Michigan venture capitalist Jeff Bocan, one of few people to see Accio Energy's potentially revolutionary wind energy device, is enthusiastic about the Ann Arbor-based startup's technology.

Accio Energy is developing a new stationary wind energy device that generates electricity without moving parts.

In his regular column for the Huffington Post, Bocan reveals that he recently got a first-hand glimpse of Accio's technology - which the company is guarding closely until it secures intellectual property rights.

"I have seen a prototype of their technology in action and it is very impressive - could be an interesting solution to some of wind energy's challenges - particularly for off-shore or near-shore wind," said Bocan, managing director of the Farmington Hills office of $400 million firm Beringea, which manages venture capital funds for the state's Invest Michigan! program.

Accio Energy CEO Dawn White, also founder of Ann Arbor startup Solidica, recently revealed a few details about the device in a speech to entrepreneurs in Detroit. Watch the video on YouTube in which she says the device could be the "Model T of wind energy."

Among the details White revealed: The device uses the wind to separate electrical charges on thin engineered tubes, which then create electricity.

Accio last month won a $250,000 federal contract to continue developing its device.

The company envisions the device working in a variety of applications, including rooftops or wind energy farms.

Bocan acknowledged that wind turbines are important, but suggested that the country shouldn't abandon wind energy technology innovation -- which some believe is a mature field. He writes:

Yes, the Midwest will continue to pick up its share of contract manufacturing opportunities for major wind turbine OEMs, but the stories I find most encouraging and critical to accelerate and sustain the Midwest region's leadership in wind energy are those coming from the regionally-based wind-related technology innovators.

Contact AnnArbor.com’s Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.