Massachusetts Senator Bruce Tarr First Politician to Publicly Propose E-Cat as Energy

[ScienceRocks]

Massachusetts Senator Bruce Tarr First Politician to Publicly Propose E-Cat as Energy Solution
Massachusetts Senator Bruce Tarr First Politician to Publicly Propose E-Cat as Energy Solution | E-Cat World
November 23, 2011
I have wondered when the E-Cat would enter into the political arena, and who the first politician would be to come out and endorse E-Cat technology as an energy solution — well now I know, and it’s someone I had never heard of before. Republican Senator Bruce Tarr is the Senate Minority Leader in the Massachusetts legislature and appears interested in promoting the development and commercialization of Andrea Rossi’s invention. As a local politician he is naturally seeking to find ways to bring benefits to his state through this technology.

Senator Tarr writes on his Tarr Talk blog:

“Mr. Rossi’s reactor, if successfully proven and developed, has the potential to change the way the world deals with energy, and I’m pleased that he’s willing to discuss basing its production in Massachusetts. Rossi began his schedule in the state this morning and it will conclude later in the evening.

Rossi’s E-Cat reactor, which has thus far been developed and tested in the Italian city of Bologna, is intended to produce large amounts of energy from a reaction between nickel and hydrogen. The reaction produces heat which then heats water to produce steam, from which electricity can be generated. Importantly, the process creates little to no radiation, a major problem for the nuclear fission process currently used to produce power in reactors around the world.

The enormous potential of this technology demands that it be addressed by the best scientific minds in the world. Since Massachusetts is the home of some of the best colleges and universities in the world, it makes sense for that process to happen here.”

Tarr, like many other people who learn about the E-Cat, seems to be recognizing that E-Cat technology could provide real solutions to energy problems, and is wanting to find ways to help this technology come to light. He doesn’t seem to be concerned about the safety aspects of this nuclear reactor if “little to no” radiation is emitted by this technology.

It should be remembered that Tarr is the Minority Leader of a very small minority in the Massachusetts Senate (only four of 39 senators are Republicans), and so may not carry a huge amount of influence when it comes to setting government policy. It will be interesting to learn how his colleagues in the state government respond to proposals he brings forward regarding this technology — the speed of the proliferation of E-Cat devices could depend in large measure on how it is perceived by elected officials.

 

[uscitizen]

Has the price of nickel gone up yet?

 

[ScienceRocks]

Hope, skepticism for cold fusion
By D.C. Denison | Globe Staff November 28, 2011

Article Discuss
joanne rathe/globe staff

Andrea Rossi’s energy catalyzer is unproven and has its skeptics.
The Italian scientist who says he has developed the world’s first cold fusion reactor - a claim that has been hotly contested in scientific circles - visited the State House last week to explore the prospects for developing and manufacturing the device in Massachusetts.

Andrea Rossi made the trip at the invitation of the Senate’s minority leader, Bruce Tarr, a Republican from Gloucester, and met on Tuesday with representatives from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, and the University of Massachusetts.

Rossi’s energy catalyzer, or “E-Cat’’ reactor, is intended to produce large amounts of energy from a reaction between nickel and hydrogen. Rossi said the reaction produces heat to heat water, which produces steam that can be used to generate electricity.

If the technology works, it could enable a new generation of power plants to provide safe, cheap, and virtually unlimited nuclear power, without fossil fuels or radiation concerns.

At this point, however, the E-Cat is widely considered to be unproven. Tests have been scarce and secretive, perhaps because Rossi has said that his technology is still unpatented.


JOANNE RATHE/GLOBE STAFF

Andrea Rossi was invited to Massachusetts by the Senate’s minority leader, Bruce Tarr (left), a Republican from Gloucester. ‘‘If it works, I want this technology to be developed and manufactured in Massachusetts,’’ Tarr said of cold fusion.

The E-Cat is also haunted by previous “cold fusion’’ claims that have gone unproven. In 1989, researchers Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann famously claimed to have produced a small amount of energy by nuclear fusion on a lab bench at room temperature. Although their work generated a Time magazine cover story, other scientists failed to replicate cold fusion, and the field was soon discredited.

Rossi, an engineer, has been trying to resurrect the idea. Last month, he conducted a test of a small cold fusion power plant in Bologna, Italy, for an unnamed customer, who he said was impressed enough to purchase the unit.

Rossi said he has received orders from 12 more customers.

Access to the demonstration by outside scientists and observers was severely restricted, which did little to allay the reservations of skeptics who say that room temperature nuclear fusion is a scientific impossibility.

Tarr, who is active in alternative energy legislation, said he invited Rossi to put the state in line for hosting any prospective development of cold fusion.

“My thought process was pretty simple: If it works, I want this technology to be developed and manufactured in Massachusetts,’’ Tarr said.

Robert Tamarin, dean of sciences at UMass Lowell, attended the meeting with Rossi.

“Knowing the reputation of cold fusion, I went in with a very healthy level of skepticism,’’ he said.

“It was a roomful of skeptical people. Senator Tarr was also skeptical, but if it does work, he wants Massachusetts to benefit. If it’s successful, no wants to have to say later that we walked away from it.’’

Tamarin said the meeting was mostly used to discuss the possibility of setting up manufacturing, rather than the validity of the science.

“Rossi said he was not ready for a full academic investigation of his technology because he doesn’t yet have full patent protection,’’ Tamarin said. “That’s consistent with it not working, but it’s also consistent with it working very well.’’

After the meeting, Rossi, who paid his own way to Massachusetts, was enthusiastic about a possible partnership with the state.

“Massachusetts has the density of technology and the customers we need,’’ he said. “Also, it does not have the bureaucracy that we have in Italy.’’

Rossi said he would also like to develop smaller household cold fusion power generators in Massachusetts.

“I’m already planning to come back soon,’’ he said. “We are all hoping to get something started in a matter of weeks, not months.’’

D.C. Denison can be reached at [email protected].
Hope, skepticism for cold fusion - Business - The Boston Globe

 

[editec]

If its safe, implement it.