Blow others out of the water

At the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit, startups and research organizations this week are showing off the latest inventions in the multiple paths to cleaner energy.

PolyPlus Technology is developing lithium air and lithium water batteries that promise a big jump in the storage capacity of lithium ion batteries. The company has developed a material that will allow batteries to operate using the dissolved oxygen in water or the air, which its says is key to making energy-dense lithium air batteries viable. The company's plan is to start making lithium water batteries for underwater uses, such as robots, in two years. Then it intends to make a lithium air battery one year later, and perhaps three to five years from now, a rechargeable lithium air battery.