Contrary to what many people may expect, most of these technologies, which include microturbines, fuel cells and high-efficiency cogeneration, rely on fossil fuels rather than renewable-energy resources like wind or solar energy.

FORBES: Perfect Power: Clean Energy's Killer App

Kola Aluko, a Nigerian energy and aviation tycoon, founded oil trading firm Fossil Resources in 2001, then went on to become CEO of Exoro Energy- an indigenous oil exploration and production firm.

FORBES: Ten Nigerian Multi-Millionaires You've Never Heard Of

Unlike other parts of the country, the region has a paucity of renewable energy resources that could realistically displace its dependence on fossil fuels.

FORBES: Competing To Fuel The Future

In a statement posted to its website, Makani said the deal would "provide Makani with the resources to accelerate our work to make wind energy cost competitive with fossil fuels".

BBC: Google acquires kite-power generator

It helps for producing electricity, but if industrial countries like the U.S. and Europe can put in place more environmentally sound resources like nuclear energy, it would allow more developing countries to use fossil fuels for their development in the 21st century.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The environment and the country would be better off if electric powered cars and trucks dominated the roads, driving down the use of costly imported fossil fuel and making the U.S. depend more on abundant natural gas and other energy resources in the country.

FORBES: Electric-Car Charging Stations Will Be The Next Important Issue for Electric-Powered Vehicles

Most of those eventual transitions were fueled by the abundance of cheap energy, either in the form of abundant natural resources, slave labor, or the advent of fossil fuel beginning with coal in the British Empire after 1850.

FORBES: The Arab Spring -- Energy And The Road To Democracy?