Spain Regulator to Get More Powers to Oversee Electricity System
Regulator CNMC will issue a report on compliance with the 'control obligations' after unprecedented peaks in voltage led to the blackout, the government said on Tuesday following a cabinet meeting. The report will be reviewed every three months.
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Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
New group plans US economic blackout, working strike protesting Trump. See when, what to know
A new group is calling for a national economic blackout this fall. There have been multiple large-scale spending freezes since February, and many major brands and retailers have been the focus of 7-day or month-long boycotts. Some have lasted longer. Blackout the System is the new group calling for a five-day economic and labor blackout. The spending freeze is one element and covers shopping, travel, eating at restaurants and attending events. They're also asking people to call out of work. But if they can't, they're suggesting other ways to be disruptive in the workplace. According to a map on the Blackout the System website, people in 617 U.S. cities have committed to the protest, in addition to several in Mississippi. Leading up to the event, organizers have started an online petition they plan to send to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The initial plan was to get a million signatures in 30 days. It has about 6,700 signatures as of Aug. 20, and the page has been active at least a month. (Donations are not accepted, and any that are made will reportedly go to Demands for this large-scale protest are very broad, including the "immediate removal" of the Trump administration and the release of the Epstein files in addition to greater accountability from elected officials and law enforcement. While many economic protests in 2025 have been tied to getting companies to resume diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, this movement is focused on the federal government. Do the boycotts work? It's complicated. Some retail chains have seen a spending dip. Target just announced the replacement of their CEO after months of ongoing boycotts and decreased sales. Social media trends can also affect social perception of the brands in ways that aren't easy to measure. A Lending Tree survey of 2,000 people published earlier this summer showed that of 31% had boycotted a business, and about 23% had supported one because it was being boycotted. Here's what you need to know about the upcoming five-day economic blackout, what organizers hope to accomplish. When is the 5-day economic blackout? The 5-day economic and labor blackout will start Sept. 16 and end Sept. 20. If people can only participate one day, organizers ask that it be on Sept. 17, Constitution Day. Until the blackout, the group is asking people to stop spending on Fridays and cancel any "unnecessary subscriptions." They also say they're removing funds from major banks and supporting community-level options. Organizers also suggest "W-4 forms to temporarily claim tax exemption — withholding funds from the federal government." Even if the funds aren't taken out of your paycheck, that won't keep you from owing the money when it's time to file with the Internal Revenue Service unless it's determined that you are eligible for the exemption. What are the demands? Blackout the System has a wide range of demands. Many focus on actions that U.S. Congress or the federal government would have to take, but some are broader social concepts. In addition to removing the Trump administration and releasing the Epstein files, the group wants to see living wages for all workers across the nation and "restored and expanded programs for the elderly, veterans, youth, and families in need. Due process in the court system for everyone on U.S. soil and "full accountability for police, elected officials and public servants" are other goals. The group argues that fair tax policies should make corporations pay a fair share without undue burdens on citizens or small business, and they want "criminal penalties for corporate price gouging and economic abuse." When is Labor Day 2025? What to know about mail, stores on federal holiday in Mississippi What's a work strike? Generally, organizers are asking people not to go in to work. If that's not an option, Blackout the System suggests: Only do what's in your job description. Slow down productivity. Go to work but don't complete duties. Why are there so many economic blackouts in 2025? Several groups have organized different nationwide protests since February. Some focus on larger, longer protests that target a single brand at a time. Many, but not all, of the large-scale boycotts are efforts to pressure companies into bringing back DEI initiatives. In January, Trump announced the rollback of federal DEI programs. He's said he wants the country's culture as a whole to shift away from "woke" mindsets and his administration, as promised, to cut federal funds from schools and universities that don't also scrap DEI. Some major brands cut equity and inclusion efforts late last year, and others made the move in 2025. The major boycotts started with a nationwide 24-hour economic blackout of major corporations on Feb. 28. A 40-day spending fast at Target ended April 17. Economic Blackout 2.0 lasted three days in April, and another total freeze was on July Fourth. Smaller spending freezes focusing on Target, Walmart, Nestlé and General Mills are complete. More: Voters split on Trump's DC police takeover, National Guard deployment, new poll What to know about boycotts happening now, next month The People's Union USA is leading national boycotts of Walmart, Lowes and McDonald's all August. In September, the group is asking people to boycott Amazon, Uber and Pepsi Co. The People's Union says ensuring companies serve communities with equal opportunity hiring policies and DEI is a major goal. The group also wants to end national income taxes and for the government to establish a profit cap for corporations. An ongoing boycott of Target started with a 40-day spending fast around Lent and has been extended until further notice by Jamal-Harrison Bryant, senior pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia. The Target boycott, primarily, has been to get the company to reinstate DEI iniatives. Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: New 5-day economic blackout, working strike to protest Trump. What to know Solve the daily Crossword
E&E News
10 hours ago
- E&E News
Western utilities to merge amid data center boom
Two Western utilities announced a merger Tuesday that they said would help meet skyrocketing electricity demand. Black Hills and NorthWestern Energy Group will merge to create a $7.8 billion regulated electric and natural gas utility serving parts of eight states. The combined company — which isn't yet named — will serve 2.1 million customers spanning from Arkansas to Montana across the Great Plains. That's an area that's expected to see growth in data center construction and other large loads as tech companies and manufacturers seek out low-cost power and available land and resources. Advertisement NorthWestern Energy, for example, announced a deal last month with developer Quantica Infrastructure to build a data center that will require 1,000 megawatts of energy — or nearly all of the 1,065 MW of nameplate generation the utility owns in Montana. Black Hills, meanwhile, is powering an $800 million Meta data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Bloomberg
15 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Iraq Orders Floating Power Plants to Ease Electricity Crisis
Iraq ordered two floating power plants from Turkey's Karpowership to help alleviate a growing electricity crisis. Karpowership unit BKPS signed a contract with Iraq's Ministry of Electricity to supply as much as 590 megawatts of power from two vessels to be moored in the southern port of Basra, according to an emailed statement from the Turkish company.
