There wasn't much consensus about the most promising energy technologies, but everyone at a panel on the future of energy at the EmTech conference at MIT this morning seemed to agree that three energy-related technologies won't make money, at least not in the current economic and regulatory environment.

Heading the list of losers is photosynthetic algae--technology that would use algae to convert sunlight into fuel. Jim Matheson, a general partner at Flagship Ventures, said "we just don't believe the economics." Although the venture capital firm invests heavily in bio-energy technology, "we just haven't gotten very comfortable that algae is going to come down the cost curve."

BP also doesn't like photosynthetic algae. "We don't think that [technology] will ever reach the kind of cost or supply that we think people are prepared to pay," said David Eyton, the head of research and technology at BP. His statement was a direct challenge to a main BP competitor, Exxon-Mobil, which recently announced an investment of $600 million in photosynthetic algae.

Eyton noted that BP is investing in algae--just not the photosynthetic kind. Some companies are developing technology that use algae to convert sugar, instead of sunlight, into fuel and other products. That's easier to scale up, since the algae can be far more concentrated.

Hydrogen, at least for vehicles, was also panned. That's perhaps not surprising given Energy Secretary Steven Chu's recent comments about hydrogen. Then again, the car companies have been clamoring for continued investment in it. Uma Chowdry, senior vice president and chief science and technology officer at DuPont said the company had killed its research on hydrogen storage "because it's very far away." Eyton said BP had also killed its investment in hydrogen for transportation.

And finally, technology for capturing and storing carbon dioxide doesn't look promising. The technology could be key to reducing carbon emissions, but Chowdry said, "We can't figure out how we're going to make money at it." Eyton noted that "it's tough to make it work, when nobody's putting a price on it."

During a session at EmTech, Ronald Dixon, director of the Virtual Practice project at Massachusetts General Hospital, showed off digital technology like a health kiosk that could change healthcare.

Businessweek reports:

Health-Care Reform in Action
Something a speaker said at this morning's EmTech panel session is still wringing in my ears: "For the last four months of his life, I Skyped with that patient every day," said Ron Dixon, the director of The Virtual Practice at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The patient in question was dying of cancer, and it would have been physically challenging for him to come into the hospital daily. And what insurance company would cover that? Yet by adopting an inexpensive new technology, Dr Dixon was able to see and talk to his patient daily to discuss needed adjustments in treatment -- all for the cost of a Webcam and a monthly Skype bill...

Ben Verwaayen, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent, gave the keynote this morning at EmTech09. Here are reports from around the Web on what he had to say.

The Industry Standard:

EmTech: Innovation's Achilles heel, and misreading the Facebook generation
Furthering innovation is a given, but you also have to identify technologies that will resonate with consumers -- not to mention building sustainable business models around them. This is the world that Alcatel-Lucent CEO Ben Verwaayen inhabits...

Gigaom:

Alcatel-Lucent CEO's 3 Ingredients for a Successful Product
He spoke of tech innovations and -- perhaps most importantly -- the need to turn them into sustainable, profitable businesses. During the question-and-answer session, which always manages to be more interesting than the actual talk, Verwaayen shared his three requirements for a product to be successful...

Reuters:

Alcatel says not in talks with big rivals
The chief executive of telecommunications equipment giant Alcatel-Lucent (ALUA.PA) said his company is not in merger talks with any of its rivals, dismissing speculation a deal might be in the works. "There is nothing going on," Alcatel-Lucent CEO Ben Verwaayen told Reuters in an interview...