Latest News
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Power authority: Companies are considering building 2 gigawatts of data centers near hydropower sites in NY
Justin Driscoll, CEO of the New York Power Authority (NYPA), said at a Monday conference that companies are looking to build 2 gigawatts worth of data centers close to hydropower plants operated by NYPA. The technology industry is spending tens and tens billions dollars just this year to build and run their energy-intensive AI Data Centers, which will propel U.S. electricity use to new records this year and by 2026. New York's grid operator predicts that by 2035, there will be 2.5 gigawatts worth of data centers and other large energy consumers. Driscoll, speaking at a New York Energy Week event, said that while some projects may not be realized, there is no doubt we need to increase our generation and transmission capacity in order to attract these companies. He did not name any specific company. About 800,000 households can be powered by one gigawatt. (Reporting and editing by Christopher Cushing in New York, Laila Kearney is based in New York.
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US law enforcement prepares for hundreds of thousands of attendees to the Army parade in Washington
Matt McCool, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, told reporters on Monday that law enforcement agencies were preparing to receive hundreds of thousands people at a celebration of the 250th anniversary of U.S. Army in Washington, D.C. on June 14. McCool stated that thousands of agents, officers, and specialists from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies will be deployed across the nation to ensure security. Both the FBI and Metropolitan Police Department told reporters that there were no credible threat to the event. McCool stated, "We are preparing ourselves for a large turnout." "We are doing everything we can to ensure that this event is a success." The event will coincide with the 79th Birthday of President Donald Trump. It will include an Army birthday celebration on the National Mall. A parade will be held through the capital, and the ceremony will conclude with an enlistment or re-enlistment under the presidency. The security measures include 18.5 miles anti-scale fencing and 17 miles concrete barriers. There are also 175 magnetometers, and federal, state, and local officers on guard. McCool confirmed that the Secret Service will operate drones. Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department, said that there will be major traffic impacts, including road closings, around West Potomac Park, The Ellipse and the National Mall. The U.S. Army will bring 6,500 soldiers, 150 vehicles, and 50 aircraft to Washington for this event. The event will include aircraft flyovers, fireworks and other activities. As a result, the FAA has decided to shut down the arrivals and departing at Washington's Reagan National Airport for the duration of the celebration. Officials have said that they do not expect protests similar to the ones in Los Angeles last weekend against federal immigration enforcement. McCool stated that the Secret Service has been tracking nine possible protests and is prepared to intervene if violence breaks out. McCool replied, "That matter will be dealt with quickly." Jessica Taylor, Chief of U.S. Park Police who handles protest permits, has said that several permit requests are pending. Taylor stated that "from what we have reviewed so far in our communication list, we do not have any significant concerns." (Reporting and editing by Ryan Patrick Jones)
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Trump FAA nominee: Agency faces serious leadership and trust issues
U.S. president Donald Trump's nominee for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says that the agency has serious issues with leadership, culture and trust, according to the Senate questionnaire. Senate Commerce Committee to hold hearings on Trump's nomination for Republic Airways CEO Bryan Bedford as FAA head on Wednesday. After a series safety incidents the FAA has been under scrutiny, particularly after a mid-air collision on January 29, between an American Airlines regional plane and a U.S. Army chopper that killed 67. Bedford, in a questionnaire that was reviewed by. "A malaise is setting in, where managers feel helpless and rationalize that it's not their fault. Bedford, an experienced pilot with more than 30 year's experience in the industry, was nominated for this award in March. He was previously the head of two other carriers, and he oversaw an expansion of Republic Airways which operates regional flights on behalf American Airlines United Airlines Delta Air Lines. Bedford stated that there is a lack of trust within and with the FAA. He called the FAA's organization "unwieldy", and said that the agency needed to address its "reactive" culture of safety. Bedford wrote that "the lack of trust" makes many FAA managers reluctant to speak out for fear of retribution. Bedford cited "failures", such as the FAA's certification of the Boeing 737 MAX, oversight for chronically delayed implementation of air traffic control, and continued shortages in controllers. Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, wants Congress to approve billions for air traffic control reform and staffing. Bedford wrote that the FAA is unable to fulfill its mission of modernizing air traffic systems, and managing safety effectively because of a lack of vision and leadership. Bedford said that the FAA doesn't encourage innovation by encouraging risk-taking. Bedford wrote that "there appears to be no motivation for anyone at FAA" to take any risk of innovation for fear it might fail. You could say that there was a 'if it's not broken, don't repair it' attitude. But that has evolved into a quiet acceptance that "we can't make it work, but we can try our best to make it safe today." Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Chris Reese & Nia Williams
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Smoke in the cockpit forces emergency landing of Budapest-Lyon Flight in Austria
Austrian police reported that smoke in the cockpit caused a plane from Budapest carrying 143 passengers, six crew members, and destined for Lyon in eastern France to land in Graz. Graz is Austria's second largest city. No one was injured. "The cause of the smoke at this time is unclear", police in Austria's state of Styria (whose capital is Graz) said in a press release. EasyJet Flight 4400 was the only flight listed from Budapest to Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport on Monday. EasyJet website stated that the flight had been diverted to Graz, and it landed at 1325 GMT (3:25 pm). The website also stated that a "follow-on" flight to Lyon was scheduled to leave Graz at 5 p.m., but it is estimated to depart around 9:45 pm. Flightradar24 is a flight tracking website that EasyJet uses on its website. It says the Airbus 319 plane that landed at Graz was a Flightradar24. (Reporting and editing by Deepa Babyington, Francois Murphy)
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FT reports that activist hedge fund Parvus has acquired a stake in Novo Nordisk.
The Financial Times reported that the activist hedge fund Parvus Asset Management has built a stake in Novo Nordick after the company lost the first mover advantage on the lucrative market for weight loss drugs, according to people familiar with the details. Reports claim that the London-based fund has been targeting the budget airline Ryanair as well as the Italian bank UniCredit to influence the nomination of Novo Nordisk’s new CEO. In an email, Novo said that it "has nothing to add." Parvus didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. In May, Novo announced that its CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen will step down. Shares had plummeted from their record high in June of last year, as the competition, notably from U.S. competitor Eli Lilly, made inroads on Novo's share. Meanwhile, its pipeline for new drugs failed to impress investors. Last month, after cutting its forecasts for 2025, Jorgensen stated that Novo expects Wegovy sales to begin recovering in the United States once the ban on compound copies is implemented this month.
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US ocean container imports fall in May as China tariffs begin to take effect
According to Descartes, a supply chain technology company, U.S. imports from China by sea dropped 28.5% in May compared to the same month last year, marking the steepest drop since the pandemic. China is the largest U.S. importer of goods through the seaports. The busiest port in the country, Los Angeles/Long Beach, is one of the most important. These goods are essential to the operations of domestic businesses, from Walmart to Ford. The overall U.S. imports of seaborne goods in May fell 7.2% compared to the previous year to 2,18 million 20-foot units. This ended a string of near-record growth fueled by companies that frontloaded their products to avoid higher duty rates. Descartes stated in a press release that "the effects of U.S. policies shifts with China can now be clearly seen in monthly trade flow." West Coast ports were more dependent on China and suffered the most from the decline. Descartes reported that from April to May, Long Beach and Los Angeles, two of the busiest seaports on the west coast, experienced a steep drop in Chinese goods, with 31.6% and 29,9% respectively. Furniture, bedding, plastics, toys, sporting goods, machinery and other goods were among the top imports from China. Last month, the United States and China agreed on a 90 day pause in punitive tit for tat tariffs. U.S. officials and Chinese officials met Monday in London to try to resolve the high-stakes dispute between the two world's biggest economies. Port executives and shipping experts expect China's volume to increase during the tariff truce. However, it will be at a moderate level. This is because the U.S. reduced the tariff on many Chinese goods to 30% during this pause. Descartes stated that "China-origin exports could continue to soften as importers reassess their sourcing strategies in light of rising landed costs." Reporting by Lisa Baertlein, Los Angeles. Editing by Rod Nickel and Cynthia Osterman.
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US Army, FAA and NTSB brief Senators on recent near-miss incidents involving helicopter
Senior U.S. Officials will answer senators' questions Wednesday regarding an incident that occurred on May 1, when two passenger flights were forced to cancel landings at Reagan Washington National Airport due to a nearby Army helicopter. A spokesperson for Senator Jerry Moran, who chairs the panel, announced that Brigadier-General Matthew Braman, Director of Army Aviation, Chris Rocheleau, Acting Federal Aviation Administration Head, and Jennifer Homendy, Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, will attend a closed door roundtable discussion with the Senate Commerce Subcommittee Aviation to discuss the near miss incident. A Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane collided near Reagan on January 29. 67 people were killed. Separately, on Monday, two dozen U.S. Senators asked the inspectors general for the Pentagon and Transportation Departments to open audits as a response to the ongoing issues with coordination between the Army and the air traffic control at Reagan Airport (DCA) and the collision that occurred. Moran's Office said that senators would also receive an "updated status on military helicopter activities in and around DCA airspace." Rocheleau announced last week that the agency has barred the Army's training and priority transport flights following the incident. Rocheleau stated that "we've closed those until we feel comfortable with what we refer to as new rules of the roads." Homendy's participation was confirmed by the NTSB. The FAA or Army did not respond immediately to comments. After the deadly collision, seven Democratic Senators introduced on Thursday sweeping legislation to improve air safety. Last month, the Army informed the Associated Press that the military air traffic controllers had lost contact with the helicopter as it approached the Pentagon during the flight on May 1. Both Delta Air Lines Flights 1671 and Republic Airways Flight 5825 (an Embraer 170 which had departed Boston) were forced to do go-arounds because of the Army helicopter nearby. After the incident, the U.S. Army suspended helicopter operations in the area of the Pentagon on May 5. Separately, the FAA revealed last month that a hotline between the Pentagon and air traffic control at Reagan had been inoperative since March 2022. (Reporting and editing by William Maclean, David Shepardson)
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Russia says that train service between Moscow, North Korea and Pyongyang will resume in this month.
Russia and North Korea are planning to resume direct passenger trains between Moscow and Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea in this month. This will be the first time that the service has been offered since 2020. Russian Railways announced that it had reached an agreement with the North Korean railways ministry on a two-monthly service to resume between the capitals of the country. The journey, which took eight days, was said to be the longest direct train journey in the entire world, covering over 10,000 km (6 213 miles). Two days later, another service will be launched between Pyongyang, North Korea, and Khabarovsk in Russia, near the northeastern Chinese border. Korean State Railway will operate the services. In the case of the Moscow to Pyongyang route, a North Korean passenger train will be attached to the regular Moscow to Vladivostok service, then reattached to another. In February 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic prompted the suspension of passenger rail traffic between Russia & North Korea. Since President Vladimir Putin signed a comprehensive partnership treaty with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last year, Moscow and Pyongyang's cooperation has increased. North Korea confirmed to Russia in late April it had sent over 10,000 troops and weapons in support of its war in Ukraine. This assistance was crucial to Moscow's success in regaining Russia's western Kursk area from Ukraine. Both countries operate passenger rail services between Vladivostok, in Russia's Far East, and Rason (a North Korean port). There are also freight rail networks that connect the nations, though Russia does not reveal the volume of cargo traffic. Reporting by Gleb Stlyarov, Writing by Lucy Papachristou and Editing by Andrew Osborn
California wildfires dim solar generation during power demand peak: Maguire
Wildfires gushing smoke across much of the southwest United States are denting solar energy output in the country's biggest solar manufacturer just as power demand peaks due to heavy usage of air conditioners throughout summertime.
Through the first half of 2024, solar energy generation in the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) network was 28% above the very same duration in 2023 following substantial solar capability growths in the state within the previous year.
But CAISO's solar power output dipped below year-earlier levels this month as thick smoke from spreading wildfires darkened the skies and dimmed solar generation in mid-July.
Solar output has because rebounded as winds cleared some smoke away, however 89 large active wildfires that have actually already burnt over 2 million acres continue to burn in the U.S. since July 30, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).
Additionally, California is only one of 12 states presently reporting large fires, which are defined as a fire fulfilling the size of the top 5% of historical daily largest fires during a. normal fire season, according to the NIFC.
Hot, dry and windy conditions throughout the southwest continue. to cultivate further wildfire growths, so additional disturbances. to local solar generation are most likely just as home and. company usage of power-hungry cooling systems looks set to peak.
To offset any power supply deficiencies from solar farms,. power manufacturers might be forced to increase generation from coal. and natural gas-fired plants which may worsen air quality. readings.
UP IN SMOKE
The U.S. southwest is the top national solar power. generation area due to its generally sunny and dry environment, but is. likewise the most active area for wildfires for comparable areas.
Roughly half of all U.S. utility-scale solar generation. capacity lies within states included in the U.S. southwest. region, according to energy information portal Cleanview, therefore. possibly stands to be impacted by wildfire break outs.
In addition to being obstructed by hazy air that blocks some. of the sun's rays before they can be converted to electrical energy. within the panels, solar farms can likewise be impacted by ash and. dust finishes and can in some cases be ruined straight by fires.
Research studies on the solar impact of wildfires in California in. 2020 show that power output by PV (photovoltaic solar) decreased. in between 10% to 30% on the statewide scale however decreased as much as 58%. locally, according to the United States Department of Energy.
OUTPUT HIT
Aggressive tidy energy generation targets have made. California's power system a nationwide leader in terms of. integrating clean power onto the state's grid.
California generated around 28% of its electrical energy from. solar in 2023, and can generate as much as 40% of its. electricity needs from solar during peak generation periods in. the summer season, data from energy think tank Coal revealed.
CAISO's ability to keep tidy power flowing was put to the. test earlier this month as a few of the state's wildfires caused. prevalent haze across the region which stunted solar. generation.
CAISO solar generation balanced around 8,200 megawatt hours. ( MWh) a day over the very first 10 days of July, according to LSEG,. which was a record for that duration.
From July 12 through July 15, however, average solar. generation dropped to around 6,350 MWh due to thick haze, which. marked a roughly 23% drop from the July 1-10 average and was. also below the exact same days in 2023.
To offset the solar setback, CAISO power companies. increased natural gas-fired generation by around 10% throughout July. 12-15 from the July 1-10 typical, but then reduced gas output. once again when solar output rebounded.
Any further interruptions to CAISO solar production will. likely also be balanced out by higher gas-fired power output, which. might lead to even greater air contamination in the surrounding. location. << The viewpoints revealed here are those of the author, a. columnist .>
(source: Reuters)