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After US approval, MISO will speed up the grid connection of power plants
MISO, one of the top North American grid operators, will expedite the process to connect new power plants to the grid, after U.S. regulators have approved the plan. Why it Matters The demand for electricity in the U.S. has soared due to Big Tech data centres. This has led to a record-breaking increase in electricity consumption and a sudden need to add more electricity. MISO, the organization that controls the flow and distribution of electricity across 15 states, including Manitoba in Canada, will shorten the time required to complete the interconnection studies for certain power plant projects. MISO stated that the measure was "a temporary, targeted solution to quickly bring generation resources on line amid unprecedented growth in load and reliability challenges." THE DETAILS MISO's plan is similar to an effort made by PJM Interconnection - the largest U.S. electricity grid - to reduce the time required to approve new additions. The program will end on August 31, 2027. A maximum of 68 project will be approved under this expedited program. The project must be able to show that it can be completed in 3 to 6 years. The first quarterly study will begin on September 2nd. (Reporting and editing by Margueritachoy and Laila Kearney)
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In the next few days, we should see a resolution to the US-Mexico Aviation dispute
The CEO of Mexican airline Volaris said that he believes a solution to the dispute between the U.S.A. and Mexico in aviation may be reached within the next few days. The U.S. Department of Transportation issued orders on Saturday requiring Mexican Airlines to submit their flight schedules. Threatening to reject requests If the Mexican government does not respond to U.S. concerns about flight changes in Mexico City. Mexico was governed by the previous government. Move cargo flights The main airport in the capital city is being moved to a more distant, newer site. cutting passenger flight slots Enrique Beltranena, CEO of Volaris, told analysts during the company's call to discuss its second-quarter results that he was "extremely confident" the solution would be available in the coming days. The executive said that he was "confident" that both governments would reach a mutually beneficial and logical agreement. In her morning press conference, President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Tuesday that Mexico and the U.S. will begin talks on this issue. She also suggested that there could be some compromises. "(The U.S. is) making a series of specific requests. We're analyzing these to see if they can be addressed, or if an alternative can proposed." She cautioned, however, that the new airport to which flights were relocated - Felipe Angeles International Airport AIFA - was a solution in itself. Sheinbaum's former mentor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (now President of Mexico), overhauled the capital’s airspace in his tenure, claiming that the main airport had become overcrowded and that AIFA, the AIFA he built, would relieve the pressure. (Reporting and editing by Kylie Madry, Aida Peleaz Fernandez)
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Under a $7.5 billion U.S. infrastructure project, less than 400 EV charger ports were built
The Government Accountability Office reported Tuesday that the United States has built less than 400 charging stations for electric vehicles under federal infrastructure programs worth $7.5 billion. GAO reported that as of April 2025 384 charging ports were operating at 68 stations across 16 states. The office in charge of the program, GAO stated, "has not defined goals for performance with measurable targets or timeframes." In May, California, along with 15 other states, sued the U.S. Transportation Department. They claimed that the federal government illegally refused to pay at least $3 billion in funding for the construction of EV charging stations, as required by a law enacted in 2021. In February, the Transportation Department of President Donald Trump suspended the EV Charging Program and rescinded state plans pending a thorough review. GAO reported that Trump has asked Congress to rescind the $6 billion of EV charging funds not yet spent. According to the Energy Department, there are approximately 219,000 public EV charging stations available across the country. A Democratic Senator called it "pathetic" in June 2024 when he criticized the Biden Administration for only deploying seven EV Charging Stations with just a few dozen ports. "We've been at this for three years now... This is a massive administrative failure," said Senator Jeff Merkley. "Something is wrong, and it must be corrected." The Trump administration took a number steps to discourage electric vehicle sales. Trump signed legislation last month to end the $7500 EV Tax Credit and $4,000 Used EV Tax Credit on September 30. Trump revoked in January an executive order signed by Biden in 2021 that aimed to have half of new vehicles sold in America by 2030 be electric. General Services Administration (GSA) told federal agencies in March that charging stations for government owned EVs should be "disconnected from the network" and turned off. GSA announced in April that it had cancelled 32 electric vehicle charging project worth more than $23 million.
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Officials are concerned about the increasing number of drone incidents near US stadiums and airports.
U.S. officials informed a Senate Committee on Tuesday that more than 3,000 drone incidents have occurred near American airports in the past three years, including 11 aircraft that took evasive actions to avoid collisions. Steven Willoughby is a Homeland Security Department counter drone official who said that drone incidents can cause significant delays near airports. He told the Senate Judiciary Committee in California and Texas, in two cases, drones have collided into aircraft performing critical response missions during emergency situations. Officials have also expressed concerns over the use of drones to attack and at major sporting events. Willoughby stated that the Secret Service has been tracking hundreds of drones that have violated temporary flight restrictions to protect the President and others since 2018. He also said that within 500 meters of U.S. border, more than 27,000 drones will be detected in 2024. Senators and administration officials say Congress must change laws to strengthen penalties for drone usage and give federal agencies expanded authority to combat malicious drones. Justice Department officials stated at the hearing that drones pose serious threats to large gatherings, but the FBI could only cover a fraction. The FBI's events covered represent less than 0.05% of over 240,000 events in recent years that could have authorized counter-drone security. Reporting by David Shepardson
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Emirates hires cabin crew, ground service staff and pilots
It said that the parent company of Emirates Airlines is planning to increase its workforce by 17300, including more pilots, engineers, cabin crew and catering staff as well as cargo and ground handling personnel. Emirates Group, which is owned by Dubai’s sovereign wealth fund ICD and has a workforce of 14%, plans to hire 350 new staff members in different roles in the group's financial year, ending in March next year. It said that the new jobs would include more than 4,000 positions at its ground handling firm dnata. Emirates is a major player in Dubai's positioning as a global hub. D33 is a 10-year strategy that aims to boost the economy of Dubai by attracting foreign investment and investing in tourism. According to data from the government, between January and the end of May, 8.68 million people stayed overnight in the city-state, an increase of 7% compared to a year ago. In a statement, Emirates said that as part of its recruitment drive, it will host over 2,100 open-days and other talent acquisition activities in 150 cities across the country. (Reporting by Federico Maccioni; Editing by Susan Fenton)
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Air India claims that the power generator of a flight caught fire at Delhi Airport, triggering checks
Air India announced on Tuesday that it had grounded a passenger plane for inspections after a generator caught fire soon after landing in New Delhi, India's capital. A spokesperson for the airline stated that the auxillary power unit of the aircraft caught fire as passengers exited the aircraft. The APU was shut down automatically, the spokesperson said. APU is a generator of electrical power that is typically found at the back of an airplane. Its main function is to power the aircraft's essential systems and start the main engine while it is at the airport. The airline stated that passengers "disembarked normal" and were safe, but the aircraft which flew from Hong Kong suffered some damage. The airline did not provide any details on the damage to the aircraft. Flightradar24 data showed that the impacted flight was an Airbus A321. Air India has informed the Indian aviation regulator about the incident. India's aviation regulator did not respond to a request for comment. Air India is under increased scrutiny after one of its planes crashed in June in Ahmedabad, a city in western India. The crash killed 260 people. Air India's jet engine suffered damage after it went off the runway during a heavy rain storm in Mumbai, on Monday. Reporting by Abhijith Gaparavam, New Delhi; Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru and Ananta Agarwal at Bengaluru. Editing by Maju Sam.
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Egypt's current account deficit shrinks to $13.2 Billion in nine months from March
Egypt's deficit in its current account decreased to $13.2 billion from $17.1 billion a year ago, according to the central bank of Egypt. The bank attributed a slimmer deficit to a 86.6% rise in remittances sent by Egyptians who work abroad as well as an increase in the services surplus as reflected in 23% more tourism revenue. Oil exports fell by $430.5 millions to $4.2 billion from $4.6 billion a year ago, while oil imports grew by $4.8 billion from $9.7 to $14.5 billion. Egypt is seeking to import additional fuel oil and natural gas liquefied this year in order to meet its energy needs after experiencing blackouts due to periods of unstable gas supply over the last two years. After Israel's air conflict with Iran, the drop in natural gas supply to Egypt has intensified concerns. Suez Canal revenue fell to $2.6 billion from $5.8 Billion a year ago, as the Yemeni Houthis continued to attack ships in the Red Sea, causing the decline. The Iran-aligned groups says that it attacks ships connected to Israel in order to support Palestinians in Gaza. Egypt's tourism revenues reached $12.5 billion between July 2024 and March 2025 compared to just $10.9 billion a year ago. The remittances of Egyptians who work abroad have increased from $14.5 billion to $26.4 billion. Foreign direct investment reached $9.8 billion compared to $23.7.
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India's Akasa Airlines sees Boeing deliveries increasing in the coming years
Ankur Goel, the chief financial officer of India's Akasa Airlines, said that he expects Boeing to increase its plane deliveries in the next few years. The airline aims to have a fleet size of 226 aircraft, up from 30 at present, by 2032. The airline expects the number of available seat kilometers, a measure for passenger capacity, to grow by over 30% in this fiscal year. This is on top of a 50% increase last year. Goel, at a press conference in the capital of India, did not give a breakdown by year, but he said that deliveries were expected to rise over time. In an earlier report, it was reported that Akasa Air executives privately criticized Boeing for the delayed delivery of planes and scrambled to reassure hundreds of anxious pilots without jobs. Mumbai's low-cost carrier, which began operations three years ago, ordered 226 Boeing 737 MAX planes. Delivery delays have occurred as the 737 MAX program has been under regulatory scrutiny following a cabin panel explosion mid-air last year, and the effects of a 7-week workers strike. Goel has not provided any revenue or profit data for the fiscal year 2024-25. Akasa quadrupled its revenue to $356 millions in the year prior, but saw its loss increase to $194 from $86. In May, Akasa's domestic market share was 5.3%. This compares to the combined 90+% held by IndiGo and Air India Group. Akasa was founded with the support of Rakesh Jhunjhunwala - dubbed India’s Warren Buffett - and went on an hiring spree. Within two years, it began operating international flights from Qatar to Saudi Arabia. In February, despite challenges, Akasa raised an amount of unspecified capital from the investment arm of Indian billionaire Azim Premji and Jhunjhunwala family. Reporting by Abhijit Panapavaram from New Delhi and Manvi Pant in Bengaluru. Mark Potter edited the article.
Enbridge, a Canadian company, will invest $900 million in Texas solar project
Enbridge, an energy infrastructure company, announced on Tuesday that it had made a final decision to invest $900,000,000 in a 600-megawatt solar power plant in Texas. The demand for clean electricity from tech companies is driving growth in renewables.
Meta Platforms signed a contract for a long term to buy 100% of the renewable output from this project to power its regional operations.
Meta is one of several large technology firms that invest in renewable energy for their data centers.
Clear Fork, located near San Antonio is expected to be operational by 2027.
Matthew Akman is Enbridge's executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy and President of Power. He said that Clear Fork shows the increasing demand for renewable energy in North America by blue-chip companies involved in data centers and technology.
Enbridge has already begun construction on the project and expects it to have a positive impact on its earnings and cash flow by 2027. (Reporting by Arunima Kumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)
(source: Reuters)