy gets back on track, it should prove even more bullish for oil.

But there’s another sector that should rise, too…

Rising Oil Prices Spark Interest In Alternative Energy

With oil prices rising again recently, it’s sparked yet another conversation about the viability of certain alternative energies.

One ETF that tracks the performance of clean energy firms is the PowerShares WilderHill Clean Energy (NYSE: PBW) - a widely traded vehicle that gives you exposure to this still-growing sector in a safer way than investing in individual companies.

While firms like Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM) rake in billions of dollars per quarter from oil, PBW invests almost entirely in experimental, technology-focused “green” companies. And while these guys stand to benefit from higher oil prices just like specific oil companies, their success depends more on regulatory changes, subsidies and a global recognition of the need for alternative energy solutions.

The Alternative Energy Market Gets More Attention

When it comes to the alternative energy market, wind power, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal and nuclear power have all received attention over the past couple of years.

But when the oil market first began its march towards record high prices, it was the ethanol industry that took center stage and triggered the wider debate over cleaner energy resources.

However, the ethanol market faces a battle.