Saturday, March 31, 2018

Donald Trump steps up attacks on Amazon (because of its ownership of the Washington Post)

I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it:

Donald Trump steps up attacks on Amazon - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-43606088

* Disclaimer *

The BBC is not responsible for the content of this email, and anything written in this email does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the email address nor name of the sender have been verified.
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Friday, March 30, 2018

Thursday, March 29, 2018

No longer muzzled, Shulkin takes on Trump’s White House

The fired Veterans Affairs secretary claims he was politically knifed: 'It should not be this hard to serve your country.' Ousted Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin is going down swinging. Instead of disappearing into obscurity like others who were summarily fired by President Donald Trump,...

http://flip.it/-aKLce

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Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Judge Block's Exxon's Attempt to Fend Off Tobacco-Style Suit re Climate Change by State AG's

Kelly Loses White House Clout - nobody on the recent call between Trump and Putin

Kelly Loses White House Clout as Trump Blazes Own Path https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2018-03-29/kelly-is-said-to-lose-white-house-clout-as-trump-blazes-own-path
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

CA wine industry seeing Trump tariff impacts already

I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it:

Industry ferment: US wine industry crushed over tariffs - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43560477

* Disclaimer *

The BBC is not responsible for the content of this email, and anything written in this email does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the email address nor name of the sender have been verified.
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

China's space lab set for fiery, uncontrolled re-entry

I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it:

China's space lab set for fiery re-entry - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-43557446

* Disclaimer *

The BBC is not responsible for the content of this email, and anything written in this email does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the email address nor name of the sender have been verified.
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Half of All U.S. Coal Plants Would Lose Money Without Regulation - Bloomberg

Friday, March 23, 2018

Berkeley Researchers develop device that extracts water from desert air



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Researchers develop device that extracts water from desert air // Engadget
https://www.engadget.com/amp/2018/03/22/device-extracts-water-from-desert-air/

Researchers at MIT and UC Berkeley have developed and now tested a device that can extract water out of the air even in the driest of climates. The team proposed the device in a Science article last year and now they've improved the design and tried it out in Tempe, Arizona. While there are a few ways to pull water out of the air, most come with significant limitations. They usually require humidities upwards of 50 percent and some need a lot of energy input to make them work. The research team's latest design, however, works passively, without the need for energy input, and can work in places with humidity as low as 10 percent.

The core of the design is a material called a metal-organic framework, or MOF. It's made up of linked molecules that create a super porous material with lots of surface area. And depending on what you make the MOF with, it can be very hydrophilic, meaning it attracts water. See the video below for more on this type of material. The MOF used here is able to pull water from the air and store it in its pores, which it does during the night. Then come daytime, sunlight is used to release the water and a condenser is used to harvest it. The system is completely passive and the research team showed it can work even in the arid Arizona climate.

Tested over five daily cycles in May 2017, the water output was estimated to be around a quarter of a liter per kilogram of MOF. Additionally, the team tested the water for impurities and found that the MOF wasn't leaching into it. Next, the researchers want to scale up the system and make it more efficient. "We hope to have a system that's able to produce liters of water," Evelyn Wang, who led the research, said in a statement.

The work was published today in Nature Communications.

Via: MIT

Source: Nature Communications


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Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Oil Companies Confirm Climate Change in Landmark Court Case

US generation by technology

20.03.2018: A total of 356 MW from 11 large scale solar projects were put into service in the US in January 2018, compared to 798 MW added in December 2017 and 623 MW (45 facilities) in January 2017, according to the latest figures of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The facilities include several plants (75 MW each) of Florida Power & Light Co.; the Coronal Development Services LLC’s 26 MW Essex Solar Center LLC in Essex County (power generated is sold to Virginia Electric & Power Co. under long-term contract); Cianbro Corp’s 10 MW Pittsfield Solar Project in Somerset County; Scenic Hill Solar III LLC’s 7 MW Clarksville Light & Water Solar Power Plant in Johnson County (power generated is sold to Clarksville Light & Water Co. under long-term contract), 1406RB PV LLC’s 5 MW Solean Solar Project in Cattaraugus County (power generated is sold to Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. under long-term contract); and Stenner Creek Solar LLC’s 5 MW Stenner Creek Solar Project in San Luis Obispo County.
As of January, FERC accounts total available installed solar generation capacity of 30.99 GW, which means 2.61 percent of 1,187 GW total installed capacity in the USA. The capacity includes, amongst others, 516 GW natural gas fired plants (43 percent), 275 GW coal plants (23 percent) and 108 GW (9 percent) nuclear power plants. Water stood at 100 GW (8.5 percent), wind at 89 GW (7.5 percent) and biomass at 16 GW (1.4 percent).

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

+1-646-402-5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

 

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Cambridge Analytica CEO Andrew Nix has been suspended for what was caught on recordings



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Cambridge Analytica CEO Andrew Nix has been suspended // TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/20/cambridge-analytica-ceo-andrew-nix-has-reportedly-been-suspended/amp/

Andrew Nix, the CEO of the London-based voter profiling company Cambridge Analytica — which harvested private information from more than 50 million Facebook users without their permission to analyze their voter behavior — has been suspended from his job. In an announcement posted to the company's site, the board said the suspension was effective immediately.

Nix's suspension ties directly to footage that was filmed over the last year by Britain's Channel 4 News and which surfaced yesterday. The video comes on the heels of investigative reporting by The Guardian, The Observer and The New York Times that has shown how the company used data to target groups and design messages that appealed to their interests.

In one minute-long clip, Nix boasts of entrapping politicians to meet its clients' needs. Nix can be overheard saying in one recording, "It sounds a dreadful thing to say, but these are things that don't necessarily need to be true as long as they're believed."

It gets worse, as anyone who read about Nix in The Guardian yesterday can attest.

From its report:

When the reporter asked if Cambridge Analytica could offer investigations into the damaging secrets of rivals, Nix said it worked with former spies from Britain and Israel to look for political dirt. He also volunteered that his team were ready to go further than an investigation.

"Oh, we do a lot more than that," he said over dinner at an exclusive hotel in London. "Deep digging is interesting, but you know equally effective can be just to go and speak to the incumbents and to offer them a deal that's too good to be true and make sure that that's video recorded.

"You know these sort of tactics are very effective, instantly having video evidence of corruption."

Nix suggested one possible scenario, in which the managing director of Cambridge Analytica's political division, Mark Turnbull, would pose as a wealthy developer looking to exchange campaign finance for land. "I'm a master of disguise," Turnbull said.

Another option, Nix suggested, would be to create a sex scandal. "Send some girls around to the candidate's house, we have lots of history of things," he told the reporter. "We could bring some Ukrainians in on holiday with us, you know what I'm saying."

Today, the company's board cited those comments, saying that they "do not represent the values or operations of the firm and his suspension reflects the seriousness with which we view the violation."

Cambridge Analytica did not respond directly to our requests for more information.

The data firm was reportedly embedded with the Trump campaign beginning in 2016.

Talking to the trade magazine Ad Age at the time, a consultant who had worked with Cambridge Analytica noted that no one in Washington took the firm terribly seriously, either. "Everyone universally agrees that [Cambridge's] sales operation is better than their fulfillment product . . . The product comes late or it's not quite what you envisioned."

"What's the old saying?" asked another source in the same article. "All hat, no cattle?"

According to The Guardian, Nix, 42, studied the history of art at Manchester University and worked as a financial analyst in Mexico and the U.K. before joining SCL, a strategic communications firm that is parent to Cambridge Analytica.

Nix later set up Cambridge Analytica with the help of Robert Mercer, a billionaire patron of right-wing outlets like Breitbart News. Steve Bannon, the former executive director of Breitbart who served as Trump's chief strategist until last August, was formerly a vice president with the outfit. Mercer's daughter, Rebekah, sits on its board.


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Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Irma caused 129 deaths, more than $53B in damages, Hurricane Center concludes - News - Daytona Beach News-Journal Online - Daytona Beach, FL

Monday, March 19, 2018

Over 100,000 megawatts of plant capacity has shut or announced plans to retire since 2010

U.S. House lawmaker Larry Bucshon, a Republican representing Indiana, introduced legislation on March 14 that would grant tax credits for coal-fired power plants. Over 100,000 megawatts of plant capacity has shut or announced plans to retire since 2010, according to Bucshon, buffeted by low power prices and competition from cheap gas-fired power producers. (H.R. 5270)

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

+1-646-402-5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

 

Politicians Move to Support Nuclear Energy before Gas and Renewables Put it out of its Misery

The U.S. Senate passed legislation on March 7 that would foster partnerships between the private-sector and the Energy Department to test and develop advanced nuclear reactors as well as streamline regulatory approvals. Construction of traditional nuclear plants in the U.S. has stalled amid growing competition from cheap natural gas and renewables, throwing the future of the technology into question.

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

+1-646-402-5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

 

National Grid NY Electric Rates increase 3.9 percent

New York Regulator Slashes National Grid’s Rate Request by 90 Percent, Allows $2.5 billion in Grid Investments

The New York Public Service Commission on March 15 approved a three-year plan resetting National Grid’s electric and gas rates from April 1 through March 31, 2021. The commission limited revenue increases in the first year to $43 million for electric customers and $13 million for natural gas customers, lower than the company’s initial request of $326 million and $81 million, respectively. The average electric customer will see monthly bill increases of up to 3.9 percent over the period while a residential natural gas customer will see an increase of up to 4.4 percent. Low-income electric customers will benefit from bill reductions of up to 55 percent. The company said the plan will allow $2.5 billion in investment over three years to modernize electricity and natural gas networks.

 

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

+1-646-402-5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

 

Interconnection Queue Pileup in Michigan PURPA Projects

Michigan Regulators Urge Consumers Energy to Identify Renewable Generators in Line for Power Contracts

The Michigan Public Service Commission staff requests that Consumers Energy Co. disclose the renewable generators that have entered the utility's interconnection queue and contacted Consumers about a supply agreement to determine which projects are next in line to win contracts. The commission has limited Consumers' obligation to enter into power purchase agreements with small renewable project to the first 150 megawatts in its queue as it investigates the extent of an alleged "glut of unneeded capacity." Utilities have chafed under the mandate by the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act that requires them to purchase energy and capacity from small renewable producers at the lower so-called avoided cost rate amid a proliferation of projects.

 

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

+1-646-402-5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

 

New York House passes legislation to achieving a 100 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to 1990 levels

The New York House passed legislation on March 12 that would set a goal of achieving a 100 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions relative to 1990 levels, the goal beyond that of 50 percent by 2030. The bill calls for regulatory measures to achieve the goal, including performance standards for emitting sources, a market-based price on carbon, and a shift to renewable energy and energy efficiency from fossil-fueled power. (A 8270B)

 

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

+1-646-402-5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

 

IBM's tiniest computer is smaller than a grain of rock salt



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IBM's tiniest computer is smaller than a grain of rock salt // Engadget
https://www.engadget.com/amp/2018/03/19/ibm-blockchain-salt-sized-computer/

IBM has unveiled a computer that's smaller than a grain of rock salt. It has the power of an x86 chip from 1990, according to Mashable, and its transistor count is in the "several hundred" thousand range. That's a far cry from the power of Watson or the company's quantum computing experiments, but you gotta start somewhere. Oh, right: it also works as a data source for blockchain. Meaning, it'll apparently sort provided data with AI and can detect fraud and pilfering, in addition to tracking shipments.

The publication says that the machine will cost under $0.10 to manufacture, which gives credence to IBM's prediction that these types of computers will be embedded everywhere within the next five years. The one shown off at the firm's Think conference is a prototype, of course, and as such there's no clear release window.

If you watched Last Week Tonight's segment on cryptocurrency, err, last week and were left wondering how we'd build an even bigger worldwide blockchain network from where we are now, well, this seems like a logical starting point.

Source: Mashable


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Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Unprecedented Decision by Arizona Energy Regulator

Navy's New Attack Submarine Named Colorado Joins the Fleet

Saturday, March 17, 2018

I Love New York

March 09, 2018

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, joined by Vice President Al Gore, today announced that New York has formally requested an exclusion from the new five-year National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. At New York University, the Governor also announced the single largest commitment to renewable energy by a state in U.S. history at $1.4 billion, which will advance 26 large-scale renewable energy projects across New York. The competitive awards, driven by the Governor's Clean Energy Standard mandate, are expected to generate enough clean, renewable energy to power more than 430,000 homes and create over 3,000 short- and long-term well-paying jobs. In the face of a concerted federal assault from Washington, New York is taking aggressive action to protect our environment for future generations.

"Instead of protecting our waters from another oil spill, like the one that devastated the Gulf, this new federal plan only increases the chances of another disaster taking place," Governor Cuomo said. "This is a total disregard for science, reality, and history, and their actions defy everything we know. We believe the future is a clean energy economy and New York is going to lead a counter-movement to what this administration is doing to the environment and illuminate the path forward."

 

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

+1-646-402-5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

 

Thursday, March 15, 2018

Mueller Risks Crossing Trump's Red Line With Reported Subpoena. Trump is firing all those who would resign if he fires Mueller.

Mueller Risks Crossing Trump's Red Line With Reported Subpoena https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2018-03-15/mueller-risks-crossing-trump-s-red-line-with-reported-subpoena
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Russian Hackers Attacking U.S. Power Grid and Aviation, FBI Warns and Trump is likely to ignore, like all other Russian attacks on the nation.

Russian Hackers Attacking U.S. Power Grid and Aviation, FBI Warns https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2018-03-15/russian-hackers-attacking-u-s-power-grid-aviation-fbi-warns
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

At this rate, it’s going to take nearly 400 years to transform the energy system - MIT Technology Review

First Solar will build 50 MW PV plant for Vectren | photon.info

First Solar building C&I plants in non-desert states.

https://www.photon.info/en/news/first-solar-will-build-50-mw-pv-plant-vectren
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

US solar market adds 10.6 GW of PV in 2017 | photon.info

Florida breaks into top 10 for first time.

https://www.photon.info/en/news/us-solar-market-adds-106-gw-pv-2017
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Larry Page’s flying battery powered taxis approach regulatory approval in New Zealand



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Larry Page's flying taxis approach regulatory approval in New Zealand // The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2018/3/13/17113246/larry-page-air-taxi-autonomous-plane-new-zealand-jacinda-ardern

New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern is set to announce a new agreement with a company financed by Google co-Founder Larry Page to test autonomous air taxis for official certification in the country, reports The New York Times. Kitty Hawk, the company building the autonomous planes, has aspirations the partnership will lead to a commercial network of taxis in the country in the next three years. Kitty Hawk is already reportedly working on an Uber-like app that will allow customers to hail one of its air taxis.

In an email to the NYT, Ardern said; "We've got an ambitious target in New Zealand of being net carbon zero by 2050... exciting projects like this are part of how we make that happen." Kitty Hawk's self-piloted air taxi is called Cora, which has a wingspan of 36 feet and operates via a dozen battery-powered rotors. It takes off like a helicopter and flies like a plane, is 100 percent electric, can fly as fast as 110 mph, has a flying distance of 62 miles, and can carry two passengers. Kitty Hawk said it shipped its first air taxi to New Zealand in October 2017, with initial tests beginning shortly after.

Kitty Hawk says it chose New Zealand as a launch pad for the Cora because the country has a dynamic economy and its Civil Aviation Authority has "the respect of the worldwide regulatory community." (Zephyr Airworks is Kitty Hawk's operator in New Zealand). Talks had reportedly been ongoing for 18 months, with multiple government agencies involved.

Photo: Kitty Hawk

Kitty Hawk is also known for its other "flying cars" including an all-electric aircraft that's designed to operate over water and doesn't require a pilot's license to operate. While the concept of an air-taxi is nothing new, there haven't been substantial developments in commercializing a fleet for consumer use. As we've previously reported, at least 19 companies are developing air taxi plans including Boeing, Airbus, Uber, Bell Helicopter, Joby Aviation, and Volocopter. Most notably, Uber is working on an aerial taxi service it hopes to pilot in Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Dubai by 2020. Dubai began testing crewless two-person flying taxis in September, and has a target for autonomous transport to account for a quarter of total trips by 2030.


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Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Quantum communications advance

VW Just Gave Tesla a $25 Billion Battery Shock- manufacturing and supply chain scaling escalates

VW Just Gave Tesla a $25 Billion Battery Shock https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-13/vw-secures-25-billion-battery-supplies-in-electric-car-surge
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

PJM pushes plant payment reforms as RTOs file resilience comments at FERC | Utility Dive

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Friday, March 9, 2018

How Earth looks from 94 Million miles

Three California Gas Plants to Shut Thanks to State's Green Push

Three California Gas Plants to Shut Thanks to State's Green Push https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-09/three-california-gas-plants-to-shut-thanks-to-state-s-green-push
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

U.S. Added 313,000 Jobs in February; Wage Gains Cool to 2.6%

Tighter labor market good for outsourcers and consultants.


U.S. Added 313,000 Jobs in February; Wage Gains Cool to 2.6% https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-09/u-s-added-313-000-jobs-in-february-wage-gains-slow-to-2-6
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Lawmakers Opposed to Trump’s Tariffs Look to Courts to Step In

Lawmakers Opposed to Trump's Tariffs Look to Courts to Step In https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2018-03-09/lawmakers-opposed-to-trump-s-tariffs-look-to-courts-to-step-in
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Governor Cuomo Announces $1.4 Billion in Awards for 26 Large-Scale Renewable Energy Projects, the Largest Single Commitment to Renewable Energy by a State in U.S. History - NYSERDA

NYMEX Apr natural gas falls 1.1 cents to $2.745/MMBtu as warmer weather seen - Natural Gas | Platts News Article & Story

Installed cost of residential solar now below $3.00/W

Cooperative Energy and Miami-based Origis Energy celebrated launch of 70 MW Mississippi PV plant

NY has the largest RPS for Energy Storage in the Nation

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Fwd: News Alert: Trump signs new tariffs on steel and aluminum


President Trump signed new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, imposing a 25% tariff on foreign steel and a 10% tariff on foreign aluminum.
CNN

President Trump signed new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, imposing a 25% tariff on foreign steel and a 10% tariff on foreign aluminum. 

But in a shift from recent plans, Trump will exempt Canada and Mexico from the tariffs and allow other US allies to petition for similar exemptions.

Trump framed the decision as making good on a campaign promise. The move is widely expected to set off a trade war that he insists the US can win.

11 Nations to Sign Pacific Trade Pact, signalling rejection of protectionism and scaling of efforts to isolate Trump

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

EU Lawmaker Says Any Counter-Tariffs Should 'Really Hurt' US - sounds like trade war talk to me.

How blockchain can democratize green power

New study reaches a stunning conclusion about the cost of solar and wind energy – ThinkProgress

Coal plants shutting down faster under Trump than Obama

FERC Storage Rule Boosts Utility Models that Include the Technology | Energy Central

Virginia passes RPS for 5GW of solar and wind

https://www.cleanvirginia.org/new-page/
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

GTM: Steel and aluminum tariffs could add 2 cents per watt to utility-scale solar projects

GTM: Steel and aluminum tariffs could add 2 cents per watt to utility-scale solar projects

05.03.2018: GTM Research expects, that tariffs on imported steel and aluminum as pronounced by US President Donald Trump could harm the US solar industry. Solar projects and energy storage units could get more expensive. Trump said the US will impose a 25 percent tariff on foreign-made steel and a 10 percent tariff on foreign-made aluminum. This could add as much as ¢2 per watt to the cost of a utility-scale project, says GTM, citing Dan Whitten, vice president of communications at the Solar Energy Industries Association. »That is a significant added cost, especially on top of the job-killing solar tariffs.« Steel and aluminum tariffs would be immediately impactful to the US solar market, said Scott Moskowitz, solar analyst at GTM Research. »Ground-mount systems use racks and trackers built mostly of steel. Aluminum is also common in residential and commercial rooftop racking. Most mounting structures vendors source steel and aluminum from numerous locations, both in and outside of the United States.«
© PHOTON

 

 

Monty Bannerman

ArcStar Energy

+1-646-402-5076

www.arcstarenergy.com

 

Sunday, March 4, 2018

China Seeks to Integrate Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau

China Seeks to Integrate Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau: NPC Update https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2018-03-05/china-seeks-to-integrate-mainland-hong-kong-macau-npc-update
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Saturday, March 3, 2018

Moron feeds trade death spiral with threat to tax EU cars

I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it:

Trump steps up war of words on trade with threat to tax EU cars - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-43270388

* Disclaimer *

The BBC is not responsible for the content of this email, and anything written in this email does not necessarily reflect the BBC's views or opinions. Please note that neither the email address nor name of the sender have been verified.
Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com

Fwd: Microsoft Taps Singapore Rooftops to Power Datacenters with Solar - Renewable Energy World



Monty Bannerman
ArcStar Energy
Tel: +1 646-402-5076
www.arcstarenergy.com
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "rebecca nichols" <rvan@tnag.net>
Date: Mar 3, 2018 11:58 AM
Subject: Microsoft Taps Singapore Rooftops to Power Datacenters with Solar - Renewable Energy World
To: "Monty ​ Bannerman​" <mbannerman@arcstarenergy.com>
Cc:


Microsoft Taps Singapore Rooftops to Power Datacenters with Solar

March 1, 2018
microsoft
         

Microsoft Corp. today said it will buy the output of a 60-MWp portfolio of rooftop solar installations in Singapore to power its datacenters.

"This deal is Microsoft's first renewable energy deal in Asia, and is our third international clean energy announcement, following two wind deals announced in Ireland and The Netherlands in 2017," Christian Belady, general manager, Cloud Infrastructure Strategy and Architecture, Microsoft, said in a statement. "We're on track to exceed our goal of powering 50 percent of our global datacenter load with renewable energy this year. Once operational, the new solar project will bring Microsoft's total global direct procurement in renewable energy projects to 860 MW." 

According to Microsoft, the portfolio will span hundreds of rooftops in Singapore and will create the largest solar energy portfolio for the country. Singapore is home to Microsoft datacenter services that deliver Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and other cloud services.

Singapore solar energy firm Sunseap Group will develop the project. Microsoft will purchase 100 percent of the renewable energy attributes exported to the grid under a 20-year agreement.

Lead image credit: Bernard Spragg. NZ | Flickr

 


Sent from my BlackBerry - the most secure mobile device

A Leap in Drone Technology

 

Skydio, a four-year-old autonomous drone startup founded by former Google engineers, has revealed what they've been working on (and $42M in new funding). The Skydio R1 is an AI-powered autonomous drone that flies all on its own. It locks on to a subject (like yourself, going on a run) and follows alo

March 3, 2018

Skydio.png

Skydio, a four-year-old autonomous drone startup founded by former Google engineers, has revealed what they've been working on (and $42M in new funding). The Skydio R1 is an AI-powered autonomous drone that flies all on its own. It locks on to a subject (like yourself, going on a run) and follows along through trees and obstacles, without losing track.

A Quantum Leap in Autonomous Drone Technology

Casey Neistat compared the R1's autonomous features to the market leader DJI, saying: "It would be a little bit like comparing a Ford Model T to a Lamborghini. This isn't a small step up, it's a quantum leap in tracking and following technology."

Marc Andreessen tweeted: "I'm temporarily breaking my Twitter break to highlight one of the most amazing tech breakthroughs I've ever seen, from Skydio." Watch the demo video of the self-flying camera in action.

As hardware gets commoditized, it's the software that matters. Skydio is further along than anyone, faster than they even anticipated due to advancements in deep learning and AI. The company went all-in with 13 cameras (instead of sensors) for tracking. This is a deep-tech startup that is making the fully autonomous drone a reality.

If you're interested in the space, Skydio is hiring on AngelList.


📱 Discover Your Next Favorite Product

Product Hunt, which joined AngelList in 2016, launched a completely redesigned mobile app for iOS, and is now available on Android for the first time. Discover your next favorite thing, now on all devices.

Download the new Product Hunt app. 😻

That's not all. Last year, more than 20,000 products launched on Product Hunt, including new apps from Google, Apple, Stripe, with makers from all over the world featuring their projects on the site. This week, Product Hunt released a beautifully designed book celebrating the year's most upvoted products, and it's 100% free.

Download The Best Product Launches of 2017. 📘

ICYMI: Product Hunt's first book on How to Build a Career in Tech is also free, and includes the best career advice from founders, investors, and world-changing leaders in technology.


🔥 Hot Startups (that are hiring)

Glossier just got $52M in fresh funding and is one of the hottest startups to work at right now.

Affirm is hiring like crazy, and is one of the most loved startups around.

Quartet raised a $45M Series C round from Google Ventures last month.

Coursera provides universal access to the world's best education.

Pinterest just hired its first COO as it eyes an initial public offering. 👀

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