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Footprint Project, a nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis whose mission is to provide cleaner energy for communities in crisis, recently joined Rent.Solar on a trip to Louisiana to help those hit hardest by Hurricane Ida. The two brought 4 solar trailers and 60 portable charging stations. The mobile solar unit is paired with battery storage to create microgrids that power relief efforts that are currently on the ground. This is awesome!

I actually got to talk with the Footprint team about their work, and that will be published as a followup to this article.

The two companies noted that they were ready to deploy to Louisiana from the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, which had been suddenly canceled due to Ida. After leaving Louisiana, the storm made its way north and Tennessee was one of several states in its path.

Will Heegaard, Operations Director at Footprint Project, said, “We were tracking Ida while loading into Bonnaroo and immediately began strategizing about how we could deploy while still fulfilling our festival contract.” Both had programming and rental contracts with Bonnaroo this year and the event announced the cancellation just two days after Ida made landfall at Port Fourchon.

The solar and battery systems used were manufactured by Tesla. Richard Birt, who joined Footprint Project and Light Empowered on the trip, pointed out that these systems were a matter of life and death for communities in New Orleans. I can verify this, as I, too, was without power. Although it was for only three days, 140°F inside your home is nothing to play with. In my case, I was fortunate to have clean running water. Many in South Louisiana don’t have access to clean water and were told it would be weeks before they’d get power back. These solar systems being brought down will save lives.

“While it’s incredibly unfortunate for everyone involved that the festival couldn’t go on this year, the ability to get down to communities in need of critical power with such speed and agility is the real reason we do this work,” said Heegaard. Footprint has been in New Orleans since Friday, September 3, and has powered up the New Orleans Veterans of Foreign Wars, which is distributing 500 meals per day to the community.

It’s also powered up Imagine Water Works, which leads the Mutual Aid Response Group of Louisiana. The organization is currently building a list of sites that need the power to be triaged and has prioritized that list based on need service. It’s also sourcing additional solar equipment from industry partners around the country.

Footprint Project will deploy the mobile microgrids through the area. Community centers, medical centers, and fire stations will benefit from the microgrids. Community partners have identified parking lots and street corners as high need areas for cell phone charging, medical and mobility devices, and battery shares.

“We’re incredibly grateful to all our partners and supporters for helping us build back greener in Louisiana,” said Heegaard. In a video that is part of their gallery of images and video, Heegaard explained what type of solar panels they were using for Imagine Water Works.

He explained that this was the second solar generator setup and that the two 50-watt portable solar panels were identical to another setup used for a chest freezer. It included a small, 20-inch charge controller that was donated by Zamp Solar. The charge controller, plugged into the solar panels, runs power to an 830 kWh battery suitcase which was placed in the shade. This system was able to run the command, laptop, and their cell phones that evening. This is just one of the many systems they’ve set up to help the community.

DER Task Force joined the organizations by setting up a fundraiser on GoFundMe with an initial goal of raising $50,000. That has been increased to $75,000, as more than $61,000 has been raised. The funds will enable Footprint Project to deploy the mobile microgrids in New Orleans and the communities hit the hardest by Ida. I’ve donated and I encourage anyone who wants to help to donate as well. SolHomes, Scale Microgrid Solutions, CPower Energy Management, and Brooklyn SolarWorks are just a few companies that have donated to this fundraiser.

When our power was still out, I sat with my neighbors listening to a solar-powered radio that broadcasted Governor Edwards’ press conference. He said that we would get through this and that we need to be good neighbors for one another. That’s something he’s always talking about — being a good neighbor to your fellow citizens. Other states, communities, and organizations are also being good neighbors.

It’s moments like these that give hope for humanity as a whole. Yes, we have bad people who hurt others, but there are good ones who are coming from a place of love and act on those intentions — they seek to make a positive impact and help others. This is what being a good neighbor is all about.

Related story: “The Tesla Community Helped Feed Over 150 Baton Rouge Families Affected By Hurricane Ida

 

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Tesla’s retro-futuristic diner and Supercharger is here and it looks sick

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Tesla's retro-futuristic diner and Supercharger is here and it looks sick

Tesla’s retro-futuristic diner with Superchargers and giant movie screens is ready to open, and I have to admit, it looks pretty sick.

This project has been in the works for a long time.

In 2018, Elon Musk said that Tesla planned to open an “old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in Los Angeles.” It was yet another “Is he joking?” kind of Elon Musk idea, but he wasn’t kidding.

A few months later, Tesla applied for building permits for “a restaurant and Supercharger station” at a location in Santa Monica. However, the project stalled for a long time, apparently due to local regulations.

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Nevertheless, Tesla still moved forward with a Supercharger at the location, but it had to move the diner project to Hollywood. In 2022, Tesla filed the construction plans with the city, giving us the first look at what the automaker intends to build.

In 2023, the automaker broke ground on the site of the diner.

7 years after being originally announced, the project appears now ready to open:

Musk said that he ate at the diner last night and claimed that it is “one of the coolest spots in LA.” He didn’t say when it will open, but Tesla vehicles have been spotted at Supercharger and people appear to be testing the dinning experience inside.

A Tesla Optimus Robot can be seen inside the diner on a test rack. It looks like Tesla might use one for some tasks inside the diner.

Earlier this year, Tesla integrated the diner into its mobile app – hinting at some interaction through the app – possibly ordering from it.

Electrek’s Take

I think it looks pretty cool. I am a fan of the design and concept.

However, considering the state of the Tesla community, I don’t think I’d like the vibes. That said, it looks like Tesla isn’t prominently pushing its branding on the diner.

You can come and charge there, but it looks like Tesla is also aiming to get a wider clientele just for dining.

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Westinghouse plans to build 10 large nuclear reactors in U.S., interim CEO tells Trump

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Westinghouse plans to build 10 large nuclear reactors in U.S., interim CEO tells Trump

Plant Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant in Waynesboro, GA, August 15, 2024.

Van Applegate | CNBC

Westinghouse plans to build 10 large nuclear reactors in the U.S. with construction to begin by 2030, interim CEO Dan Sumner told President Donald Trump at a roundtable in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

Westinghouse’s big AP1000 reactor generates enough electricity to power more than 750,000 homes, according to the company. Building 10 of these reactors would drive $75 billion of economic value across the U.S. and $6 billion in Pennsylvania, Sumner said.

The Westinghouse executive laid out the plan to Trump during a conference on energy and artificial intelligence at Carnegie Mellon University. Technology, energy and financial executives announced more than $90 billion of investment in data centers and power infrastructure at the conference, according to the office of Sen. Dave McCormick, who organized the event.

Trump issued four executive orders in May that aim to quadruple nuclear power in the U.S. by 2050. The president called for the U.S. to have 10 nuclear plants under construction by 2050. He ordered a “wholesale revision” of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s rules and guidelines.

The U.S. has built only two new nuclear reactors over the past 30 years, both of which were Westinghouse AP1000s at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia. The project notoriously came in $18 billion over budget and seven years behind schedule, contributing to the bankruptcy of Westinghouse.

The industry stalwart emerged from bankruptcy in 2018 and us now owned by Canadian uranium miner Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management.

Westinghouse announced a partnership with Google on Tuesday to use AI tools to make the construction of AP1000s an “efficient, repeatable process,” according to the company.

Catch up on the latest energy news from CNBC Pro:

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Hyundai’s electric minivan sheds its camo: Check out the new Staria EV

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Hyundai's electric minivan sheds its camo: Check out the new Staria EV

Hyundai’s electric minivan is finally out in the open. The Staria EV was caught without camo near Hyundai’s R&D center in Korea, giving us a closer look at the electric minivan undisguised.

Hyundai’s electric minivan drops camo ahead of debut

The Staria arrived in 2021 as the successor to the Starex, Hyundai’s multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). Although the Staria has received several updates throughout the years, 2026 will be its biggest by far.

Hyundai will launch the Staria EV, its first electric minivan. Like the current model, the 2026 Staria will be available in several different configurations, including cargo, passenger, and even a camper version.

We’ve seen the Staria EV out in public a few times already. Last month, we got a glimpse of it while driving on public roads in Korea.

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Despite the camouflage, new EV-like design elements were visible, including updated LED headlights and a full-length light bar. Although it’s still unclear, the electric version appears to be roughly the same size as the current Staria from the side, but slightly wider from the front.

New images posted on the South Korean forum Clien reveal a test car, expected to be Hyundai’s Staria electric minivan, without camo.

Like most Hyundai test cars, the prototype has a black front and a grey body. It still features a similar look to other prototypes we’ve seen, but you can clearly see the new facelift.

Earlier this year, a Staria EV was spotted in a parking lot in Korea, featuring a similar look. The electric version is nearly identical to the Staria Lounge, but with an added charge port and closed-off grille.

The Hyundai Staria EV is expected to make its global debut later this year. Technical details have yet to be revealed, but it’s expected to feature either a 76 kWh or 84 kWh battery, providing a range of around 350 km (217 miles) to 400 km (249 miles).

Hyundai's-first-electric-minivan
Hyundai Staria Lounge (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai’s electric SUV arrives after Kia introduced its first electric van, the PV5, which launched in Europe and Korea earlier this year.

In Europe, the Kia Passenger PV5 model is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo version has a WLTP range of 181 miles or 247 miles.

Source: TheKoreanCarBlog, Clien

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