Latest news with #MarkJacobson
Mint
31-07-2025
- Automotive
- Mint
California has got really good at building giant batteries
A renewable energy corridor is rising in eastern Kern County, California—where the Mojave Desert meets the Sierra Nevada mountains. Among the wind turbines, solar panels and Joshua Trees are giant batteries that look like shipping containers. Tesla workers tinker with the ones at the Eland solar and storage project, developed by Arevon Energy. They wear sun hats and boots and warn your correspondent to watch out for rattlesnakes. The amount of battery power in California rose from 500 megawatts (MW) in 2018 to nearly 16,000 in 2025. Nearly a quarter of America's battery capacity is in California alone, according to BloombergNEF, a research firm. Texas is not far behind. The battery boom tells a story of solar power's supremacy. In the middle of the day, when the sun is strongest, as much as three-quarters of the state's electricity can come from solar. Batteries charge in the afternoon when solar power is cheap, and release energy in the evenings when Californians get home and crank up their air conditioners. At their daily peak, around 8pm, batteries can provide as much as 30% of the state's electricity. California and Texas supercharged their battery power in ways that exemplify the states' different approaches to energy markets. As per usual, the Golden State relied on regulation. In 2013 the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) ordered the state's three big investor-owned utilities to procure 1,325 MW of energy storage by 2020 to help meet renewable targets and stabilise the grid. That goal was easily met. 'Our system is much better positioned now, particularly to deal with extreme weather events", says Elliot Mainzer, chief executive of the California Independent System Operator, which manages electricity across the state's grid. In Texas, developers spied an opportunity for energy arbitrage. Operators could profit by buying cheap solar power and selling it at a higher cost later in the day. In 2024 Texas surpassed California to become the fastest-growing storage market. The sun doesn't always shine and the wind doesn't always blow. Batteries help plug the gap. Mark Jacobson, an engineering professor at Stanford University, found that most days this year contained periods when solar, hydropower and wind, helped by batteries, met 100% of California's demand—even though just 54% of the state's electricity generation comes from renewables. Because most lithium-ion batteries are designed to provide four hours of power, they do not yet replace baseload generation from gas, nuclear or geothermal. The battery bonanza may slow down. Donald Trump's tariffs on China, where the battery supply chain is concentrated, and the gutting of the Inflation Reduction Act's clean-energy tax credits would be a double whammy. These changes will hurt renewables' ability to meet demand as power-hungry data centres come online, argues Kevin Smith, the boss of Arevon. Additionally, a recent fire at a battery facility in Moss Landing, on California's coast, has spooked communities. One Monterey County supervisor called it 'a Three Mile Island event". Such incidents are relatively rare, but the CPUC has set new safety standards to try to assuage fears. After a few heady years, the battery industry may soon need a jolt. Stay on top of American politics with The US in brief, our daily newsletter with fast analysis of the most important political news, and Checks and Balance, a weekly note from our Lexington columnist that examines the state of American democracy and the issues that matter to voters.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Take a look at the most expensive Central Jersey homes sold in June
After a long five years that feels more like a lifetime to prospective home buyers, Central Jersey real estate prices are finally coming back to earth. Prices are less jaw-dropping, listings don't sell the same day they hit the market, and a line of interested home buyers don't trail out the door of open houses. However, these Central Jersey home sales are still stunners, fetching multi-million dollar price tags in record time. Here are the highest Central Jersey home sales in June. The new owners of 72 Wisteria Way in Basking Ridge, which sold for $3.4 million on June 30 with Megan Bonanno of Kienlen Lattmann Sotheby's International Realty, never have to leave their new abode. This 9,000-square-foot mansion has ever amenity imaginable, including a theater, gym, bar, game room, saltwater pool, spa, outdoor kitchen, cabana, and two garages with lifts. However, the classic country estate on 3 acres also has plenty of cozy touches, like oak floors, intricate woodworking, and plenty of fireplaces. The six-bedroom, nine-bathroom home sold $100,000 under-ask after being on the market for less than 60 days. It's the highest home sale in Basking Ridge — an area with no shortage of high-dollar mansions — on the MLS in a year. History and bucolic charm are one of the same at Kleinhan's Farm in Kingwood, helping it fetch $2.5 million when it sold on June 16 thanks to listing agent Mark Jacobson with Corcoran Sawyer Smith. The 150-acre estate at 275 Locktown Road, set back far from the road for privacy, features a circa-1790 three-bedroom and three-bathroom stone Colonial with a stone fireplace, beamed ceilings, exposed stone walls and deep-set windows. It overlooks a stream-fed pond. Also on the property is a two-bedroom stone guest cottage, two-story studio loft apartment, in-ground pool, sheep barn, three 10-stall horse barns, hay fields and fenced pastures. Plus, the homestead includes so many solar panels that the new owner never has to expect an electric bill. The farm was first listed for sale last spring before undergoing $300,000 in price reductions. However, it fetched its original price due to an over-ask offer since a 36-acre property and two horse barns were added to the sale. 8 Preakness Drive in Monroe, located in one of the town's most coveted neighborhoods, has a wow-factor in every one of its 4,800 square feet. The five-bedroom, 4.5-bathoom mansion sold for $1.95 million on June 5 — $100,000 over-ask in less than three months — with listing agent Ronnie Glomb of Your Town Realty. Inside this mansion is a two-story foyer with a double-curved staircase, two-story family room with a coffered ceiling and built-in entertainment center, and solarium with a dozen oversized windows. Plus, its finished basement has a theater, wet bar, gym and sauna. More: These are the 10 smartest cities in New Jersey, according to a new study In just four years, a Summit colonial skyrocketed up $1.37 million, selling for $5,525,000 on June 26 after a renovation and being listed with Jill Bray with Prominent Properties. With modern yet cozy sensibilities, the mansion at 73 Edgewood Road includes herringbone floors, and 9-foot coffered ceilings. The seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom home also offers an eat-in kitchen with quartz countertops, a master suite with its own dressing room, radiant heating flooring in the bathrooms, a nanny's suite and recreation room. It's all just a little more than a half-mile to the Summit train station, with New York City skyline views. More: This Central Jersey street is one of the best in America for a stroll, survey says Contact: JIntersimone@ Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, although she's a lifetime Jersey girl who considers herself an expert in everything from the Jersey Shore to the Garden State's buzzing downtowns. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone. This article originally appeared on NJ real estate: Central Jersey most expensive homes sold in June
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
PUSHERMAN- - Best Feature Documentary Official Winner at NYC and London Festivals
Begins Streaming on Tubi and Available on DVD and Blu Ray exclusively from MVD Entertainment, Tuesday, June 24, 2025 NEW YORK, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- You've seen the myth in American Gangster. You've watched the dramatization in Godfather of Harlem. But the truth? You've never seen it told like this. Premiering June 24 on Tubi. "PUSHERMAN: The Real Story of Frank Lucas' Rise & Fall" rips through the Hollywood gloss to expose the raw truth behind one of the most notorious—and misunderstood—drug lords in American history. Directed by Legs McNeil, punk historian and co-author of the bestseller "Please Kill Me" (over 2 million copies sold) and narrated by journalist Mark Jacobson (whose New York Magazine article inspired the blockbuster film "American Gangster"), PUSHERMAN blends never-before-heard interviews, rare recordings of Lucas himself, and first-person accounts that finally set the record straight. More than a documentary, PUSHERMAN is a cultural gut-check—interrogating how America turns criminals into folk heroes while ignoring the damage left behind. PUSHERMAN is more than a documentary. It's a correction — one that questions the role of media, mythmaking, and how America glorifies certain narratives while hiding others. Best Documentary – New York Movie Awards, Best Documentary – London Movie Awards and Official Selection – Florence Film Awards WATCH THE TRAILER AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY & DVD BEGINS STREAMING ON TUBI JUNE 24, 2025 Contact: Leyla@ for further media inquiries, screeners or interviews. Media Contact:Catalyst GroupLeyla Turkkanleyla@ Photos: Press release distributed by PRLog View original content: SOURCE Catalyst Group Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
PUSHERMAN- - Best Feature Documentary Official Winner at NYC and London Festivals
Begins Streaming on Tubi and Available on DVD and Blu Ray exclusively from MVD Entertainment, Tuesday, June 24, 2025 NEW YORK, June 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- You've seen the myth in American Gangster. You've watched the dramatization in Godfather of Harlem. But the truth? You've never seen it told like this. Premiering June 24 on Tubi. "PUSHERMAN: The Real Story of Frank Lucas' Rise & Fall" rips through the Hollywood gloss to expose the raw truth behind one of the most notorious—and misunderstood—drug lords in American history. Directed by Legs McNeil, punk historian and co-author of the bestseller "Please Kill Me" (over 2 million copies sold) and narrated by journalist Mark Jacobson (whose New York Magazine article inspired the blockbuster film "American Gangster"), PUSHERMAN blends never-before-heard interviews, rare recordings of Lucas himself, and first-person accounts that finally set the record straight. More than a documentary, PUSHERMAN is a cultural gut-check—interrogating how America turns criminals into folk heroes while ignoring the damage left behind. PUSHERMAN is more than a documentary. It's a correction — one that questions the role of media, mythmaking, and how America glorifies certain narratives while hiding others. Best Documentary – New York Movie Awards, Best Documentary – London Movie Awards and Official Selection – Florence Film Awards WATCH THE TRAILER AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY & DVD BEGINS STREAMING ON TUBI JUNE 24, 2025 Contact: Leyla@ for further media inquiries, screeners or interviews. Media Contact:Catalyst GroupLeyla Turkkanleyla@ Photos: Press release distributed by PRLog View original content: SOURCE Catalyst Group
