A Power Source Blooms

Who is Bloom Energy

This Silicon Valley startup emerged from stealth mode last week promising to solve the word’s energy crisis and make sure everybody gets double portions of ice cream for dessert.

Well, actually, they announced a solid oxide fuel cell that the company claims will enable homes and businesses to generate their own electricity. They call it the Bloom Box, which I admit is a catchy name, but I wish they provided more details about how it works.

Here’s what we do know: the company has raised boatloads of VC money, somewhere around $400 million, from some very well-known names. Ebay, Fed-Ex and Googleare said to be testing Bloom Boxes now to power their corporate campuses.

Here’s what we need to know: how it works and what it will cost. Fuel cells aren’t a new concept; they generate power through a chemical reaction, but Bloom isn’t revealing what’s in its secret sauce. Sure, the boxes can put out juice, but it’s hard to tell now if they’re affordable. And with an up-front cost of more than a half-million dollars, Bloom Box power will need to be substantially cheaper than other options to make this a viable product.

We would be thrilled if our initial skepticism was proven unfounded, but then we also fell, briefly, for cold fusion.