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SB Energy Announces Commercial Operation of American-made Solar Projects to Help Power Google Data Centers

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U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm joined SB Energy and other officials to celebrate a historic milestone for American-made solar SB Energy prioritizes American-made components, and the Orion projects are expected to be the first utility-scale projects to qualify for the domestic content bonus  SB Energy’s Orion Solar Belt helps power Google’s data centers in Ellis County and represents Google’s largest solar energy investment in the world

BUCKHOLTS, Texas, Oct. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SB Energy Global, LLC (“SB Energy”) announced today that its Orion I, Orion II and Orion III solar projects (the “Orion Solar Belt”), located in Milam County, Texas, have reached commercial operation. The Orion Solar Belt totals 875 MWdc of energy capacity and utilizes over 1.3 million American-made modules, U.S. steel, and other major domestically made components. The projects that make up the Orion Solar Belt are expected to be the first projects to qualify for the domestic content bonus credit enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act.  

SB Energy leadership was joined today by U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, state and local officials, American-made suppliers, anchor customer Google, and investors to celebrate this exciting milestone for American-made energy. 

“The Biden-Harris Administration envisioned an industrial strategy for clean energy that’s built and installed by American workers and powering American companies in proud American communities. This future is seen in action through the Orion Solar Belt in Texas,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “This project showcases how American made clean energy can power data centers and our future.”

The Orion Solar Belt is estimated to have employed 3,000 U.S. workers through the manufacturing of the components and construction. The Orion Solar Belt includes more than 1.3 million solar modules manufactured by First Solar at its Perrysburg, Ohio facility. Additionally, the 22,800 tons of structural steel for the entirety of the project is sourced from Gerdau steel mills located in Midlothian, Texas and Cartersville, Georgia. Additionally, the Orion Solar Belt includes Nextracker smart solar trackers, with the majority of the components manufactured domestically. SB Energy selected Blattner to provide the engineering, procurement and construction services for the project.

Rich Hossfeld, SB Energy Co-CEO, said, “When it comes to actualizing American jobs and providing power to the world’s largest energy users, SB Energy is committed to creating the roadmap. We are thankful for the support from Secretary Jennifer Granholm and the many federal, local, and statewide leaders, as well as Google. We hope the Orion Solar Belt serves as a catalyst for growing investments in a robust American-made supply chain for solar.” 

SB Energy’s projects are delivering electricity to the Texas grid and helping power Google’s data centers in Ellis County and its Dallas cloud region. SB Energy’s power purchase agreement (PPA) with Google for the output represents Google’s largest solar energy investment in the world and contributes to its commitment to operate every hour of every day on carbon-free energy by 2030. Earlier this year, Google announced plans to invest more than $1 billion in Texas to support its cloud and data center infrastructure and help meet growing demand for Google Cloud and AI, and other digital products and services that people and organizations use every day, such as Search, Maps, and Workspace.  

“Google’s data centers house some of the world’s most popular services and are a major economic engine for 21st century business. Our goal is to make sure that the services and products that people and customers use every day are powered by reliable carbon-free energy around-the-clock,” said Ben Sloss, Vice President of 24×7 & Capacity, Google. “We’re thrilled SB Energy’s Orion Solar Belt is coming online, helping build a stronger future for communities and Google in Texas.”

SB Energy is proud to support the Midlothian, Texas community not just by supplying clean power from the Orion Solar Belt for Google’s data centers, but also through procurement of Midlothian-made steel. Most of the steel for the Orion Solar Belt was sourced from Gerdau’s steel mill, also located in Midlothian.  

Gerdau’s President for its North American Long Steel Operation, Chia Yuan Wang, said, “The commercial operation of the Orion Solar Belt is a tremendous achievement for domestic steel and the U.S. solar industry. As a direct result of SB Energy’s Orion Solar Belt and other solar projects across the country, we have expanded our U.S. operations to support the solar industry at our facilities in Midlothian, Texas as well as our facility in Cartersville, Georgia. We thank SB Energy for its leadership, and we look forward to continuing to support the solar industry.” 

The Texas economy is booming, and the Lone Star State leads the U.S. in both total energy consumption and installed renewable energy capacity. Currently, Texans get nearly 30 percent of their energy from renewable energy resources. The state has 70 gigawatts of installed solar, wind and energy storage capacity.1 

The Orion Solar Belt, based in Milam County, is estimated to contribute $100 million to local services over the life of the projects. SB Energy is proud to be a local partner to the Milam County community. 

Milam County Judge Bill Whitmire said, “It has been a pleasure to work with SB Energy as they build energy projects in Milam County that will contribute to the energy economy here in Texas. Throughout the development of the Orion Solar Projects, SB Energy’s employees and contractors have worked with our communities by supporting local businesses like Hecho En Texas, contributing to the improvement of local schools, and sponsoring community services like The HOP Transportation Program here in Milam County. We also recognize the substantial tax revenue that these projects will add to the county and look forward to working with SB Energy in the future.”

About SB Energy 
SB Energy is a leading utility-scale solar, energy storage, and technology platform backed by SoftBank Group Corp. SB Energy develops, owns, and operates some of the largest and advanced renewable projects across the U.S. SB Energy’s mission is to provide flexible renewable energy at scale, and benefiting our planet, customers, communities, and people. For more information, visit SBEnergy.com

1 https://cleanpower.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Texas_clean_energy_factsheet.pdf

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IEEE Reveals Predictions for Top Technology Trends of 2025

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From leveling the AI playing field to advancing drone technology and medical diagnostics via wearables, 2025 will deliver new, efficient computer science-based solutions for consumers and businesses

LOS ALAMITOS, Calif., Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity, announced today, together with the IEEE Computer Society (CS), its 2025 Top Technology Predictions. The report contains a forecast of the trends that will have the greatest impact on the global computer engineering industry in 2025, redefining and re-shaping the global community for years to come.

“Each year, the IEEE Computer Society strives to summarize the technology trends driving the future of computer science and engineering through our annual Technology Predictions,” said Dejan Milojicic, IEEE Computer Society Technology Predictions Committee Chair, IEEE Fellow, and 2014 IEEE Computer Society President, “The experts who make up our Committee thoroughly examine what’s happening today to ensure the IEEE Computer Society and the larger computer science and engineering community are prepared and can both lead new directions for the field and respond to the opportunities these developments will bring. Advances with these technologies will be reflected in the coming year at our top-ranked industry conferences and peer-reviewed journals.”

The Committee evaluated technologies based on the likelihood of commercial or research success in 2025, impact on humanity, maturity, market adoption, and adoption horizon. Based on that evaluation, the Committee scored each technology with a letter grade using a U.S.-based educational evaluation scale, with A serving as excellent, B as average, and C as low potential in the coming year.

For 2025, the Committee identified the top five computer science and engineering technologies that will have the most significant impact on the global ecosystem, focusing on those with the most advancement, largest market adoption, and market maturity. These technology trends include:

Leveling of the AI playing field with new forms of Large Language Model (LLM) deployment: As AI continues to grow in accessibility, companies will seek out ways to efficiently leverage LLMs. For instance, open-source communities create ways for developers to efficiently tap into successful models, and cloud services are providing LLM solutions with integrated prompt engineering. Hardware evolution will continue to specifically accommodate for optimal run of LLMs, and model compression will continue. As a result, 2025 will see deployments of Small Language Models and exotic, special-purpose models, transforming industries through more domain-specific and efficient AI applications.

Expanding access to drones: In 2025, expect to see Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) redefine logistics, agriculture, and disaster response, offering reliable, low-cost solutions with quick turnarounds. Advancements in technology, including size, weight, and power optimization, battery life, and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) technologies will further boost adoption, making drones more commercially viable and efficient for a variety of industries.

Commercial success of AI agents: Building on the success of LLM accessibility, AI agents will combine LLMs, machine learning (ML) models, and rule-based systems to provide autonomous, highly specialized solutions for finance, manufacturing, and retail operations. The coinciding advancement of small language models will lower hardware requirements and enable easier fine-tuning of AI agent solutions, and open-source AI libraries and models will allow for model and data ownership. In addition, cloud solutions with friendly user interfaces and low code approaches will increase the accessibility of these solutions in 2025.

Businesses will deploy AI agents for a variety of customer service and simplified operational tasks.

More widespread evaluation of AI-enhanced robotics: In 2025, embodied intelligence will enable robots to perceive, learn, and collaborate in dynamic environments, achieving unprecedented autonomy and human-like adaptability. We can expect advancements in research settings, including work on LLMs, multimodal AI, and computer vision; advanced edge computing and 5G/6G networks; next-generation battery technology, wireless charging, and energy storage; integrated sensors with advanced fusion capabilities and real-time analytics to enable enhanced perception and seamless interaction; and robust data integration from the Internet of Things (IoT) for real-time adaptability. At the same time, engineers will continue exploring standardized protocols for robot-to-robot communication to ensure seamless interaction and collaboration.

Increased conceptualization of wearables/biomarkers in medicine/wellness: In the coming year, we expect to see wearables make the transition from pure fitness tracking to early concepts of products for medical-grade monitoring of chronic conditions. Devices will have the ability to track biomarkers for early disease detection and proactive wellness, enabled by the identification of low-cost, specific biomarkers. In addition, new ML algorithms and accelerators will be created to perform sophisticated computations, and at the same time, miniaturized electronics will address practical needs, supported by new forms of battery efficiency and integrated circuit technologies.

In addition to these top technology developments, the Committee also anticipates the following technologies will experience significant growth over the next year: IT/energy convergence; augmented AI; autonomous driving; SmartAg; functional safety/autonomous vehicles; AI-assisted drug discovery; sustainable computing; mis/disinformation; AI-based medical diagnosis, AI-optimized green high-performance computing; next-gen cyberwarfare; new battery chemistries; data feudalism; nuclear-powered data centers; tools and policies for AI regulation; brain-computer interfaces (ones that enhance interfaces between humans and computers, particularly for those with disabilities); and space computing. A detailed dive into each of these areas can be accessed in the full report.

Recommendations
Beyond outlining computer science and engineering trends, the 2025 Technology Predictions Committee offers insights into how industry, government, academia, and professional organizations can support and advance these developments. Key recommendations for these groups include:

Industry: Explore new facets of LLM deployment and start delivering AI agents in areas where they can complement human labor.

Government: Invest in tools and policies for AI regulation in broad domains and foster industry to drive AI-assisted drug discovery.

Academia: Research and prototype AI-optimized, green High Performance Computing (HPC), and prototype brain-computer interfaces for a select set of ethically approved use cases.

Professional Organizations: Define standards and best practices for wearables/biomarkers in medicine/wellness, foster safe and ethically aligned augmented AI, and encourage AI-based medical diagnosis for existing/new diseases.

“The 2025 Technology Predictions offer us an opportunity to really look at where the industry is headed,” said Hironori Washizaki, 2025 IEEE Computer Society President. “As the leading computer science and engineering organization, it is imperative that we provide the vision to guide not only our members, but the greater community, towards the future. These predictions enable us to partner with the community to help lead and drive the advancements that will transform the field as we know it.”

To download the complete 2025 Technology Predictions Report, please visit computer.org.

About IEEE

IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional organization and a public charity dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice in a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers, and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power, and consumer electronics. Learn more at https://www.ieee.org.

About the IEEE Computer Society
Engaging computer engineers, scientists, academia, and industry professionals from all areas and levels of computing, the IEEE Computer Society (CS) serves as the world’s largest and most established professional organization of its type. IEEE CS sets the standard for the education and engagement that fuels continued global technological advancement. Through conferences, publications, and programs that inspire dialogue, debate, and collaboration, IEEE CS empowers, shapes, and guides the future of not only its 375,000+ community members, but the greater industry, enabling new opportunities to better serve our world. Visit computer.org for more information.

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Savvas Learning Company is Named to the GSV 150 For the Third Year in a Row

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Leading national learning solutions provider recognized among the most transformational growth companies in digital learning and workforce skills

PARAMUS, N.J., Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, is proud to announce that it has been named to the 2025 edition of the GSV 150, an annual list of the top 150 private companies transforming digital learning and workforce skills. This is the third year in a row that Savvas has been named to the GSV 150.

Savvas is known for driving innovation and leading the digital transformation of K-12 education, including with AI.

“Savvas has long been a leader in utilizing adaptive technology to provide students with deeply personalized learning experiences,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “Advances in artificial intelligence are allowing us today to offer even greater personalized learning for students and enhanced support for educators in ways not previously possible. To be named to the GSV 150 is truly an honor, especially for three years running, as it recognizes our commitment to using technology to transform the K-12 teaching and learning experience.”

GSV is a global community and growth investment platform that drives education and workforce skills innovation. It estimates that together these top 150 companies selected for this year’s annual list reach roughly 3 billion people — almost half of the global population — and generate $25+ billion in annual revenue.

Savvas was chosen from more than 2,500+ global companies revolutionizing the world of education technology, from Pre-K-12 to workforce learning. GSV evaluated these companies on five criteria — revenue scale, revenue growth, user reach, geographic diversification, and margin profile — to determine the global GSV 150 list.

With its award-winning Savvas Realize platform and its use of advanced technologies to make learning more engaging and interactive, Savvas is widely known for driving innovation and leading the digital transformation of K-12 education, including with artificial intelligence. It has developed its own proprietary AI-driven capabilities that are being used in cutting-edge tools, such as a new AI-enabled scoring engine for use with its core literacy programs. Introduced for this school year, the tool makes grading easier for teachers and gives students immediate feedback to improve their writing skills.

There’s also growing demand in K-12 education to ensure today’s students are better prepared for their future after high school. Savvas is helping to meet this demand with the launch of Savvas PathMaker, a portfolio of college and career readiness solutions that builds upon the company’s strategic acquisitions of Outlier and Pointful Education. Savvas PathMaker combines award-winning Outlier by Savvas dual-enrollment courses with innovative Savvas CTE (career and technical education) courses to provide an all-in-one digital solution that opens a world of opportunities for students.

Visit GSV 150 for the full list of 2025 winners.

In addition to Savvas being selected for inclusion on the GSV 150 list, Forsa has also been chosen to speak at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit, which is being held April 6-9 in San Diego.

ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY
At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design engaging, next-generation K-12 learning solutions that give all students the best opportunity to succeed. Our award-winning, high-quality instructional materials span every grade level and discipline, from evidence-based, standards-aligned core curricula and supplemental and intervention programs to state-of-the-art assessment tools and the industry’s most innovative portfolio of college and career readiness solutions — all designed to meet the needs of every learner. Savvas products are used by millions of students and educators in more than 90 percent of the 13,000+ public school districts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as globally in more than 125 countries. To learn more, visit Savvas Learning Company. Savvas Learning Company’s products are also available for sale in Canada through its subsidiary, Rubicon.

ABOUT GSV
Founded in 2011, GSV is a global platform that drives education and workforce skills innovation. We believe that ALL people have equal access to the future, and that scaled innovations in “PreK to Gray” learning and skills are crucial to achieving this goal. The GSV platform includes the ASU+GSV Summit, hosted annually in San Diego with 7,000+ attendees; the India-based ASU+GSV & Emeritus Summit, now entering its third year; and The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, an immersive exploration of the AI Revolution in education, which welcomed 10,000+ attendees this year. GSV Ventures, GSV’s investment arm founded in 2015, is a multi-stage venture fund investing in the most transformational companies across the global “PreK to Gray” landscape.

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Perspecta Announces Leadership Transition

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April Stiles Named Chief Executive Officer  

LANGHORNE, Pa., Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Perspecta, a leader in provider data management and healthcare technology solutions, announces the appointment of April Stiles as Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Howard Koenig. As co-founder of Perspecta, Stiles is currently serving as Chief Operating Officer and President of Group Health & Government and brings more than 25 years of experience in healthcare and workers’ compensation industries to her new role.

Perspecta, a leader in provider data management, announces the appointment of April Stiles as CEO.

Stiles is recognized for her extensive expertise in operations, strategy, and client-focused solutions. Her deep understanding of health plans and the workers’ compensation landscape positions her to address complex industry challenges with precision and innovation. As CEO, Stiles will focus on enhancing Perspecta’s transformative solutions to drive operational excellence and deliver measurable value to its clients.

“April’s exceptional leadership, operational expertise, and commitment to clients made her the ideal choice to lead Perspecta into its next chapter,” said Will Smith, Board Chair. “Her proven ability to deliver results ensures Perspecta will continue to set the standard in provider data management.”

Throughout her career, Stiles has led initiatives that optimize operations, enhance product capabilities, and improve user outcomes. Her leadership at Perspecta has been instrumental in achieving the industry’s highest provider data accuracy rating—exceeding 95%—and delivering solutions that simplify provider directory management and improve access to care.

“I’m honored to lead Perspecta into its next phase of growth and innovation,” said Stiles. “As we look to the future, we will focus on delivering transformative solutions and exceptional experiences while setting new benchmarks in healthcare technology.”

Perspecta specializes in provider data management for health plans and workers’ compensation payers. Its solutions enhance operational efficiency, improve user experiences, and deliver significant ROI. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and deep domain expertise, Perspecta is redefining provider network management to meet the evolving needs of its clients.

About Perspecta
Perspecta is reimagining provider data management. Through deep domain expertise and a spirit of innovation, Perspecta accelerates the transformation of provider network management, delivering value to customers and the providers, consumers, and partners they serve. Perspecta’s provider data management solutions create a better user experience and significant return on investment for health plans, workers’ compensation, and provider organizations. With the industry’s highest accuracy rating of more than 95%, Perspecta is the leading choice for provider network data and directory management. Learn more at www.goperspecta.net.

About 5th Century Partners
5th Century Partners is a purpose-driven private investment firm that invests in lower-middle-market companies within healthcare and business services that have outsized growth potential. The firm provides capital, operating expertise and strategic relationships that lead to sustainable growth, which in turn allows partner companies to realize their full potential and deliver positive outcomes to their stakeholders.  Learn more at www.5cpartners.com.  

Media Contact
Linda Thurman 
Linda.thurman@goperspecta.com 

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