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To Ease Energy Transmission Gridlock, States Look to Grid-Enhancing Technologies

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5 months ago

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Advanced solutions can help meet demand, increase renewable energy use, and save ratepayers money

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The following is provided by Maureen Quinlan, a senior officer, and Yaron Miller, a senior manager with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ energy modernization project.

The aging U.S. electric grid is strained by increasing demand from economic growth and electric vehicles, severe weather disruptions, and more. One result is a congested transmission system that often cannot serve consumers with the lowest-cost electricity—typically generated from renewables such as solar and wind—and must instead tap more expensive sources. This congestion increased consumers’ bills by an estimated $20.8 billion in 2022.

Grid-enhancing technologies (GETs) are a promising near-term solution and could ease a backlog of an estimated 2,600 gigawatts of power—95% of which is from solar, wind, or battery projects—that is ready to flow to consumers. So far in 2024, lawmakers in at least 10 states have considered policy options to evaluate and promote GETs. In addition, the White House in May announced a new initiative with 21 states to collaborate on use of these innovative solutions to modernize the grid.

What are GETs?

GETs are technologies that allow transmission lines to carry more power and are typically deployed faster and at a lower cost than new lines and substations. Some common GETs are:

Dynamic line ratings (DLRs): Transmission lines have a “rating” that sets the maximum electricity flows allowed on a line. DLR uses sensors to calculate the rating based on real-time weather conditions. This allows grid operators to safely boost the rating—and line capacity—when conditions allow.Advanced power flow controls (APFCs): APFCs are modular devices that allow grid operators to direct and balance electricity flows to avoid congested areas of the grid.Topology optimization (TO): TO is a software technology that allows grid operators to reroute power flows to avoid congested areas.

One analysis showed that DLRs yield average increases in transmission capacity of more than 33% in summer and 19% in winter. These capacity boosts can make room on the grid for renewable energy projects to come online. One study found that GETs projects across five states could help connect 6.6 gigawatts of new renewable energy to the grid; this could lead to a corresponding drop in fossil fuel emissions of 3.5% in 2027, equivalent to roughly 12 million tons of CO2. DLRs can also have significant safety and reliability benefits because they give utilities accurate readings of real-time conditions of lines and how much electricity they can carry.

GETs save customers money by reducing grid congestion and allowing for uptake of lower-cost energy resources. As a result, these technologies can often pay for themselves within six months of becoming fully operational and could save consumers an estimated $2 billion to $8 billion annually.

State policy approaches

Despite their many benefits, GETs have not yet been broadly adopted by U.S. grid operators, in part because of their relative newness and also because of utility incentive structures that favor large capital projects over improved operations and efficiency. Still, new state activity is encouraging. Examples include:

Study bills

Lawmakers in Connecticut, Maine, and Maryland have considered studying the potential deployment of GETs, resulting in reports that would guide policy decisions. In Maine, a recently passed law (S.P. 257/L.D. 589) allows those findings to inform utility rate-making and grid planning proceedings before the Maine Public Utilities Commission, the state’s regulatory oversight authority.

Utility planning requirements

Most states direct some or all utilities to regularly develop integrated resource plans to outline new investments in energy infrastructure, generation, and transmission. This year, California, Minnesota, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia have either passed or reviewed legislation to require utilities to evaluate GETs within those resource plans or related proceedings.

Minnesota’s recently enacted law requires utilities to identify areas of existing or anticipated congestion, assess GETs to mitigate those trouble spots, and plan to implement them if they are cost-effective.

Incentives

Lawmakers in New York have proposed legislation to require utilities to consider GETs in resource planning and would allow utilities to financially benefit from cost-effectively deploying these technologies.

Although not a replacement for much-needed investment in new transmission lines, GETs and related technologies can play an important role in creating a modern, reliable grid. As more states take action, ratepayers nationwide will benefit.

More information at https://www.pewtrusts.org/energymodernization.

Contact:
Monique O’Grady
mogrady@pewtrusts.org

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SOURCE The Pew Charitable Trusts

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Huawei Cloud in France: Building an AI-Native Cloud to Amplify Intelligence on the Tech Stage

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November 14, 2024

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PARIS, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — HUAWEI CONNECT 2024 PARIS commenced today, featuring the first Huawei Cloud Summit France. Huawei Cloud is building an AI-native cloud through systematic innovation and service reshaping. Moving forward, Huawei Cloud will continue to drive innovation in both the “AI for Cloud” and “Cloud for AI” directions, accelerating the intelligent transformation across industries in France.

Jacqueline Shi, President of Huawei Cloud Global Marketing and Sales Service, delivered a welcome speech in her digital presence built using Huawei Cloud MetaStudio. She stated, “Innovation is the heart of our success, our competitiveness, and our growth. That’s why we invest heavily in R&D to bring you the most secure and reliable cloud services possible, including cloud native, AI, and big data. In Europe, Huawei Cloud has collaborated with over 500 local partners to deliver a wide range of industry-specific solutions and proven expertise, enabling European businesses to expedite their cloud adoption, leverage global resources, and achieve leapfrog growth.”

In his keynote speech, William Dong, President of Huawei Cloud Marketing, highlighted the importance of AI in building economic moats. To this end, Huawei Cloud launches Pangu models to enable intelligent upgrades across industries, with over 400 use cases in 30 industries now benefiting from Huawei Cloud’s AI-native cloud infrastructure that extends cutting-edge technologies and premium experiences to European customers. On the tech stage, Huawei Cloud is set to amplify intelligence.

Huawei Cloud’s AI-native strategy has been a cornerstone of the company’s innovation. This strategy is twofold: AI for Cloud and Cloud for AI, marking significant advancements in Huawei Cloud’s capabilities. “AI for Cloud” means integrating Pangu models with cloud services for product R&D, data governance, security, and O&M to make them more intelligent and efficient.

With full-stack systemic innovations, “Cloud for AI” covers data centers, cloud platform architectures, and infrastructure services, enabling efficient and high-performance data preparation, training, inference, and application of foundation models. The distributed cloud database GaussDB features high performance, high intelligence, and easy migration. Huawei Cloud Stack 8.5 provides more than 120 locally deployed cloud services and 50 industry-specific solutions, building the optimal hybrid cloud for intelligent transformation.

At this summit, Huawei Cloud officially released the Flexus cloud services for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in France. Flexus feature flexible specifications, AI-driven high speed, 6x burst speed, compute hot upgrade, and ultimate experience.

Presently, Huawei Cloud has more than 500 customers, partners, and developers in France. Song Wanying, President of Huawei Cloud France, shared insights on fostering business growth through cloud innovation and introduced new media & entertainment, e-commerce, and retail solutions for the French market, furthering intelligent initiatives.

Huawei Cloud has upgraded media services in a 3E approach: efficiency, experience, and evolution. For instance, AIGC for virtual humans can significantly reduce the time required for short video production from days to mere minutes. In terms of experience, Huawei Cloud leverages its self-developed RTP protocol to minimize latency to 500 ms and reduce frame freezing to 10%. For business model evolution, Huawei Cloud offers virtual human technology to facilitate efficient video production, leading to new business opportunities and growth.

In retail and e-commerce, Huawei Cloud has developed the B.R.A.N.D. model to assist retailers in driving innovation and growth. Through professional services, deterministic operations, security, reliability, and 16 sub-scenario solutions, B.R.A.N.D. enables retailers to build agile, efficient, and secure business systems.

In terms of ecosystem expansion, Huawei Cloud has partnered with Station F, the world’s largest startup incubator, to launch a sustainability-themed incubation program. This program aims to provide comprehensive support for startups, including cloud resources, investment opportunities, and dedicated office spaces. Additionally, Huawei Cloud and 20 ecosystem partners have unveiled the Industry Partner Innovation Program at the summit.

This two-day event features a packed agenda, including the partner forum and the Cloud Native Elite Club (CNEC) roundtable. At this year’s HUAWEI CONNECT Europe, CNEC returned to Europe and invited its first members to join this technical community built for European technology pioneers.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/huawei-cloud-in-france-building-an-ai-native-cloud-to-amplify-intelligence-on-the-tech-stage-302306351.html

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ALBERT GAHFI, NEWCO CAPITAL GROUP CEO, NOMINATED FOR THE U.S. FINTECH AWARDS’ INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

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November 14, 2024

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NEW YORK, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — NewCo Capital Group is proud to announce that Albert Gahfi, CEO of NewCo Capital Group and Co-Founder and Director of Bizcap, has been nominated for the prestigious Innovator of the Year Award by the U.S. FinTech Awards. This recognition highlights Albert’s groundbreaking contributions to the FinTech sector and his dedication to founding companies that empower small businesses with forward-thinking capital solutions.

We are focused on what’s next—continuing to build the tools and services that will drive the future of FinTech

As a proven enterprise-building founder and CEO, Albert co-founded Kings Cash Group and oversaw its merger with a large FinTech consortium that included an SEC-registered fund. As the Co-Founder and CEO of NewCo Capital Group, Capytal.com, and NewCo Canada, as well as the co-founder of Melbourne-based BizCap, Albert’s global expansion strategy has led to the opening of offices in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and a recently announced strategic initiative in Asia via Singapore.

The nomination for Innovator of the Year underscores NewCo’s commitment to reshaping how small-to-medium businesses and enterprise companies access financing. Since its founding, NewCo has remained at the forefront of Specialty Finance within the FinTech sector, continually creating custom capital solutions that leverage advanced technology, nuanced underwriting, and a deep understanding of client needs.

Bruce Gurvitsch, Chief Revenue Officer for NewCo Capital Group and Capytal.com, commended the nomination, stating, “Albert’s nomination for Innovator of the Year reflects his unwavering pursuit of excellence—a drive that defines our mission at NewCo. We’re committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in FinTech, ensuring that SMBs have access to the capital they need for growth, job creation, and long-term success.”

NewCo and its affiliate companies have transformed traditional financing models, making it easier, faster, and more efficient for businesses to secure funding. With over $1.8 billion deployed across 40,000+ businesses globally, NewCo continues to lead the charge in specialized financing and working capital.

Reflecting on the nomination, Gahfi remarked, ‘This recognition from the U.S. FinTech Awards validates our efforts and inspires us to continue delivering the most innovative solutions to the market.’ He emphasized NewCo’s long-term vision, adding, ‘We are focused on what’s next—continuing to build the tools and services that will drive the future of FinTech. Our mission has always been to empower small businesses globally.’

For more information about NewCo Capital Group, visit www.NewCoCapitalGroup.com or email Info@NewCoCapitalGroup.com.

About NewCo Capital Group & Capytal.com

Founded in 2020, NewCo Capital Group and its affiliate companies empower SMBs globally with fast, accessible financing and funding. The companies have successfully deployed $1.8 billion to over 40,000 SMBs while maintaining a 4.9/5 Trustpilot rating.

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SOURCE NewCo Capital Group

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Enrollsy Unveils Brand Refresh and New Website to Enhance Enrollment Experience for Schools, Camps, Nonprofits, and More

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32 minutes ago

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November 14, 2024

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LEHI, Utah, Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Enrollsy, the platform dedicated to making enrollment simple and accessible for organizations of all sizes, is thrilled to announce its brand refresh and launch of a new website at www.enrollsy.com. With a renewed focus on simplifying enrollment processes and delivering unparalleled support, Enrollsy’s brand refresh reinforces its commitment to empowering non-technical professionals with a seamless, user-friendly experience.

Enrollsy is online enrollment software made easy.

The name “Enrollsy” reflects the platform’s mission: combining “enroll” and “easy” to describe a solution that effortlessly manages the enrollment process—from sign-up to payments and communications—without requiring technical expertise or IT support. Enrollsy’s customizable platform is designed to solve enrollment challenges and make life easier for administrators everywhere.

Empowering Purpose, Mission, Vision, and Values

Driven by a purpose to create an exceptional experience from the first interaction to ongoing support, Enrollsy ensures every aspect of its service is tailored to customer needs. Enrollsy’s mission—to provide an amazing enrollment experience to 10 million people in a single year—drives the platform to innovate, simplify, and perfect enrollment solutions for organizations managing data, payments, and communications.

Enrollsy envisions a world where education, enrichment, and connection drive better outcomes, helping organizations fulfill their missions. As a trusted partner, Enrollsy shares its values with customers by prioritizing consistency, honoring commitments, and maintaining clear, actionable communication.

Unmatched Customer Experiences

Enrollsy’s brand refresh also highlights its commitment to delivering value through real-life customer success stories. Elizabeth Fizer, owner of Fizer Fine Art, shares, “Enrollsy transformed our registration process from an absolute nightmare to easily manageable. Their unmatched customer service and ability to tailor the software to meet our specific needs allowed us to offer flexible schedules and simplified invoicing—enabling me to focus on my family during a busy registration period. Parents found it easy and intuitive, which only enhanced our customer experience.”

Similarly, Matthew Vinson from Common Ground on the Hill, a nonprofit, noted, “Enrollsy exceeded our expectations by listening to our unique needs and creating a system that integrates with our existing applications seamlessly. They understood our operations and provided features we needed, making the registration process efficient and stress-free.”

Visit the New Enrollsy Website

Enrollsy’s reimagined website offers a refreshed look at how the platform simplifies enrollment, billing, and communication for education, enrichment, and nonprofit organizations across the U.S., Australia, and Canada. Visitors are invited to explore www.enrollsy.com to discover how Enrollsy’s solutions are transforming the enrollment experience and simplifying administrative processes.

About Enrollsy Enrollsy provides a complete, easy-to-use solution for managing enrollments, payments, and participant communications. Designed for non-technical professionals, Enrollsy’s mission is to simplify enrollment for organizations while delivering unmatched support and flexibility. Visit www.enrollsy.com to learn more about how Enrollsy is shaping the future of enrollment.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/enrollsy-unveils-brand-refresh-and-new-website-to-enhance-enrollment-experience-for-schools-camps-nonprofits-and-more-302306358.html

SOURCE Enrollsy, Inc.

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