Energy & Science
NextEra Bets on New Power Generator That Runs Without Combustion
Mainspring Energy’s ‘linear generator’ runs on gas or hydrogen, making it lower-carbon.
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Startup Mainspring Energy Inc. has landed a $150 million deal with a unit of renewable giant NextEra Energy Inc. to deploy a little known power-generation technology that could help businesses avoid grid outages.
Called a linear generator, it uses a non-combustion reaction of air and fuel to move magnets back and forth through copper coils, generating an electric current. In a video illustration on Mainspring’s website, it looks something like a constantly moving pogo stick lying on its side.