“AI is also now being used to protect the physical infrastructure that carries electricity to our homes.
One company, Buzz Solutions, uses AI to scan through imagery of electricity cables, pylons and substations, identifying signs of damage such as broken parts or rust.
The system also identifies when trees and other greenery are growing too close to power lines.
Not only can this prevent power outages from damaged lines, but it can also reduce the risk of wildfires.”
From BBC.
“Beta Technologies’ Alia CX300 on Tuesday [6/3/25] become the first all-electric aircraft to land at a New York City airport. In partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, one of Beta’s prototypes landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport (KJFK) after a passenger-carrying demonstration flight with a pilot and four passengers, including Blade Air Mobility CEO Rob Wiesenthal and Republic Airways president Matt Koscal.
According to Beta, the energy cost for the 45-minute flight was just $7 compared with what it estimated as $160 in fuel costs for a helicopter making the same trip.”
From AIN.
“The U.S. military has set a new record for wireless power transmission, beaming a laser carrying more than 800 watts of power across a distance of 5.3 miles (8.6 kilometers).
The test, performed by the U.S. military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as part of its Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) program, is a key step toward unlocking the near-instant beaming of power.
It also smashes previous records set by the POWER program, which previously beamed 230 watts across 1 mile (1.7 km) for 25 seconds, and a smaller, undisclosed amount of power as far as 2.3 miles (3.7 km).”
From Live Science.
“A five-minute charge for an EV, virtually as quick as a gasoline fill-up, has long seemed a quixotic dream.
Now electric Don Quixotes can save critical time on their quests, at least in China. BYD’s ‘megawatt charging’ is here. And the company’s 1,000-kilowatt fast chargers could eliminate perhaps the biggest consumer gripe over EVs: That they take too long to charge.
BYD, the automaker that has passed Tesla in global EV sales, demonstrated its record-setting tech in Beijing during the recent Shanghai auto show. The numbers are staggering: More than a kilometer of added driving range per second on the plug. It supplies 400 kilometers of fresh range (nearly 250 miles) in five minutes. Even by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s more-realistic estimates, that equates to about 270 kilometers (168 miles) of range in five minutes.”
From IEEE Spectrum.
“Meta has cut a 20-year deal to secure nuclear power to help meet surging demand for artificial intelligence and other computing needs at Facebook’s parent company.
The investment with Meta will also expand the output of a Constellation Energy Illinois nuclear plant.
The agreement announced Tuesday is just the latest in a string of tech-nuclear partnerships as the use of AI expands. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center was actually slated to close in 2017 after years of financial losses but was saved by legislation in Illinois establishing a zero-emission credit program to support the plant into 2027. The agreement deal takes effect in June of 2027, when the state’s taxpayer funded zero-emission credit program expires.
With the arrival of Meta, Clinton’s clean energy output will expand by 30 megawatts, preserve 1,100 local jobs and bring in $13.5 million in annual tax revenue, according to the companies. The plant currently powers the equivalent of about 800,000 U.S. homes.”
From ABC News.
