Mike Ferry, with the University of California San Diego Center for Energy Research, shows a bank of lithium ion batteries at UCSD in September 2022 in La Jolla, California. Winter Storm Elliott caused widespread power outages across the eastern U.S. in 2022, leaving 1.5 million people without electricity just days before Christmas. Indiana narrowly avoided similar rolling blackouts from the storm, which caused a huge spike in energy consumption while slowing the production of the natural gas that runs most power plants. But those outages could have been avoided or reduced if states had more large-scale battery energy storage systems, according to clean-energy advocates. The technology stores energy and can immediately disperse it to the grid whenever and wherever it's needed. That was was proven true in Texas last year during an extreme heat wave that spiked energy use and threatened power outages. The state had massively increased its battery energy storage capacity following a deadly winter storm two years earlier. The extra power kept the lights on for Texans during the heat wave. But in Indiana, electric utilities have been slow to adopt the technology that advocates say is essential as electricity-guzzling data centers and high-tech manufacturing facilities move into the state and strain the grid. Indiana’s main power-grid operator, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), has already issued warnings it could face an electric-capacity deficit as early as next summer as coal plants rapidly close and energy demand grows. The deficit is only expected to increase over the next five years in the 15 states in which MISO operates. Now, even with the looming energy threat, Indiana utility companies still aren’t fully utilizing battery storage to stabilize and bolster the grid, according to Kerwin Olson, executive director of the Citizen Action Coalition, the state’s largest consumer and environmental advocacy organization. “Battery storage has enormous value,” he said. “But I think it's a matter of moving these conservative utilities to adopt new technologies that they might not be as familiar with. I think they're a little hesitant to accept it as a real resource.” Today, Indiana’s utility companies operate six battery-energy-storage facilities with a total capacity of 100 megawatts (MG). That’s enough to power roughly 16,000 homes for several hours, but not nearly adequate to stop blackouts during extreme weather events. For comparison, Texas has over 5,700 MG of battery storage capacity tied to the grid. Nearly all of that has been built over the last four years. The state now has the most battery energy storage in the nation. A view from inside one of AES’ existing battery storage projects in the U.S. The Indianapolis utility installed the state's first facility in 2016. The industry as a whole has also seen major growth. By the end of 2024, the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects that the nation’s battery capacity will exceed 30 GW, or 30,000 MG, marking a five-fold increase since 2020. Energy storage systems do more than help avoid blackouts. Clean-energy advocates say they are playing a critical role in transitioning to renewables like wind and solar, which produce extra energy during peak operation that can be stored in batteries and then dispersed when needed. Those systems have existed for decades, but improvements to battery technology are making storage facilities more affordable and reliable than ever. In Indiana, the Indianapolis-based utility AES has led the state in implementing battery storage. The company tested the first grid-connected commercial lithium-ion battery in 2008 and opened a 20-MG site in 2016 that became the first grid-scale battery storage system in MISO. Now, AES is building a facility in Pike County that will store and deliver up to 200 MW of electricity for four hours to help meet energy demand during peak times. The project will be one of the largest storage systems in MISO. “As we’ve seen our generation portfolio transform over the past decade to include natural gas, wind and solar, battery storage has been necessary to improve grid operation and efficiency,” AES said in an email. Other utilities have been far less aggressive. Duke Energy and CenterPoint have each installed two smaller-scale systems. NIPSO this summer opened a 60-MW facility in White County and will soon open another 75-MW storage system in Jasper County. Most state utilities’ snails-pace adoption of battery storage indicates they don’t fully buy in to the benefits and are hesitant to embrace and incorporate a new technology, explained Olson. Kerwin Olson, executive director of the Citizens Action Coalition, informs residents of New Albany about proposed rate increases and how they will affect them. “I've heard utilities say, ‘We know what we know and we like what we know,’” he said. “Except what they know is incredibly expensive and incredibly dirty, and there's a better way to do it.” But the biggest obstacle to quickly expanding battery storage in Indiana isn’t the utilities, argued Noah Roberts, vice president of energy storage at American Clean Power, which represents over 800 clean-energy companies. It’s grid operators like MISO, which have outdated rules on how energy storage can be incorporated into the electric grid, he said. That’s led to a backlog of projects waiting to come online in Indiana. Those connection queues have become significantly longer in the last few years due to the increased requests coming from the growing number of renewable facilities, according to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission’s annual 2024 report. In 2021, over 22% of requests to connect to the grid came from battery storage. Roberts said how quickly battery energy is deployed in Indiana depends on whether MISO updates its rules to fully utilize the technology. Once those barriers are lifted, he predicts a major uptick in battery-storage projects. “As energy storage is deployed in Indiana and other states in the Midwest, they will realize the very real and tangible benefits of integrating energy storage,” Roberts said. “That will accelerate other changes that need to occur to enable more energy storage.” Even with grid restrictions, a slate of battery projects are under construction that will substantially expand the state’s capacity. But it’s not utilities building them. Nearly all the projects are coming from private developments. Five projects are set come online in the next three years, adding in total 443 MG of storage. A list of upcoming battery storage projects being built by private companies that have been approved in Indiana as of July 1, 2024. That energy can be sold to utilities, some of which do have plans to add substantial amounts of battery storage to their portfolio in the next five years. Duke Energy wants 400 MW of storage to be in service by 2030. NIPSCO plans to add 500 to 900 MG by 2029, but noted that depends on MISO and how it accredits the energy. Indiana lawmakers have also started to cautiously consider battery storage and have approved new regulations on the burgeoning industry. An energy-policy task force report in 2022 determined that “thoughtful attention to fact-based and rational timelines” is necessary to responsibly include battery storage on the grid. Legislators followed up on the report last year by passing a bill detailing a number of siting and safety rules for battery projects, which must now receive approval from the Department of Homeland Security and comply with the National Fire Protection Association’s standards. The Indiana Office of Energy Development has also commissioned a report researching utility-scale battery energy storage systems and their economic impact to provide best practices for local governments and utilities that want to implement them. The report is due in March. Indiana Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford, who chairs the Senate Utility Committee, said he hopes battery-storage technology continues to improve, but until it does, he holds some reservations about its large-scale adoption. Eric Koch “We have to be very careful about introducing new technologies into the field before they've been validated and verified, but we should always be doing research,” he said. Koch said he and other lawmakers have put serious thought into ensuring the state has enough electricity to accommodate the rapid growth of data centers and other high-energy users. They plan to introduce legislation next year targeting energy policy involving those industries, he said. “It could be an issue, but it is certainly a manageable issue,” he said. “And if we manage it right, I don't foresee any concerns.” But Olson said legislators and utilities need to make battery storage a top priority in that plan. Failing to incorporate it into the state’s energy portfolio likely means utilities will only build more natural gas power plants, which are far more expensive and come with their own environmental concerns. For that to happen, state officials need to fully embrace the benefits battery storage provides to the grid and to Hoosier residents, he argued. “Storage is an absolute necessity if we are going to have an all-of-the-above energy strategy that has a goal of reducing prices for customers and increasing reliability, resiliency and stability of the grid,” he said. “Otherwise, we're going to be left with the outdated 20th century model.”FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A boat explosion at a South Florida marina has left one person dead and five others injured, officials said. The explosion occurred Monday night at the Lauderdale Marina, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said in a social media post. Rescue workers transported five people to local hospitals, three with traumatic injuries, officials said. A sixth person was found dead in the water several hours later by the Broward Sheriff's Office. Fire rescue officials said they didn't immediately know what caused the explosion.sports icon 。

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Injured cornerback Riley Moss could return to Denver's lineup at Cincinnati ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos' usually stout defense has been rocked ever since losing second-year cornerback Riley Moss to an MCL injury against Las Vegas in Week 12. Arnie Stapleton, The Associated Press Dec 24, 2024 1:17 PM Dec 24, 2024 1:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Denver Broncos' Pat Surtain II reacts after breaking up a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos' usually stout defense has been rocked ever since losing second-year cornerback Riley Moss to an MCL injury against Las Vegas in Week 12. Without Moss there to capitalize on opponents shying away from star cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos (9-6) have had to largely abandon their preferred man coverage in favor of zone strategies and the results haven't been pretty. They allowed 32 points to the Cleveland Browns when former teammate Jerry Jeudy caught nine passes for a career-best 235 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown. Only Jonathan Taylor's fumble at the goal line as he was about to score a 41-yard touchdown and give Indianapolis a 20-3 lead saved the Broncos in Week 15 and allowed Denver to seize momentum and get the victory. They couldn't stop Justin Herbert , who led the Los Angeles Chargers back from a double-digit third-quarter deficit for a 34-27 win last week that prevented the Broncos from ending their eight-year playoff drought. It also put more pressure on the Broncos to win Saturday at Cincinnati, where the Bengals (7-8) cling to hopes of catching the Broncos and deny Denver a wild-card berth. Moss has enjoyed a breakout season in Denver with 71 tackles, eight pass breakups and an interception in 12 starts. He played in 14 games as a rotation player his rookie season after recovering from core muscle surgery that relegated him to special teams and spot duty in 2023. “We were and have been super excited" about the third-round pick out of Iowa, coach Sean Payton said. "Obviously, the guy that plays opposite of Patrick is going to get a lot of business. All throughout training camp, he really rose to the occasion, battled, competed and throughout really a good portion of the season. “He’s a big reason why we were playing so well defensively,” Payton added. "The sooner the better when we can get him back in the lineup. Hopefully it can happen this weekend.” In Moss' dozen starts, the Broncos allowed 16.8 points per game. Without him, they've been allowing 26.3 points a game. Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase pose a bigger challenge to the Broncos than Jeudy and Jameis Wiston did for Cleveland or Herbert and Ladd McConkey did for the Chargers. Moss returned to practice last week and the Broncos will determine this week whether he's ready to return to the field or if it's better to keep him out until their season finale against Kansas City. The medial collateral ligament is on the inside of the knee that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone. It’s one of four major ligaments that stabilize the knee and allow it to rotate. It typically takes a month to recover from an MCL sprain and the Broncos had their bye week earlier this month, meaning Moss might only have to miss three games. If the Broncos reach the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 in Hall of Famer Peyton Manning's last start, they'll likely need to have a healthy Moss opposite Surtain to have any realistic hopes of avoiding a one-and-done appearance. The Broncos got a scare when Surtain injured an ankle against Indianapolis two weeks ago and limped off the field in the closing minutes. However, he was a full-go at practice last week and had no issues against the Chargers. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Arnie Stapleton, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Jets' Rodgers insists he'll play despite knee issue, rookie Fashanu placed on IR with foot injury Dec 24, 2024 1:30 PM Lopsided loss sinks the reeling Saints further into evaluation mode Dec 24, 2024 1:14 PM Titans QB Mason Rudolph gets another chance at starting, this time against the Jags Dec 24, 2024 1:03 PM

Phillies have no plans to start pitching prospect Andrew Painter in spring training following injuryKuwait City, Dec 22 (IANS): In a special gesture, Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah came to see off PM Modi at the airport Sunday evening as he wrapped up his historic two-day visit to the West Asian country and left for India. "Thank you Kuwait! This visit was historic and will greatly enhance our bilateral relations. I thank the Government and people of Kuwait for their warmth. I also thank the PM of Kuwait for the special gesture of coming to the airport for the see-off," PM Modi posted on X just before his departure. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi held back-to-back meetings with the country's Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah besides holding bilateral discussions with the country's PM Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. "Held fruitful discussions with HH Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister of Kuwait. Our talks covered the full range of India-Kuwait relations, including trade, commerce, people-to-people ties and more. Key MoUs and Agreements were also exchanged, which will add strength to bilateral relations," said PM Modi. According to the Prime Minister's Office, the two leaders discussed a roadmap to strengthen the strategic partnership in areas including political, trade, investment, energy, defence, security, health, education, technology, cultural, and people-to-people ties. "They emphasised on deepening economic cooperation between the two countries. The Prime Minister invited a delegation comprising the Kuwaiti Investment Authority and other stakeholders to visit India to look at new opportunities in the fields of energy, defence, medical devices, pharma, food parks, among others. The leaders also discussed cooperation in traditional medicine and agricultural research," read a statement issued by the PMO after the meeting. "They welcomed the recent signing of the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) under which new Joint Working Groups in the areas of trade, investment, education, technology, agriculture, security and culture have been set up in addition to the existing JWGs on Health, Manpower and Hydrocarbons," it added. Both leaders also witnessed the signing and exchange of bilateral agreements and MoUs after the talks. It included an MoU on defence cooperation, cultural exchange programme, an executive programme on cooperation in the field of sports and the framework agreement on Kuwait joining the International Solar Alliance. In what was the first meeting between the two leaders, Prime Minister Modi met and the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah held discussions at the Bayan Palace and re-affirmed their full commitment to further expand and deepen bilateral cooperation while agreeing to elevate the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership. The leaders recalled the strong historical and friendly ties between the two countries with PM Modi thanking the Amir for ensuring the well-being of over one million strong Indian community in Kuwait. The Amir also expressed appreciation for the contribution of the large and vibrant Indian community in Kuwait’s development. "Excellent meeting with His Highness the Emir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. We discussed cooperation in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, IT, fintech, infrastructure and security. In line with the close relations between our two countries, we have elevated our partnership to a strategic level and I am optimistic that our friendship will flourish further in the future," the Prime Minister said. The PM appreciated the new initiatives being undertaken by Kuwait to fulfill its Vision 2035 and congratulated the Amir for successfully holding the GCC Summit earlier this month. Reciprocating Prime Minister's sentiments, the Amir expressed appreciation for India's role as a valued partner in Kuwait and the Gulf region and looked forward to greater role and contribution of India towards realisation of Kuwait Vision 2035. The Amir of Kuwait also conferred upon Prime Minister Modi 'The Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer', the highest national award of Kuwait. PM Modi dedicated the award to the long-standing friendship between India and Kuwait, to the Indian community in Kuwait and to the 1.4 billion people of India. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the conferment of the award - instituted in 1974 and conferred only on select global leaders - on the historic visit of a Prime Minister of India to Kuwait after 43 years added a "special meaning" to the occasion. PM Modi also met with Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait. Both leaders had also met on the margins of the UNGA session in September, earlier this year. "Prime Minister conveyed that India attaches utmost importance to its bilateral relations with Kuwait. The leaders acknowledged that bilateral relations were progressing well and welcomed their elevation to a Strategic Partnership. They emphasised on close coordination between both sides in the UN and other multilateral fora. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that India-GCC relations will be further strengthened under the Presidency of Kuwait," said PM Modi.STUART, Fla. , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Health In Tech, an Insurtech platform company backed by third-party AI technology, today announced the closing of its initial public offering of 2,300,000 shares of its Class A common stock at a public offering price of $4.00 per share, for gross proceeds of $9,200,000 , before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions, and estimated offering expenses. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

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After a rapid upward shift in previous days, Rumble ( RUM -2.69% ) stock was gaining again in Tuesday morning trading. The share price was up 3.7% as of noon ET, though it had been up by as much as 17.2% earlier in the session. On Friday, Rumble announced that it's on track to receive a large investment from Tether -- the company behind the Tether ( USDT 0.08% ) stable-coin cryptocurrency. Tether has agreed to invest $775 million in the streaming video specialist, and it's receiving new bullish meme-stock attention as a result. Rumble surges on $775 million Tether investment Tether will be purchasing 103 million shares of newly created Rumble stock at a price of $7.50 per share. The streaming video specialist will be using $250 million of the proceeds to fund growth initiatives. The remaining proceeds will be used to buy back stock from current shareholders at a price of $7.50 per share. Rumble's business has been posting significant losses and going through its cash reserves at a relatively rapid pace. The company posted a net loss of $31.5 million in the third quarter and closed out the period with $132 million in cash and short-term equivalents. The additional $250 million it will have on its books after it completes its self-tender buyback initiative will extend its ability to fund its operations by two more years based on its current cash-burn rate. On the heels of the announcement, Rumble stock exploded. It's now up by 103% over the last month of trading. While the influx of capital is good news for the business, there are reasons to be skeptical about whether the stock's recent momentum can be sustained. What's next for Rumble stock? The investment from Tether has reignited meme stock momentum for Rumble. It's possible that continued meme-stock momentum or hopes that Tether will radically transform the business will further boost the company's share price. But the fundamentals of the deal and the streaming video service's business suggest that investors should be careful. Though it is selling new stock to Tether, the plan to buy back shares from other shareholders would make this deal minimally dilutive to existing shareholders. On the other hand, the stock now trades far above the level at which Rumble is both selling stock to Tether and at which it aims to repurchase shares. With the stock rocketing higher on the relatively moderate liquidity infusion that will occur assuming the share buyback is completed, Rumble may want to quickly sell new stock at levels that have a much larger dilutive impact. Additionally, the fundamentals of the company are not inspiring. Its engagement and monetization metrics have been relatively weak even with the tailwinds of the recent election, and the business is not scaling effectively. At this point, investors in Rumble are either making a meme-stock play or a bet that Tether can play an active and useful role in either continually sustaining or radically reshaping its struggling business.

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Hands-On: Snapdragon Dev Kit for WindowsSTUART, Fla. , Dec. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Health In Tech, an Insurtech platform company backed by third-party AI technology, today announced the closing of its initial public offering of 2,300,000 shares of its Class A common stock at a public offering price of $4.00 per share, for gross proceeds of $9,200,000 , before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions, and estimated offering expenses. The Company has granted the underwriter an option, exercisable within 30 days from the date of the final prospectus, to purchase an additional 345,000 shares of Class A common stock from Health In Tech at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. Assuming such option is fully exercised, the Company may raise a total of approximately US$10,580,000 in gross proceeds from the Offering Health In Tech intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for system enhancements, expansion of service offerings, sales and distribution channels, talent development and retention, working capital, and other general corporate purposes. American Trust Investment Services, Inc. acted as the sole book-running manager for the offering. A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-281853) relating to the shares was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and became effective on December 19, 2024 . This offering was made only by means of a prospectus, forming part of the effective registration statement. A copy of the prospectus relating to the offering can be obtained when available, by contacting American Trust Investment Services, Inc., 230 W. Monroe Street , Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60606, or via E-Mail at ECM@amtruinvest.com. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Health In Tech Health in Tech ("HIT") is an Insurtech platform company backed by third-party AI technology. We offer a dynamic marketplace designed to create customized healthcare plan solutions while streamlining processes through vertical integration, process simplification, and automation. By eliminating friction and complexities, HIT enhances value propositions for employers and optimizes underwriting, sales, and service workflows for Managing General Underwriters (MGUs), insurance carriers, licensed brokers, and Third-Party Administrators (TPAs). Learn more at healthintech.com . Forward-Looking Statements Regarding Health In Tech Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may include estimates or expectations about Health In Tech's possible or assumed operational results, financial condition, business strategies and plans, market opportunities, competitive position, industry environment, and potential growth opportunities. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "design," "target," "aim," "hope," "expect," "could," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "continue," "predict," "project," "potential," "goal," or other words that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. These statements relate to future events or to Health In Tech's future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Health In Tech's actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond Health In Tech's control and which could, and likely will, affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects Health In Tech's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to Health In Tech's operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. Investor Contact Investor Relations: ir@healthintech.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/health-in-tech-announces-closing-of-initial-public-offering-302338923.html SOURCE Health In Tech