Some months ago, I stumbled upon a
TED talk with Donald Sadoway. (Oh, and screw LJ for not supporting the new embed code. Screw 'em hard.)
Dr. Sadoway has, very simply, decided that an inexpensive battery would revolutionize the way electrical power is distributed and produced, allowing far more renewable energy sources to be competitive by allowing these sources to be stored when in abundance and delivered when scarce. Hey, we still need power after the sun stops shining.
The company he mentions forming in the talk has been renamed
Ambri for some reason; sounds less like a battery company and more like another prescription anti-depressant. After that rebranding, he made it to
The Colbert Report for his Colbert Bump.
If his battery proves as energy-dense, long-lived and reliable as he touts it, this could be a game changer for our fragile power grid, and hopefully a personal investment (provided the right incentives are eventually offered).