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Google and Tesla think we’re managing the electrical grid all wrong | TechCrunch

Google and Tesla think we’re managing the electrical grid all wrong | TechCrunch

Google, Tesla, and data center developer Verrus are among a group of companies arguing that the electrical grid is being underutilized and they want everyone — especially politicians — to know about it.

The three companies along with HVAC giant Carrier, virtual power plant company Renew Home, distributed energy resource developer Sparkfund, and smart electrical panel startup Span founded a new group called Utilize to get that message across. The group, which launched Tuesday, is advocating to change the way the grid is build and used. The group points out, correctly, that the grid is designed for brief bursts of high demand; most of the time there’s lots of capacity that goes unused.

Utilize thinks that should change. The group argues that smarter ways to use that capacity already exist. Utilize name checks a number of those solutions, including battery storage, demand response, and virtual power plants, all of which have emerged en masse over the last decade, but remain under utilized. (Oh, that’s where the name comes from.)

In many cases, those new technologies are used to improve the grid’s resilience. Take Texas’s grid, for example, which has fared better during recent cold snaps following an increase in battery storage in the state. Still, many regulators and politicians remain wary of these new technologies, opting instead to stick with familiar options like centralized fossil fuel power plants.

Utilize says it will “advocate for policies” that encourage more widespread adoption of the new technologies, which also benefit those involved. 

Each member occupies a niche piece of the grid. On the sell side, Tesla sells batteries and solar panels, Span sells a electrical panel that can react to changing loads, Carrier makes heat pumps, and Sparkfund and Renew Home build and aggregate distributed energy resources. On the buy side, Google and Verrus have enormous power needs to keep their servers humming.

The organization calls itself a “coalition,” which is pretty squishy language. Utilize already touts one legislative win, saying that “some members of Utilize” backed a bill in Virginia that would require utilities to quantify and disclose how the grid is being used. 

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That wording suggests that while Utilize might be pushing for policy changes, it’s probably isn’t lobbying directly, at least yet. TechCrunch did not receive a reply to inquiries sent to Utilize and the Commonwealth of Virginia regarding the organization’s status as a lobbyist.

Advocacy organizations are no stranger to the utility industry, but the combination of new technology paired with buy- and sell-side companies makes Utilize something different. Changing the way the grid is regulated is a long game, but if they don’t start now, it’ll be too late.

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#sign #Mashable #push #notifications">How to sign up for Mashable push notifications
                                                            The internet moves fast. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend all day refreshing your browser to keep up with it.Mashable push notifications deliver our latest news, trending stories, and hottest deals directly to your screen. Here’s how to turn them on in just a few clicks.Google Chrome on AndroidOpen Chrome and visit Mashable.com.Tap the three-dot menu to the right of the address bar.Select Settings, followed by Site settings and Notifications.Make sure notifications are enabled.Return to Mashable. Tap the site information icon to the left of the address bar, select Permissions, and set Notifications to Allow.Google Chrome on a PC or MacVisit Mashable.com.Click the View site information icon to the left of the URL in your address bar.Select Site settings from the menu.Find Notifications and select Allow from the dropdown menu.Return to Mashable and refresh the page.That’s it. We’ll take it from here.
Safari on a MacOpen Safari and visit Mashable.com.When Safari asks whether you would like to receive notifications from Mashable, select Allow.If the request doesn’t appear, go to Safari > Settings > Websites > Notifications. Find Mashable and select Allow. You should also make sure Allow websites to ask for permission to send notifications is turned on.Microsoft EdgeVisit Mashable.com.Click the site information icon to the left of the URL.Open Permissions for this site.Find Notifications and select Allow.Return to Mashable and refresh the page.Mozilla FirefoxVisit Mashable.com.When Firefox asks whether Mashable can send notifications, select Allow.If you don’t see the prompt, open the Firefox menu and go to Settings > Privacy & Security. Scroll to Permissions, find Notifications, and click Settings. Locate Mashable, change its status to Allow, and save your changes.Help! I signed up, but I’m not receiving notificationsIf you followed the steps above but Mashable alerts remain suspiciously absent, don’t worry. A browser or device setting may be getting in the way.1. Check your browser settingsStart by returning to Mashable.com and clicking the site information icon beside the URL. Make sure Notifications is set to Allow.You can also check the notification permissions in your browser’s settings:Chrome: Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > NotificationsFirefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Permissions > NotificationsSafari: Settings > Websites > NotificationsEdge: Settings > Cookies and site permissions > NotificationsFind Mashable and confirm that notifications are allowed.
        
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2. Check your device settingsYour browser may have permission to send alerts while your computer is quietly blocking them.On a Mac, open System Settings > Notifications. Select the browser you used to sign up, turn on Allow notifications, and choose Banners or Alerts as the notification style. On older versions of macOS, you may find these controls under System Preferences.On a Windows PC, open Settings > System > Notifications. Make sure notifications are turned on for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or whichever browser you used.3. Make sure notifications aren’t silencedFinally, check whether a focus setting has put your alerts on mute.On a Mac, open Control Center > Focus and make sure Do Not Disturb is turned off.On Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Notifications and check that Do not disturb is disabled. If you’re using Windows 10, open Focus assist and make sure it is not set to Alarms only.Once those settings are cleared, Mashable notifications should be free to make their grand entrance.Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily?  Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter today.Barbara Pavone contributed to this article. 

                    
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#sign #Mashable #push #notifications">How to sign up for Mashable push notifications

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