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U.S. Midwest Grid selects 10 projects for expedited review
On Thursday, the U.S. Midwest Grid Operator announced that it had selected 10 initial power plant projects to be fast tracked for review. This is part of a program to quickly add new resources as demand for energy surges. The record U.S. consumption of electricity due to artificial intelligence data centres and the electrification and buildings and transportation in the United States is pushing grids to their limits, which has led some operators to accelerate new resources. MISO is the Midcontinent Independent System Operator that controls electricity flow through transmission lines in 15 U.S. States. In addition to conducting engineering studies, the organization reviews power sources that want to connect to the grid. MISO has selected five projects for rapid review. Three are solar, one is wind, and one is battery. The total installed capacity of the projects is 5.3 gigawatts. The MISO program called Expedited Resource Addition Study (ERAS) reviews projects that are ready to be connected. The selected projects have an in-service date between January 2027 to August 2028. The first 10 projects span all three MISO regions, from Louisiana to Minnesota, said Jennifer Curran. MISO operates the grid that covers 15 states across the middle of the United States. Curran stated that "ERAS can be a valuable tool to help us improve reliability in our efforts to achieve long-term improvements to the interconnection process. Each project must also meet strict standards to ensure only feasible and necessary proposals are approved." Nearly 50 projects totaling 26.5 gigawatts in electricity generation capacity applied for the program. MISO has taken a similar step to the one taken by PJM Interconnection - the largest grid operator in the United States - to accelerate the review of power projects. The projects selected so far have overwhelmingly used natural gas. (Reporting and editing by Nick Zieminski.)
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US FAA proposes changes to speed up certification of new commercial aircrafts
In a Thursday notice, the Trump Administration announced that the Federal Aviation Administration will propose changes in order to accelerate certification of new commercial aircraft. The FAA announced that it will propose changes by December "to modernize certification standards for aircraft and propulsion systems of the transport category." The FAA said that the initiative will be de-regulatory, reducing the number "of exemptions, special conditions and equivalent level safety findings required during certification." Mike Whitaker told reporters in December that the FAA wanted to streamline the aircraft certification process and was working on using "better technologies" to do so. The FAA stated that it hopes the proposal "will reduce certification costs and time for new and changed product certifications, both for industry and FAA, while maintaining or improving the level of security." The FAA plans to harmonize their regulations with international standards. Boeing had hoped that the 737 MAX 7 would be certified by 2022, but has been faced with a number of problems. Boeing retracted its request for an exemption from safety regulations in January to address a de-icing problem with the engine. Southwest Airlines expects the MAX 7 to be certified in the first six months of 2019. This would mean that Southwest Airlines could enter service as early as 2026. Before the FAA can certify MAX 10, the MAX 7 first needs to be certified. United Airlines said earlier that it might not receive the MAX 10 before 2027 or even 2028 due to uncertainty over when the plane would be approved. (Reporting and editing by Leslie Adler, Diane Craft, and David Shepardson)
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Brazil's Embraer trails US'milestones' amid trade tensions
Embraer announced on Thursday that it will announce what it called a "milestone," for the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer in Washington, next week. This is the latest indication of aerospace companies trying to strengthen economic ties with America. The announcement on September 10 will coincide with an important gathering of leaders in the aerospace industry. Embraer has been lobbying the Trump administration to remove the 10% tariffs from its jets. It also highlighted the dependence of U.S. Airlines on regional jets. Embraer declined to comment further on the announcement, but sources in the industry said that they expected at least part of it to be focused on increasing U.S. employment and connectivity through its commercial jets. Embraer sells 45% of its commercial aircraft and 70% of executive jets to U.S. customers, which all rely heavily on U.S.-made parts. Embraer does not have immediate plans to introduce a new jet model, according to several industry sources, despite the fact that the manufacturer floated the idea of mounting a challenge to Airbus, Boeing, and a upcoming competitor from China. The announcement was not clear on what else Embraer might have included, claiming that it would be the "first of its kind to be made in the United States". Watchers in the aerospace industry say that there is a trend among companies to make high-profile announcements, such as industrial decisions and plane orders, in Washington. This is to reduce the impact of Trump’s "America First” policies. Embraer, in recent months, has asked Washington to lower its tariffs, citing the company's strong ties to the U.S. and its plans to buy $21 billion of U.S. goods by 2030. Embraer was spared a major blow in July when Trump exempted Brazilian goods from a tariff of 50%, but still faces a duty of 10%. The E175 E1 is a key aircraft for regional routes in the U.S. The United States is also its No. 1 market for business jets. The U.S. is also the No. 1 market for business jets. Embraer has assembly plants for executive jets in Florida. It said last month that it would build a $500 million plant in the U.S. for its C-390 military airlifter if the U.S. decided to buy the jet. Analysts have noted that some of the newly announced initiatives were already underway. Airbus' chief executive, who will be in Washington, next week, could inaugurate an American assembly line as soon as next month. This is ahead of a planned second assembly line to be opened in China at the end of this year. (Reporting and writing by Allison Lampert; David Shepardson and Gabriel Araujo; editing by Susan Fenton, David Gregorio, Tim Hepher)
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Avride, a startup that develops autonomous technology, will ramp up its testing in conjunction with Uber's robotaxi launch
Avride announced on Thursday that it will be increasing the testing of its robotaxis in Dallas as the startup autonomous technology prepares to launch robotaxis with Uber. In order to commercialize robotic deliveries, autonomous technology companies are partnering with startups that offer ride-hailing services and food delivery. Avride announced a wider partnership with Uber last October. In November, its delivery robots launched on the Uber Eats Platform in Austin. Later, they were expanded to Dallas and Jersey City. Avride will bring its autonomous vehicles to Uber's platform by the end of this year as robotaxis. This brings both products from the startup onto the same platform. Uber's Head of Autonomous Mobility & Delivery, Sarfraz Maredia said: "Uber riders will soon have a way to move about the city. This is another step towards making autonomous transportation a part of daily life." The Dallas robotaxi fleet will be based on Hyundai Motors' cutting-edge IONIQ EV platform, which is integrated with Avride’s autonomous driving technologies. Avride and Hyundai partnered to expand their fleet of robotaxis and sign a contract to develop and operate autonomous vehicles together. The startup also collaborated to deploy robots across college campuses in the United States with food delivery service Grubhub. Reporting by Jubybabu in Mexico City, Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri
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London stock rises supported by banks and consumer staples
Investors analyzed corporate updates as London shares rose Thursday. Consumer staples and banks stocks led the gains. The blue-chip FTSE 100 rose by 0.4% while the domestically focused midcap index grew 0.8%. Currys' 15.6% increase in retail stocks was a boost to the sector. The electricals retailer reported that group sales had risen 3% during the summer period (17 weeks up to the end August), putting them on track to achieve forecasts. Currys has also announced a share buyback of 50 million pounds ($68 million). JD Sports Fashion and Frasers, as well as Next and other major retailers, have also made significant progress. Tesco's shares rose 1.8%. Heavyweight bank shares gained 1.2%. NatWest rose 1.5%, Barclays added 2.2% and Lloyds increased 2.1%. Sources familiar with the situation say that around 3,000 Lloyds workers who are judged to be in the bottom 5% will be subjected to possible dismissal. Airtel Africa, Auto Trader and Rightmove all gained 2.3%. In contrast, precious metals miners declined, as gold prices fell. Endeavour Mining is down 1.7% while Hochschild Mining is down 3.5%. Anglo American, the industrial mining company, also fell by 1.2%. Jet2, a low-cost carrier and travel company, also lost 12.5% of its value after forecasting a lower profit. EasyJet, a peer company, fell 4.2% and landed at the bottom of FTSE 100. Animal genetics firm Genus rose 10.4% on Strong annual profit growth Joint ventures with China are accelerating. The bond market has stabilized after a recent rout, when fears about Britain's finances, and the government’s ability to control them, briefly sent gilts yields to their highest level since 1998. Investors continue to speculate, however, about tax increases that could dampen the economic growth, as Britain is set to present its budget on 26 November. In August, the construction industry in Britain slowed down for the eighth consecutive month, marking its longest decline since 2020. In a BoE survey, British firms reported that they expect inflation to rise slightly in the coming year. Investors await the July retail sales figures due on Friday. As they traded ex dividend, Antofagasta, Admiral Group, and other stocks fell by 2.3% and 1.55% respectively.
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US abandons Biden's plan that would have required airlines to compensate for flight disruptions
The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it would abandon a plan from his predecessor to force airlines to compensate passengers in cash when they cause flight delays or cancellations within the United States. In December, under the then-President Joe Biden, the U.S. Transportation Department sought public comments on the rulemaking processes regarding whether airlines should have to pay up to $775 per hour for delays that exceed three hours in the United States. U.S. Airlines strongly criticized the proposal. In a document published on Thursday, the White House stated that USDOT intends to withdraw this notice "consistently with departmental and administrative priorities." Biden stated that his administration will write rules in May 2023 requiring airlines compensate passengers for flight disruptions. Airlines for America (a trade group that represents American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines) did not comment immediately, but stated last year the plan of Biden would increase ticket prices. In the U.S., airlines must reimburse passengers for cancelled flights but not for delayed flights. Major carriers by 2022 Commit to paying for meals When flight delays are significant, they can result in hotel expenses and other costs. Canada, Brazil, European Union, and the United Kingdom have all adopted airline delay compensation rules. USDOT announced in December that it would be examining whether airlines should cover meal costs, hotel expenses and other costs following carrier disruptions. It also considered whether airlines should be required to rebook customers on the next flight available, or, if there is no flight for 24 hours, they could have to use their competitors. The Trump administration is taking other steps to reverse Biden's airline consumer initiatives. Justice Department May 2015 Dropped a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines was accused of operating illegally delayed flights by the Biden Administration in its final days. (Reporting and editing by Rod Nickel, David Gregorio and David Shepardson)
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Brazil's Embraer lag behind new US'milestones' amid trade tensions
Embraer announced on Thursday that it will announce in Washington what it called a "milestone for the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer" next week. Embraer declined to comment further on the planned announcement, but industry sources stated that it would focus on increasing U.S. manufacturing through its commercial aircraft division. The announcement on September 10 will coincide with an important gathering of aerospace leaders taking place in Washington, D.C. It comes as the third largest planemaker in the world is lobbying for the removal of 10% tariffs placed by the Trump Administration on its planes. Embraer announced in a press advisory that the announcement would be "the very first of its kind in America." Analysts caution that some of the recently announced investments had already been in the pipeline. Reporting by Allison Lampert and Tim Hepher. Writing by Tim Hepher. Editing by Susan Fenton.
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Finnair is considering ordering 30 narrowbody jets
Airline Finnair announced on Wednesday that it is sourcing a first batch of narrowbody aircraft, and considering an order for up to 30 jets. Turkka Kuusisto, CEO of the company, told reporters that "one could argue that we'd need 15 but we also need to do a... wider or more extrapolated analysis" that would determine if it should be 25 or 30. The Finnish airline has 80 aircraft in its fleet. This includes 15 jets that are older and need to be replaced. Kuusisto said that this was the most pressing need. He did not know which aircraft would be chosen, but that the company will make a decision at the end of this year. (Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Rod Nickel, Tim Hepher)
Mali files ICJ complaint against Algeria for downing drone near border
The Mali Ministry of Territorial Administration announced on Thursday that the transitional government of Mali has filed a complaint against Algeria before the International Court of Justice accusing it of aggression after its neighbour shot down a Malian reconnaissance drone.
Mali claimed that Algeria intentionally shot down its drone near Tinzaouaten, in Mali's Kidal Region, during the night between March 31 and April 1, near their shared desert frontier.
The statement said: "This blatant attack, which the Malian government strongly condemns and was intended to hinder the neutralisation by the Malian Armed and Security Forces of armed terrorists, is the culmination a series hostile acts and malicious activities, repeatedly condemned by the Malian Authorities."
Mali called the incident a hostile act, and said it violated the principle of non use of force. It added that Mali had repeatedly requested Algerian authorities provide proof of the drone's violation of Algerian airspace.
The Algerian foreign ministry was not available for immediate comment.
Algeria claimed to have shot down a surveillance drone near its border that was armed. Reporting by Mali Newsroom, Writing by Ayen deng Bior, editing by Nia William
(source: Reuters)