Energy Tech's Quantum Leap

Tomorrow's utility technology may be revolutionized at the molecular level.

Revolutionary changes have swept through the utility industry more than once. Although the industry often receives criticism for being slow to adapt, the fact is that utilities are continually building and rebuilding their systems and strategies around changing conditions. AAAAA AASuccess in utility planning often hinges on big things-like market restructuring or an upheaval on Wall Street. It can also depend on little things-like a piece of software or a metering device. And sometimes it depends on tiny things-in the case of nanotechnology, things that didn't exist yesterday, but that just might spawn a revolution tomorrow.

The science of nanotechnology is no longer restricted to ivory-tower research labs. Nanostructures have already entered the marketplace, on electronics store shelves and even in the fabric of stain-resistant khakis. And now, nanotechnology is poised to bring radical new products to the utility industry-products that could revolutionize the way power is generated and delivered.

If the term "revolution" seems like hype, consider how the transmission system might change if power lines a centimeter in diameter could conduct a terawatt of power with virtually no resistance. Consider how the economics of distributed generation might change if fuel cell prices fell by an order of magnitude, and hydrogen could be produced cheaply on site?

Or what if the cost of solar cells fell by 98 percent? How might that affect power demand in the sun belt?