Utah is getting 20 ‘hyper-fast’ Electrify America EV charging stations
Electrify America and electric utility Rocky Mountain Power have rolled out the first of 20 DC fast charging stations in Utah.
Electrify Commercial, a business unit of Electrify America, and Rocky Mountain Power, a division of PacifiCorp, are deploying more than 80 chargers at 15 DC fast charging stations in the Salt Lake City area and five DC fast charging stations in surrounding regions.
So far, four charging stations have come online in Millcreek, Vernal, Moab, and Kimball Junction.
Rocky Mountain Power, the only rate-regulated public utility providing electric service in Utah, will own the new charging stations. Each will have “hyper-fast” chargers capable of speeds up to 350 kW. The utility will set the pricing and Rocky Mountain Power utility customers get a discounted rate.
Since 2016, Rocky Mountain Power has installed more than 120 DC fast chargers in Utah and completed an electric highway corridor along I-15, Utah’s primary and only north-south interstate highway. It’s also facilitated the installation of more than 3,000 Level 2 chargers for workplaces, retail, and multifamily housing. The utility is spending $50 million to install EV charging infrastructure across Utah.
All 20 of Utah’s new DC fast charging stations will be on Electrify America’s coast-to-coast “locate a charger” map, which includes more than 950 stations and over 4,250 chargers in the US and Canada. Drivers will be able to access and pay for charging on Rocky Mountain Power’s chargers through the Electrify America mobile app.
Read more: Here’s what Electrify America’s EV charging plans are for 2024
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Environment
U.S. needs major nuclear power expansion to meet rising electricity demand, Southern Company CEO says
The United States needs to build a significant number of nuclear plants to supply surging energy demand while also meeting climate goals, the CEO of Southern Company said at an event on Thursday.
“This country will need more nuclear plants going forward,” Chris Womack said at the Reuters Global Energy Transition conference in New York City.
“It’s upwards of 10 large gigawatts of nuclear power that I think we have to have going forward,” the CEO said. This is equivalent to about 10 new nuclear plants with a single reactor each. The typical reactor in the U.S. produces about a gigawatt of electricity, according to the Department of Energy.
Based on market capitalization, Southern Company is the second largest name in the Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLU). It’s also one of the largest providers of electricity in the nation, serving millions of people across Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi.
Last year, the Atlanta-headquartered utility completed the first nuclear plant in the U.S. in more than three decades, with the second of two new reactors having started commercial operations in April.
Womack said Southern Company is seeing a level of electricity demand that that the utility has not faced since the advent of air conditioning and heat pumps in the South in the 1970s and 1980s. After two decades of nearly flat power growth, Southern Company is now expecting demand to grow by three to four times, the CEO said.
“A lot of this is dependent and contingent upon what we see with artificial intelligence and all those large learning models and what data centers will consume,” Womack said. “You’re also seeing in the Southeast, this incredible population growth and you’re seeing all this onshoring with manufacturing.”
Unit 3’s reactor and cooling tower stand at Georgia Power Co.’s Plant Vogtle nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Georgia, on Jan. 20, 2023.
John Bazemore | AP
Atlanta is one of the fastest growing data center markets in the nation, with construction growing by 211% increase to 732 megawatts in 2023, according to the real estate service firm CBRE. Utility stocks have made a comeback in 2024 on the power trend, with Southern Company up 11% year to date.
Womack said 80% of the demand Southern Company is facing between now and the end of the decade will be supplied by renewable energy, but natural gas and nuclear will also play key roles in providing reliable power.
“Nuclear has got to be a big part of this mix, of [the] decarbonization focus as we go forward to make sure we’re having the power and the energy and the electricity this economy needs,” Womack said.
Nuclear has the advantage of providing reliable electricity without emitting any carbon emissions, while renewables will need cheaper, longer duration batteries before they power facilities like data centers around the clock at commercial scale.
But building new nuclear plants is expensive, and the permitting and construction process is time consuming. The new nuclear reactors that Southern Company built at the Plant Vogtle in Georgia opened some seven years behind schedule and cost more than $30 billion, at least double the original projections, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Not everyone in the power industry is convinced that nuclear is the way forward. AES Corporation CEO Andres Gluski said earlier this month the he thought the “euphoria” over nuclear power is a “little over blown.” AES is major supplier of power for tech companies building out data centers.
There is only so much existing nuclear energy that merchant power providers can re-contract to sites such as data centers, Gluski told CNBC. “The question is, going forward, what’s the price of new nuclear,” he said.
Womack said the government has to put the right incentives in place and ensure that there is a way to mitigate cost overruns in building new nuclear plants. The CEO said developing small modular nuclear reactors is also key. These smaller nuclear plants, which are still under development, are in theory easier to site and not as capital intensive as traditional plants.
GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik told CNBC Thursday that small modular nuclear reactors will become an important part of the energy mix. The company will commission a small modular reactor in Ontario, Canada in 2029.
“Small modular reactors are going to become a much bigger piece of the equation,” Strazik told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” at the Aspen Ideas Festival. “No question it will be.”
Luxury automaker Genesis revealed the new Electrified G80 at the Busan International Mobility Show (BIMOS) on Thursday. The updated luxury EV features a bigger battery for more range. Meanwhile, Genesis touched up the design for a more classy and sophisticated look. Check it out below.
Three years after its global debut, the Genesis Electrifed G80 is due for an update. Genesis revealed the new model in Korea for the first time at BIMOS 2024.
The Electrified G80 was the brand’s first EV and answer to luxury rivals like the Tesla Model S. With the competition heating up, Genesis is already refreshing the midsize luxury electric sedan.
Genesis revealed the new model in Korea with several interior and exterior updates. It also gained a bigger battery for more range. One of the first things you will notice is the three-dimensional crest grille up front. Genesis also added MLA tech to its signature two-line headlamps.
The new model also includes a slightly redesigned bumper. Newly designed 19″ wheels are added to flow with Genesis’ iconic parabolic lines.
With a longer wheelbase, the new Genesis Electrified G80 includes a roomier second row. In addition, the 27″ display combines the cluster and infotainment into one.
Meet the new Genesis Electrified G80
Mood lamps improved brightness, while an included Bang & Olufsen sound system provides premium-level sound.
Genesis added several new features, including an EasyClose system that closes the door with the push of a button.
Even better, Genesis included reclining VIP seats with leg rests and a rear window curtain for privacy.
Powered by a larger battery pack (95.4 kWh vs 87.2 kWh), the new electric sedan can travel up to 295 miles (475 km) by Korean standards. In the US, it will likely add a few miles to its current EPA-estimated 282-mile range.
Genesis plans to launch the new Electrified G80 in Korea in August. It’s expected to launch across Europe and North America soon after.
The new model was displayed alongside its larger Neolun concept, previewing its first full-size electric SUV.
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In case your neighbor didn’t have a Green Machine (video below) growing up as I did, the “big wheels” alternative looked like a little 3-wheeled pedal sled that was steered with two sticks instead of handlebars or a steering wheel. If you wanted to spin out (and what else would you want to do?), you’d simply push one stick forward and the other stick back and hold on!
Well, a lot has changed in the almost 50 years since the Green Machine debuted, and Huffy knows it has many adults, like myself, nostalgic for that drift experience without having to do all of that pedaling.
Enter the Huffy Electric Green Machine…
So when Huffy said it was building an electric drift trike based on the Green Machine, I was, of course, intrigued. Who amongst us 50-year-olds doesn’t need a drift trike to zoom around the driveway every so often?
Drift Trikes are popular with adults and children, and gasoline and electric versions are also available.
It turns out Huffy used much of its e-bike expertise to build the Electric Green machine.
The front wheel is made of more traditional bike rubber and has a 250-watt hub motor. If that doesn’t sound powerful enough, remember that this is geared for a max output of 15mph (or maybe up to 20mph later with some updates), which means high torque and acceleration.
There are three speed levels, and each one will get you drifting. The battery is a removable 36V without a stated capacity, but I’d guess close to 400Wh. More importantly, it has a cool array of LED power indicators. The seat is adjustable from below 5 feet to over 6 feet. Instead of pedals on the front wheels, there are now pegs for your feet.
The rear wheels are replaceable drift sliders that are easily removable once wear has rendered a new set necessary. There is only a front brake, but it is a big disk, and with the rubber meeting the ground, it stops the Green Machine in its tracks, even in the middle of a drift.
According to Huffy, this can be throttled to full speed for over an hour, meaning that at 15mph, you have a range coming close to 20 miles. Could this be a commuter? It is pretty low, so you might want to get one of those big orange flags for your big wheels commute to school or work.
We got a special opportunity to try it in New York City this week. My 12-year old had a blast (though it is officially 14 years+ and up to 220lbs) and of course I felt some serious nostalgia getting behind the ‘wheel’. It is super easy to get drifting and a lot of fun to race around a track.
We were on a smooth cement surface, but I look forward to trying it on my driveway at a later date.
Huffy will put these bad boys on sale for $599 later this year, and of course, they’ll be ready for holiday shoppers. Look out for our review in the coming weeks and months ahead.
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