GE Ecomagination challenge offering $200 million for energy ideas

Oil from algae? Electricity from tidal movement? Solar panels in space? GE and several partners have announced a new $200 million Ecomagination challenge that will reward the best new ideas of how to make the grid more efficient, find renewal energy and build greener homes and businesses.

The GE Ecomagination "Powering the Grid" challenge is open to one and all, and entering is easy. Go to its website and submit your "detailed proposal ... that is both innovative and proprietary." (I'm guessing here that your beer-inspired napkin sketches won't meet the "detailed proposal" requirement.)

Ideas are solicited in three areas:

A Smarter grid: Our current cat's cradle of electricity delivery lines leaks juice like a one-year-old with a sippy cup. Given how much we stress the environment to keep the A/C running and our soft drinks ice-cold, any progress that can be made in reducing this wastage could easily be worth $200 M.