Electricity in places like Appalachia and the deserts of the Middle East can be somewhat scarce. But with a little help from Cleveland-based Technology Management Inc., those places could be led from the dark. TMI has been developing modular, solid-oxide fuel-cell systems since 1990, but the company isn't satisfied with simply using natural gas as its fuel. The company employs a chemical process converting "ordinary" fuel into electricity, using what's available in a specific area. In Ohio, soybeans and corn are choice. Companies like Lockheed Martin have taken notice. So have other big supporters, including the U.S. Department of Energy, Department of Defense, Department of Agriculture and the EPA. At the end of 2009, the company employed 14.