#one-day Energy Transformation Conference 2025

[nepalenergyforum]

Government's Commitment to Sustainable Energy and Zero Carbon Target: Minister Khadka

Kathmandu — Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Deepak Khadka, highlighted that the government is strategically advancing energy development as the foundation of a sustainable, inclusive, and low-carbon economy. He emphasized that the government is making significant progress in sustainable development through plans focused on risk mitigation in development projects, increasing…

[inspirdgboutique01]

Louisville Cardinals 2025 World Series Limited Jersey

Link Product: https://inspirdg.com/product/louisville-cardinals-2025-world-series-limited-jersey/

Cardinal Glory in Full Stride: The Louisville Cardinals 2025 World Series Limited Jersey

When tradition, pride, and precision collide, the result is a masterpiece that transcends sport. The Louisville Cardinals 2025 World Series Limited Jersey is not merely a uniform—it’s a triumphant banner of dominance, identity, and spirit. Designed with bold aesthetics and deep roots in collegiate baseball excellence, this jersey is a wearable tribute to everything the Cardinals represent: intensity, unity, and the relentless pursuit of greatness.

A STRIKING DESIGN THAT COMMANDS RESPECT

The first visual impact of this jersey is nothing short of breathtaking. A stunning gradient stripe pattern—alternating crimson, scarlet, and white—courses across the body like sonic waves of energy. This isn’t a flat design; it pulses with movement and depth, symbolizing the team’s dynamic rhythm on the diamond.

The front chest placement of “LOUISVILLE” in bold block lettering, outlined in black and anchored in red, establishes a strong focal point. Accompanied by the fierce Cardinal bird logo, the design boldly asserts the team’s identity with pride and passion. The right chest is smartly adorned with the ACC Conference logo, affirming Louisville’s presence among elite college contenders.

Every stripe tells a story—of effort, endurance, and elevation. And with the Adidas emblem stitched on the left chest, there’s no mistaking that this jersey is built at the intersection of performance and prestige.

TAILORED FOR LEGENDS IN THE MAKING

This jersey is more than just eye-catching—it’s engineered for athletes and fans who demand quality. Crafted with high-performance polyester, the jersey offers moisture-wicking comfort, breathability, and freedom of motion. Whether sprinting toward home base or repping your squad in the stands, you feel every ounce of flexibility and cool confidence the design provides.

The tailored fit hugs the shoulders with just the right amount of structure, while the full button-down front maintains traditional baseball aesthetics. A crimson-trimmed neckline and clean white sleeves offset the saturated body, balancing boldness with composure.

This is a jersey for game-changers—for those who don’t just participate in the World Series, but come to define it.

CUSTOMIZATION THAT HONORS INDIVIDUALITY

Where this jersey truly shines is in its custom name and number feature, offering wearers the chance to inscribe their own legacy. On the back, the bold “00” placeholder beckons fans to personalize with a name and number that matters—whether it's your own, a favorite player’s, or someone you’re honoring. This element transforms each jersey into a one-of-a-kind artifact, deeply personal yet universally symbolic.

Above the number rests a minimalist Cardinals logo once again, acting like a seal of authenticity. The numbers are large, framed in bold black, and unmistakably collegiate—designed for visibility and visual impact under stadium lights or streetlights.

This is more than customization—it’s empowerment.

HERITAGE AND MODERNITY IN PERFECT HARMONY

Louisville is a name synonymous with intensity, hard work, and championship pedigree. This jersey manages to walk the line between vintage college baseball charm and modern-day sportswear innovation. From the rich color gradient to the micro-stitched conference branding, everything feels deliberate and elevated.

Unlike mass-produced fan gear, the 2025 World Series Limited Edition isn’t just a seasonal drop—it’s a collectible. A future heirloom. The kind of jersey that hangs in man caves, gets framed in offices, or passed down through generations of Cardinal faithful.

It is not just about the season. It’s about the legacy being cemented, the fire in the locker room, the roar of the crowd—it’s about belonging to something bigger than yourself.

THE JERSEY THAT ROARS BACK

At its core, the Louisville Cardinals 2025 World Series Limited Jersey is a thunderclap of school spirit, design brilliance, and performance engineering. It honors not only a team that has battled for greatness, but a community that bleeds red and black. It’s a call to arms for every fan, alum, and player to stand tall and show the world what Louisville is made of.

Wear it on game day, rep it on campus, rock it with pride anywhere you go. This jersey is more than fabric and thread—it’s momentum in motion. It’s the sound of cleats on turf, the crack of a bat, the scream of the crowd. It’s what champions wear.

[superex-media]

Full Recap of the Bitcoin 2025 Las Vegas Conference: The Cycle Returns, Narratives Reconstructed—Bitcoin Is Becoming a “National Asset”

#Bitcoin2025 #Crypto#Saylor

From May 27 to 29, 2025, Las Vegas once again welcomed a global gathering of Bitcoin believers and institutional boundary-breakers. Over the course of three days, Bitcoin supporters from North America, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, and even Asia converged in Sin City to attend the “Bitcoin 2025 Conference.” This year’s event was not just a retrospective of Bitcoin’s fifteen-year journey — it was, more importantly, a “policy declaration” for the decade ahead.

Against the backdrop of “the decline of dollar hegemony,” “fiscal deficits as the new normal,” “the rise of sovereign miners,” and “a reversal in the regulatory game,” the central theme of the conference had long surpassed the boundaries of technology and finance. It delved into issues of national sovereignty, the reconstruction of global monetary systems, and geopolitical realignment. What follows is a faithful reconstruction of the three-day event and a breakdown of the deeper signals it released.

Click to register SuperEx

Click to download the SuperEx APP

Click to enter SuperEx CMC

Click to enter SuperEx DAO Academy — Space

Core Highlights of the Conference

Saylor and Mallers: The Twin Pillars of a New Cycle

The conference kicked off with a keynote from Michael Saylor, founder of MicroStrategy and a long-time Bitcoin evangelist. His speech, titled The Path to Prosperity, was met with a standing ovation that lasted over three minutes. “Bitcoin is not just a digital asset,” he proclaimed, “but a mechanism for rebuilding spiritual order.”

These 21 “paths” laid out by Saylor could be seen as a condensed version of his personal philosophy — ranging from transparency, long-termism, discipline, decentralization, generosity, to trust minimization. One attendee even described it as “the New Testament of the crypto world.”

Next on stage was Jack Mallers, CEO of Strike, whose style sharply contrasted with Saylor’s — he was younger, angrier, and more direct. “The dollar is dead,” he declared. “Each of us should convert every cent we earn into Bitcoin.”

Mallers cited data to show that as Bitcoin’s volatility decreases, it has steadily evolved from a speculative asset into a reserve instrument for the “sovereign individual.” He mocked the Federal Reserve for “perpetually creating inflation” and warned that the U.S. debt structure is “bound to default sooner or later.”

At this year’s conference, Mallers completed a transformation — from a payments advocate to an ideological disruptor. He no longer represented just an entrepreneur, but became the voice of an angry, freedom-seeking new generation of libertarians.

Lyn Alden and the Energy Perspective: Bitcoin as a Way Out of the Debt Era

Lyn Alden’s remarks brought Bitcoin back into the context of macroeconomic structures. She presented extensive data showing that since the 2008 financial crisis, U.S. government debt has grown at a compound annual rate of 7%, while private sector debt has plateaued. This has led to a “credit surplus” in the U.S. Treasury market, and a growing scarcity of assets suitable for risk hedging.

“In an era of structural deficits and fiscal pain,” she argued, “Bitcoin’s resistance to censorship and its deflationary design make it the best form of insurance.”

She also discussed the energy dimension — particularly the emergence of “mining strategic partnerships” between traditional energy-producing countries (like Argentina, Russia, and Iran) and companies such as Tether and Blockstream. These collaborations are injecting real sovereign significance into Bitcoin’s energy infrastructure.

The Central American Story: Bitcoin as a National Strategic Asset

In El Salvador — one of the countries with the highest Bitcoin adoption — Max Keiser joined the president’s economic advisory team to explain how Bitcoin has reshaped the country’s fiscal structure. Over the past 18 months, the Salvadoran government, through its National Bitcoin Office (ONBTC), has been consistently acquiring Bitcoin and promoting the launch of “Bitcoin bonds.”

Max declared: “Our country no longer relies on the World Bank — we finance ourselves through Bitcoin.” He emphasized that Bitcoin has embedded itself in Salvadoran society as a threefold mechanism for education, savings, and national identity.

Another notable speaker was Panama City’s mayor, Mayer Mizrachi, who stated: “We’re experimenting with using Bitcoin to pay municipal salaries.” This “bottom-up” national strategy is spreading across Central America — not just adopting Bitcoin as legal tender, but attempting to anchor the entire fiscal system to Bitcoin.

In addition, Stacy Herbert revealed that El Salvador is incorporating Bitcoin into its primary school curriculum, teaching students aged seven and above about the nature of money, censorship, distributed ledgers, and savings logic. “This is the economic enlightenment of a new world,” she said.

Tether’s “Miner Empire Dream”: Is USDT a Proxy for the Old System, or the Starting Point of a New One?

The most controversial — and arguably most headline-grabbing — presentation came from Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino. For the first time, he systematically unveiled Tether’s “Treasury-Bitcoin-Energy” triangular strategy:

Tether currently holds over $120 billion in U.S. Treasury bills, earning over $5 billion annually in interest;

The company also holds over 100,000 BTC in reserves;

Tether has invested over $2 billion in global energy and mining infrastructure, including in Uruguay, Paraguay, Kazakhstan, and Oman.

Ardoino stated bluntly: “By the end of 2025, Tether will be the largest Bitcoin miner in the world.” This bold declaration sparked debate within both the traditional mining sector and the DeFi community. Some claim Tether is evolving from a stablecoin issuer into a sovereign energy conglomerate for a post-dollar world.

Critics, however, argue that Tether is playing both sides — profiting from the U.S. dollar system through interest arbitrage while also dominating upstream mining infrastructure in the Bitcoin ecosystem, raising concerns about potential systemic monopoly risks.

Hester Peirce: Regulation Should Make Room for “Good Actors”

SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce once again positioned herself at the forefront of regulatory leniency. She stated that the greatest challenge in crypto regulation today is “ambiguity and delay,” which causes “good actors to exit while bad actors remain.” Peirce called for clear regulatory boundaries, emphasizing that:“When Bitcoin becomes a market consensus, it will inevitably be incorporated into the traditional financial system — but only if we preserve the individual’s right to freely transfer value.”

JD Vance: The Trump Administration Will Be Crypto’s Strongest Ally

The appearance of U.S. Vice President JD Vance was a major highlight of the conference. He urged crypto professionals to actively engage in political battles and push forward legislative progress. He warned:“If we don’t define clear rules now, this $3 trillion industry will flow overseas.”

Vance described Bitcoin as a fusion of ideology and technology, and revealed his personal Bitcoin holdings were between $250,000 and $500,000.

Eric Trump: The Bitcoin Revolution — America Must Win

Eric Trump, son of the former president, spoke even more bluntly:“America will win the Bitcoin revolution.”

He criticized how the weaponization of the financial system undermines personal freedom and noted that demand for Bitcoin far exceeds its supply. “Everyone is buying Bitcoin,” he said. “It is replacing the currency system that has been controlled for the past century.”

His speech carried a clear campaign undertone, emphasizing:“In the Bitcoin revolution, America must win.”

He also condemned the current financial system for enslaving individuals through account surveillance and credit scores, asserting that Bitcoin will “restore the essence of free markets and individual sovereignty.”

This may indicate that in a potential second Trump administration, Bitcoin will be formally integrated into U.S. national security and strategic competition frameworks.

The Absence of Web3 Builders and the Rise of Ordinals

One of the most striking phenomena at the Bitcoin 2025 Conference was the noticeable absence of Ethereum-based developers. Unlike similar summits in 2022 and 2023, this year’s conference was no longer dominated by DeFi protocol builders, DAO operators, or Layer 2 scaling advocates, but rather by Bitcoin maximalists, Ordinals creators, mining capitalists, and regulatory lobbyists.

While Bitcoin’s technical limitations — such as slower transaction speeds and lack of advanced smart contract capabilities — remain points of contention, the rise of the Ordinals protocol is gradually drawing developers back to the Bitcoin ecosystem. Through its Inscription mechanism, the Bitcoin network now supports quasi-smart contract functionalities for images, audio, and tokens. This has directly spawned new protocols such as Runes, BRC-20, and Pipe Protocol.

Over the course of the conference, nearly ten roundtables and live demos focused on Ordinals were held. Teams like Unisat, Tap Protocol, Ord.io, and ALEX drew considerable attention, and even many traditional BTC Maximalists publicly expressed — for the first time — openness to Ordinals’ long-term potential.

Notably, the conference also featured a dedicated hackathon and award ceremony for Ordinals developers. The grand prize went to the Pipe team, a Layer 2 expansion project within the Runes ecosystem. Their innovation lies in using Taproot to extend UTXO states, enabling multi-asset cross-block communication structures — essentially creating a quasi-state channel mechanism on Bitcoin.

However, the absence of major Ethereum and Solana ecosystem developers was glaring. Whether it was Uniswap, Lido, EigenLayer, Jupiter, or Tensor, or early DeFi pioneers like MakerDAO, Aave, and Curve, few had any presence at the event. This may indicate that:

The conference’s heavy political and sovereignty-driven tone made it less suitable for the tech-centric narratives favored by these developers.

There may be a growing ideological and narrative rift between Web3 builders and the Bitcoin camp.

A word of caution: if the Bitcoin ecosystem fails to develop interactive and composable development tools in the next two years, the current Ordinals hype could devolve into another round of “on-chain totem bubbles.” On the other hand, if breakthroughs are achieved, Bitcoin will evolve beyond a mere Store of Value and emerge as a new Layer 1 infrastructure and asset issuance platform.

This divergence marks the beginning of a clear split between the Bitcoin ecosystem and broader Web3 builders — a split that may define the contours of the crypto landscape for the next five years.

[amrtechpros]

Complete MLS 2025 Schedule

Hey soccer fam! So we're about two months into the 2025 MLS season (how is it May already??), and I am EXHAUSTED but totally obsessed. I've been to 14 matches across 8 different stadiums since the season started in late February, and my bank account (and relationship) are both suffering.

But I regret NOTHING because this has easily been the most chaotic, entertaining start to an MLS season I've ever witnessed. Let me break down what's happened so far and what I'm looking forward to as we roll through spring and into summer.

The standings right now are absolutely wild

If you had shown me these standings back in February, I would've laughed in your face:

San Diego FC sitting at the top of the Western Conference with a 6-1-2 record?? An expansion team??

Inter Miami CF struggling at 3-3-3 despite all their star power

Chicago Fire FC tied for the lead in the Eastern Conference after like five straight years at the bottom

LAFC outside the playoff spots at 2-4-3 despite everyone picking them to win the Shield

I literally had to delete my pre-season predictions post out of shame. NOTHING is going according to plan and it's glorious.

Best matches I've attended so far

El Tráfico but make it chaos (March 16)

I splurged on tickets for LA Galaxy vs. LAFC and it was WORTH EVERY PENNY. Five goals, two red cards, and a stoppage-time winner? The Galaxy fans around me were literally crying tears of joy. I lost my voice for three days.

Expansion team energy is unmatched (April 6)

I flew down to San Diego for their match against Seattle Sounders and the atmosphere was UNREAL. Their temporary stadium was absolutely rocking, and their Argentine DP scored a hat trick. I've never seen fans so instantly invested in a new team.

Heartbreak in the rain (April 27)

I'm still emotionally recovering from watching Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps. It poured rain the entire match, I was soaked to the bone, and Vancouver scored in the 94th minute to win it. The Timbers Army kept singing even after the final whistle though. Goosebumps.

Biggest surprises of the season so far

San Diego's dream start

Nobody expected San Diego FC to be THIS good, THIS fast. Their scouting team deserves a raise because their South American signings have been incredible. Their 22-year-old Colombian forward already has 8 goals in 9 games!

Chicago's complete transformation

After years in the wilderness, Chicago Fire FC has risen from the ashes (see what I did there?). Their new coaching staff has implemented this high-pressing system that's absolutely suffocating opponents. They've only conceded 6 goals in 10 matches!

The Eastern Conference chaos

The East is WIDE open this year. Only 5 points separate 1st from 8th place! Traditional powers like Atlanta United and Philadelphia Union are still figuring things out, while FC Cincinnati continues their rise.

Miami's rough start

Look, we all expected Inter Miami CF to dominate this season, but injuries and schedule congestion have been brutal. Their aging superstar has already missed 4 matches, and they're struggling to find consistency. The talent is obviously there, but the results haven't followed yet.

Matches I'm most excited for in the next month

El Clásico del Norte (May 18)

Minnesota United FC hosts Chicago Fire FC in what's become a surprisingly heated rivalry. Both teams are in great form, and Minnesota's stadium is always electric. I already bought my plane ticket!

Expansion showdown (May 24)

San Diego FC visits St. Louis CITY SC in a battle of the league's newest franchises. St. Louis had that incredible debut season in 2023, and now San Diego is following a similar path. Their contrasting styles should make for an incredible match.

Rivalry weekend (June 1-2)

MLS has packed ALL the major rivalries into one weekend, and I am STRESSED about which one to attend:

El Tráfico: LA Galaxy vs. LAFC

Hudson River Derby: NYCFC vs. Red Bulls

Cascadia Cup: Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders

Hell is Real Derby: FC Cincinnati vs. Columbus Crew

Someone please help me decide because my girlfriend has officially put her foot down about "wasting all our money on soccer trips" (her words, not mine).

Quick thoughts on every team so far

Eastern Conference vibes

Atlanta United (3-3-3): Inconsistent but showing flashes of their old attacking brilliance. Their new Argentine winger is an absolute magician with the ball. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium atmosphere remains unmatched.

CF Montréal (3-4-2): Proving everyone wrong with a scrappy, defensive approach that's surprisingly effective. Their home form has been excellent now that winter has finally released its grip on Canada.

Charlotte FC (4-3-2): The surprise package in the East! Their academy products are finally breaking through, with their 19-year-old midfielder already drawing European attention. Their stadium atmosphere is seriously underrated.

Chicago Fire FC (6-2-1): FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP! Their new Swiss coach has transformed them overnight. Their high-pressing system is absolutely suffocating opponents, and their new DP striker has 7 goals already.

Columbus Crew (5-2-2): The champions haven't missed a beat, balancing league play with their deep Concacaf Champions Cup run. Their possession-based system still carves teams open at will.

DC United (2-5-2): Still searching for an identity under their new coach. Their home form has been decent, but they've been dreadful on the road. Their young homegrown players show promise though.

FC Cincinnati (5-2-2): Picking up where they left off last season. Their counter-attacking style remains lethal, and their passionate fans at TQL Stadium create a fortress-like atmosphere.

Inter Miami CF (3-3-3): All that star power hasn't quite clicked yet. Injuries and schedule congestion have been major issues, but when their full lineup is available, they're still capable of magic.

Nashville SC (3-4-2): Defense-first approach continues to frustrate opponents, but goal-scoring remains a challenge. Their GEODIS Park atmosphere is still criminally underrated nationally.

New England Revolution (2-4-3): Struggling to find consistency after their coaching change. Their new tactical approach hasn't quite taken hold yet, but individual talent keeps them competitive.

New York City FC (3-4-2): The venue-hopping continues to affect their home form. They've already played in three different "home" stadiums in just nine matches! Their talented young roster shows flashes but lacks consistency.

New York Red Bulls (2-5-2): Their high-pressing style is being figured out by opponents. The developmental pipeline continues producing talent, but results haven't followed yet this season.

Orlando City (4-2-3): Quietly effective as always. Their improved defense has been the story, allowing just seven goals in their first nine matches. Their Uruguayan connection in attack is flourishing.

Philadelphia Union (3-3-3): Still tough to beat but showing signs of age in some positions. Their homegrown midfield talent continues to shine, but they've lacked cutting edge in the final third.

Toronto FC (2-5-2): The rebuild continues with mixed results. Their Italian star has been excellent when available but has already missed three matches. Their commitment to youth development is admirable though.

Western Conference energy

Austin FC (2-4-3): Struggling for consistency despite their fanbase's incredible energy. Q2 Stadium still provides one of the league's best atmospheres regardless of results. Their new South American signings need time to adjust.

Colorado Rapids (4-3-2): Vastly improved from last season! Their altitude advantage at home remains significant, with four straight home wins already. Their young American talent is flourishing.

FC Dallas (2-4-3): Still developing impressive young talent while struggling for consistency at the senior level. Their 18-year-old homegrown winger already has 3 goals and 4 assists!

Houston Dynamo FC (4-3-2): Building on last year's resurgence with attractive, attacking soccer. Their tactical flexibility under their second-year coach has been impressive to watch.

LA Galaxy (5-2-2): The Galaxy are BACK, baby! Their defensive overhaul has paid dividends, and their new Mexican striker already has 6 goals. Dignity Health Sports Park is rocking again.

LAFC (2-4-3): The preseason favorites have stumbled out of the gate. Injuries to key players have exposed depth issues, but their individual talent means they're never out of a game.

Minnesota United FC (5-3-1): Thriving with their new tactical approach that emphasizes width and crossing. Their stadium atmosphere has been electric now that the Minnesota weather has improved.

Portland Timbers (3-4-2): Inconsistent but always dangerous at Providence Park. Their South American attacking trio shows flashes of brilliance amid frustrating lapses.

Real Salt Lake (4-2-3): Continuing to exceed expectations with their well-organized tactical approach. Their home fortress at America First Field remains one of the league's toughest places to play.

San Diego FC (6-1-2): THE STORY OF THE SEASON! Their expansion squad has taken the league by storm with attractive, aggressive soccer. Their temporary venue has been ROCKING every home match.

San Jose Earthquakes (2-5-2): Still searching for consistency under their new coach. Their wild home matches at PayPal Park remain entertaining regardless of quality, with three matches already featuring 5+ goals.

Seattle Sounders FC (4-3-2): Sounders doing Sounders things - professional, organized, and ruthlessly efficient. Their tactical evolution under their long-time coach continues to set standards.

Sporting Kansas City (3-3-3): Better than last year but still inconsistent. Their high pressing can overwhelm opponents on good days but leaves them exposed on bad ones. Children's Mercy Park remains one of the league's best atmospheres.

St. Louis CITY SC (4-3-2): Building on their impressive debut season with a slightly more mature approach. Their CITYPARK atmosphere continues to be among the league's best with 11 straight sellouts.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC (3-4-2): Capable of beating anyone on their day, but struggle with consistency. Their tactical approach has been particularly effective on the road with three away wins already.

Tips for making the most of MLS matches this season

My stadium visit advice (from someone who's been to WAY too many this season):

Supporter section energy is worth the discomfort - I sat with the San Diego supporters on a whim and it was the most fun I've had at a match in YEARS. Yes, you'll be standing the whole time and probably get beer spilled on you, but the energy is worth it!

Weeknight games = better deals AND better atmosphere - Counterintuitive but true! The Wednesday night matches tend to attract the die-hards rather than casual fans. I got $30 tickets to a midweek Timbers match and the atmosphere was incredible.

Stadium-specific food is a MUST - Every stadium has that one unique food item you need to try. The BBQ nachos in Kansas City, the salmon at Seattle, the choripan sandwiches in Atlanta... do your research before you go!

Arrive early for the march - Many supporter groups do organized marches to the stadium, and joining in (even as a neutral) is SO much fun. LAFC's march down Christmas Tree Lane is an experience every soccer fan should have.

Watching from home? Level up your viewing:

The MLS Season Pass commentary options are game-changing - The ability to switch between English, Spanish, and club-specific radio broadcasts is AMAZING. The Philadelphia Union radio guys are particularly entertaining.

The whip-around show on Saturdays is perfect for neutrals - When there are 7+ matches happening simultaneously, the MLS 360 show jumps between all the action and you never miss a big moment.

Twitter/Tumblr makes matches better - Follow the supporter group accounts for both teams playing. The memes, reactions, and general chaos add a whole new dimension to watching matches.

Fantasy MLS is actually good now? - They fixed so many of the bugs from previous seasons, and the app actually updates in real-time now! It's a great way to make yourself care about random Wednesday night matches.

Why I'm so hyped for the rest of this season

As we head deeper into the season, the storylines are just getting better:

This is the most wide-open playoff race I can remember - literally 24 of the 29 teams have a legitimate shot

The new young stars are ELECTRIC - I've never seen this many exciting U22 players getting significant minutes

The Leagues Cup tournament with Liga MX teams is going to be CHAOTIC

The stadium atmospheres keep getting better every year

Even if your team is struggling (looking at you, fellow NYCFC fans), there's so much to enjoy about this season. The level of play continues to improve, the fan culture is evolving in awesome ways, and the league's commitment to developing young talent is really paying off.

What's your favorite stadium atmosphere? Who's been your biggest surprise team? How many matches is too many to attend before your significant other threatens to leave you? (Asking for a friend...)

Reblog with your playoff predictions, I want to look back in October and laugh at how wrong we all were!

[ltcinsuranceshopper1]

POWER Announces Debut of New Data Center POWER eXchange (DPX) Conference Focused on Power Demand for Digital Transformation

Rockville, Maryland (March 5, 2025) – POWER, the trusted authority in global energy markets since 1882, today announced the launch of Data Center POWER eXchange (DPX), a new market-defining event focused on bridging the gap between the energy sector and the rapidly growing data center industry. The single-day summit will take place on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency in Denver, one…

[wizprout]

Trends in Event Photography and Videography for 2025 | Let’s Media Solution

The world of event photography and videography is constantly evolving, and 2025 promises to bring in some exciting trends that will redefine the way we capture and experience events. As Let’s Media Solution, a leading provider of event photography and videography services in Dubai, we are at the forefront of adopting these trends to deliver outstanding results for our clients.

Whether it’s a corporate gathering, grand wedding, or exclusive private event, staying updated with the latest industry developments is essential to providing exceptional services. Here’s a look at the key trends to watch in 2025 for event photography and videography.

1. Immersive 360-Degree Photography and Videography

360-degree content is gaining massive popularity in the event industry. This trend allows attendees and viewers to relive the event from every angle, offering an immersive experience. Event photography in Dubai is seeing a shift toward technologies that capture the entire setting, making the memories truly unforgettable.

By using advanced 360-degree cameras, we at Let’s Media Solution ensure that every corner of the event is captured seamlessly, providing a unique visual journey for both event organizers and guests.

2. Drone Videography for Aerial Perspectives

Drone videography continues to dominate the event scene, offering breathtaking aerial shots that add grandeur and scale to events. In Dubai, where events are often held in stunning venues, drone footage brings a cinematic element to storytelling.

From sprawling outdoor festivals to luxurious weddings, event videography in Dubai is increasingly using drones to capture dynamic perspectives that were once impossible. Drones enable us to capture the true essence of the event from above, creating a lasting visual impact.

3. AI-Powered Editing and Instant Highlights

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming event photography and videography workflows. AI tools now allow photographers and videographers to deliver instant event highlights with incredible precision. This trend is perfect for events that require quick turnaround times, such as corporate conferences, product launches, and weddings.

At Let’s Media Solution, we leverage AI-powered editing to provide real-time highlights that can be shared across social platforms, ensuring our clients engage their audiences immediately.

4. Live Streaming and Hybrid Event Coverage

With the rise of hybrid events, live streaming has become a necessity. Whether it’s virtual attendees from across the globe or on-site participants, live streaming ensures no one misses out on the experience. Event videography in Dubai is heavily integrating live streaming to cater to international audiences.

We use state-of-the-art equipment to deliver high-quality live streams, ensuring seamless coverage for corporate events, concerts, and celebrations. This trend is redefining how audiences connect with events in real time.

5. Storytelling Through Cinematic Videography

Cinematic storytelling is gaining traction as event hosts seek to create emotional connections with their audiences. Event videographers are now focusing on producing content that feels like a movie, complete with dynamic angles, slow-motion sequences, and creative editing.

Let’s Media Solution specializes in crafting cinematic event films that showcase not just the visuals but also the emotions and energy of the day. This trend is particularly popular for weddings, gala dinners, and milestone celebrations.

6. Personalized Content and On-Site Printing

Events are all about creating memorable experiences for attendees. Personalized photos and on-site printing are becoming key trends, allowing guests to take home tangible memories. Whether it’s branded photo booths or instant prints, this trend enhances guest engagement.

For event photography in Dubai, Let’s Media Solution offers custom photo solutions that match the theme and style of any event, providing guests with unique keepsakes.

7. Social Media-Ready Content

The need for shareable content is greater than ever. Event organizers are demanding photos and videos that can be quickly shared on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Short-form videos, reels, and eye-catching photos are driving event coverage in 2025.

We focus on delivering social media-ready content that helps our clients increase their event’s online visibility and engagement. Our team understands the power of visual storytelling for digital platforms.

Conclusion

The trends in event photography and videography for 2025 are all about technology, creativity, and personalization. From immersive 360-degree visuals to AI-powered editing and cinematic storytelling, the industry is embracing new ways to capture moments that matter.

As a trusted provider of event photography and videography in Dubai, Let’s Media Solution is committed to staying ahead of these trends to offer our clients exceptional results. Whether you’re hosting a corporate event, wedding, or any special celebration, our team ensures every moment is captured beautifully and professionally.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can bring your next event to life through innovative photography and videography solutions!

[louislehot03]

Looking into the Future of a Legal Metaverse?

The Transform Technology Summits start October 13th with Low-Code/No Code: Enabling Enterprise Agility. Register now!

Initially coined in 1992 by Neal Stephenson, the term “ metaverse” comes from his sci-fi novel, Snow Crash, in which humans interact with each other via avatars rendered in three-dimensional virtual space.

As Matthew Ball, the former head of content at Amazon, stated, “The metaverse is a persistent, synchronous and live universe that spans both the digital and physical worlds with total inclusion.” It is described as a digital shared space where everyone can interact seamlessly in a fully immersive, simulated experience. It is the increased permeability of the borders between different digital environments and the physical world. In the metaverse, you can interact with virtual objects in real life with real-time information. A mixture of what is virtual and what is real. A place where people join together to create, work, and spend time together.

It should come as no surprise that tech giants are already all in and building in the metaverse. Games’ Fortnite, Microsoft’s Minecraft, Facebook’s Horizon, and many more are contributors. In fact, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg laid out his vision to transform Facebook from a social media network into a “ metaverse company” in five years. “This is going to be the successor to the mobile internet,” Zuckerberg told shareholders this month. “You’re going to be able to access the metaverse from all different devices and different levels of fidelity from apps on phones and PCs to immersive virtual and augmented reality devices.”

How to engage, work and play in the metaverse

The different types of activities that will take place in the metaverse are limitless. For example, think about COVID-19, where events such as happy hours, weddings, school classes, and work were increasingly taking place with users participating digitally regardless of their actual geographic location. The metaverse presents the opportunity to leverage remote work even further. Virtual conferences and a plethora of tools specifically designed to facilitate collaboration by distributed teams have already come into play.

The metaverse will further offer fully immersive gaming experiences exceeding current Virtual Reality product offerings tenfold. The gaming space seems especially likely to play a role in bringing the metaverse to fruition since video gamers already own some of the most robust computational processors available.

Investing in the metaverse

Companies are continuously trying to up the ante and keep us engaged and entertained.

The “metaverse” is the newest chapter in entertainment, and its growing popularity means investors should at least be familiar with it.

Every day the sector is growing. It’s still unclear what the metaverse will look like, but according to research firm Strategy Analytics, the global metaverse could be worth $280 billion by 2025 and likely grow from there. This market forecast amplifies the interest in metaverse companies bringing new ways to interact with users, which intersects with a world spent indoors and a rise in technological capabilities available to innovators.

With all the buzz surrounding the metaverse, and the rapidly increasing interest from foremost industry leaders, investing in metaverse will undoubtedly be on the rise. Becoming a pioneer in the new has paid off for many; think about all of the Bitcoin millionaires out there. As it stands, the metaverse is shaping up to be the next big wave for investors. Investors, keep an eye on this space.

How does the metaverse change the legal system?

The metaverse is upending our legal and regulatory systems and begs the question of who makes and enforces the rules.

Life is not a game, however. And when you apply old rules to new technology, you will find yourself trying to put a square peg into a round hole. But here goes it:

Intellectual property:when one or more players in a virtual game collaborate to create a virtual good or a virtual world, who owns it? Is it copyrightable? Is it possible to create, protect or enforce a brand inside a virtual world? What strategies can content creators deploy to protect their brands within the virtual world? This is particularly important for consumer-facing businesses.

NFTs: we have all witnessed the cottage industry of value created through tokenization of entertainment, sports, and media personalities and teams through tokenization of non-fungible content. While today the media is focused on entertainment and media content being tokenized in the metaverse, imagine when entire towns, cities, regions, countries, and superstates are created virtually, with the resulting explosion of content. In other words, we have only begun to see the metaverse commercialized through NFTs. Are they securities? Are they currencies? Who regulates? Who can purchase? Who can trade?

Data protection and privacy: as humans spend more and more of their waking (and sometimes sleeping) hours in the metaverse, who owns the resulting data? Who is protecting your identity? What happens if your information or identity is misappropriated? Who is responsible?

These are just examples of the many conundra emanating from the question of who makes the rules and enforces them. Some say that there should be an attempt within every legal system to adapt to the metaverse. Others back the creation of a new legal system specially designed for the metaverse. While the metaverse holds great promise for merchants and investors alike, without a system for design, promulgation, and enforcement of rules, it could be dangerous. For now, the metaverse has been growing in a virtual sandbox. How long will this last? Until the first Meta-tragedy that captures public attention? Or will someone or something lead the charge? The crypto world provides a valuable indicator of what happens when rulemaking remains fully decentralized.

Is a metaverse world far off?

A true metaversemay still be a few years away. In the meantime, Facebook and other pioneers are busy laying the groundwork for a future that permits families, friends, coworkers, and more to meet and interact in shared digital spaces that look and feel authentic. Digital currencies will also be essential.

The metaverse world is in play, and that which is existing separately is gradually coming together. Technology is not proficient enough to support this integrated metaverse just yet, and the reality of its adoption might be a while away. However, the metaverse has the backing of billionaires, talented game designers, and the only rival to the metaverse is life itself.

Louis Lehot is an emerging growth company, venture capital, and M&A lawyer at Foley & Lardner in Silicon Valley. Louis spends his time providing entrepreneurs, innovative companies, and investors with practical and commercial legal strategies and solutions at all stages of growth, from the garage to global.

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[orbemnews]

Volkswagen Aims to Use Its Size to Head Off Tesla Volkswagen is going all in on electric cars, with plans to build battery factories in Europe, install a network of charging stations and slash the cost of emission-free travel. That was the message Monday as the German carmaker staged a so-called Power Day to showcase its latest electric car technology. The event was Volkswagen’s answer to Tesla’s Battery Day presentations, which draw intense attention from investors and electric car buffs. The session included a number of attention-getting announcements, including a promise that Volkswagen would cut the cost of batteries by up to 50 percent by the end of the decade, while slashing charging time to 12 minutes. That would make electric cars cheaper than gasoline vehicles and just as convenient. Volkswagen also unveiled plans to build six battery factories in Europe in joint ventures with suppliers. And by 2025, the company said, it would have 18,000 charging stations on the continent operating in conjunction with energy companies including BP. The British oil producer said it would offer charging at its filling stations. The online event Monday was part of Volkswagen’s effort to position itself as the traditional carmaker making the biggest commitment to emission-free driving — even though it has not yet followed General Motors or Volvo Cars in setting a precise expiration date for internal combustion engines. Volkswagen is the biggest carmaker in Europe and second-biggest in the world after Toyota. The subtext of Monday’s presentations by a parade of Volkswagen executives was that the company is deploying its industry and government connections, its financial resources, and its eight decades of manufacturing expertise to keep Tesla from eating its lunch. “Our transformation will be bigger than anything the industry has seen in the past century,” Herbert Diess, the chief executive of Volkswagen, said during the two-hour presentation. The event coincided with the rollout in the United States of the ID.4, an electric S.U.V. that is part of the first generation of Volkswagens designed from the ground up to run on batteries and seen as serious challengers to Tesla’s dominance in electric cars. The first ID.4s, with a starting price of $40,000 before government rebates, began arriving at American dealers this week. At least some analysts are starting to believe Volkswagen’s hype. The Swiss bank UBS issued a report this month that ranked Volkswagen just behind Tesla in electric vehicle technology. Tesla leads in battery technology and software, the UBS report said, but the bank’s analysts gave Volkswagen high marks for its electric car platform — the chassis, motor and other components that drive the vehicle forward and carry the car body. The Volkswagen platform can be produced very efficiently and is flexible enough to accommodate a range of body types like S.U.V.s, hatchbacks or crossover sedans, UBS said. Ford plans to use the platform for some of its electric vehicles. Volkswagen is “a blueprint for what legacy carmakers need to achieve in the years to come,” Patrick Hummel, a UBS analyst, said during a conference call with journalists last week. Tesla shares have plunged in recent weeks as it dawns on some investors that the California company may not have a monopoly on electric cars. Volkswagen shares have recovered their prepandemic value and then some. But investors still value Tesla at six times as much as Volkswagen, and the German company faces enormous challenges. Volkswagen continues to generate most of its revenue from cars that run on gasoline or diesel. Winding down the old technologies while ramping up the new ones will be tricky and painful. Volkswagen said Sunday that it would impose a hiring freeze and offer early retirement to employees as young as 56 to free up money for new technologies. The company said it would continue to hire people with expertise in batteries, electricity and software. Volkswagen’s new electric models, while promising, have yet to prove themselves in the market. They were initially plagued by software problems, although the company says those have been solved. After a delayed launch, Volkswagen sold 56,000 of its ID.3 model, an electric hatchback not offered in the United States, in the last few months of 2020. Volkswagen is coping with the devastating effect that the pandemic had on sales. Deliveries to customers fell 15 percent in 2020, to 9.3 million vehicles. A diesel emissions scandal continues to keep hundreds of lawyers busy and gnaw at Volkswagen’s reputation. Martin Winterkorn, who was chief executive during the years that Volkswagen rigged diesel vehicles to cheat emissions limits, is scheduled to go on trial next month on charges related to the scandal. The trial is certain to generate heavy media coverage and remind the public of Volkswagen’s misdeeds, which came to light in 2015. Mr. Winterkorn denies wrongdoing. As costly as it has been, the scandal had one benefit for Volkswagen. It forced the company’s managers to think hard about how to restore the company’s good name. They resolved to focus on electric cars. That may put Volkswagen in a better position today than other big rivals who hesitated. UBS analysts pointed out that Volkswagen is one of the few big carmakers to have developed a platform specifically for electric vehicles, and to retool entire factories to build electric cars. Volkswagen’s size — it sold 18 times as many cars as Tesla last year — will allow it to push down manufacturing costs in a way that smaller carmakers cannot. Like Tesla, Volkswagen has recognized that people won’t buy electric cars unless there is someplace to charge them. In addition to underwriting a charging network in Europe, Volkswagen will also install 3,500 fast-charging points in the United States and 17,000 in China. Many other traditional carmakers approached the electrification of cars as something they were forced to do to meet emissions requirements, Mr. Hummel of UBS said. “They spent too much time looking at electric vehicles from the perspective of compliance,” he said. “Now they are catching up but they are late.” Source link Orbem News #Aims #size #Tesla #Volkswagen

[shirlleycoyle]

While Microsoft Was Making Its Climate Pledge, It Was Sponsoring an Oil Conference

Last week, Microsoft made a splash when it announced its intention to become a “carbon negative” company—one that pulls more climate-warming carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere than it puts in—by 2030. The news drew widespread attention and praise for the tech giant. Reuters declared Microsoft had “set a new ambition among Fortune 500 companies,” and the UN’s executive secretary of climate change called the move “remarkable.”

A day earlier, the 12th International Conference on Petroleum Technology drew to a close in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. This year, Microsoft received special billing as the event’s “Digital Transformation Partner,” meaning it hosted all of the online sessions according to the Saudi Gazette. The company also had a booth at the conference, and Omar Saleh, Microsoft’s regional director of energy and manufacturing for the Middle East and Africa, participated in a panel discussion titled “The Role of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Developing the Oil and Gas Sector.”

The “fourth industrial revolution,” or Industry 4.0, refers to how cloud computing, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are allowing companies to process and analyze vast amounts of data more efficiently and in new ways. Tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are currently in a race to unleash Industry 4.0 on the fossil fuel industry—and in doing so, they are helping ensure that oil continues to flow profitably for years to come.

Which raises an obvious question: How can Microsoft hope to pull more carbon out of the air than it puts in if it’s actively accelerating the production of carbon-based fuels?

“To me it’s a complete disconnect,” said Liz Jardim, a senior climate campaigner at Greenpeace. “If they care about the problem of climate change, this work with the oil and gas industry is only making the problem bigger.”

The disconnect is striking because Microsoft’s new climate pledge is, otherwise, pretty impressive. The company’s timeline—which includes shifting to 100 percent renewable energy for its data centers, buildings, and campuses by 2025, and becoming carbon negative by 2030—is in line with what the science says needs to happen to prevent the worst consequences of climate change. To reach net zero and eventually become a carbon negative company, Microsoft has pledged to put $1 billion into so-called negative emissions technologies that pull carbon out of the air. This, too, is significant: Most climate models agree that we’ll need negative emissions tech to bring atmospheric carbon dioxide down to safe levels. The federal government isn’t investing nearly enough in these technologies; Microsoft’s commitment could spur others in the private sector to help fill the gap.

The company’s new climate commitment is detailed, too. Unlike Amazon’s recent climate pledge, which only mentioned top-line emission reduction goals, Microsoft gets into the weeds as to how it’ll drive down the direct emissions that come from the fuel its trucks burn and the energy its data centers use—known as scope 1 and 2 emissions—as well as the emissions associated with the use of its products, so-called scope 3 emissions.

“This really is taking the greenhouse gas protocol to heart,” said Shelie Miller, a sustainability researcher and expert on environmental accounting at the University of Michigan. Miller noted that scope 3 emissions are “the hardest piece to tackle and often the largest environmental impact of any company.” Microsoft says it’ll work to reduce its scope 3 emissions, which it estimates account for three quarters of its carbon footprint, with an internal carbon fee.

But Microsoft’s consideration of the knock-on effects of its products and services also brings us to the company’s oil contracts, which threaten to undo a lot of this positive action.

Microsoft’s recent partnership with ExxonMobil has the potential to expand oil production in the Permian basin by up to 50,000 barrels a day. Its recent three-way partnership with oilfield services provider Schlumberger and Chevron aims to “bring [fossil fuel] prospects to development more quickly and with more certainty.” Yet because these are indirect effects of the company’s actions, Microsoft can, if it so chooses, leave them out of its carbon reporting entirely.

“That would definitely be an area of debate,” Miller said when asked if Microsoft should be accounting for the climate impact of its work with Big Oil. “It comes to the question of what’s the environmental impact of an algorithm, and who’s responsible.”

Chris Preist, a professor of sustainability and computer systems at the University of Bristol, added that while companies are not required to consider indirect effects like this in standard emissions reporting, such effects are “likely to be significantly larger than the direct impacts.”

Similarly to Amazon, Microsoft prefers to play up the benefits of its oil and gas partnerships. In last week’s climate announcement, Microsoft president Brad Smith doubled down on continuing to work with “all our customers, including those in the oil and gas business,” in order to help them “achieve the business needs of a net zero carbon future.”

“Continued improvement in standards of living around the world will require more energy, not less,” Smith writes. “It’s imperative that we enable energy companies to transition, including to renewable energy and to the development and use of negative emission technologies like carbon capture and storage and direct air capture.”

But while Microsoft would like the world to believe its oil and gas contracts are about saving the planet, articles published last week in the International Conference on Petroleum Technology’s daily newsletter tell a different story about what the company is selling: Machine learning tools can be used to surveil oil fields; AI that can anticipate maintenance needs in advance to avoid shutdowns; cybersecurity systems can help oil clients keep their big datasets secure. These services make Microsoft “a reliable choice and an enabler for oil and gas companies,” concludes one article, which mentions transitioning off fossil fuels exactly nowhere.

“Supporting Oil and Gas companies to transition to a net-zero world in line with Microsoft’s pledge to 1.5 degrees would be a laudable thing,” Preist said. “Supporting Oil and Gas companies in head in the sand business-as-usual activities would be corporate hypocrisy.”

Microsoft did not meet a deadline to provide a statement for this story. It'll be updated if we hear back.

While Microsoft Was Making Its Climate Pledge, It Was Sponsoring an Oil Conference syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[sramfact]

Automotive Lubricants Market to be at Forefront by 2028

The latest report by Fact.MR opines that automotive lubricants have witnessed plenty of developments in the past few years and have offered convenient enhancements. Over the forecast period, the market is set to witness a positive growth, and to gain remunerative momentum in emerging countries, thus giving an impetus to the automotive lubricants market. Moreover, a study conducted by the International Energy Agency (IEA) reveals that, by the end of 2050, oil demand from road freight may increase by 5 million barrels per day. With the rising number of vehicles, and the development of the transportation sector, the global market for automotive lubricants continues to grow. Properties such as high-level thermal stability, low freezing point, and high boiling point are helping to improve the overall performance of the engine. These are factors that are likely to push the automotive lubricants market during the forecast period.

In the automotive lubricants market several expansion projects are in line by the prominent players such as Royal Dutch Shell PLC, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Total S.A., FUCHS, and others.

Request Sample Report- https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=434

For instance, in October 2018, Total S.A. invested ~ USD 50 million for its production plant in the Kaluga region, Russia. The plant is designed to scale up the manufacturing capacity from 40,000 tons to 70,000 tons per annum.  This strategic move will allow Total to capture the local automotive lubricants market. Similarly, on 3rd September 2019, FUCHS Petrolub SE joint ventured a project with OPET Petrolcülük located in Izmir, Turkey. With an investment of EUR 24 million, the plant can produce 60,000 tons per annum.

Market Trending Towards Bio-based Automotive Lubricants

The study opines that due to adverse effects, the governments in many countries are taking stringent regulatory action to control the harmful impact on the environment caused by transportation-related activities. Governing bodies and international organizations are implementing new rules and regulations to reduce the carbon emission levels released from vehicles. Above mentioned circumstances are set to reduce the use of gasoline and diesel engine cars in the forecast period. For instance, in December 2015, the Paris climate conference put in optimistic efforts to maintain climate change by introducing several innovating technologies to limit greenhouse gas emissions. All these factors create new opportunities for bio-based and high-performance automotive lubricants.

Browse Full Report with TOC- https://www.factmr.com/report/434/automotive-lubricant-market

Rising Popularity of Electric Vehicles to Hamper the Demand for Automotive Lubricants

International Energy Agency (IEA) states that the electric car stock in the world was 2 million in year 2016, and the number will likely increase up to 9-20 million by the end of 2020 and 40-70 million by the end of 2025. Currently, the demand for electric vehicles is at low pace, which might not be the case in the forecast period. Increasing adoption of electric cars will certainly cause a decline in the need for automotive lubricants. Government norms and regulations are paving the way for a market that is replete with electric vehicles, especially in North America and Europe. These all factors may have some severe implications for lubricant manufacturing companies, in the upcoming decades.

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Asia will Emerge as a Regional Frontrunner

Asia dominates the automotive lubricants market accounting ~ 40 percent share of the global market. Due to an increase in automobile ownership levels, incorporation of advanced engines, and consistent investments in transportation activities, Asia’s supremacy is set to continue in the automotive lubricants market.

Furthermore, China is the biggest automotive lubricants market, followed by the United States and India. In India, there is a significant potential for growth of the automotive lubricants market. Additionally, India is expected to show a growth rate of around 6% annually.

Factors such as rise in private transport, increasing economic stability and consumer affordability are surging the usage of vehicles and are set to drive the automotive lubricants market across all geographical regions. North America and Europe is expected to witness stagnant growth in the automotive lubricants market.

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[todaynewsstories]

Trump’s EPA unveils weaker alternative to Obama power plant rule

(Reuters) – The Trump administration on Tuesday proposed replacing a signature Obama-era policy to combat climate change with a weaker plan that would let states write their own rules on coal-fired power plants, prompting critics to warn of dire environmental and health consequences.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposal would require states to submit plans for improving efficiency of coal-fired power plants. The federal government will set carbon emission guidelines, but states will have the leeway to set less-stringent standards, taking into account a facility’s age and the cost of upgrades.

The rule also could allow power plant owners to sidestep costly permits for those improvements.

“The era of top down, one-size-fits-all federal mandates is over,” EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said on a conference call.

The attorneys general of Virginia and New York quickly criticized the EPA announcement and said they would sue to block the rule if it becomes law.

EPA projected the new plan would result in $400 million a year in economic benefits and reduce retail power prices by up to 0.5 percent by 2025. Yet documents released on Tuesday showed the EPA estimated carbon dioxide emissions would be higher than under the Obama policy, while pollution-related premature deaths, hospital admissions, asthma cases and school absence days could be higher by 2030.

The agency’s assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation, Bill Wehrum, said that under the new rule, power sector emissions would be similar to the goals set under the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) because of how much the industry has already shifted toward cleaner fuels.

“Things have changed a lot since the CPP was put in place,” Wehrum said to reporters on the EPA conference call. “The industry continues to transform before our very eyes.”

The administration’s Affordable Clean Energy Rule is limited in its scope to coal-fired plants. The Obama-era plan, which has been put on hold by the U.S. Supreme Court, set overall carbon-reduction goals for each state using a series of different measures.

EPA forecast that under the new rule, coal production would rise by up to 5.8 percent by 2025.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, asked in an interview whether his state would sue to block the plan, said “we’re moving in that direction” but would see the administrative process through.

“We think that there is a strong case to be made that they are violating the very laws they are supposed to enforce,” Becerra said.

EPA’s 236-page proposal is open for a public comment period, with a final rule expected later this year.

The effort to re-write the plan is the latest move by Trump administration to roll back environmental rules put in place by Obama.

Trump, who has scheduled a rally on Tuesday in coal-producing state West Virginia, has vowed to end what he termed “the war on coal” and boost domestic fossil fuels production.

Environmental groups warned the focus on improving efficiency of coal-fired generators could raise overall carbon emissions.

“A coal plant that operates more efficiently may be called upon to run more hours, increasing the total amount of CO2 emitted overall,” Lissa Lynch, an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement.

The CPP, which Obama’s EPA finalized in 2015, sought to reduce emissions from power plants to 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The Supreme Court put the brakes on it in 2016 after energy-producing states sued the EPA, saying it had exceeded its legal reach.

In many states, the CPP’s limits on emissions have already been met because the cost of generating power from natural gas and renewable energy like wind and solar is cheaper than coal.

An EPA study forecast that compliance costs relative to the CPP would be slightly lower or higher depending on the assumed cost of making efficiency improvements to the coal-fired plants. That is because the electricity sector has already become far less carbon intensive in recent years.

FILE PHOTO: An empty podium awaits the arrival of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler to address staff at EPA headquarters in Washington, U.S., July 11, 2018. REUTERS/Ting Shen/File Photo

Reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington and Nichola Groom in Los Angeles; Editing by Susan Thomas and David Gregorio

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[inerginc]

As more renewable energy is fed into the Argentinian grid, the impetus to implement smart grid technology is increasing. Yet, coordination on a national scale remains a challenge, along with a lack of incentives from government to encourage implementation.

This article first appeared in Metering & Smart Energy International issue 3-2018. Read the full digital magazine here or subscribe here to receive a print copy.

In recent years, Argentina has begun to modify its energy matrix, giving an important boost to renewable energy sources. The starting scenario is an interconnected electricity system in which, approximately, 30% of generation comes from large hydroelectric power plants, 62% comes from thermal power plants and 4.5% comes from nuclear power plants, here less than 2% comes from wind and photovoltaic systems.

Although the first experiences with wind energy in Argentina date back to the 1990s, it was only from 2010 that the construction of large wind farms began. The accelerating element of the present transformation process was the approval, in 2015, of Law 27191, “National Development Regime for the Use of Renewable Energy Sources for the Production of Electrical Energy”.

This law establishes that all grid users consuming more than 300kW must incorporate a minimum of 8% of their own total electricity consumption with energy from renewable sources by 31 December 2017, reaching a step-by-step increase of 20% by 31 December 2025.

Based on this legal framework, the Ministry of Energy and Mining instructed the Electricity Wholesale Market Management Company, CAMMESA, to issue a national and international open call for proposals, called “Programa RenovAr Ronda 1”, for the qualification and eventual awarding of bids for contracts for the supply of electricity generated from renewable sources, with the aim of increasing the participation of renewable energy sources in the country’s energy matrix, in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 27191. This first call, made in the second half of 2016, was successful, and resulted in two additional calls, called RenovAr Ronda 1.5 and RenovAr Ronda 2.

Current status of the projects awarded in the programme RenovAr:

RenovAr Ronda 1: 29 projects were awarded, totalling 1143MW of power. Of these, 12 projects were wind generation systems (708MW), 4 photovoltaic solar (400MW), 6 biogas (9MW), 2 biomass (15MW) and 5 small hydroelectric projects (11MW). To date, there are still pending 7 wind generation projects, for 334MW, and one solar project, for 100MW, which have not yet started to be built due to economic and administrative reasons.

RenovAr Ronda 1.5: 30 projects were awarded, totalling 1281MW of power. In the case of wind energy, 20 projects were awarded with an average price of 53.34 USD/MWh, reaching a power of 765.4MW. In photovoltaic solar energy, 20 projects were selected at an average price of $54.94 per MWh, totalling 516.2MW of power. In this case no contracts were awarded for other types of renewable energy sources. Of the total of 30 projects, there are still 20 that have not begun construction, which involve 5 wind power generation projects for 436MW, and 15 solar power projects for 396MW.

RenovAr Ronda 2: in this case the projects still have time until May 2018 to sign their respective contracts with CAMMESA. A total of 1400MW of generation based on renewable sources, mainly wind and photovoltaic solar, were awarded, but the definitive number will be known in the second half of 2018, at the start of the construction of the power plants.

From renewable energies to smart grids The advances in the energy sector that have been taking place since 2015 will bring about a substantial change in the country’s energy matrix. However, this change involves many challenges, including the need to build new transmission lines, or expand their transportation capacity, and the modernisation of the entire electrical system’s monitoring and control support.

Moreover, the incorporation of renewable energy-based generation, in addition to the future regulation of distributed generation systems at the household level, makes it imperative to move forward on a much broader issue: smart grids.

The road to smart grids in Argentina has begun to move very slowly, without strong support from the national government. To date, there are about a dozen small pilot projects being developed in medium-size towns in the interior of the country. In general, excepting some particular pilot projects (eg the towns of Armstrong, Salta and Centenario), the smart metering projects have been deployed by small or medium-size electric cooperatives, without explicit official support. In almost all these cases the cooperatives have an important number of rural and semi-urban users, and this is one of the main reasons that justify the installation of the smart meters.

One of the aspects highlighted by the cooperatives starting to install smart metering systems is the reduction of meter reading costs and the control of connection/ disconnection of network users remotely, without having to send a crew of operators to the site. In some cases, reductions of up to 800km have been observed in the monthly travel of the staff assigned to meter reading.

Other interesting questions arising from the use of smart meters is the possibility of using prepaid systems. Experiences conducted so far, although not statistically significant, show interesting behaviour in the use and conservation of energy. For example, average recharge periods of almost a week have been observed, with minimums of two days. This reflects a microeconomic behaviour in which energy use, at household level, is managed almost on a daily basis.

As previously mentioned, most of the smart metering/smart grids projects are uncoordinated with each other, and there is no overall impulse or incentive programme from the Ministry of Energy and Mining or the government itself. However, the analysis of some of these specific cases shows that the implementation of smart metering systems is an accelerating process, and that a critical mass is gradually being reached which may lead to the launch of massive installation plans.

With regard to the monitoring and control of transmission/distribution systems, which is another part of a real smart grid, it is important to note that CAMMESA is making progress in the implementation of Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs). In the course of 2017, 36 PMUs were purchased to be located in different locations in the interconnected electricity system that covers 90% of the country. It is expected that over the next few years, progress will be made towards covering all the points of interest in the national grid, in order to configure a wide area monitoring, protection and control (WAMPAC) system for the entire grid.

The immediate future

Gradually, the conditions are becoming clearer in Argentina for the use of renewable energy sources and smart grids to be a daily reality. The launch of the RenovAr programmes, together with the approval of the law on distributed generation at the household level (still pending to be regulated) and the installation of smart metering systems, through pilot projects and medium-scale installations, are a promising scenario, although not without difficulties.

The massive deployment of smart meters, and the insertion of distributed generation systems will not be fast unless the government generates incentives to speed up the process, or the socioeconomic context evolves in such a way that large distribution companies invest in the massive replacement of electricity meters, reaching the service users in the country’s largest cities (which, in turn, show the greatest demographic growth). MI

About the author

Patricio G. Donato is currently working as Independent Researcher at the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and Adjunct Professor of the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMdP), Argentina. He received a degree in electronic engineering from the Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco (UNPSJB), Argentina, and a Ph.D. in electronics from the Universidad de Alcalá (UAH), Spain.

He leads a line of research on Smart Grids within CONICET and UNMDP, focusing primarily on issues related to the measurement and evaluation of power quality problems and also signal processing applied to the detection of signals in noisy environments, such as powerline communications (PLC).

He has directed several doctoral theses and published scientific articles, in addition to lecturing courses and conferences on the matter. He is currently focusing his attention on studying the evolution and impact of smart grid on the Argentine electricity system.

The post Argentina is moving forward in the use of renewable energies and the development of smart grids appeared first on Smart Energy International.

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[quarksnleptons]

THE TOP 10 NEWSMAKERS OF 2017

As 2017 comes to an end, here's a recap of the headliner person/s or events in the Philippines which marked our minds:

1. MARAWI SIEGE AND DECLARATION OF MARTIAL LAW IN MINDANAO

On May 23, 2017, the ISIS-inspired Maute group and the Abu Sayyaf have laid siege of the Islamic City of Marawi.

The Marawi attack by the Islamic extremists is a reaction to a botched operation to capture Isnilon Hapilon the self-proclaimed emir of the ISIS inspired radical extremists by the AFP and PNP operatives. In short the AFP has initiated the armed hostilities and the Abu Sayyaf and Maute group have just reacted and executed their seemingly pre-planned siege of the Islamic City of Marawi. It resulted to simultaneous but coordinated attacks in the central and commercial areas in Marawi. They have burnt the City jail, occupied the medical center, burnt a college and the St Mary Cathedral. They had robbed all the banks, occupied strategic buildings and blocked highways. They also have held more than two hundred hostages (mostly Christian including a priest) to shield them away from the bombs to make their successful escape. Buildings including the commercial center as well as residential in the central trading center of Marawi have been destroyed and literally flattened to the ground as a result of artillery fires and direct hits of air strikes and surgical bombings done by the AFP in spite of the well-known fact that civilians are still trapped in many of these buildings.

It led to the declaration of Martial Law by President Duterte not only to Marawi but to all 27 provinces and 33 cities in Mindanao. President Rodrigo R. Duterte declared Martial Law in Mindanao through Presidential Decree (PD) 216 which takes effect starting 10pm of the 23rd of May 2017.

The President made the proclamation when he together with his top military and security advisers were starting with his State visit to Moscow. The PD 216 declaration was made a few hours after the botched AFP/PNP operation to serve the warrant of arrest for Jihadist leader Isnilon Hapilon and the early hours of rampage by extremist followers of Marawi City

2. RESORTS WORLD MANILA ATTACK

A lone gunman triggered panic in Pasay City last June 2, 2017, after gunshots were heard and a fire broke out at Resorts World Manila (RWM).

The SITE Intelligence Group reported that a Filipino operative of the Islamic State (ISIS) was behind the attack, but police said the "isolated" incident was not a terrorist attack. The gunman was later found dead after apparently burning and shooting himself.

He is identified as Jessie Carlos, a former tax specialist at the Department of Finance who was heavily in debt due to casino gambling. He fired gunshots and set ablaze gaming tables at the casino floor of the Resorts World Manila.

The attack left 37 people dead, including Carlos himself and the wife of Pampanga 3rd District Representative Aurelio Gonzales Jr.

3. WAR ON DRUGS AND EXTRAJUDICIAL KILLINGS

Extrajudicial killings were rampant ever since Rodrigo Duterte became the president of the Philippines. There were a lot of young victims including Kian Loyd Delos Santos and Carl Angelo Arnaiz.

Both Delos Santos and Arnaiz were killed by Caloocan policemen and were accused of being involved in drugs and fired shots to the police prompting the police to return fire but were innocent. Both their families even deny that they were drug addicts and drug pushers.

Up to now, their families still continue to seek justice for them.

4. MOCHA USON APPOINTED AS PCOO ASEC. AND BOARD MEMBER OF MTRCB

Entertainer-turned-blogger Mocha Uson was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as assistant secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).

She is the lead vocalist of the group Mocha Girls writes Mocha Uson Blog on Facebook and also a staunch supporter of Duterte on social media, was earlier appointed as board member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).

The PCOO is being run by Secretary Martin Andanar.  Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, meanwhile, is in charge of the PCOO’s content and messaging, including the final release and distribution of information. 

Uson’s term will expire on September 30, 2017.

5. CHR'S P1000 BUDGET FOR 2018

Lawmakers frustrated over the performance of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) gave the agency a P1,000 budget for next year, effectively rendering it useless. One-hundred nineteen lawmakers voted for the token budget, while 32 were against it.

Reps. Raul Del Mar (1st district, Cebu) and Edcel Lagman (1st district, Albay) said giving the CHR a P1,000 budget would mean abolishing it.

CHR Chair Chito Gascon said the commission will keep doing its job despite the budget given by the House.

Aside from the CHR, the House also gave the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) a P1,000-budget for 2018.

The Senate will have its own decision on the fate of the budgets of the CHR, NCIP, and ERC. The Senate will act on the proposed 2018 budget bill as approved by the House of Representatives. Differences will be reconciled in a conference committee. The reconciled version will be returned to the two chambers for ratification.

The administration plans to have President Rodrigo Duterte sign a new budget law before the next fiscal year begins in January.

6. MARLOU ARIZALA AKA XANDER FORD

Marlou Arizala now Xander Ford took social media by storm after he revealed his new look.

Internet personality Marlou Arizala, who goes by the name Xander Ford, appeared before national TV on ABS-CBN's lifestyle show "Rated K" after he went through cosmetic enhancement procedures.

His transformation caused an uproar on social media, as #XanderFord immediately became one of the top trending topics on Twitter.

Arizala was a former member of Internet group Hasht5 before leaving in 2016 to pursue his solo career.

7. THE HAZING CASE OF HORACIO CASTILLO III

Horacio "Atio" Castillo III, a 22-year-old freshman law student at the University of Santo Tomas died after a supposed "welcoming party" of the Aegis Juris Fraternity (AJF) on September 16.  As it turned out, what happened that night was a hazing rite and Atio died.

AJF is based at the UST Faculty of Civil Law. Its current dean, Nilo Divina, is an alumnus of the fraternity. Atio brought this up to assuage his parents' apprehensions when he asked permission to join the fraternity.  He also assured them that the fraternity does not conduct hazing.

He has been laid to rest, but the fight for justice by his loved ones continues.

8. THE 31ST ASEAN SUMMIT AND RELATED SUMMITS HOSTED IN PH

Leaders from twenty countries from the ASEAN Member States, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea (ROK), Russia, United States (US), Canada, European Union (EU), and the United Nations Secretary General gathered in a two-day summit in Manila for the 31tst ASEAN Summit and Related Summits last November 13 and 14, 2017. It is the second of the two ASEAN Summits that the Philippines hosted this year.

Under the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World,” ASEAN Leaders discussed the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the way forward and the appointment of the new Secretary-General of ASEAN. They also exchanged views on pressing regional and international issues.

Pres. Duterte is also the chair of the ASEAN’s 40th Anniversary Commemorative Summits with the United States of America, Canada and the European Union; 20th ASEAN Plus Three Commemorative Summit; the 20th ASEAN-China Summit, 19th ASEAN-Republic of Korea Summit; 20th ASEAN-Japan Summit; 12th East Asia Summit; 15th ASEAN-India Summit; and the 9th ASEAN-UN Summit.

The ASEAN Leaders signed the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, a landmark document that further seeks to strengthen social protection, access to justice, humane and fair treatment, and access to health services for the migrant workers of Southeast Asia.

At the Closing Ceremony of the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, President Duterte hand over the Chairmanship of ASEAN to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, the incoming Chair of ASEAN for 2018.

9. IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT VS CJ LOURDES SERENO

The House committee on justice reviews the verified impeachment complaint against Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

There were two complaints against Chief Justice Sereno. The first complaint, endorsed by at least 25 members of the House of Representatives, was filed by Atty. Larry Gadon on August 30 and the second complaint, filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and the Vanguards of the Philippine Constitution, it was filed on September 4 after 16 lawmakers endorsed it.

Atty. Larry Gadon accused Sereno of failing to be truthful in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). He also questioned her travel expenses and allowances she had supposedly given her staff, as well as SC resolutions that did not go through the en banc.

Sereno was appointed as the country's first female chief justice in 2012, after the impeachment of then Chief Justice Renato Corona.

10. THE DENGVAXIA CONTROVERSY

Dengvaxia, a vaccine aimed at protecting hundreds of thousands of school children from dengue may have put their lives at risk. Around 10 percent of over 800,000 students who were immunized with Dengvaxia, but did not have a prior dengue infection, now face contracting a "severe disease," according to the vaccine's manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur.

The World Health Organization has issued a recommendation that Dengvaxia should not be administered to people who have not had dengue before. The WHO said Dengvaxia "prevents disease in the majority of vaccine recipients but it should not be administered to people who have not previously been infected with dengue virus."

Following the announcement, the Department of Health (DOH) halted its nationwide dengue immunization program and has demanded billions in pesos as a refund for the vaccines.

Meanwhile, both Congress and the Justice Department are digging deeper into the controversy, with officials from the current and previous administrations pointing fingers at each other.