Well, it's not harvesting the energy in naturally occurring lightning, but rather the energy found in inentionally generated lightning. While inventor Steve Le Roy's generated lightning bolts provide enough energy to illuminate a light bulb for 20 minutes, an average Midwest thunderstorm releases enough electrical energy to power the entire U.S. for 20 minutes. As LeRoy says: "If you've ever seen a tree hit by lightning, [you know] it's energy for the taking,"
-via Inhabitat and Business Week
If that's true, last night's storm in Chicago could have powered North America for the rest of the year...
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