The internet is suddenly abuzz with Bloom Box talk. On the coattails of a rare and surprising interview on 60 minutes, the resounding question fluttering about the ether is: Will the Bloom Box move residential electricity ?off the grid? en masse? We?ve got our two cents to throw in the mix, along with a quick overview of what we know about the Bloom Box at the moment.

Invented by K.R. Sridhar (founder of Bloom Energy), the Bloom Box is essentially a miniature power plant in a box. It can generate power independently of any electrical grid using biofuels, fossil fuels and solar power, although much of the details surrounding the box and its creators remain shrouded in secrecy. Maintaining its mystique and intrigue, Sridhar rebuts skeptical demands to prove the box?s merits by pointing at its two best customers: Google and eBay.

Fortunately, the likes of Google and eBay tend to earn pretty good credibility when pointing out that your prototype power plant box is already providing them with electricity. And not only are they saying the box works, eBay has reported a savings in excess of $100,000 on electricity since mid-2009 as a result of their Bloom Boxes. It remains to be seen whether the Bloom Box can build on the buzz and power itself into the market or if the fad will fizzle out. One key factor that may decide the outcome is cost.

Each hand-made Bloom box reaches a production cost of about $700,000 to $800,000. For many residents and even some small business owners, these numbers represent amounts well beyond the combined total for electricity they might expect to pay in their lifetimes. However, according to Sridhar, the production cost could drop significantly, down to about $3,000 per unit, if they are able to efficiently mass-produce the Bloom Box. While $3,000 is certainly much more manageable than $800,000, the figures are only speculative.

Emissions are another concern, as with any form of energy production. While being touted as a very environmentally friendly machine, the Bloom Box still has its own impact. The box itself produces electricity through chemical reactions within the fuel cells, but it does emit CO2 byproducts. The environmental benefit of the Bloom box is its ability to produce a significant amount of electricity, even when powered by more planet-friendly solar energy or biofuels. It enables the owner of the Bloom Box to choose renewable energy options whereas they might otherwise stick with cheap fossil fuels from their local power plants.

So what?s next for the almighty Bloom Box? Despite the clear and ambitious goals to bring the box to our back yards, residential applications are still a ways off, even if the mass production cost of $3,000 per unit is realized. It?ll be quite a campaign to push for widespread adoption of an off-the-grid solution like this one for the home-front. Commercial markets will undoubtedly present the first opportunity ? and the growth channels ? for Bloom Energy to bring the box into the mainstream. That is, if they can beat the competition.

It is estimated that no less than 100 other competitors are quietly humming along on similar projects of their own. As Bloom Energy counts down to its ?coming-out? party on Wednesday, the celebration may prove a little premature. The future is uncertain for the Bloom Box with myriad market entry barriers, a steep production cost and untold rivals all poised to clench the position Bloom Energy now enjoys.