
Electric utilities face billions in wildfire liability with aging power lines risking another catastrophe
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Published
2 years agoon
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admin
Electrical workers repair power lines leading into the fire ravaged town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in Hawaii, August 15, 2023.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Electric companies in the western U.S. are facing mounting lawsuits alleging that their failure to prepare for extreme weather has resulted in repeated, catastrophic wildfires that have taken scores of lives and caused billions of dollars in damages.
Hawaiian Electric is the latest utility to face allegations of negligence. Maui County sued the power company for damages on Thursday over its alleged role in the devastating wildfires on Maui this month that have killed more than 100 people and burned the historic town of Lahaina to the ground.
The Maui County complaint is the 12th lawsuit filed against Hawaiian Electric. The suits allege that downed power lines operated by the company contributed to the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
The suits accuse the utility of negligence for failing to shut off power even after the National Weather Service had issued a “red flag” warning of an increased fire risk due to high winds from Hurricane Dora and drought conditions on the island.
Hawaii Electric pushed back against some of those claims in a statement Sunday.
The credit agency Fitch has said the litigation could pose an existential threat to the company. Pacific Gas & Electric in California filed for bankruptcy in 2019 when facing billions of dollars in liability for wildfires.
The allegations leveled against Hawaiian Electric echo lawsuits brought against PG&E in California over the 2018 Camp Fire, Berkshire Hathaway’s PacifiCorp in Oregon over the 2020 Labor Day wildfires and Xcel Energy in Colorado over the 2021 Marshall Fire.
Before all these catastrophic wildfires, the companies did not shut the power off despite high winds that can knock down power lines and combine with dry or outright drought conditions to create a high fire risk.
The wildfire risk posed by aboveground power lines is well documented. More than 32,000 wildfires were ignited by transmission and distribution lines in the U.S. from 1992 to 2020, according to U.S. Forest Service data.
Paul Starita, an attorney who represents Lahaina residents in one of the suits against Hawaiian Electric, said utilities are not doing enough to harden their infrastructure against extreme weather and clear brush to prevent catastrophic fires.
“They’re just not doing it,” said Starita, senior counsel at Singleton Schreiber, a law firm that has represented 12,000 victims in fires caused by utilities. “And when you know the system has a problem — shut down the power,” he said.
The industry suffers from a culture that is slow to change and has historically had a financial incentive to not overspend on infrastructure because their performance has been judged on how much money they save their customers, said Alexandra von Meier, an electric grid expert.
“The industry just is changing more slowly than the climate is,” said von Meier, an independent consultant and former professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “The industry needs different standard practices today than they needed 10 years ago. They just haven’t adapted yet.”
The failure to adapt swiftly to climate change has had catastrophic consequences in lives lost, homes destroyed and increasingly for the utilities’ own business interests.
Lives lost, billions in damages
The Maui fires have killed at least 115 people with hundreds still missing. The town of Lahaina is destroyed. Moody’s estimates the wildfires have caused up to $6 billion in economic losses.
Fitch, Moody’s and S&P recently downgraded Hawaiian Electric’s credit rating to junk status, with Fitch warning that the company faces more than $3.8 billion in potential liability for the Maui wildfires.
Though the lawsuits point the finger at Hawaiian Electric, the authorities are still investigating the cause of the Maui wildfires. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has deployed a team with an electrical engineer to assist Maui County fire officials in determining the origins of the blazes.
Just two months before the Maui fires, Colorado law enforcement officials found that a power line operated by the Minnesota-based utility Xcel Energy likely caused one of the two initial fires that led to the 2021 Marshall Fire in Boulder County. The line had become unmoored from its pole during high winds.
The Marshall Fire killed two people, destroyed more than 1,000 homes and dozens of commercial buildings, and burned 6,000 acres of land. Colorado’s insurance commissioner has put the total property losses at more than $2 billion, making it the costliest wildfire in state history.
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said during a news conference in June that criminal charges were not brought against Xcel because there was no evidence of worn materials, shoddy construction and substandard conditions in its power line.
Xcel CEO Bob Frenzel said the company strongly disagrees with the investigation’s conclusion that the power line likely contributed to the blaze. He said Xcel will vigorously defend itself in court against mounting lawsuits.
The company said it is aware of eight lawsuits representing at least 586 plaintiffs and expects further complaints, according to its latest quarterly financial filing. If Xcel is found liable for the Marshall Fire, the total damages could exceed the company’s insurance coverage of $500 million, according to the filing.
Days after Boulder County released its Marshall Fire findings, a jury in Oregon found that Berkshire Hathaway‘s PacifiCorp was to blame for four of the 2020 Labor Day wildfires and ordered the company to pay $90 million in damages to 17 homeowners.
PacifiCorp said the damages sought in the various lawsuits, complaints and demands filed in Oregon over the wildfires total more than $7 billion, according to the company’s latest financial filing. The utility has already incurred probable losses from the fires of more than $1 billion, according to the filing.
The Labor Day wildfires in Oregon killed nine people, destroyed more than 5,000 homes and burned 1.2 million acres of land in the most destructive multiple-fire event in the state’s history.
Though the official cause of the fires is still under investigation, homeowners in the class-action lawsuit said downed power lines operated by PacifiCorp triggered the fires. They accused the company of acting negligently by failing to shut the power off. PacifiCorp has said it will appeal the June jury verdict, which could take years.
The company said in its latest financial filing that government agencies have informed the company that they are contemplating actions in connection with some of the 2020 wildfires.
These catastrophes came years after the devastating 2018 Camp Fire in California that should have served as an urgent, tragic warning to the industry.
The Camp Fire killed 85 people, destroyed more than 18,000 buildings and burned over 153,000 acres of land. The town of Paradise, like Lahaina in the Maui fires, was almost completely destroyed by the inferno.
The Camp Fire was ignited by a power line that PG&E failed to maintain with components dating back to 1921. The company was indicted and ultimately pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter.
PG&E filed for bankruptcy protection in 2019 in the face of $30 billion in wildfire liability. The company reached a $13.5 billion settlement with victims and emerged from bankruptcy in 2020.
Aging power lines
The century-old infrastructure that led to the 2018 Camp Fire, though particularly egregious, is not an isolated problem. Most of the transmission and distribution lines in the U.S. have reached or surpassed their 50-year intended lifespan, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.
And this aging infrastructure is running up against an accelerating number of disasters due to climate change, according to ASCE. Maui County has alleged Hawaiian Electric operated wood utility poles that were severely damaged by decay, putting them at increased risk of toppling during a high wind event.
And even if a utility perfectly maintains and operates its equipment, it is next to impossible to guarantee there will never be a spark with aboveground transmission and distribution infrastructure, von Meier said.
The smartest solution is to install the transmission lines, switchgear and transformers underground, she said. The problem is that this is expensive. It costs about 10 times as much to install electrical infrastructure underground compared with aboveground, von Meier said.
“To really reinforce the infrastructure, both to make it reliable in the face of extreme weather and to keep it from causing fires, is going to be very, very expensive,” von Meier said. The U.S. is facing an investment shortfall of $338 billion in electric infrastructure through to 2039, according to ASCE.
The Edison Electric Institute, the trade association that represents investor-owned electric companies, said the industry has invested $1 trillion over the past decade in upgrading and maintaining infrastructure and is on track to invest more than $167 billion in 2023.
“Substantial investments in adaptation, hardening, and resilience are being made to help mitigate risk,” said Scott Aaronson, EEI’s head of security and preparedness.
“Unfortunately, there is no such thing as zero risk, which is why we are working to drive down that risk and ensure we are prepared to respond safely and efficiently when incidents do occur,” Aaronson said.
Joseph Mitchell, a scientist who has served as an expert on wildfires for the California Public Utilities Commission, said electric companies in the Golden State are moving to install their lines below ground to mitigate the risk.
But Mitchell said insulating aboveground power lines with a protective covering is also an effective solution that is cheaper and can be rolled out more quickly. There is also technology coming to market that can de-energize power lines automatically when there’s a problem, he said.
Power shut-offs
The utilities all failed to shut the power off before these wildfires. Hawaiian Electric CEO Shelee Kimura said during a news conference earlier this month that cutting power would have jeopardized Lahaina’s water supply and people who rely on specialized medical equipment.
“The electricity powers the pumps that provide the water, and so that was also a critical need during that time,” Kimura said.
“There are choices that need to be made and all of those factors play into it,” Kimura said. “So every utility will look at that differently depending on the situation.”
Hawaiian Electric subsequently said downed power lines appear to have caused a morning brush fire in Lahaina, but the power was off when a second fire broke out that afternoon. The cause of the second fire is still under investigation.
Von Meier and Mitchell both said that a decision to shut off power is not an easy one. It comes with risks that can also potentially put lives in jeopardy, but Mitchell said it is the right decision when lines are going to be pushed to their limit during high winds in potential fire conditions.
“You’re talking about potential criminal liability here. The financial liability is going to be humungous for these fires,” said Mitchell, who founded a wildfire consulting firm called M-bar Technologies.
Von Meier said the risks of shutting power off underlines a deeper planning and resilience problem in U.S. infrastructure. Drinking water should not be in jeopardy if the grid goes out, she said, and people with specialized medical equipment should be provided with reliable solar-powered backup batteries.
“Nobody in an electric utility should be in a situation where their decision to shut the power off means that life-sustaining equipment will fail,” she said.
Kimura also said Hawaiian Electric had no program in place for a power shutdown. The utilities need to learn the lesson that clear guidelines need to be in place for when power should be cut, von Meier said.
“It’s sort of the same story every time — people don’t think it can happen there,” Mitchell said of wildfires ignited by power lines. “Everybody has to learn the hard way. Hopefully, this is the last time and people will come up with contingency plans.”
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Environment
Heybike Prime Fall Sale drops ALPHA mid-drive e-bike to new $1,399 low + other lows, Autel 50A EV charger $455, Lectric, more
Published
39 mins agoon
October 1, 2025By
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Today’s Green Deals is another nearly EV-packed edition, headlined by Heybike’s Prime Fall e-bike Sale with up to $700 savings – and many new and returning low prices, like the ALPHA All-Terrain Mid-Drive e-bike hitting a new $1,399 low. Right behind it is Autel’s MaxiCharger AC Lite Home 50A Level 2 EV Charging Station at $455, as well as Lectric’s restocked XPedition 2.0 Cargo e-bikes with up to $674 in FREE gear starting from $1,399, and much more waiting for you below. And don’t forget about all the hangover deals collected at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s exclusive launch savings on the new Bluetti RVSolar Power System and its bundles, the new low on ECOVACS’ Goat O1000 robot, and more.
Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Review: Ride1Up’s Revv1 DRT e-bike is a rugged off-roader with plenty of suspension and hidden punch
When it comes to e-bikes, most people’s immediate thought is a commuter model designed to get you through streets to your various destinations, but with Ride1Up’s Revv1 DRT e-bike, the fun is extended (and primarily focused) to off-road adventures, and boy, does this baby have some go in it. It’s been over two years since we reviewed the Revv1 FS counterpart, which we came away quite impressed with its SUPER73-like design. Now we’re heading off the beaten path with this newer off-road variant, which boasts improved specs that outshine its predecessors in the series.
To get our full hands-on impression of this new flagship e-scooter, be sure to check out our review here.
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Heybike’s Prime Fall Sale drops the ALPHA all-terrain mid-drive e-bike to a new $1,399 low, more from $899
Heybike has launched its Prime Fall e-bike Sale with up to $700 in savings on a selection of the brand’s e-bikes, including several new and returning low prices. One such model that’s really benefiting is the ALPHA All-Terrain Mid-Drive e-bike that is down at $1,399 shipped. While this model normally carries a $1,699 MSRP, we more often see it keeping down at $1,599, and more recently $1,499 with regular sales and discounts outside of events. During this two-week event, however, you can save more on it than we’ve seen before, as the $300 markdown is dropping costs to a new all-time low. What’s more, there’s a bit of extra savings in the form of the FREE front cargo basket you’ll be getting. Head below for more on this model and the others seeing discounts right now.
The Heybike ALPHA e-bike is the first to be equipped with the brand’s newer 500W Mivice mid-drive motor (which is rated for 900 to 1000W peaks), bringing some serious balance and power to all terrain types. There’s also the 680Wh battery that powers the system, providing up to 60 miles of pedal-assisted travel – supported by a torque sensor – and yes, there is a throttle for when you want to do some electric cruising. Speeds max out at 28 MPH for those living in states where it’s allowed, while otherwise delivering a 20 MPH default top speed.
What’s really nice is that the mid-drive motor doesn’t seem to send the ALPHA all-terrain e-bike into heavier weight classes, as it retains a manageable 72 pounds in all, and there’s a 400-pound rider payload, so more people of larger builds can enjoy the fun. As a more cost-effective mid-drive model, there’s a nice array of features, including the hydraulic disc brakes, hydraulic front suspension fork, and 4-inch puncture-protected fat tires – all providing plenty of support when heading off-road. There’s also an 8-speed Shimano Altus derailleur, an integrated rear cargo rack (and don’t forget the free front cargo basket), an auto-on headlight, a brake-activated taillight, and LCD screen for your setting adjustments, and more.
Heybike’s Prime Fall e-bike deals:
- Hauler Single-Battery Cargo e-bike (new low): $899 (Reg. $1,499)
- 20/28 MPH for 55 miles
- Mars 2.0 Folding Fat-Tire e-bike: $999 (Reg. $1,499)
- 20/28 MPH for 45 miles
- comes with free front basket and large basket
- upgrade to 1000W model for $100 more
- Ranger S Folding Fat-Tire e-bike: $1,099 (Reg. $1,499)
- 20/28 MPH for 55 miles
- comes with free front basket and large basket
- Cityrun Urban Commuting e-bike: $1,099 (Reg. $1,599)
- 21 MPH for up to 55 miles
- comes with free front basket and large basket
- Horizon Full-Suspension e-bike (second-ever low): $1,299 (Reg. $1,999)
- 20/28 MPH for 55 miles
- comes with free front basket and large basket
- Hauler Dual-Battery Cargo e-bike (new low): $1,299 (Reg. $1,899)
- 20/28 MPH for 85 miles
- ALPHA All-Terrain e-bike (new low): $1,399 (Reg. $1,699)
- 20/28 MPH for up to 60 miles
- Hero 1,000W Carbon-Fiber All-Terrain e-bike (new low): $2,099 (Reg. $2,599)
- 35 MPH for 60 miles
- Hero 750W Mid-Drive Carbon-Fiber All-Terrain e-bike (new low): $2,299 (Reg. $3,099)
- 35 MPH for 60 miles
Heybike’s newest releases:

Get up to 50A charging speeds with Autel’s MaxiCharger AC Lite level 2 EV station at $455
By way of its official Amazon storefront, Autel is returning its MaxiCharger AC Lite Home 50A Level 2 EV Charging Station back to $455.20 shipped, which beats out the brand’s direct website, where it is listed for its full $569 rate. This is the first time since late July that this model has seen a discount, with the rate here only beaten in 2025 by a drop to $450 during July’s Prime Day event, and a fall further to its $399 low that hasn’t been seen since Black Friday sales. You’re looking at a 20% markdown here that cuts $114 off the going rate for the second-best price of the year and the third-lowest overall.
If you want to learn more about this EV charging station, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.

Lectric restocks popular XPedition 2.0 cargo e-bikes with up to $674 in FREE bundled gear starting from $1,399
After selling out during some of the past sales, Lectric has officially restocked its XPedition 2.0 Cargo e-bikes, with them getting up to $674 in FREE bundled gear. While supplies are replenished and last, you can pick up the base 13Ah single-battery model with a $326 bundle at $1,399 shipped, while the 26Ah dual-battery model with a $525 bundle is at $1,799 shipped, and the 35Ah dual-battery model with the largest $674 bundle is at $1,999 shipped. As is the norm with Lectric, the discounts are on the bundles of free gear rather than the more rare direct price cuts to costs, and these packages are mostly focused on adding comfort for passengers – perfect for parents needing a new way to shepherd kids to and from daily appointments, which is what I’ve seen it mainly used for in NYC. Head below for more on the free gear you’ll be getting, as well as a rundown on the e-bike’s performance.
If you want to learn more about these three variations, be sure to check out our original coverage of these deals here.

Husqvarna’s Automower 115H 4G robot with a built-in alarm system returns to its second-best $499 price
Amazon is offering the Husqvarna Automower 115H 4G Robotic Lawn Mower at $499 shipped, beating out the brand’s direct website, where it is currently priced for its full $700 MSRP. At Amazon, though, you’ll more regularly find it at $599 since June, with the discounts we’ve seen this year having been dropping costs lowest to either $499 or $490. The deal we’re seeing today gives you a 29% markdown off the MSRP, saving you $201 ($100 off the going Amazon rate) and landing it back at the second-best price.
If you want to learn more about this autonomous lawn care solution, be sure to check out our original coverage of this deal here.



Best Fall EV deals!
- Velotric Nomad 2X e-bike (camo) with DELTA 3 Plus station: $3,048 (Reg. $3,298)
- Velotric Nomad 2X e-bike (sage or fig) with DELTA 3 Plus station: $2,948 (Reg. $3,298)
- Aventon Ramblas Electric Mountain Bike: $2,599 (Reg. $2,899)
- Ride1Up Prodigy v2 Brose Mid-Drive Gates Belt CVT e-bike: $2,595 (Reg. $2,795)
- Ride1Up Revv 1 DRT Off-Road Moped-Style e-bike: $2,395 (Reg. $2,595)
- Ride1Up Revv 1 Full Suspension Moped-Style e-bike: $2,395 (Reg. $2,595)
- Segway Xafari Red e-bike: $2,000 (Reg. $2,400)
- Velotric Nomad 2 All-Terrain e-bike with $120 bundle (new): $1,999 (No price cut)
- Rad Power Radster Road Commuter e-bike: $1,999 (Reg. $2,199)
- Rad Power Radster Trail Off-Road e-bike: $1,999 (Reg. $2,199)
- Lectric XPedition 2.0 35Ah Cargo e-bike w/ up to $674 bundle: $1,999 (Reg. $2,673)
- Ride1Up Prodigy v2 Brose Mid-Drive 9-Speed e-bike: $1,995 (Reg. $2,495)
- Tenways AGO X All-Terrain e-bike with $307 bundle: $1,899 (Reg. $2,499)
- Velotric Fold 1 Plus e-bike (gray or white) with DELTA 2 station: $1,898 (Reg. $2,198)
- Velotric Fold 1 Plus e-bike (mango or blue) with DELTA 2 station: $1,828 (Reg. $2,198)
- Rad Power RadRunner Plus Cargo Utility e-bike with extra battery: $1,799 (No price cut)
- Aventon Abound SR Smart Cargo e-bike (new, first discount): $1,799 (Reg. $1,899)
- Lectric XP Trike2 750 Long-Range eTrike with $493 preorder bundle: $1,799 (Reg. $2,292)
- Velotric Breeze 1 Cruiser e-bike with $150 bundle (new, first discount): $1,699 (Reg. $1,799)
- Aventon Pace 4 Smart Cruiser e-bike (new, second-ever discount): $1,699 (Reg. $1,799)
- Rad Power RadExpand 5 Plus Folding e-bike (lowest price): $1,699 (Reg. $1,899)
- Lectric XPedition 2.0 26Ah Cargo e-bike w/ $525 bundle: $1,699 (Reg. $2,224)
- Lectric XPeak 2.0 Long-Range Off-Road e-bike with $316 bundle: $1,699 (Reg. $2,015)
- Rad Power RadWagon 4 Cargo e-bike with extra battery: $1,599 (Reg. $1,799)
- Aventon Abound Cargo e-bike: $1,599 (Reg. $1,999)
- Ride1Up VORSA Modular Multi-Use e-bike (first discount): $1,595 (Reg. $1,695)
- Rad Power RadRunner Cargo Utility e-bike with extra battery: $1,499 (No pirce cut)
- Lectric XPeak 2.0 Standard Off-Road e-bike with $227 bundle: $1,499 (Reg. $1,726)
- Lectric XP Trike2 with $227 bundle: $1,499 (Reg. $1,726)
- Rad Power RadWagon 4 Cargo e-bike: $1,499 (Reg. $1,799)
- Tenways CGO600 Pro e-bikes with $118 bundle: $1,499 (Reg. $1,899)
- Velotric Nomad 1 Plus All-Terrain e-bike: $1,499 (Reg. $1,899)
- Aventon Aventure 2 All-Terrain e-bike: $1,499 (Reg. $1,999)
- Aventon Sinch 2 Folding e-bike: $1,399 (Reg. $1,699)
- Lectric XPedition 2.0 13Ah Cargo e-bike with $326 bundle: $1,399 (Reg. $1,725)
- Aventon Level 2 Commuter e-bike: $1,499 (Reg. $1,899)
- Ride1Up Roadster V3 Lightweight Premium e-bike: $1,395 (Reg. $1,495)
- Velotric T1 ST Plus Lightweight e-bike: $1,399 (Reg. $1,649)
- Lectric XP4 750 LR Folding Utility e-bikes with $488 bundle: $1,399 (Reg. $1,887)
- Rad Power RadRover 6 Plus Step-Thru Fat Tire e-bike: $1,299 (Reg. $1,599)
- Lectric XPress 750 Commuter e-bikes with $336 bundle: $1,299 (Reg. $1,635)
- Heybike Mars 2.0 Folding Fat-Tire e-bike with extra battery: $1,199 (Reg. $1,848)
- Lectric XP Lite 2.0 JW Black LR e-bike with $399 bundle: $1,199 (Reg. $1,598)
- Ride1Up Portola Folding e-bike with BOGO accessory promo: $995 (Reg. $1,095)
- Lectric XP4 Standard Folding Utility e-bikes with $79 bundle: $999 (Reg. $1,078)
- Aventon Soltera 2.5 Lightweight Commuter e-bike (first discount): $999 (Reg. $1,199)
- Lectric XP Lite 2.0 Long-Range e-bikes with up to $399 bundles: $1,099 (Reg. $1,498)
- Heybike Hauler Single-Battery Cargo e-bike: $999 (Reg. $1,499)
- Rad Power RadExpand 5 Folding e-bike: $999 (Reg. $1,599)
- Vanpowers City Vanture Urban Commuter e-bike (code VANVIP): $799 (Reg. $1,749)
- Segway E3 Pro Electric Scooter (launch): $600 (Reg. $700)

Best new Green Deals landing this week
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.
- Power your mobile life through Bluetti’s new RVSolar power system bundles with exclusive savings from $2,519 (Reg. $3,699+)
- EcoFlow launches new DELTA 3 Max and Ultra power stations with up to $2,000 in savings + FREE gear starting from $759
- Bluetti takes up to 63% off power stations and bundles in its Early Prime Day Sale + select exclusive savings – all from $329
- ECOVACS’ three Goat RTK robot lawn mowers see up to $900 discounts starting from a new $785 low (Reg. $1,000+)
- Save up to 28% on BougeRV’s portable electric coolers for any of your vehicles starting from $160 (Reg. $190+)
- Greenworks’ 2nd-gen 40V 12-inch cordless compact chainsaw with a 2.0Ah battery is back down at $128 (Reg. $170)
- EGO’s 56V 16-inch cordless chainsaw covers storm debris, firewood collection, more at $219 annual low (Reg. $279), other deals from $89
- You can prepare for snowfall with these 60V Greenworks snow blower kits starting from $360 (Save up to $188)
- Grab EGO’s carbon fiber telescopic pole saw with an LED guide light and 2.5Ah battery at its $299 low (Reg. $389)
- Shape and clear weeds with EGO’s 56V cordless 15-inch trimmer and 670 CFM blower combo at $320 low (Reg. up to $410)
- Electrified Weekly – Lectric e-bikes get up to $488 FREE cargo bundles, Early Prime Day Sales from EcoFlow, Anker, Jackery, more
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Environment
HVAC giant Carrier has a solution for AC’s excessive grid load: home batteries
Published
1 hour agoon
October 1, 2025By
admin

The energy demand for data centers is surging right along with record-setting heat domes and conversations about a new “Category 6” for hurricanes, bringing serious concerns about grid stability on summer’s hottest days. That’s the kind of problem that keeps the heating and cooling specialists at Carrier awake at night, but they’ve come up with a scalable solution that can deployed yesterday: pair air conditioners with home batteries.
Carrier doesn’t just sell comfort anymore — by using home battery energy storage tech to address issues like grid resiliency and peak shaving directly, the company hopes to position itself at the center of a home battery-backed virtual power plant with nationwide scale.
Whether or not that eventually happens, the mere conversation signals a massive shift in the way utilities could think about air conditioners. They wouldn’t be just a load demand problem, in other words. With built-in batteries, they could be part of a load demand solution.
“The homes we have and the fact that they all have air conditioning (or a heat pump) defines how the grid is sized, built, and operated today,” Hakan Yilmaz, Carrier’s chief technology and sustainability officer and head of its energy-solutions arm, told Canary Media. ”The [US’] peak load is about 750 gigawatts — that’s what the grid can manage today. Around 300 gigawatts of that is reserved for HVAC.”
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As a graph, Yilmaz’ claims look something like this.
US energy demand curves

“We forecast US electricity demand fulfilled by the electric power sector will grow at an annual rate of just over 2% in 2025 and 2026, according to our Short-Term Energy Outlook,” writes Energy Information Administration (EIA) contributor Alex Mey. “Until 2020, electricity demand was relatively flat,” they add, noting that forecasted electricity demand growth is expected to be higher in areas with plans for large data centers and manufacturing facilities, like Texas and Northern Virginia.
Ironically, the two markets named in the EIA are markets that get extreme summer heat and, in Virginia’s case, humidity – and their energy grid solutions are far from being state-of-the-art. Yilmaz thinks his vision for battery-backed Carrier air conditioners solves for that.
With an estimated 30 million Carrier HVAC units installed in North American homes – representing more than 100 GW of potential flexible demand – the opportunity is significant. At scale, these systems could offer utilities a powerful tool to manage electricity demand.
“If we replace an HVAC unit today with a battery-integrated HVAC, the load of that HVAC unit never shows up at the peak for the next 15 years,” Yilmaz said. ”Use that electricity somewhere else.”
Yilmaz’s team at Carrier is piloting a modular battery that sits under or next to its outdoor air conditioning units to drive the HVAC systems during peak energy hours, which not only helps support the grid but can help reduce home energy costs by charging during overnight and off-peak hours when the electrical load is low and electrons are cheaper. It’s a solid idea, but there’s no reason to wait for Carrier to make the batteries
You can do this with a home battery NOW

We often talk about home solar power and battery backup systems in the same breath — and for good reason: you need a battery in order to use the energy your solar panels develop during a blackout. That’s because your home disconnects from the grid in order to keep line crews safe while they’re trying to restore power, but (while important) it’s not the key takeaway here.
The key takeaway is that clever use of a home battery system, even without solar panels, can help manage your home or business’ electrical use, reduce your energy bills, and support the grid as-a-whole while doing so. And, while I tip my hat to Carrier and co. for the idea, there is absolutely nothing stopping someone from deploying a conceptually similar setup tomorrow.
Heck, the 9to5Toys guys can probably show you a Raspberry Pi unit that’s ready to manage the whole thing for $39.99 or something during Prime Day (no promises). That’s my take, anyway — let us know yours in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Carrier.

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Environment
The Chevy Equinox EV is taking off as America’s best-selling EV outside of Tesla
Published
2 hours agoon
October 1, 2025By
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Chevy’s electric SUV is quickly becoming America’s favorite. The Chevy Equinox EV now ranks as the best-selling EV in the US behind the Tesla Model Y and Model 3.
The Chevy Equinox closes in on Tesla for best-selling EV
GM took the top sales spot after delivering over 710,000 vehicles in the US in the third quarter. Sales through the first nine months of 2025 were up 20% to 2.2 million vehicles, GM’s best pace in a decade.
“No one is in a stronger position for a changing US market than GM,” according to Duncan Aldred, the company’s senior vice president and president of GM North America.
Aldred claims that GM has “the best lineup of ICE and EV vehicles we’ve ever had,” and it’s showing. GM set another record after delivering over 66,500 electric vehicles in the third quarter. Through September, GM has sold 144,668 EVs, more than doubling (+105%) its sales from the same period last year.
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The Chevy Equinox EV continues to lead the way and is now the best-selling EV in the US outside of Tesla models.

In the third quarter, over 25,000 Chevy Equinox EVs were sold, bringing the total to 52,834 through the first nine months of 2025.
GM promotes the electric SUV as “America’s most affordable 315+ range EV,” with starting prices under $35,000.

According to Cox Automotive, the company is not lying. The Chevy Equinox EV had the lowest ATP (average transaction price) among the top-selling EVs. Even more impressive, it had very little help from incentives.
Although Chevy’s electric SUV has been GM’s biggest hit, the automaker offers an EV for nearly everyone across its Chevy, Cadillac, and GMC brands.

Chevy is the fastest-growing EV brand, while Cadillac took the top spot in the luxury EV market in Q3. Cadillac now has three of the top 10 best-selling EVs in the luxury segment: the Lyriq (#2), Optiq (#5), and Vistiq (#6). In Q3, Cadillac sold 7,309 Lyriqs, 4,886 Optiqs, and 3,924 Vistiq models.
With an electric SUV offered across nearly all segments, Cadillac posted its best Q3 since 2013. The luxury brand has now achieved 13 straight quarters of YOY growth, securing its best luxury market share since 2014.
GMC is on pace for its best year ever, with new vehicles like the Sierra EV driving growth. Even Hummer EV (pickup and SUV) sales are up nearly 50% this year, with 13,233 units sold.
2025 Chevy Equinox EV trim | Starting Price | EPA-estimated Range |
LT FWD | $34,995 | 319 miles |
LT AWD | $40,295 | 307 miles |
RS FWD | $45,790 | 319 miles |
RS AWD | $49,090 | 307 miles |
Although the $7,500 federal tax credit expired on September 30, GM, Ford, Hyundai, and others are extending the discount for at least another few months.
GM Financial launched a program with Chevy, GMC, and Cadillac dealers that will enable them to continue passing on the credit through leasing. The program will run “for the next several months,” GM said.
Want to see how GM’s electric vehicles drive for yourself? From the Chevy Equinox to the Cadillac Escalade IQ, you can use the links below to see what’s available near you (via trusted affiliate links).
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