N.B. premier vows ‘necessary’ changes after public utility review
New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt says she's committed to making the changes necessary to address NB Power's soaring electricity rates.
#Canada #NewBrunswickPower
https://globalnews.ca/news/11769181/n-b-premier-vows-necessary-changes-after-public-utility-review/

Cling 2.0 Builds Its Own File Search Engine From Scratch

Cling 2.0 ditches external dependencies and powers its own native search engine. Find results across millions of files in under 100 milliseconds.

https://yoota.it/en/cling-2-0-builds-its-own-file-search-engine-from-scratch/

PBS NewsHour - The Latest | Utility board elections face surge of attention as electricity rates rise by Marc Levy, Associated Press, Kim Chandler, Associated Press, Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Rising household electricity prices and controversy over data centers are reshaping low-profile elections for control over utilities that build power plants and power lines — and then bill people for the cost. The tensions played a prominent role during last year's elections in Georgia, New Jersey and Virginia, and now they're sweeping through Arizona and Alabama, where once-sleepy contests are becoming political brawls. Even national groups like Turning Point Action — better known for its role mobilizing young conservatives behind President Donald Trump — are getting involved by knocking on doors and texting campaign messages. The organization wants to curb environmentalists' influence over the Phoenix-area Salt River Project, the largest public utility in the country, in a Tuesday election. The skirmishes are a preview for more campaigns later this year, when at least a half-dozen states will hold elections for utility regulators. That includes Georgia, where a second-straight hotly contested campaign is anticipated. The burst of attention is dragging the behind-the-scenes politics of elected utility commissioners — long dominated by power brokers or monopolistic companies, critics say — into an intensely national debate over how to power artificial intelligence without driving up electricity costs. "And that means suddenly there's all this pressure," said Dave Pomerantz of the Energy and Policy Institute, which pushes utilities to keep rates low and use renewable energy sources.

In Tuesday's election that will determine control of Salt River Project, more than three times as many people requested early ballots than two years ago. Yard signs pepper street corners and ratepayers — they must own land to vote — are getting text messages, fliers and door-knockers. The utility has already been under pressure to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels like coal and natural gas that emit planet-warming greenhouse gases. But now campaign organizations are converging on the race as the fast-growing Phoenix area becomes a destination for data centers and semiconductor factories. The utility projects that it will need to double its power capacity within a decade. Two rival slates are vying for the board's majority. One is backed by Turning Point Action, which wants to stop "radical environmentalists." The other is supported by the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, which is opposing "oil-loving candidates." Also involved are local chapters of progressive groups, energy interests, construction firms and data center developers. "If they want to just overnight switch us to solar, there's a reliability issue, there's a cost issue there, and we just can't keep up," said Jimmy Lindblom, a construction executive who formed the business-backed Arizonans for Responsible Growth. "We'd have blackouts. And so these things are really important to the growth of Arizona." Turning Point Action is putting its muscle behind the Arizonans for Responsible Growth slate. They're also using the election to build momentum ahead of this year's midterms in the battleground state. The slate running as the "clean energy" team said Salt River Project's current majority is too eager to hook up to natural gas, raise rates and embrace data centers. They also said the board is too dismissive of clean energy technologies to meet spiking demand and offers no incentives to install solar panels. "It's insane, especially now," said Randy Miller, a clean energy advocate on SRP's board. About a dozen supporters gathered around picnic tables last week at a park in Tempe, arriving as the sun set to canvass for voters who had requested ballots but not returned them. After a brief pep talk, they fanned out. Some voters were bothered by Turning Point's involvement. "Very, very, very troublesome," said Laura Kajfez, a 66-year-old retiree from Tempe. "We don't need that intervention in our local politics. We have enough problems as it is." In the last two elections, an averag

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Read more: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/utility-board-elections-face-surge-of-attention-as-electricity-rates-rise

#electricityrates #utilities #vote2026 #alabamapublicservicecommission

Utility board elections face surge of attention as electricity rates rise

Skyrocketing power demand from massive data centers and rising household electric bills are injecting a wave of attention into who is getting elected to watch over electric utilities.

PBS News
@ajsadauskas Here's a nerdy little sidenote some of you folks might find interesting.

Notice how the light pole in the photo is also being used to carry a Parramatta city council banner (in this case, celebrating Easter)?

Notice as well various censors and pieces of comms equipment are attached to the pole? And also, near the bottom, a flower bed?

If you'll look closely, you'll notice there's a groove down the side of the pole. And the various things on it are attached with standard mountings? (So the light at the top, for example, isn't welded in place. It's attached with a mounting.)

What you're looking at is a Standards Australia SA TS 5386:2024 multifunction pole. ( https://www.standards.org.au/standards-catalogue/standard-details?designation=sa-ts-5386-2024 )

This design is less prevalent in other states, but they're everywhere in New South Wales.

Some background from the design studio that created this design:

"The award winning HUB Multi-Function Pole System combines multiple street pole functions onto one beautifully designed structural urban element.

"Invented by 4design, The HUB MFP System is a fully modular system that can be adapted to the needs of any modern city through a variety of size of pole and associated fixtures.

"The patented system combines a simple elegant pole with a universal mounting system that allows the device to expand to accommodate Traffic Lights, Signage, communications systems etc. Developed in Australia, the HUB Pole is now a globally respected Multi Function Pole System."

https://www.4design.com.au/project/multi-function-pole-street-equipment/

Some more background info from the NSW State Government Movement & Place website:

"Adopt a multi-function pole system in urban areas, where many single-use poles and structures for signs, traffic control signals, CCTV, flags and lighting can be rationalised to a single, modular system pole reducing clutter and enabling other streetscape improvements.

"Benefits
* Reduces clutter by combining several posts, poles and structural supports into a single element
* Is a modular system, allowing a single product range to be used as a unifying element in an urban area
*Allows additional items, upgraded technology or functions to be installed on the pole over time, reducing the need to dig up paving or planting beds

"Considerations
* Will normally not be maintained by the electricity authority and be treated as a private pole
* Structural footings, installation requirements and connections to power, telecommunications etc may be complex
* Not all proprietary systems are frangible and suitable for higher-speed environments"

https://www.movementandplace.nsw.gov.au/standards/design-solutions/multi-function-poles

#Urbanism #UrbanPlanning #architecture #technology #utilities #StreetLights #design #engineering #cities #Australia #NSW #tech #Parramatta
Catalogue Item - Standards Catalogue | Standards Australia

Ultralytics (@ultralytics)

Ultralytics 유틸리티를 사용해 바운딩 박스 좌표로부터 폭, 높이 등 박스 속성을 계산하는 방법을 소개했다. 객체 측정과 커스텀 컴퓨터 비전 워크플로에 바로 활용할 수 있는 실용적인 기능으로, 개발자가 탐지 결과를 후처리할 때 유용하다.

https://x.com/ultralytics/status/2040102052609581441

#ultralytics #computervision #boundingbox #objectdetection #utilities

Ultralytics (@ultralytics) on X

Extract bounding box dimensions using Ultralytics utilities! 📏 Compute width, height, and other box properties directly from bounding box coordinates, useful for object measurements and custom computer vision workflows. Learn more ➡️ https://t.co/TBOBex2np0 #Ultralytics

X (formerly Twitter)
N.B. Power wins quick approval to raise its rates and bill smart-meter refusers
The New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board has approved most of N.B. Power's application to raise rates above four per cent this year. The utility also got approval to charge residential customers who do not accept smart meters.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-power-wins-raise-rates-bill-smart-meters-9.7151487?cmp=rss
The Nuclear Regulation Authority has approved a plan to ease the timeline given to nuclear power plant operators in the nation for installing anti-terrorism facilities at the plants. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/04/02/japan/antiterror-facility-deadline/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #nuclearenergy #terrorism #energy #utilities #restarts
Japan eases timeline for creating nuclear plant anti-terrorism facilities

Out of the 12 reactors across the nation for which anti-terrorism facilities have been completed, only one met the deadline.

The Japan Times
N.B. Power grilled over long-term needs as gas plant hearings wrap
The Energy and Utilities Board has wrapped up eight days of hearings into a proposed 500-megawatt gas and diesel power plant deal.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/deal-nova-scotia-save-money-10-years-what-about-next-15-9.7150723?cmp=rss
Tenants of Truro-area landlord repeatedly left without water, heat
'Nobody around here feels much security,' says one tenant after repeatedly going days without access to hot water and heat as a result of oil shortages.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/truro-apartments-residential-tenancies-yada-property-9.7148432?cmp=rss
Thames Water ‘close to deal that would spare it Ofwat fines until 2030’

Offer reportedly put forward by creditors hoping to save struggling firm from being renationalised temporarily

The Guardian