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When looking for alternative energy jobs, you may want to consider the unemployment rate in the various states. This could indicate the availability of green energy jobs as well as others.

Unemployment Rate by State – January 2010

Figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Latest Numbers

Unemployment Rates, seasonally adjusted

Alabama
11.1%(p) in Jan 2010
Historical Data

Alaska
8.5%(p) in Jan 2010
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Arizona
9.2%(p) in Jan 2010
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Arkansas
7.6%(p) in Jan 2010
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California
12.5%(p) in Jan 2010
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Colorado
7.4%(p) in Jan 2010
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Connecticut
9.0%(p) in Jan 2010
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Delaware
9.0%(p) in Jan 2010
Historical Data

D.C.
12.0%(p) in Jan 2010
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Florida
11.9%(p) in Jan 2010
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Georgia
10.4%(p) in Jan 2010
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Hawaii
6.9%(p) in Jan 2010
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Idaho
9.3%(p) in Jan 2010
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Illinois
11.3%(p) in Jan 2010
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Indiana
9.7%(p) in Jan 2010
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Iowa
6.6%(p) in Jan 2010
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Kansas
6.4%(p) in Jan 2010
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Kentucky
10.7%(p) in Jan 2010
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Louisiana
7.4%(p) in Jan 2010
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Maine
8.2%(p) in Jan 2010
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Maryland
7.5%(p) in Jan 2010
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Massachusetts
9.5%(p) in Jan 2010
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Michigan
14.3%(p) in Jan 2010
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Minnesota
7.3%(p) in Jan 2010
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Mississippi
10.9%(p) in Jan 2010
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Missouri
9.5%(p) in Jan 2010
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Montana
6.8%(p) in Jan 2010
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Nebraska
4.6%(p) in Jan 2010
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Nevada
13.0%(p) in Jan 2010
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New Hampshire
7.0%(p) in Jan 2010
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New Jersey
9.9%(p) in Jan 2010
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New Mexico
8.5%(p) in Jan 2010
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New York
8.8%(p) in Jan 2010
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North Carolina
11.1%(p) in Jan 2010
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North Dakota
4.2%(p) in Jan 2010
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Ohio
10.8%(p) in Jan 2010
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Oklahoma
6.7%(p) in Jan 2010
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Oregon
10.7%(p) in Jan 2010
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Pennsylvania
8.8%(p) in Jan 2010
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Puerto Rico
15.9%(p) in Jan 2010
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Rhode Island
12.7%(p) in Jan 2010
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South Carolina
12.6%(p) in Jan 2010
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South Dakota
4.8%(p) in Jan 2010
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Tennessee
10.7%(p) in Jan 2010
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Texas
8.2%(p) in Jan 2010
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Utah
6.8%(p) in Jan 2010
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Vermont
6.7%(p) in Jan 2010
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Virginia
6.9%(p) in Jan 2010
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Washington
9.3%(p) in Jan 2010
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West Virginia
9.3%(p) in Jan 2010
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Wisconsin
8.7%(p) in Jan 2010
Historical Data

Wyoming
7.6%(p) in Jan 2010
Historical Data

p- preliminary

This video with Steven Chu,  Energy Secretary, discusses the future demand for alternative energy.

Mar 9, 2010 – Clifford Krauss reports in The New York Times on “The Lithium Chase.”

“For many years, few metals drew bigger yawns from mining executives than lithium, a lightweight element long associated mostly with mood-stabilizing drugs.  Suddenly, the yawns are being replaced by eurekas.  As awareness spreads that lithium is a crucial ingredient for hybrid and electric cars, a global hunt is under way for new supplies of the metal.

Toyota Tsusho, the material supplier for the big Japanese automaker, announced a joint venture in January with the Australian miner Orocobre to develop a $100 million lithium project in Argentina.  That deal came only days after Magna International, the Canadian car parts company that is helping develop a battery-powered version of the Ford Focus, announced that it was investing $10 million in a small Canadian lithium firm that also has projects in Argentina.

They were the latest in a series of deals and projects announced over the last year, reflecting a new urgency among companies to assure themselves future supplies of the metal.  “There is a sea change under way,” James D. Calaway, the chairman of Orocobre, said.  “We are at the front end potentially of a very significant increase in the demand for lithium for the emerging electric transportation sector.”   Mr. Calaway added, however, that the timing of any increase in lithium supply and demand was difficult to predict in large part because electric cars had yet to take off in any big way.

About 60 mining companies have begun feasibility studies in Argentina, Serbia and Nevada that could lead to more than $1 billion in new lithium projects in the next several years, while dozens of smaller projects are being proposed in China, Finland, Mexico and Canada.  The companies are competing for construction financing, and the future of most of the projects will depend on how popular electric cars eventually become.  That is an open question since batteries remain expensive, recharging stations need to be developed, and consumer taste for cars that depend on regular stops at electric outlets remains untested.

“It’s moving so fast,” said Edward R. Anderson, president of TRU Group, a consultancy firm that specializes in the lithium industry. “There are a lot of people throwing money into this, and a lot of people are going to lose their money.”  In the meantime the four biggest current producers, which mine and otherwise gather lithium in Chile, Argentina and Australia, say they are planning to expand long-running projects as future demand warrants.

In Bolivia, which has almost half of the world’s reserves, the leftist government is building a pilot production plant and is drilling exploratory holes. That Bolivia is a remote, unstable country often hostile to foreign investment has helped spur interest in producing lithium in neighboring Argentina and Chile, in Australia, and in the United States.  Several Canadian and American companies are making claims about future production prospects in Nevada, though few analysts foresee large-scale production from that state.

Read the full article in The New York Times.

March 8, 2010 –BioSolar, Inc. (OTC BB: BSRC), developer of a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of photovoltaic solar modules, today announced plans for an extended line of BioBacksheets used to protect PV modules compatible with conventional c-Si PV modules.

Conventional c-Si Photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturers will soon have two different types of BioBacksheets to choose from depending on their durability and cost requirements: 1) a multi-layer BioBacksheet-C for conventional applications and 2) a new mono-layer BioBacksheet product line for premium applications. These products were developed to meet the existing and future direct needs of potential customers.

The announcement represents the latest addition to a broad and growing portfolio of bio-based backsheet materials made from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of solar modules and eliminate the need for dangerous toxins found in petroleum based backsheets currently in use.

Hailed by Design News (http://www.designnews.com/article/448409-Bioplastics_Eye_the_Sun.php) as one of the “companies developing plastics from sustainable resources, such as plants not used as food sources, for photovoltaic cells, which are on the verge of an explosive growth burst,” BioSolar recognizes the key to success is providing manufacturers various backsheet grades with corresponding price points to accommodate both the durability and economic requirements of each solar panel manufacturer.

The premium grade BioBacksheet will also feature monolayer construction, which eliminates the inner de-lamination issue associated with incumbent petroleum based backsheets, drastically improving its long term durability over traditional multi-layer backsheet construction.  All grades of BioBacksheet will be less costly than their petroleum-based counterparts.

“As the global demand for solar energy continues to increase, BioSolar is uniquely positioned to replace conventional petroleum-based backsheets for c-Si PV modules which represent more than 70 percent of the PV module market,” said Dr. David Lee, CEO of BioSolar.  “Though it is generally expected to take time for a brand new PV component like BioBacksheet to reach a revenue stage, a complete line up of BioBacksheets will not only help BioSolar achieve meaningful revenue more rapidly, but expanding our line to better suit the practical and economical needs of manufacturers is yet another example of how BioSolar is innovating to make solar power a more viable and eco-friendlier alternative energy option.”

In a February 23, 2010 article on The Green Economy (http://www.thegreeneconomy.com/driving-down-solar-costs-with-beans-and-cotton/), Dr. Lee notes that “solar cells themselves are unlikely to see dramatic cost reductions while the ‘non-active materials’ that support the cells…are ripe for the kind of cost reduction that could make solar competitive even without government subsidies.”  The article calls his remarks “supported by a new report from Lux Research, Driving Down Solar Costs: Non-active Material Opportunities, which noted that while active semiconductor materials get a lot of attention, the “lesser-known non-active materials significantly impact module efficiency, and account for 15% to 48% of module manufacturing costs.”

The following is a video about President Obama’s speech at Opower in Arlington, Virginia.  From its founding in 2007 to today, Positive Energy – now OPOWER™ – has established itself as the leading utility partner for energy-efficiency and smart-grid software services. www.opower.com

Mar 5, 2010 – What is the tagline for the ad by Earthjustice?  “Because the earth needs a good lawyer.”  OK, I know there are too many lawyer jokes to list here.  Does that mean that the earth currently only has bad lawyers now.  Of course, as I have indicated before, most ads, even in print, prefer to show wind turbine towers rather than solar power.  That is the case here.  The ad continues, “Earthjustice is using the courts to stop the construction of dirty coal plants and encourage carbon-free energy.”

Please leave your comments here.

Mar 5, 2010 – Is this a green energy subject?  The headline of the ad is “Concerned about a sustainable world?”  The photo shows a favela in, I guess, Rio de Janeiro.  “Over 60% of poor women in Latin America and the Caribbean don’t have access to contraceptives.  IPPF/WHR provides essential sexual an reproductive health care there.”

Please leave your comments here.

Mar 5, 2010 — Jad Mouawad reports in The New York Times that FPL Group “is running an experiment in the future of renewable power.  Across 500 acres north of West Palm Beach, the … utility is assembling a life-size Erector Set of 190,000 shimmering mirrors and thousands of steel pylons that stretch as far as the eye can see.  When it is completed by the end of the year, this vast project will be the world’s second-largest solar plant.

But that is not its real novelty. The solar array is being grafted onto the back of the nation’s largest fossil-fuel power plant, fired by natural gas.  It is an experiment in whether conventional power generation can be married with renewable power in a way that lowers costs and spares the environment.

The project’s advantages are obvious: electricity generated from the sun will allow FPL to cut natural gas use and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.  It will provide extra power when it is most needed: when the summer sun is shining, Floridians are cranking up their air-conditioning and electricity demand is at its highest.  The plant also serves as a real-life test on how to reduce the cost of solar power, which remains much more expensive than most other forms of electrical generation. FPL Group, the parent company of Florida Power and Light, expects to cut costs by about 20% compared with a stand-alone solar facility, since it does not have to build a new steam turbine or new high-power transmission lines.

“We’d love to tell you that solar power is as economic as fossil fuels, but the reality is that it is not,” Lewis Hay III, FPL’s chairman and chief executive, said on a recent tour of the plant. “We have got to figure out ways to get costs down.  As we saw with wind power, a lot has to do with scale.”

For solar power, scale is still a relative term.  At its peak, the solar plant will be able to generate 75 megawatts of power, enough for about 11,000 homes.  But that is dwarfed by the adjacent gas plant, which can produce about 3,800 megawatts of power. (A megawatt is enough to power a Wal-Mart store.)”

For those challenged by arithmetic, that means that the gas plant is capable of producing over 50 times the power of the world’s second largest solar installation.  That means for the solar array to have the same output as the gas system it is next to would require 9,500,000 mirrors!  Can FPL even build the 190,000 mirrors to withstand the hurricanes that pass over the Florida peninsula some summers?

Read the full article in The New York Times and then leave your comments here.

Mar 4, 2010 – A new train from Siemens will make transport at airports faster and more flexible. Airval — a driverless train that runs on tires — has a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour.  The train’s transport capacity can be increased from 1,000 to 30,000 passengers per hour and per direction:  If more passengers are waiting on a platform, trains can simply be extended in length or run more frequently.  This flexible operation is possible thanks to the latest version of the Trainguard MT CBTC control system from Siemens.  The train is very energy-efficient because it recovers all of its braking energy.  A preliminary model has reduced the travel times between the three terminals of Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris to 8 minutes, compared to the 20-minute bus ride.  The train control system transmits all data, such as the position or speed of the train, in real time.  This makes it possible to quickly adjust train length or time intervals between trains, instead of having to work with fixed distances between trains. Overcrowded rush hour trains can thus be avoided, as can the operation of night trains with lots of empty seats.  Plans call for the train, under the name of Cityval, to also be available on the market as a subway train for large cities, starting around the end of 2010.  The train from Siemens Mobility is very environmentally friendly.  The electric motors in its tires take over the drive and braking functions, enabling the trains to recover all their braking energy.  This is most effective when the braking and start-up procedures are optimally coordinated with each other.  The energy that is recovered can be used to start up another train.  Also new is the cost-efficient guide rail in the middle of the track.  The rollers automatically follow the rails, guiding the car along the track.  In addition to flexibility, another important consideration in the development of the airport train was passenger comfort.  Big windows, air conditioning, and displays with a dynamic information system have been designed to make the journey as pleasant as possible.

Please leave your comments here.

Photo courtesy & © Siemens.

Mar 4, 2010 – At the Geneva Motor Show (March 4 to 14) Siemens will present more key components for electric mobility.  The company will present an integrated charging system and, at the stand of Ruf Automobile GmbH, a “dual motor” concept in a new version of the eRuf Greenster electric sports car.  Electric mobility is also a focus at CeBIT in Hanover (until March 6).  Here Siemens is working in a partnership with the Harz.EE-mobility project to connect electric cars to the smart grid.  Siemens expects there will be more than one million electric cars on the road in the foreseeable future.  And these vehicles will need many recharging stations in metropolitan areas.  In order to implement this cost-efficiently, a central control station will be combined with a number of low-cost satellite charging stations.  Such a system from Siemens is already in place in Geneva, where a central payment system activates the requested satellite charging station so that the vehicle can be charged.  The data thus generated is then sent for processing to a computer at a control center, to facilitate billing by the energy supplier, for example.  The system is especially well suited for locations where many cars are charged, such as public parking facilities or company parking lots.  At CeBIT, Siemens will show how easy it is for a vehicle to “communicate” with the charging station — the user simply inserts the charger plug. This involves networking components that currently use different communication protocols — for example, the power grid, the vehicle’s onboard network, traffic information systems, and the system managing the electricity customer’s account data.  This makes it possible to compare energy use with energy availability, enabling the smart grid to “know” how much energy is produced by which sources, and how much is used.  Electric vehicles can then preferentially consume excess power from wind power facilities, for which there are no other consumers. Another element in this communication — which takes place between the charging station and the vehicle either by radio signals or directly through the charging cable via Powerline — is the payment process. At CeBIT, Siemens and Energy4U are presenting the management system and SAP system connection needed for this.
The eRuf Greenster’s dual-motor concept presented in Geneva works individually on the rear wheels, which significantly improves the electric car’s handling. The special feature of this system is that it can also be used to charge the battery at 400 volts, eliminating the need for the otherwise usual charging electronics.

Please leave your comments here.

Photo courtesy & © Siemens.

Mar 3, 2010 – Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) (NASDAQ: ENER), the leading global manufacturer of thin-film flexible solar laminate products for the building integrated and commercial rooftop markets, announced it has been selected by ProLogis and Portland General Electric (PGE) to deliver 2.4MWp of UNI-SOLAR^® laminates for installation on seven ProLogis distribution warehouses in Portland, Gresham, and Clackamas in Oregon.  The solar power systems will be installed by Northwest Solar Solutions on rooftops leased from ProLogis.  U.S. Bank and PGE have formed SunWay 3, LLC to own and operate the system and to secure state and federal solar tax credits to help finance the project.  Construction will take place in the spring and summer of 2010.

This rooftop solar installation is ECD’s second project with ProLogis and PGE. The new project will use the same type of UNI-SOLAR light weight, flexible solar laminates that were featured on the previous 1.1 megawatt rooftop project that ProLogis and PGE brought online in 2008.  Taken together, the two projects produce enough energy to power approximately 388 households annually.

“We are pleased to again be working with both Energy Conversion Devices and PGE,” said Drew Torbin, vice president of renewable energy for ProLogis. “Once completed, the 906,000-square-foot project will become the largest rooftop solar system in the Pacific Northwest.”

Mark Morelli, ECD’s president and CEO, said, “This announcement is another indication that we are gaining traction as we transition our business model to focus on large-scale, multi-rooftop projects. We have worked with ProLogis on projects in France and Spain, and we are always pleased to do repeat business with this valued customer. We look forward to completing this installation for PGE and working with ProLogis on many more projects.”

Mar 1, 2010

• Technology partnership for a new electric vehicle suited to the Chinese market
• New brand to be created by Daimler and BYD
• Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG: “We continue to push ahead as a global leader in electric mobility. Daimler’s know-how in electric vehicle architecture and BYD’s excellence in battery technology and e-drive systems are a perfect match.”
• Mr. Wang Chuanfu, Chairman and President of BYD Company Limited: “This technology partnership creates a win-win business model with complimentary competences. We are very excited about this opportunity to work together with Daimler, the inventor of the automobile.”

Daimler AG (DAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BYD Company Limited (1211.HK) to enter into a comprehensive technology partnership for the development of electric vehicles for China.  Under the agreement, Daimler and BYD intend to develop a new electric vehicle specific to the requirements of the Chinese market.  The vehicle will be marketed under a new brand jointly created and owned by Daimler and BYD.  In addition, a common technology center will be established in China to develop, design and test this electric vehicle.

“With this announcement, we continue to push ahead as a global leader in electric mobility.  Daimler’s know-how in electric vehicle architecture and BYD’s excellence in battery technology and e-drive systems are a perfect match.  Thus, we will be able to participate in the potential growth of electric mobility in China, currently the largest auto market of the world”, said Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.  “With this technology partnership, we have created a win-win business model with complimentary competences. We are very excited about this opportunity to work together with Daimler, the inventor of the automobile”, said Mr. Wang Chuanfu, Chairman and President of BYD Company Limited.  Daimler is a leader in developing automotive architectures for zero-emissions driving. The company recently launched the smart electric drive and in 2010 will introduce an all-electric version of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

“Electric vehicles are especially well-suited for urban driving.  With its many metropolitan areas, China has the potential to be among the world’s largest markets for zero-emission vehicles. Daimler and BYD will accelerate the growth of electric mobility in China”, jointly stated Chairman Wang and Dr. Zetsche.

BYD is China’s leading manufacturer in developing advanced battery technology, a field it has invested in since 1995. The company has enjoyed rapid growth after entering the automotive sector in 2003. It is the fastest growing Chinese automotive manufacturer. BYD introduced its F3DM dual-mode hybrid electric vehicle to the world in December 2008. Soon, the company will officially launch the e6, a pure electric vehicle.

The companies’ understanding also includes further discussions on additional business opportunities of mutual interests.

Feb 27, 2010 – Congratulations to the Palm Beach Zoo for building the first and only Gold Certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) animal hospital in the nation. A new 80-panel solar installation covers the green facility. It will supply 13 percent of the building’s energy use with clean energy from the sun. FPL We provided the $100,000 grant to make it possible. It was just one step in helping the popular zoo on its quest to become greener and more sustainable.

Feb 25, 2010 – Todd Woody reports in The New York Times, “A Silicon Valley company is claiming a breakthrough in a decades-old quest to develop fuel cells that can supply affordable and relatively clean electricity.  Google, Bank of America, Wal-Mart and other large corporations have been testing the devices, which will be formally introduced on Wednesday. [Feb 24, 2010].

The start-up, Bloom Energy, has raised about $400 million from investors and spent nearly a decade developing a new variety of solid oxide fuel cell, considered the most efficient but most technologically challenging fuel-cell technology.

K. R. Sridhar, Bloom’s co-founder and chief executive, said devices made by his company were generating electricity at a cost of 8 to 10 cents a kilowatt hour, using natural gas. That is lower than commercial electricity prices in some parts of the country.

“We got into this business to make affordable electricity, not fuel cells,” Mr. Sridhar said Tuesday as workers assembled stacks of fuel cells in tall, round cylinders and installed them in silver metal cubes at Bloom’s headquarters in a Silicon Valley office park.

The company has been working on the technology for eight years while saying little. The secrecy, and the prominence of the venture capitalists backing Bloom, have fueled both hype and skepticism about its efforts. Bloom is scheduled to unveil the technology Wednesday at a news conference attended by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Colin Powell, the former secretary of state and a member of Bloom’s board.

While Bloom may well have created one of the most efficient fuel cells, it is unclear how widely the company’s technology will be adopted. Cost and durability have limited the use of other types of fuel cells, and it could be years before the potential of the company’s approach is clear.

“We have been working with solid oxide for 30 years but are still in the lab,” said Mike Brown, an executive with UTC Power, a division of the United Technologies Corporation and a leading fuel-cell maker. “Nobody has been able to resolve the reliability problem.”

Read the full article in The New York Times.