Bloom Energy – is the fuel cell ready for Prime Time?
We usually only hear about fuel cells in relation to discussions about the perpetually around-the-bend hydrogen economy, but the technology is actually more than a century old. In fact, there are numerous types of fuel cells that can run on a variety of fuels - some are even being examined as alternatives to batteries in consumer electronics. What is true across all types of fuel cells is that they produce electricity from a chemical reaction, rather than through combustion. Well Bloom Energy, formerly Ion America, is reportedly ready to debut a fuel cell ready to run on any hydrocarbon, from coal-derived gas to natural gas to renewable fuels like ethanol. The company’s stealth operation has recently been “revealed” through a large expose on the company’s backers, Kleiner Perkins, in the NY Times Magazine.
