In energy research, certain ideas seem to ebb and flow over and over again. Research and investment spikes when scientists, policy makers or venture capitalists declare that the time is finally ripe for a new method of energy generation, then drops off a cliff as it turns out the way we currently fuel our power-hungry lifestyles is cheaper, more convenient, or more reliable than the new thing.
Witness the repeated rise and stumble of enthusiasm for solar energy from photovoltaic cells over the last few decades.
Read more here.