Good-bye Saudi Arabia! Hello, Bolivia!

If you're one of those companies planning to make a large bid for Department of Energy loans/grants to build out your lithium ion battery factory, perhaps in Michigan, you might want to submit your application with stamped approval from the government of Bolivia. They will be your new bosses for the next 500 years (according to them).... if EEStor's technology is not validated by Lockheed Martin Inc.

Michigan vs Boliva in a Battery Profit Investment Battle. Who will win? Dick Weir maybe?

Finally!!!

Great interview, Mr. EEStor blogger! Bravo!

http://theeestory.com/articles/133

Help Wanted: Lockheed Martin's Disruptive Job Posting Hints EEStor

Lockheed Martin is seeking a program manager who can grow a new business unit from nothing to over $100Mil. The good news is the successful candidate will have "disruptive technology" enabling them to "break into new markets" in the "Power Management arena" consisting of generation, storagEE, and delivery.

Job Posting Here

Job Posting Discussion Here

I choose to believe the disruptive technology mentioned therein is only one thing: EEStor!

Note to Lockheed: You have abused the phrase "disruptive technology" in your job description. EEStor's technology is not disruptive in the Clayton Christensen sense. While it is simpler & cheaper, it offers MORE not LESS capability. A Zenn Motor NEV is disruptive. A Tata Nano is disruptive. But an EESU: it is R E V O L U T I O N A R Y! Revolutionary technologies do not compete in markets the way disruptive ones do. Instead revolutionary technologies DESTROY existing markets. The automobile, the telephone, the airplane. See where I'm going with this Lockheed Martin?

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm on Batteries

How vital is the electrification of vehicles to a state like Michigan? What steps are being taken to ensure Michigan seizes the American automobile battery marketplace? Will lithium ion be the battery of choice for electric vehicles? These are questions Jennifer Granholm's administration is currently grappling with to do it's part to lead Michigan back from the brink of disaster to the forefront of automotive excellence. In a Newsweek article, Michigan Governor Granholm lays out her vision for how electric technologies will be harnessed to create opportunities in Michigan.

One question followers of EEStor Inc., may be curious about is what will happen to all of the private and government investment in lithium ion based technologies, once EEStor achieves it's immediate goal of completing it's EESU production capacity??? If you're Ian Clifford at Zenn Motor Company, how does conversation with the Governor go? Stay tuned...you may find out...

Image Source: Governor Jennifer Granholm via Flikr. Yes, that's Senator Carl Levin pictured therein.

James Woolsey meets EEStor Blogger

Late last night, under the cover of a dark persistent fog hanging over Washington Dulles Airport, Mr. James Woolsey, advocate for electric vehicles and for a reduction of dependence on foreign oil, bumped into the EEStor blogger. Woolsey was debriefed of his EEStor knowledge (he's heard the name multiple times recently but hasn't researched it much) and informed that he had just met and talked with the EEStor blogger, which brought a familiar chuckle....the sort of chuckle that originates typically with persons who ALREADY know about EEStor ...often via the EEStor blogger. :-) EEStorians will note Woolsey's employment by John McCain as an energy advisor in the 2008 US Presidential election campaign. Did Woolsey come up with the $300Mil battery prize idea? The EEStor blogger does not know as he was not invited to share Mr. Woolsey's limousine unfortunately. After being thanked for his advocacy for energy independence, Woolsey's parting words were, "I drive a hybrid!" Response: "Soon, you'll go all electric!" <-limo tires screech a hurried exit->

Image source: The Unsung Heroes at the US Central Intelligence Agency: America's first line of defense!

Update: Mr. Woolsey was in DC to attend a National Academy of Sciences conference called America's Climate Choices.

Who Will Own Zenn Motor Company after EEStor Reveals?

EEStor license holder Zenn Motor Company is a very small Canadian company.  After EEStor places proof of their technology's capabilities on the table, the value of Zenn may skyrocket.  In fairness, we may never get to that point if EEStor fails to deliver (I'm pretty certain they will though).   Since the Zenn's Annual General Meeting is this evening, I thought I would invoke a discussion on a topic of interest to the EEStor blogger!!

Discuss this here:

http://theeestory.com/topics/1504

Geography of a Recession

The New York Times has released an interesting map showing where in the USA the recession is hitting the hardest. It's interesting to ask which Members of Congress may be under higher levels of constituency pressure to provide leadership through these days....pressure that might be alleviated gradually with break throughs like EEStor's EESU which bring not only economic benefits but hope.

The graphic is not embed-able unfortunately.

Wired Article on Energy Needs of the Nation

Wired released a 4 part story today covering the grid, batteries, transmission and lots of related things. I first learned about EEStor from a wired article so I'm a follower of their news. What do I think of this series of articles of theirs? The energy storage piece is not too deep, sorry Vince Beiser. The only super batteries worth mentioning are EEStor EESU's. :-)

DOE Releases Funding Announcement

The Department of Energy Released two Funding Announcements today which could be targeted by EEStor and it's partners. The first is a Electric Drive announcement and the second is a Battery manufacturing announcement. The total amount of funding available is $1.475 Billion.

Essentially, the DOE is providing grant funds to companies who apply and have projects deemed worthy of funding. The application would require the delivery of 50 cells manufactured using the materials described in an application to the DOE for inspection.

If EEStor pursues this funding, it will require them to reveal publicly where they stand with regard to their manufacturing capability because all applications for battery manufacturing have to include 50 cells to be submitted to the DOE for testing/inspection. ;-) To the tin hats out there, it looks like we certainly may have stumbled upon a very good reason for EEStor delaying it's prototype announcement....because doing so may have jeopardized both the amount of funding Congress has put forward here and EEStor's ability to compete for it!

If you wish to read the requirements for receiving the funds, please visit TheEEStory.com.

United States Department of Energy Confirms Sandia Labs Held Talks with EEStor Regarding Prototype Testing

Dr. Imre Gyuk of the US Department of Energy confirmed today that Sandia National Labs (A Lockheed Martin operated national security lab) held talks with EEStor Inc in the Fall of 2008 regarding the possibility of testing EEStor prototypes. Gyuk is the Program Manager for Energy Storage Research at the DOE which sponsors a team of researchers at SNL focused on distributed energy storage and reliability.

"Our team at Sandia had some initial conversations with EEStor in the fall regarding the possibility of testing prototypes. Communications on that topic has not occurred for a while though."

Gyuk invited me to learn more by discussing the topic with his lead manager at Sandia, John Boyce, who could not be reached today due to travel. What does Gyuk think of EEStor's claims? He preferred not to discuss specifics about particular companies although he would say that he's had 3 or 4 companies that he is aware of making some big claims regarding ultracapacitor based energy storage. He prefers to let the data answer the important questions.