They've found a shortcut to protein production, and that could be huge. Protein production by raising cows to make beef is incredibly expsensive on every axis

They've found a shortcut to protein production, and that could be huge. Protein production by raising cows to make beef is incredibly expsensive on every axis you measure, (though this is not reflected in the price paid at the register, as environmental costs are externalized and there is a huge subsidy). It takes ~25 times as many resources to make 1g of beef protein compared to 1g of soy protein. I'm not aware of the specifics of this process, but it's not unthinkable that it could be 100x as efficient as prevalent systems per 1g of protein produced (or that a future version of it, once perfected). Also, in some places (e.g. in iceland, and in many places near dams) electricity is effectively use-it-or-lose-it free after sunk costs; Sounds like -- if electicity is the expensive factor in this -- another use for this essentially free energy; e.g. iceland exports this energy as aluminum, could also export it as protein.