If you didn’t see the 60 Minutes segment discussing Bloom Energy’s “Bloom Box” fuel cell, go over to GreenBeat.  A link to the article, which includes the video, is at the end.

Camille Ricketts writes that:  Bloom Energy finally emerged from stealth mode, unveiling its “Bloom Box” fuel cell during a 60 Minutes segment with Lesley Stahl yesterday (click here for bonus videos). Capable of powering more than 100 homes while producing close to zero emissions, just one of these boxes could radically alter how people get their energy. But is it the godsend that some are saying it is?

Bloom touts former Secretary of State Colin Powell as one of the board of directors, and the client list includes Google, the first to use the Bloom Box, as well as EBay, FedEx, Wal-Mart and 16 other big names.

There are growing pains as for any new product and high potential for competition faces Bloom.  Competition is a certainly a good thing plus, this is an adventure into new and advanced clean energy technologies, not a fall back to the ancient and unreliable wind as a source.

If Bloom is successful in its commercial venture and, in the next five to ten years residential models become available for less than $3,000, it is likely the GE’s and Siemens of the world would jump in.  Then, perhaps the silly, ineffective tinker toys being plopped on mountain tops and in the plains can begin to come down and we can all have a good chuckle at the ridiculous adventure that was industrial wind.  No, you can’t get your tax money back, but, if there is justice you’ll be able to greet the former legislators who enabled the high subsidies for wind when you go shopping at Wal-Mart.  They’ll be the ones at the front door wearing blue vests and propeller beanies.

Go here for the Green Beat article and the video:  Bloom Energy: Is its ‘power plant in a box’ worth all the hype?