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☆ Flutterwave: 2024 CNBC Disruptor 50
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Cnbc.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Flutterwave is among a wave of startups using technology to fill in the gaps. Flutterwave's ideal customer is a business owner or enterprise seeking to scale operations across Africa and globally. The company expanded into India in September, partnering with IndusInd Bank to make remittances between India and Africa more efficient. Flutterwave also received 13 money transmission licenses in the U.S. in late 2023, expanding its reach to 29 states. The company works with companies such as Alibaba's Alipay, Uber, Netflix and others.

Persons: Flutterwave, Alipay Organizations: IndusInd Bank, Netflix Locations: Africa, India, U.S

☆ New Rules to Overhaul Electric Grids Could Boost Wind and Solar Power
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Brad Plumer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Federal regulators on Monday approved sweeping changes to how America’s electric grids are planned and funded, in a move that supporters hope could spur thousands of miles of new high-voltage power lines and make it easier to add more wind and solar energy. The new rule by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees interstate electricity transmission, is the most significant attempt in years to upgrade and expand the country’s creaking electricity network. A big reason for the slow pace of grid expansion is that operators rarely plan for the long term, the commission said. The nation’s three main electric grids are overseen by a patchwork of utilities and regional grid operators that mainly focus on ensuring the reliability of electricity to homes and businesses. When it comes to building new transmission lines, grid operators tend to be reactive, responding after a wind-farm developer asks to connect to the existing network or once a reliability problem is spotted.

Organizations: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Smarter grids, like Chattanooga's, are just part of what it will take to modernize the American grid in the coming decades. A troubled transition to renewable energyOffshore wind farms are one of the growing areas of renewable energy. And the Edwards & Sanborn project, the US's largest solar energy and energy storage project in California, came online in January. Renewable energy is not only cleaner than fossil fuels but also often less expensive. Breaking down barriersThe US grid isn't designed for fluctuating renewable energy, so much of it goes to waste because clean-energy projects can't connect to the grid.

Persons: Kevin Schneider, Harris, Joe Rand, Joshua Rhodes, barleyman, Edwards, Rand, Philip Odonkor, Seib, headwinds, Julia Bovey, Ørsted, Bovey, Paul Denholm, We'll, Denholm, There's, PATRICK T, FALLON, we're, Schneider, We've, EPB, MISO, it's Organizations: Infrastructure, Service, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Nationwide, Biden, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of Texas, Renewables, Sanborn, of Systems, Enterprises, Stevens Institute of Technology, Trump, Fork, Eversource Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Getty, Infrastructure Law Locations: Chattanooga , Tennessee, Chattanooga, EPB, Austin, Maine, North Carolina, California, United States

☆ How an Obscure Agency Became a Linchpin for Climate Policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Lisa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may be the most important climate agency you’ve never heard of. Responsible for overseeing interstate transmission of gas, oil and electricity, the independent agency could help determine how much wind, solar and other renewable energy moves from engineering plans onto the nation’s electric grids and into homes and businesses. On Monday the commission approved long-awaited changes that require grid operators around the country to plan 20 years into the future, taking into account changes in the energy mix, the growing number of states that have policies requiring wind and solar power, as well as the risks that extreme weather poses to reliability.

Persons: you’ve Organizations: Federal Energy Regulatory

☆ H5N1 Already Killed Millions of Birds. Humans Share the Blame. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Alex Tey | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

We don’t yet know if H5N1 bird flu will spill over from animals to infect a large number of humans. It’s my belief that humans have an obligation to the nonhuman life we share this planet with to mitigate the harm we’ve enabled this virus to cause. But even if you don’t share that conviction, it is still in our best interest to keep this virus from spreading. Wild birds are routinely exposed to mild viruses, but are seldom killed by them. Humans, however, have introduced factors that favor disease: A warming climate can weaken avian immune systems, and infections spread more easily when birds come into more frequent contact while sharing what little habitat remains.

Organizations: World Health

☆ 4 flight attendants smuggled millions in drug money out of the US using the crewmember lane at JFK, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Using this status, they could access a special security lane at John F. Kennedy International Airport without undergoing typical passenger screening procedures. Advertisement"Flight attendants are ideal for smuggling bulk cash" for this reason, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent wrote in the indictments. Related storiesThe pair believed the money was the proceeds of narcotics trafficking and needed to be transported, according to the indictment. AdvertisementHe said the investigation "exposed critical vulnerabilities in the airline security industry" and has "illuminated methods that narcotics traffickers are utilizing."

Persons: —, — Charlie Hernandez, Sarah Valerio Pujols, Emmanuel Torres, Jarol Fabio, John F, Damian Williams, Hernandez, Pujols, Torres, Fabio, HSI, Ivan J, Arvelo Organizations: Service, Business, US, Office, of, Transportation Security Administration, Kennedy, Homeland Security Investigations, Pujols, Customs, Border, JFK, Delta Airlines, NBC News, Delta Locations: New York, Dominican Republic, Southern, of New York

☆ I drove Hyundai's best-selling SUV and found it's a perfect hybrid for people who don't like hybrids
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Benjamin Zhang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is a compact crossover SUV that rivals competitors from Toyota and Honda. I enjoyed the Tucson Hybrid's stylish looks, new tech, solid performance, and fuel efficiency. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . During that time, the strikingly stylish Tucson has evolved into the brand's best-selling model, with nearly 210,000 units sold in 2023. It's also one of the most popular models in the segment, in its fourth generation that launched in 2021.

Persons: —, It's Organizations: Hyundai, Toyota, Honda, Tucson, Service, Cox Automotive Locations: Hyundai Tucson, Tucson

☆ Russia pounds Ukraine with biggest airstrikes in weeks
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Olga Voitovych | Martin Goillandeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Russia carried out a “massive” missile attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure overnight into Wednesday, according to local authorities, in the biggest aerial onslaught by Russian forces for weeks. Russia used 76 air attack weapons in the assault, including 55 missiles and 21 drones launched from Russia and Russian controlled areas, according to Ukrainian Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk. Rescuers assess the ruins of a building, damaged by a Russian missile attack in Kyiv region, Ukraine on May 8, 2024. Handout/Ukrainian Emergency Service/APMoscow has stepped up efforts to paralyze Ukraine’s energy system in the past month, as Kyiv’s troops struggle to hold positions on key frontlines particularly in the east. The latest Russian attack hit three thermal power plants run by Ukraine’s biggest power company, DTEK.

Persons: Mykola Oleshchuk, Herman Halushchenko, ” Halushchenko, Maksym Kozytskyi, Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Organizations: CNN, Ukrainian Air Force, country’s Energy, Emergency, AP, Ukraine’s, Nazism Locations: Russia, Russian, Ukraine’s Poltava, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, Ivano, Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Kyiv region, Ukraine, Handout, AP Moscow, Avdiivka, Ukraine’s, Chervonohrad, Stryi

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russians inflict 'massive attack' on Ukraine's energy network, leaving power plants damaged
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Russia used more than 50 missiles and 20 drones to attack Ukraine's infrastructure overnight, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday morning, with the country's energy network suffering a "massive attack." "The enemy does not abandon plans to deprive Ukrainians of light. Again a massive attack on our energy!" Ukraine's Energy Minister German Galushchenko said on Facebook Wednesday. Power plants and transmission facilities were attacked in a number of regions, he said, including the southern Zaporizhzhia region and Vinnytsia and Lviv in central and western Ukraine.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German Galushchenko Organizations: Ukraine's Energy, German, Facebook Locations: Russia, Vinnytsia, Lviv, Ukraine

☆ These are the top business-development execs competing to hire elite portfolio managers at hedge fund giants Citadel, Millennium, Point72, and more
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Alex Morrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +34 min

Unlike business development in corporate America, which focuses on growing a company's prospects with partners and clients, hedge fund BD teams specialize in scouting, evaluating, and wooing investment talent. AdvertisementFew have been involved in hedge fund BD longer than Jennifer Blake, Balyasny's global head. The fund's BD department remains in close contact with PMs after they join as a resource and advisor. Vernon Yuen/Getty Images$61 billion AUM2,200+ employeesAdvertisementKen Griffin's Citadel has outperformed not just its immediate rivals but every other hedge fund. He runs a team of about 20 as head of business development in the Americas, the largest region of the largest player in this space.

Persons: —, Griffin's, Izzy Englander's, Goldman Sachs, Headcount, execs, Dmitry Balyasny, Brendan McDermid, Jennifer Blake, Balyasny's, Morgan Stanley, Dmitri Balyasny's, Blake, it's, Federico Chavarria, Balyasny, Dave Matz, Smith Hanley, Alistair Jacobs, Dave Black, Peter Appel, Federico Chavarria MD, Andrew McHugh, Jules Biolsi, Michael Platt, he's, BlueCrest, Michael Grad, Grad, Jake Lindsay, Mungo Strachan, BlueCrest's, Brevan Howard Brevan Howard, Alan Howard, Ringo Chiu, Brevan Howard, Alan Howard's, Aran Landy, Brevan, Abu, It's, Landy, Howard, Peter Hornick, David Abbou, Jonathan Candy, Gregoire Vidal, Vidal, Tim Williams, Andy Silver, Gautam, Ken Griffin, Vernon Yuen, Ken Griffin's, Griffin, Matt Giannini, Giannini, headhunter, Matt, I've, — Thomas DeAngelis, Lindsay Previdi, Rice, Dore, Eleanor Sharkey, Melinda Urban, Mark Hansen, Julian Ulmer, Mathur, Adam Sharkie, Michael Page, Eisler, Edward Eisler, Sam Wisnia, Chris Milner, Milner, Hilary Curran, Hilary Curran Global, Rebecca Zisser, Michael Gelband, Hornick, Jeff Gelband, Mike Tiano, Eric Han, Garrett Berg, Liu, APAC Blackstone, Euan Shand, Kevin Carroll, Emily, Needham, Ostendorf, Ben Levine, Stefan Renold, LMR, Marcus Fairhurst, He'd, LMR's, Izzy, Ronda, Singh, Mark Meskin, Justin Gmelich, Steve Keller, Benjamin Williams, Madhvani, Paritosh Singh, Ben Williams, Kristina Tully, Steven Cohen, Point72, Shayanne, Steve Cohen's, Harry Schwefel, Chandler, Steve Cohen, JT Shields, They're, Schwefel, Alyssa Friedman —, Chandler Bocklage, Reid Murphy, Jae Yang, Japan Goldman Sachs, Alyssa Friedman, Jackie Dai, Gabriel Sanders, Ajay, Steven Schonfeld, Michael Nagle, Steve Schonfeld's, Ryan Tolkin, Schonfeld, doesn't, Akshay Aggarwal, Alex Burns, Ryan McCort, Colin Lancaster, Mitesh, Sameer Buch, Brittany Lynch, DMFI, Goldman, Verition, Nicholas Maounis, Josh Goldstein, Brian Townes, Townes, Elizabeth Xiang MD, Vir, Steve Satenstein, Chris Svoboda, Will England, Thomas DeAngelis, DeAngelis, Jonathan Brenner, hasn't, Maureen Reed, John Sullivan, Brenner, Walleye's Organizations: Service, Management, Wall, Business, Balyasny, Balyasny Asset Management, Quadra Advisors, SAC, Macquarie, BD, UBS, Grad, Financial Times, Michael, Lascaux, Howard BD, Brevan, Argentum Advisors, BH Digital, McKinsey & Company, JPMorgan, Ken Griffin's Citadel, Citadel, Citadel's, decamping, Chicago, Citadel BD, Walleye Capital, of Surveyor, Millennium, Capital, Credit, Ashler, Rice, Deutsche Bank, LMR Partners, London, Dore Partnership, Soros, Soros Fund, Ronda Churchill, Bloomberg, Getty, Guggenheim, Industry, MLP, Americas Guggenheim, Americas Citadel, SAC Capital, SEC, Point72 Academy, Citigroup, BD Energi, Japan, EMEA, APAC BNP, Schonfeld, PAAMCO, KKR, DMC Partners, Topwater, LinkedIn, New, New Holland Capital, BD —, Walleye, Lehman Brothers, Hutchin, Putnam Investments, ~$ Locations: America, Asia, Balyasny, Blackstone, New Holland, Abu Dhabi, BlueCrest, Europe, Graticule, ExodusPoint, Hornick, Freestone, New York, Schonfeld, Brevan, he's, Aberdeen, Hong Kong, Zurich, Glasgow, Dubai, Americas, Point72, quant, Verition, London, Greenland, Minnesota, Citadel

☆ I test-drove the 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor. The $84,000 price tag is worth it, especially for off-roading.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Jules Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Automotive journalist Jules Rogers test-drove the 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor priced at $83,665 and loved it. AdvertisementIn a group of similar trucks, the 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor immediately stands out from the crowd. AdvertisementThe 2024 F-150 Raptor starts at $77,980, and the model I tested was listed at $83,665 with its optional upgrades. Interior and aestheticsThe interior of the 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor. The 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor.

Persons: Jules Rogers, —, Ford Organizations: Service, Raptors, Ford, Audi, Oregon, Raptor

☆ Giant Batteries Are Transforming the Way the U.S. Uses Electricity
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Brad Plumer | Nadja Popovich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +17 min

Uses Electricity They’re delivering solar power after dark in California and helping to stabilize grids in other states. Peak demand average daily generation, by fuel type Peak demand 25k 25k megawatts megawatts Imports 20k 20k 15k 15k Gas Solar power Batteries Solar power 10k 10k Wind 5k 5k Hydro Nuclear 0 0 12a.m. Peak demand average daily generation, by fuel type Peak demand 25k 25k megawatts megawatts Imports 20k 20k 15k 15k Gas Solar power Batteries Solar power 10k 10k Wind 5k 5k Hydro Nuclear 0 0 12a.m. Ga. Ga. Texas Texas La. By The New York TimesMost grid batteries use lithium-ion technology, similar to batteries in smartphones or electric cars.

Persons: …, ”, Helen Kou, Conn ., Mo ., R.I, Conn . Conn ., . Kan ., “, Andrés Gluski, Mike Blake, John Phipps, Phipps, Stephanie Smith, Aaron Mitchell, Natalie McIntire, Tamir Kalifa, Emma Konet, Max Kanter, BloombergNEF, you’ve, Meredith Fowlie, Nate Blair, “ We’re, Ross D Organizations: Hydro Nuclear, Hydro, The New York Times, “, United States U.S, Conn . Pa . Iowa Neb, N.J . Ohio Nev, Del . Utah Ill, Texas, Fla ., Vt, Wis ., Wis . Idaho Idaho S.D, Pa . Iowa Iowa Neb, Neb . N.J . N.J . Ohio Ohio Nev, Del . Utah Utah Ill, . Energy, AES Corporation, Reuters, California, Georgia Power, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nationwide, The New York Times Grid, University of California, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Franklin, Associated Locations: California, The New York Times California, China, Texas , California, Arizona, Wash . Maine, Minn, Ore, N.H, N.Y, Mass, Wis . Idaho S.D, Mich, Wyo, R.I, Conn, Conn . Pa . Iowa, N.J . Ohio, Del . Utah, Calif, Md, Colo, W.Va . Va, Mo, Mo . Kan, Ky, N.C, Tenn, Ariz, ., S.C . California, Ala, Miss ., Fla, Alaska Texas, Hawaii, Wash . Maine Maine Mont, Mont, Vt, Wis, Wis . Idaho Idaho, S.D . Mich, Conn . Conn, Conn . Conn . Pa, Pa . Iowa, Neb . N.J . N.J . Ohio, Nev . Ind, Ind, Del, W.Va, W.Va . Va . Va, . Kan . Kan, S.C . Ala . Ala . Miss, . Texas Texas, La, Fla . Alaska Alaska Hawaii Hawaii California, Texas, Menifee, . California, ” In Texas, Fort Worth, West Texas, Georgia, Sweetwater , Texas, Tierra, Berkeley, Sacramento

☆ Meet nuclear power's newest fans: data centers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Daniel Geiger | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The deal illustrates data centers' new-found interest in nuclear power. Joe Dominguez, the CEO of Constellation, the nation's largest operator of nuclear plants, said in a March earnings call that powering data centers with nuclear energy was "kind of a perfect marriage." AdvertisementVistra, another nuclear owner, also indicated it was arranging data center deals for a nuclear plant it owns in Ohio and one in Texas. Greg Poulos, the executive director of a PJM watchdog group, said that "one of my highest priority, highest radar items" is how data centers could push costs onto consumers and also whether nuclear data centers deals could reduce grid reliability. Beyond the nuclear optionNot all data centers, of course, are seeking out nuclear power to seize their energy independence.

Persons: —, Wes Swenson, Swenson, Joe Dominguez, Jim Burke, Ralph La Rossa, La Rossa, Steve Helber, Burke, Dominguez, PJM, Michael Jacobs, Brian Janous, Greg Poulos, Poulos, Biden Organizations: Service, Susquehanna, Amazon, Business, US Energy Information Administration, Nuclear, Constellation, Public Service Enterprise Group, Microsoft, International Energy Agency, Dominion Energy, Talen Energy, Energy, Union of Concerned Locations: Pennsylvania, Salt Lake City, Ohio, Texas, New Jersey, Our, Jersey, Virginia, Chester , Va, Susquehanna, Chicago, New York City

☆ I drove Subaru's priciest SUV. It's perfect for families who outgrow the Outback or Forester — but the safety tech is vexing.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Benjamin Zhang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The 2024 Subaru Ascent Touring from the driver's seat. Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderThe Subaru Ascent delivers a pleasant and reassuring driving experience. The continuously variable transmission is the weakest point in Ascent's driving experience and its drive train. The noise, reminiscent of a dying torque converter on a traditional automatic, disappears once the vehicle reaches normal operating temperature. With that said, Subaru's Lineartronic unit is one of the most capable CVTs on the market and is able to provide a serviceable approximation of a traditional automatic transmission.

Persons: Benjamin Zhang, Subaru's Organizations: Toyota, Chevrolet Traverse Locations: peppy

☆ These global stocks will soar on an $858 billion electric boom, Goldman says, giving one 45% upside
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

They project that 800 billion euros ($857.5 billion) will be spent on Europe's power transmission and distribution, thanks in part to "years of under-investment." Here are three of Goldman's buy-rated stocks with over 30% upside potential in the next 12 months. That gives the German stock — which is on Goldman's conviction list — about 35% potential upside. Goldman has a target price of 2,024 British pence on the stock, giving it around 42.8% upside potential. Goldman has a target price of 135 euros on the stock, giving it 45.5% upside potential.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Elia, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: E.on Goldman, E.on, Goldman Locations: Europe, Belgian

☆ Making the power grid 'smart' could save us all money and prevent blackouts. Chattanooga made the $280 million investment.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Chattanooga's utility built a $280 million smart grid, creating $2.7 billion in economic value. The local utility, called EPB of Chattanooga, spent $280 million to refurbish its power system with smart technologies to make a "smart grid." The traditional power grid carries electricity from a power plant to homes and commercial buildings. Smart grids can bring huge economic benefitsEven Congress knows the nation needs a smart grid. Though a smart grid requires a big up-front investment, it can save a lot of money down the line.

Persons: —, That's, Tiago Majuelos, Monika Skolimowska, Kevin Schneider, Schneider, Joshua Rhodes, David Wade, EPB, Wade, Taylor, David Swanson, We're Organizations: Infrastructure, Service, Chattanooga Smart, US Department of Energy, Wall Street, Getty, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, American Society of Civil Engineers, University of Texas, Department of Energy, C Electric Company, BI, Reuters, Nationwide Locations: Chattanooga , Tennessee, Chattanooga, Tennessee, EPB, California, Austin, Hamilton County, Palm Springs , California, Columbia, Southern California

☆ How to save a pristine valley
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( David Gelles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

As the helicopter lifted off and disappeared into the clouds, the roar of the whirring blades fell away and all that was left was the sound of the rain. I just had been deposited deep inside Cochamó Valley, a remote cathedral of towering granite in central Chile that was at the center of a decade-long conservation battle. I wanted to see this land for myself and hear firsthand from the people who had saved it. An avid backcountry camper, Condeza started a nonprofit organization called Puelo Patagonia in 2013. His goal was to stop a proposed hydroelectric power plant in the area, a project that would have entailed the construction of roads, transmission lines and electric generation facilities.

Persons: Rodrigo Condeza, Condeza Locations: Chile, Patagonia

☆ CNBC's Inside India newsletter: A $270 billion gamble on green?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Solar panels stand at the Welspun Energy solar power plant in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, India. One sector in particular — electrical power transmission — will see $270 billion in financial benefits, according to Goldman Sachs. While utilities like the Power Grid Corporation of India may be perceived as unsexy, compared to growth stocks like Tesla, India plans to promote renewable energy without the taxpayer spending a single rupee. The country has added about 70 gigawatts of solar power capacity over the past decade without piling on further costs by simply maximizing the grid's usage. Currently, state governments in India levy surcharges and taxes on every unit of carbon-intensive energy transmitted through the grid.

Persons: Vivek Prakash, Elon Musk, Narendra Modi, Goldman Sachs, It's, Vinay Dwivedi, India Anna Dravida, Vinay, Modi, Mohamed Muizzu's, Jamie Dimon, Modi's Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, U.S, Power Grid Corporation of India, Goldman, Companies, Reliance Industries, Adani Enterprises, Tamil Nadu —, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, CNBC, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, Vodafone Idea, Vodafone, West, Economic, of New, JPMorgan, CNBC Pro, we'll Locations: Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, India, Tamil Nadu, Dravida, New Delhi, Maldives, China, Beijing, West Indies, Pakistan, U.S, of New York

☆ Energy Dept. Aims to Speed Up Permits for Power Lines
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Brad Plumer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration on Thursday finalized a rule meant to speed up federal permits for major transmission lines, part of a broader push to expand America’s electric grids. The pace of construction for high-voltage power lines has sharply slowed since 2013, and building new lines can take a decade or more because of permitting delays and local opposition. The Energy Department is trying to use the limited tools at its disposal to pour roughly $20 billion into grid upgrades and to streamline approvals for new lines. Under the rule announced on Thursday, the Energy Department would take over as the lead agency in charge of federal environmental reviews for certain interstate power lines and would aim to issue necessary permits within two years. Currently, the federal approval process can take four years or more and often involves multiple agencies each conducting their own separate reviews.

Persons: Biden Organizations: The Energy Department, Energy Department

☆ Bird flu could jump to humans any day. A former surgeon general says it feels like 2020 again.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In recent months the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus has been spreading through US cattle herds for the first time ever. The cow-to-cow transmission is the latest escalation in a global outbreak that began when the virus reemerged in Europe in 2020. Bill Powers with his flock of white turkeys, kept under shelter to prevent exposure to bird flu, in Townsend, Delaware. Nathan Howard/Getty ImagesDr. Jerome Adams, a former surgeon general and the director of health equity at Purdue University, is getting deja vu. AdvertisementOnly testing the sickSo far, the USDA has only been testing cattle herds when an animal appears sick.

Persons: —, Jeremy Farrar, Nathan Frandino, Farrar, Bill Powers, Nathan Howard, Jerome Adams, they've, Adams, Donald Trump, hasn't, Terry Chea, they're, Zeynep Tufekci, Jean Carroll, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, President Trump, Trump, Biden Organizations: Service, Business, World Health Organization, Washington Post, Food and Drug Administration, New York Times, FDA, Johann, Reuters, US Centers for Disease Control, Purdue University, CDC, US Department of Agriculture, White, USDA Locations: Europe, South America, Fresno , California, Texas, Townsend , Delaware, COVID, Sonoma County , California

☆ Bird flu particles were found in pasteurized milk. A former surgeon general says he isn't changing what he eats.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

So far, though, many public health experts don't think this rings alarm bells about the safety of the food supply. Nathan Frandino/ReutersThe FDA oversees the nation's milk supply, and the US Department of Agriculture oversees dairy cows. Both say they believe the commercial milk supply is safe, due to the pasteurization process and the practice of disposing of milk from sick cows. Some states allow the sale of unpasteurized, aka "raw," milk or cheese, which the CDC recommends avoiding. "To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe.

Persons: —, Dr, Jerome Adams, Trump, Pasteurization, Nathan Frandino, Carlos Barria, Adams, Samuel Alcaine, Cook, who's, I'm Organizations: Service, Drug Administration, Business, Purdue University, Johann, FDA, US Department of Agriculture, Washington Post, The New York Times, Mountain Creamery, Cornell University, CDC, Workers Locations: Fresno , California, Middletown , Maryland

☆ The $6 billion project to power 1 million NY homes with clean energy is the first of its kind
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The 339-mile CHPE transmission line aims to provide hydropower to a million New York City homes. According to EPA data, carbon emissions in the New York City area rose by about 20% between 2019 and 2022. Gas-fired power plants contribute to poor air quality, which can lead to health problems like asthma. The asthma rate for children in New York City, especially in poorer neighborhoods, is one of the highest in the country. New York has six years to achieve its goal of powering 70 percent of its grid with renewable energy.

Persons: It's, CHPE, Donald Jessome, Vural, Ryan Calder, Calder, Methylmercury, Jessome Organizations: Infrastructure, Service, Champlain Hudson Power Express, Transmission Developers, New, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Virginia Tech, Hydro, Department of Energy, Queens, Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Blackstone, CHPE Locations: York City, Canada, New York, New York City, Ravenswood, Astoria, Albany, there's, Poughkeepsie, Queens , New York, Calder, Lake Champlain, Hudson, York

☆ WHO chief scientist calls for increased monitoring and preparation for highly pathogenic bird flu
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The bird flu spreading through cattle in the United States is an “enormous concern” the chief scientist of the World Health Organization said Thursday as he called for more tracking and preparation for the virus. So far, there is no evidence that the highly pathogenic H5N1 flu virus can spread from person to person. Though H5N1 doesn’t spread from person to person, humans can catch it when they’re exposed to infected animals. They are only the second documented case of human H5N1 in the United States. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that while the current risk to public health from H5N1 is low, it is monitoring the situation carefully.

Persons: Dr, Jeremy Farrar, “, Richard Webby, ”, hasn’t, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, World Health Organization, WHO, Research, Get CNN, CNN Health, US Department of Agriculture’s, Plant Health, Services, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC Locations: United States, British, Geneva, Texas, Colorado, St, — Texas, New Mexico , Kansas, South Dakota , Idaho , Michigan , Ohio, North Carolina

☆ New data centers require billions of dollars in utility system upgrades. You may end up paying for it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Daniel Geiger | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

A record surge of data center construction is underway to provide the computing and storage that underpins society's fast-expanding digital footprint and powers artificial intelligence. In areas of the country where data centers have clustered, utilities have unveiled plans to spend billions of dollars to keep up. asked David Springe, the executive director of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates. "Then you have the data centers that are having exponential load growth," Nelson said. Data centers also don't deliver the number of long term jobs – a key yardstick for public benefits – that other industries do.

Persons: Mike DeWine, David Springe, they're, Ryan Augsburger, Augsburger, Ron Nelson, Strategen, ratepayers, Nelson, Steve Helber, That's, PJM, David Lapp, Lapp, Jeffrey Shields, Shields, Kantele Franko, Shelby Moore, Meta, behemoth Blackstone, QTS, John Gavan, Daniel Tait, Tait Organizations: Amazon, Ohioans, Business, Wall, Boston Consulting Group, National Association of State, Consumer, Ohio Manufacturers ' Association, Web Services, Energy, Dominion Energy, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Tech, Wall Street titans, American Electric Power, Buckeye Power, AEP, Buckeye, AEP Ohio, Staff, Intel, Policy Institute Locations: Ohio, ratepayers, Chester , Va, Virginia, PJM, Chicago, New Jersey, New York City, Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Columbus , Ohio, Denver, New Albany , Ohio, Minnesota, Columbus, Mississippi

☆ WHO clarifies what counts as a pathogen that can spread through the air
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“Airborne transmission” refers to when infectious respiratory particles expel into the air, such as from coughing or sneezing, and enter the respiratory tract of another person who inhales them, according to WHO. The subcategory “direct deposition” refers to when infectious respiratory particles expel into the air and directly land on another person’s mouth, nose or eyes, potentially causing infection. “Public health agencies were hesitant to use the word ‘airborne’ because of differences in understanding among experts about what it meant. When I say ‘aerosol’, when I say ‘through the air’, it doesn’t matter whether I’m an engineer, a clinician, a nurse, a public health person. ‘There were many failures’During the pandemic, various terms were used in different ways to describe how the coronavirus could spread, causing much confusion – terms like airborne, airborne transmission or aerosol transmission.

Persons: ” Linsey Marr, “, ” Marr, ”, Jeremy Farrar, ” Farrar, Jessica Justman, Justman, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Stephen S, Morse Organizations: CNN, World Health, WHO, Virginia Tech, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, CNN Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health

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