Blacklight Power gets $50M; but is it profound, or utter nonsense?

Updated

Notable story today by VentureWire (sub required) about the company founded by medical doctor Randell Mills, called Blacklight Power, which claims to have found an alternative source of energy, and has gotten $50M from respected investors.

This is significant, because alternative energy is a hot sector right now.

Some are calling Mills’ work profound. Others are calling it “utter nonsense”. Basically, Mills claims to have discovered a process which generates “hydrinos” — a previously unknown form of hydrogen in which electrons move below the ground state to release energy. Numerous mainstream physicists, however, are calling such a result impossible, according to the piece.

As in any boom, there are a lot of fanciful ideas emerging, and it is difficult to say which ones should be taken seriously. If you’re an entrepreneur or investor looking at the clean-tech sector, take a look at this smorgasbord of far-out energy ideas, by Utah…

writer Sterling Allan, who is also founder of a group that is trying to foster support for alternative energy ideas:

Why not harness the power of atmospheric pressure differences of weather patterns across hundreds of miles, through abandoned pipelines? (Ref.) Why not float wind turbines out at sea like oil rigs? (Ref., ref.) Why not use the downed trees from hurricanes for biomass energy? (Ref.) Why not harness the breaking power of vehicles through gadgets in the road at off ramps?

We asked him whether he had any Silicon Valley investors/entrepreneurs contacting him about this stuff. Here is his response:

“I do have some associates in that region, and some of them have indicated links with Silicon Valley investors or entrepreneurs. I wouldn’t say the connection is strong, though. Wouldn’t mind seeing that change, especially as our New Energy Congress (.org) takes off, and we begin churning out recommendations of promising technologies deserving of funding.”

If you’re interested, here’s his daily newsletter.

Meanwhile, DFJ has finished raising $110M for its clean-tech fund, DFJ Element, part of which will be invested from a Silicon Valley office. DFJ Element may raise even more money, but point is that $110M is ready to invest, according to VentureWire.