Alternative energy investments like wind and solar power have not performed well in recent years. To make matters worse, the Trump administration has opted for a resurgence of coal and other carbon fuels, not an emphasis on alternative energy.

Yet there is a reasonable argument that the outlook for investing in renewable energy may actually be quite good.

For one thing, wind and solar power have been rapidly winning market acceptance. Last year, the installed capacity of solar power in the United States nearly doubled. And wind is now being harnessed to produce 5.5 percent of America’s electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Five states draw at least 20 percent of their electricity needs from wind. Kansas, for example, relied on wind for less than 1 percent of its electric power as recently as 2005. By 2016, wind produced 29.6 percent of its electric power, according to government figures.