Arriving just behind financial stocks in terms of market leadership today, the solar sector has surged following comments by President-elect Barack Obama at a press conference in Chicago. Specifically, Obama unveiled his team for leading the response to the slumping economy and battered financial markets. He also reiterated his commitment to supporting alternative sources of energy, including the implementation of a new energy policy centered on creating vast amounts of wind, solar and, possibly, nuclear energy.

The speech sent traders scrambling for solar stocks this morning, and the Claymore/MAC Global Solar Energy Index (TAN) exchange-traded fund (ETF) has surged more than 22.5% as a result. Leaders in the sector include China Sunergy (CSUN), up a whopping 96%; SunPower (SPWRA: sentiment, chart, options), up 47%; JA Solar Holdings (JASO: sentiment, chart, options), up 50%; and Solarfun Power Holding (SOLF: sentiment, chart, options), up 20%.

Technically speaking, SPWRA is poised to close above the 30 level for the first time since November 10. The shares are still staring up at their declining 20-day trendline, however. This technical hurdle could hold further gains for the shares in check. Meanwhile, JASO is clinging to potential support at the 3 level, while SOLF looks hard-pressed to close atop $4 per share today.