Latest news with #Harnish
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Is the US finally on track to build a high-speed rail network?
The US is a country of 340 million people, 71 interstate highways, more than 5,000 public airports, and currently no high-speed railways. Yet with two high-speed rail (HSR) projects now under construction, and others planned, is the US finally on track to start catching up with the fast trains seen in China, Japan and Europe? Rick Harnish, of US campaign group High Speed Rail Alliance, says it is at least good to see the first two schemes being built. "The first is the San Francisco to Los Angeles route," he explains. "That's an incredibly challenging route to build because of the mountains in California. "Then there's Las Vegas to Los Angeles, a relatively easy project to build, as it is flat land." In addition, there are plans for a HSR line from Portland in Oregon to Seattle in Washington State, and onto Vancouver in Canada. And another between Dallas and Houston. Yet Mr Harnish warns that planning efforts for the former are "moving slowly", while the Texas line is now more doubtful after President Trump's government cancelled a $63.9m (£48m) grant. By marked contrast, the total length of China's HSR network will reportedly exceed 50,000 km (31,000 miles) this year. Meanwhile, the European Union has 8,556 km of HSR lines, led by Spain's 3,190 km. In the UK, the only current HSR line is High Speed 1, the 68 miles link between the Channel Tunnel and London St Pancreas. But High Speed 2 continues to be constructed from London Euston to Birmingham, despite well-publicised funding issues. While there is no universally agreed definition on what constitutes HSR, global railways trade group International Union of Railways says that trains generally need to be moving at more than 250 km/h (155 mph). So why does US lag behind Europe and especially China? "We're a very car-addicted nation," says American rail industry journalist and author Will Doig. "There's lots of people who just don't think we need it, or don't really want it coming through their area. "And the US government has really shown a willingness to shut down investment in a lot of projects, especially rail." Further complicating the situation in the US is that the boss of the government-owned passenger train service Amtrak, Stephen Gardner, resigned last month. It was widely reported that he stood down after pressure from the White House. Amtrak currently does not operate any HSR trains. Later this year it is due to enter 28 new 160mph NextGen Acela trains into service on its Northeast Corridor route between Boston and Washington DC. However, only around 50 miles of the 457-mile line can presently allow trains to travel at more than 150mph. Amtrak is not involved in the high-speed lines being built in California and Nevada. The LA to San Francisco project, called California High-Speed Rail, is being led by the state of California, and due to be completed by 2033. The line from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Brightline West, is a privately-run project. It is expected to open in 2028. Globally, there are 23 nations with HSR, according to Mr Harnish. His non-profit organisation has the sole mission of bringing it to the US. Allowing HSR trains to run safely is far from straightforward, he adds. "You can't have any crossings with highways, it needs to be very straight and a sealed corridor." In China the country is still building more and more HSR lines, with the total distance expected to reach around 60,000km by 2030. Chinese cities that get HSR links see their economies increase by 14.2%, according to data from Denmark-based think tank 21st Europe. Chinese firms are also helping to build HSR systems in other Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Will Doig, who wrote a book called High-Speed Empire, Chinese Expansion, and the Future of Southeast Asia, says that China is not just interested in helping its neighbours improve their rail networks. "It is a way of China spreading its influence across a region that it felt was geopolitically strategic," he says. "In some of these cases, countries have taken out loans from China so that China can then build the railways." He warns that this may put them "in a position where they're beholden to China". Europe's growing HSR network is testament to the continent's history of investing in its public infrastructure, says Kaave Pour from 21st Europe. His think tank is now calling for further expansion of HSR, so that it connects most capitals and main cities in the EU, and those in the UK. Mr Pour says that if the US wants to develop HSR it needs to start with a cultural shift, a move towards more public transport, and asking itself "what type of future does it want?". Mr Harnish from the High Speed Rail Alliance says that in order for HSR to work in the US, "the federal government is an essential component". Yet as already flagged, the White House has pulled the plug on giving the planned high-speed line between Houston and Dallas a federal grant. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy described the project as a "waste of taxpayers' money". Scott Sherin is an executive at French train manufacturer Alstom. His firm is suppling Amtrak's new high-speed trains, but he questions whether the US has the political will "to spend the public purse on rail versus other modes of transportation". He also notes that any future HSR lines would struggle to get into city centres such as Dallas and Houston, because there are too many buildings. "The issue is that the cities are so densely built [in their centres]". Will Doig says that going forward he would love to see China helping to build more HSR in the US, but that he is not holding his breath. "It's politically very difficult," he says. "Which is too bad because without the animosity between the US and China, you could see how a partnership between them could really create great things for America, that America is not so good at building itself."
CBC
26-02-2025
- General
- CBC
P.E.I. man refuses to pay his power bill until Maritime Electric can explain why it's so high
Social Sharing Many P.E.I. residents have taken to social media in recent weeks to raise questions about what they consider inexplicably high power bills from Maritime Electric. Brackley resident Kirk Harnish has been facing the threat of Maritime Electric turning his power off because he hasn't paid his bill for the past two months. He's convinced it's not accurate. "The last little while, they're getting just a little bit beyond. You can't manage with electric bills like this," he said. "My bills were probably maximum around $300 a year ago and now they're $400, $600 and more." Harnish said his power-using habits have stayed exactly the same over the past year, and he heats his home entirely with wood. Yet his bills for December and January were $200 to $300 more than he expected — and nearly double what they were during those months one year ago. Harnish called Maritime Electric to question whether there's a problem with the meter that records his electricity usage, but he hasn't gotten any answers. "All I want is some satisfaction to see what's going on here, why my light bill is so high," he said. "I don't mind paying the bill if you know it's true, or you can get some satisfaction if you know something is going wrong." Dozens of other Islanders have raised similar concerns on social media this winter, as well as through emails to CBC News. Meanwhile, people in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are also complaining about their high power bills. The New Brunswick government has actually asked NB Power to conduct an independent audit after widespread complaints from customers. 'How can people afford this?' Donna Glass lives in Morell, but moves to British Columbia during the winter months. Each winter, she turns her electric heat way down in her P.E.I. home while she is gone. This year, Glass said, she unplugged even more appliances than in years past. Many Islanders questioning why this winter's power is costing hundreds of dollars more each month 2 hours ago Duration 2:31 Many Maritime Electric customers on Prince Edward Island have taken to social media to complain about electricity bills coming in hundreds of dollars higher than they did for the same winter month a year ago. The CBC's Steve Bruce looked into the matter for them. Even so, her Maritime Electric bill jumped from about $400 last January to $550 this January. "I have less things plugged in, and I know it's been a little bit colder in P.E.I. for the month of January, but I'm still just in shock that it's $552," Glass said. "If you're paying a mortgage and other bills, how can people afford this?" The Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission, which approves the prices Maritime Electric charges to customers, said power rates have increased 2.5 per cent between December 2023 and now. Glass said that still doesn't explain why the electricity usage shown on her bill jumped 60 per cent. She wants to have an energy audit conducted on her Morell home, adding that she is thinking about selling the house if her bill continues to go up. "I'm over 65 so I'm thinking of downsizing anyway. But I thought I might just sell my home and let somebody else deal with this problem," Glass said. "I'm thinking, if it's this high in an empty home, what would the bill be if I was home?" A colder winter? Maritime Electric didn't make anyone available for an interview with CBC News, but a spokesperson said in an email that the utility's not getting any more calls than usual about strangely high bills and usage. The utility suggested the issue may just be that this winter has been colder than the last one. December 2024 was indeed about three degrees colder overall, while January was one degree colder. Rob Hoadley, a mechanical engineer and heating specialist in Fredericton, N.B., said those seemingly small temperature changes could have a big effect on someone's bill, even if they're using more energy-efficient sources like heat pumps. "It makes a difference, especially when we get those very cold, –20, –25 nights. If in a given month we have more and more and more of those nights, you're really going to notice that on your bill," Hoadley said. "Heat pumps love temperatures above –20. They function fantastically. But there will come a point where your heat pump can't produce heat effectively anymore." The coldest part of the year doesn't really make a difference to me because I'm heating with wood. — Kirk Harnish Harnish isn't satisfied with the colder-weather explanation for his big bills, given he doesn't heat with electricity. "That's the excuse that I get from Maritime Electric. They always say, 'Well, we're living in the coldest part of the year,'" he said. "The coldest part of the year doesn't really make a difference to me because I'm heating with wood and my lifestyle's not really changing in the house." After his interview with CBC News, Harnish said Maritime Electric did show up at his house and installed a second meter to compare its readings with his existing one. He's now waiting now on the results. The utility has not disconnected Harnish's power at this point. Islanders who have questions about their bill are encouraged to reach out to Maritime Electric. If you're still not satisfied, you can file a complaint with the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission.
