Spacecraft and interplanetary remote sensing observations of wave spectra are used to constrian the possible role of Alv¿n waves in the acceleration of high-speed streams in the solar wind. The observations suggest a method for extrapolating the wave energy flux near 1 AU back to the Sun in a way that accounts for dissipation. Applying this method both for typical parameters and in the case of a well studied high speed stream leads to the conclusion that the Alfv¿n waves observed in the solar wind were not sufficiently energetic near the Sun to accelerate the streams. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1989