Nightmare for TNB or higher profits with lower costs via monopoly?

K.R. Sridhar holds two Bloom boxes, which together he says could power a US home. Credit: CBS.
Will Bloom box replace power grid? Details on Wednesday (w/ Video)
February 23, 2010 by Lisa Zyga, Phys.org
(PhysOrg.com) -- The hot energy news for this week comes in the form of a small box called the Bloom box, whose inventor hopes that it will be in almost every US home in the next five to 10 years. K.R. Sridhar, founder of the Silicon Valley start-up called Bloom Energy, unveiled the device on “60 Minutes” to CBS reporter Leslie Stahl on Sunday evening. Although Sridhar made some impressive claims on the show, he left many of the details a secret. This Wednesday, the company will hold a “special event” in eBay’s town hall, with a countdown clock on its website suggesting it will be a momentous occasion - or at least generating hype … for more, go to https://phys.org/news/2010-02-bloom-power-grid-wednesday-video.html

Nightmare for TNB or higher profits with lower costs via monopoly?

https://youtu.be/dAIFLX9-Q8w (VIDEO: 60 Minutes clip on the amazing Bloom boxes)

Heard of Bloom boxes? Two small Bloom boxes that can be held together with both hands can supposedly power a US home.

The Bloom boxes were first unveiled by K.Sridhar, a naturalized Indian American ex-Nasa scientist for Mars project, on Feb 23, 2010.

“That was about eight years ago and the 60 Minutes video clip is making its rounds in the electronic social media again,” Gerakan Deputy Speaker Syed Abdul Razak Alsagoff said.

“This scary tech is already bought by many companies even Fedex or something and a few other companies testing it for some 18 months, ironing out all the kinks like dust clogging from the highway etc. This is a fantastic green technology for the future and possibly the next big thing!” he added.

“Does this mean consumers can dump power supply companies like Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and buy their own Bloom boxes for their power supply needs?

“I think not. According to the Bloom investor, the boxes will not be a threat to national power companies because Bloom boxes will be sold to them to replace existing equipment in the substations.

"They will also continue to supply and bill consumers. Bloom will be just like General Electric (GE) that sells turbines etc etc, so not a threat. Electricity production will therefore be cheaper and cleaner or environmentally friendly," he added.

Syed Razak said: “Just like how power companies buy up nuclear plants, they can also buy up the ownership rights of the Bloom boxes and continue to monopolise and reap profits from consumers.

“Reportedly, 20 Silicon Valley companies like Google, Fedex, Walmart, Staple etc were already Bloom customers because in California, they get subsidies from the state and tax cuts, so total half price for this green technology,

"According to the above video clip, total investment in Bloom is already US$400 million, up from an initial US$100 million start-up investment.

Launch of the Bloom box fuel cell generates a slice of Apple hype
What brings Arnold Schwarzenegger to eBay HQ? An ex-Nasa scientist's cheap energy invention made from sand inscribed with special inks
Not every company can boast Arnold Schwarzenegger, Colin Powell and the heads of Google and Walmart at its launch. Even more unlikely, the firm in question makes what some may regard as a less than sexy clean energy device. But such was the razzmatazz that accompanied the unveiling of Bloom Energy'seagerly awaited "energy server" today at the California headquarters of one if its first customers, eBay. A mini power station containing fuel cells that can run on anything from natural gas to the more renewable stuff, Bloom's device has received the level of hype in Silicon Valley normally reserved for a new product from Apple. For the past week, newspapers and websites have been filled with rumours about Bloom boxes, as the devices have been nicknamed, invented by former Nasa scientist KR Sridhar … for more, go to https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/feb/24/bloom-box-launch-fuel-cell

Syed Razak, who is Gerakan’s nominee to contest N.37 Bukit Lanjan in the coming 14th General Election (GE14), said as far as TNB is concerned, the national power company would operate “business as usual” with its monopolised power.

“TNB is likely to continue making money from consumers albeit a new tariff structure. So, dream on if you think this amazing ‘power station’ technology will benefit consumers, when the boxes become absolutely practical and viable,” he added.

N.37 LET BUKIT LANJAN SOAR WITH SYED ABDUL RAZAK ALSAGOFF