It’s far too soon to proclaim the cold fusion age has arrived, but a new experiment appears to have generated considerable volumes of energy using a process that may have involved low-energy nuclear reactions. The researcher Andrea Rossi claims his E-Cat device uses cold fusion to fuse nickel and hydrogen atoms into copper, releasing enormous amounts of energy in the process.

Possibly containing a million times more energy than gasoline, the technology is exciting, but still highly speculative.

In the words of the researchers, “These values place the E-Cat beyond any other known conventional source of energy.” – Extreme Tech

The findings have reportedly been verified by third-party researchers and submitted for scientific journal publication. Suspiciously, a 2013 third-party analysis of the E-Cat was quickly debunked by the scientific community. While the new report is geared to address previous shortcomings, it will certainly undergo rigorous peer review before definitive proof of cold fusion can be officially celebrated.

Skepticism prevails for the moment, but this is certainly a development worth watching, as affordable cold fusion technology would entirely disrupt today’s global energy systems.