Hurricane Rafael cut off power across the island even before it made landfall on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm. Authorities are still working to restore power after weeks of widespread, prolonged blackouts exacerbated by another hurricane that struck Cuba in late October.
Utility planning documents show rising costs for customers in some regions of the US as tech companies build out energy-hungry data centers, the Washington Post reports:
“A lot of governors and local political leaders who wanted economic growth and vitality from these data centers are now realizing it can come at a cost of increased consumer bills,” said Neil Chatterjee, former chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
[The Washington Post]
Meta wanted to build a nuclear-powered AI data center in the US — until a rare species of bee was found at the site, according to the Financial Times.
Tech giants have inked a string of nuclear energy deals lately to try to meet growing electricity demand for AI data centers.
EcoFlow’s whole-home energy backup solution, PowerOcean, now works with LG’s Homey smart home platform to help manage your home’s energy use. According to a press release:
Users can automatically change their lights to green when the EcoFlow EV charger completes charging their vehicle. They can also start their washing machine when their EcoFlow solar panels generate excess energy or receive notifications when energy prices drop, making it cost-effective to charge their EcoFlow home battery.
PowerOcean is currently only available in Europe, but EcoFlow says it’s coming to the US next year.
[homey.app]
Remember in 2008 when ex-Intel chief Andy Grove tried convincing new leadership to diversify interests and produce advanced lithium-ion batteries? Here in 2024, Intel’s very survival is uncertain and Homeland Security worries that China’s domination of batteries used in EVs (80 percent) and commercial energy storage (90 percent) is a threat to the US supply chain. Duh.
According to Google, the deal will help “unlock the full potential of AI for everyone”:
The grid needs new electricity sources to support AI technologies that are powering major scientific advances, improving services for businesses and customers, and driving national competitiveness and economic growth. This agreement helps accelerate a new technology to meet energy needs cleanly and reliably, and unlock the full potential of AI for everyone.
Power outages affect more than 3.3 million customers in Florida, out of the 11.5 million customers tracked by poweroutage.us (which collects data from utilities). Milton made landfall as an “extremely dangerous category 3 hurricane” Wednesday night.
Correction: It is 11.5 million customers, not 11.5.
[poweroutage.us]
Major tech firms, in search of carbon pollution-free electricity for data centers, are helping to revive nuclear energy in the US.
The 320-mile line would connect the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) power grid to other states for the first time. Unlike most states that send each other electricity in times of need, the Lone Star state has historically been isolated. That made it more vulnerable to power outages during extreme weather like deadly Winter Storm Uri in 2021.
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Verge Score
EcoFlow’s Alternator Charger helps keep all your tools and toys charged when driving away from civilization.
An Oregon gas company said it could clean up its act by turning to “renewable natural gas” made from organic waste. Years later, it’s selling customers just as much fossil fuel gas as it did before, according to a ProPublica investigation.
Fossil fuel giants have used AI for years to increase production. Now, Microsoft sees the generative AI boom as an opportunity to boost profits for itself and oil and gas companies it wants to strike deals with, Karen Hao reports for The Atlantic. Microsoft’s own greenhouse gas emissions are growing with its focus on AI, taking the company further away from its climate goals.
[The Atlantic]
It popped up quickly with little transparency around its potential impact on the power grid, air quality, or water resources, local advocates say. The Elon Musk-led company is reportedly running gas generators without a proper permit. Local utility officials reportedly signed NDAs.
“We have been deemed by xAI not even valuable enough to have a conversation with,” says KeShaun Pearson, who grew up a few miles from the facility and is president of the local nonprofit Memphis Community Against Pollution. “To not even be included in conversations about what is transpiring in our own backyards.”
Does it look good on me?
EcoFlow’s new $129 Power Hat is possibly the most uncomfortable hat I’ve ever worn — but if it can keep my phone charged while running around IFA in the blistering 90-degree heat in Berlin, it might be worth it.
The company says the hat can charge a 4,000mAh smartphone in a few hours. It’s surprisingly lightweight but unsurprisingly unattractive.
The modular Solix X1 already announced for the US is now available in Europe in single- or three-phase configurations. LFP battery capacities start at 5kWh and expand to 180kWh with up to 36kW of power output. That’s enough to juice any device — even your EV — for hours, days, or indefinite operation when integrated with solar.
Think Powerwall, but not from Elon Musk.
The Verge spoke with Bill Gates about AI, misinformation, and climate change.
The South Dublin County Council rejected the proposal, Bloomberg reports. Google reportedly didn’t provide sufficient information about “how the proposal will impact the power supply once operational.”
New data centers being built with the boom in AI have raised concerns about straining the power grid. Ireland is a hot spot for that construction, where data centers already use more electricity than urban households.
