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Puerto Rico restores 70 percent of its power following blackout
Just one day after the beleaguered US territory suffered another island-wide blackout, Reuters reports that Puerto Rico's power company has restored power to more than 1.1 million homes and businesses.
Puerto Rico is experiencing an island-wide blackout (updated)
Seven months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, the power grid is still unstable. But progress was being made; according to CBS, less than 10 percent of the island was without power as of a month ago. But now, the Associated Press reports that the island is undergoing yet another full blackout. The power company is still investigating the cause and estimates it will take 24 to 36 hours for power to be restored.
The future of a cleaner, cheaper power grid is batteries
On the southern edge of the island of Kauaʻi sits an unsightly diesel power plant. The rust-covered smokestacks (a by-product of being next to the ocean) that emit a mechanical engine drone are a stark contrast to the serene beauty of the rest of the Hawaiian island. For decades this smoke-belching eyesore was the main source of electricity for Kauaʻi. But now it's being overtaken by renewable sources -- one that's made possible by batteries like those being built by Tesla.
Ford's vehicle-to-grid communications system charges plug-in whips on command
If you're dreaming of always plugging your future AC-friendly hybrid in during the wee hours of the morning in order to juice up for the lowest price, you're certainly using your noodle. But what about instances where you can't choose when exactly you'll be plugging in? Fret not, as Bill Ford and Company has you covered. The automaker, in collaboration with a slew of utility partners, has today introduced an intelligent vehicle-to-grid communications system that would theoretically enable vehicle owners to plug their ride in and tell it precisely when to begin and / or end charging via the navigation screen. Users could also define the completion time for charging or the desired rates in order to better control spending, though all that planning could be ruined by some random prankster who decides to yank your cable when you're not looking. And really, who cares about saving a penny or two on charging when you can get two hundred and thirty miles per gallon? Oh, wait...[Via HotHardware]
Better Place's $1 billion electric vehicle grid headed to Bay Area
Need another reason to live in America's other bastion of social liberalism and homelessness? How about a $1 billion electric vehicle re-charging infrastructure in the Bay Area? Palo Alto's Better Place is finally bringing its ambitious, city-wide electrical grid and battery exchange service home after staking plans to do the same in Israel, Denmark, and Australia. The plan just endorsed by the San Jose, Oakland, and San Francisco Mayors (without coughing up any money), is expected to result in 250,000 charging ports (for topping off charges), 200 battery-swap stations (for trips over 100 miles), and a driver service center by 2012 -- network planing and permitting will begin in 2009 with infrastructure deployment set to kickoff in 2010. Here's how it works, customers will receive a discounted price on electric vehicles when they subscribe to drive a certain number of miles -- Better Place will own the batteries. Besides clearing the way of government bureaucracy, the mayors have agreed to offer incentives for companies that install the plug-in stations. Now get this, Better Place expects to lure electric vehicles from the usual suspects like Toyota, Renault-Nissan, and GM in addition to, get this, Tesla Motors. Oh yes. Almost makes us want to hug an Upper Haight, teenage, poser hippie. Almost.Update: Coincidentally, Tesla is considering a small, swappable battery for its Model S sport sedan that, according to Elon Musk, could be changed "faster than you can fill a car with gasoline." Ah, synergy.[Via San Jose Mercury News, Thanks KKH]
