Very few companies see their green future in new products. But they’re missing out on the giant market that lies ahead in the new environmentally sensitive U.S. economy.

While productivity and efficiency improvements do pay for themselves, General Electric (GE) isn’t limiting its horizon. It’s salivating over a $25-billion market that includes new, green products. And, this market is not futuristic.

GE execs expect it to materialize in 2010, despite the slack economy. GE’s green-related sales topped $17 billion in 2008.

Energy efficiencies are still a huge boost to the company’s bottom line. GE expects to reduce operating costs by $100 million through efficiencies. It also claims a 30% reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions.

But GE execs also told Wall Street this week that they expect to generate $25 billion in sales in 2010 from green product innovations started in 2005 under its green business plan, known as Ecomagination. Nearly 80 products fall under this umbrella, including:

• compact-fluorescent lights
• smart-grid electric technology to encourage homeowners to reduce demand during peak hours
• clean-energy products, including wind turbines and solar panels, and
• high capacity batteries for electric-hybrid railroad locomotives.

Fancy new electric battery technology has GE excited. It’s investing in lithium batteries for use in consumer products and electric vehicles. That’s why it recently acquired a stake in battery maker A123 Systems.

You can purchase a transcript of the GE presentation to Goldman Sachs financial execs here.

Tags: clean-energy, electric vehicles, green business, greenhouse gases, solar, wind