High-cost electric suppliers watch out: Bloom Energy is on its way. This is fuel cell technology powered… largely by natural gas. Bloom holds real promise to produce low-cost, clean energy – the Holy Grail in electricity generation.
Thin, specially coated wafers, which look much like dvd discs, react with natural gas and in the process produces/releases energy. While fuel cell technology has been around and found expensive due to the use of rare earth minerals and unreliable over time in the past, Bloom Energy appears to have overcome both hurdles. Abundant sand is being used to create special coatings – the exact process is not disclosed by the company – and Bloom “boxes” are already testing at companies like Google, Bank of America and Wal-Mart! It’s coming folks.
What does this mean to today’s consumers and electric suppliers?
Recent storms throughout the United States have taken down above-ground electric lines creating week-long energy disruptions to residential and commercial consumers. High electric costs and the reluctance of today’s electric companies to provide more reliable underground infrastructure will likely hasten adoption of Bloom technology by large, commercial consumers. High-cost companies like CL&P (provider in the State of Connecticut) currently hold a monopoly over consumers. Those days are likely numbered!
Homeowners beware: There might be great financial “pain” In the development from commercial Bloom cell units to eventual household equipment. Large commercial energy consumers are likely to be the first consumers dropping out of today’s expensive and inefficient energy grid. This means the cost of today’s energy grid will be have to be rolled off on to residential consumers. Energy cost for residential households will skyrocket until they too will find affordable Bloom Energy solutions.
Fuel Cell Technology by Bloom Energy might be a game changer. Americans will hear a lot more about this green technology in 2012. Smart brains and a lot of money are behind Bloom Energy!
