The Rainforest Action Network has called on CitiGroup and Bank of America to stop financing coal power plants, according to GreenBiz. This is despite both companies also actively supporting investments in clean energy.

Asking banks to stop financing coal projects is an unrealistic expectation given today's energy needs and the lack of utility-grade renewable energy. Coal power plants are being built because of the growing need for electricity, and today there aren't enough wind farms and concentrated solar farms to handle the load. That will change over time, but we have to deal with today's reality.

Should financial institutions embrace the cleaner alternatives - absolutely. But these energy projects -- clean or not -- are years in the making because of permits, expensive equipment, and obtaining the funding, so we can't expect a termination of all coal plant projects.

Also, there are laws preventing financial institutions from discriminating against businesses. A coal plant that meets all of the requirements for controlling emissions has the same right to borrow money as a wind farm. Coal mining and power generation need to be done responsibly, and banks should make sure that projects are in compliance as part of their risk analysis.

Like it or not, we will continue to use coal and natural gas for some time because we'll need the power when the wind isn't blowing or the sun isn't shining. Financial institutions need to be more open, however, to financing clean energy as legislators and regulators will make it more of a risky business in the future to stay with "proven" fossil fuel technologies.