Galeanu Mihai/iStock via Getty Images In each of the last two years, I have warned about volatility and given the reasons for it. Last year I wrote, Expect A Roller Coaster Stock Market In 2025, is what happened: rallies sandwiching a correction. This year I opened with 2026 Debt Walls And A Likely Bear Market In Stocks , which I think still seems a likely outcome. I followed that coverage by agai...
Galeanu Mihai/iStock via Getty Images In each of the last two years, I have warned about volatility and given the reasons for it. Last year I wrote, Expect A Roller Coaster Stock Market In 2025, is what happened: rallies sandwiching a correction. This year I opened with 2026 Debt Walls And A Likely Bear Market In Stocks , which I think still seems a likely outcome. I followed that coverage by again discussing the relationship between liquidity and market returns in Liquidity Speaks, Sentiment Listens . The Iran conflict now threatens to undermine market liquidity in an even more accelerated way as oil prices rise and global markets see cash flow out of risk assets. That was further complicated by a much-worse-than-expected employment report several days later. As liquidity flows away from risk assets, the odds of a sharp sell-off in stocks increase. These factors lead me to believe that not only is there a correction coming soon, but it will be a full-blown bear market. Peaking Liquidity is Negative for Risk Assets As I have covered most recently in Liquidity Speaks, Sentiment Listens, global M2 liquidity is directly correlated to risk asset returns. The quick takeaway is M2 up leads to risk assets up, and vice versa. It appears to me that global M2 liquidity has peaked and is likely to fall soon without some sort of central bank intervention or yet more deficit-driven fiscal stimulus. Both could happen, but in the short run, it appears unlikely to me. Global M2 & Major Central Banks (MacroMicro) That chart shows record global M2 money supply but also a weakening trend at fixed exchange rates. In other words, despite non-U.S. banks easing in the past year, the value of that money, adjusted for the falling dollar despite the Federal Reserve being tighter, has had a reduced recent impact on money supply - notice the green line and top of the money supply bars both flattening out. U.S. Total Market Cap / M2 (MacroMicro) As you can see above, valuations divided by recor...
Nio (NYSE:NIO) , China-based designer and seller of electric vehicles, closed Tuesday at $5.7, up 15.38%. The stock moved higher after earnings showed Nio’s first-ever quarterly net profit and a strong beat on fiscal Q4 2025 (period ended Dec. 31, 2025) revenue and EPS. Investors will now be watching whether record deliveries can sustain improved margins. Trading volume reached 145.1 million share...
Nio (NYSE:NIO) , China-based designer and seller of electric vehicles, closed Tuesday at $5.7, up 15.38%. The stock moved higher after earnings showed Nio’s first-ever quarterly net profit and a strong beat on fiscal Q4 2025 (period ended Dec. 31, 2025) revenue and EPS. Investors will now be watching whether record deliveries can sustain improved margins. Trading volume reached 145.1 million shares, coming in about 233% above its three-month average of 43.6 million shares. Nio IPO'd in 2018 and has fallen 14% since going public. S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) slipped 0.22% to 6,781, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) was roughly flat, adding 0.01% to finish at 22,697. In electric vehicle manufacturing, industry peers Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) closed at $399.24 (+0.14%) and BYDDY (OTC:BYDDY) ended at $12.28 (-1.84%), highlighting Nio’s outsized move. Nio reported its first quarterly net profit about a month after teasing investors that it would have a positive adjusted operating profit in Q4. The EV maker beat that forecast, but the company surprised investors again by reporting a small, unadjusted net profit, too. Continue reading
If you choose to get an extra controller for your Nintendo Switch 2, you can spend a lot — and get a lot in return. Buying Nintendo’s own $89 Switch 2 Pro Controller , for instance, will net you the console’s only wireless controller with a 3.5mm headphone jack for private listening, not to mention great-feeling rumble and a slick design. It’s not perfect, but it’s otherwise the total package in t...
If you choose to get an extra controller for your Nintendo Switch 2, you can spend a lot — and get a lot in return. Buying Nintendo’s own $89 Switch 2 Pro Controller , for instance, will net you the console’s only wireless controller with a 3.5mm headphone jack for private listening, not to mention great-feeling rumble and a slick design. It’s not perfect, but it’s otherwise the total package in terms of features. But it’d be a disservice to you to call it a day there. There are several third-party models that are cheaper, yet don’t make too many compromises in terms of features. In fact, there’s now an affordable option that replicates the Switch 2 Pro’s OS-level rear button customization on a per-game basis, which was previously exclusive to Nintendo’s first-party gamepad. I’ve spent time testing a handful of these gamepads, including new ones as they release, and there’s a small batch of models that I think will satisfy most people, with a range of styles, prices, and features. Every controller I’ve included in this guide is compatible with both the Switch 2 and the original Switch (all of them can remotely wake the Switch 2), as well as PC. Each offering also includes better, longer-lasting joystick technology than you’ll get with Nintendo’s flagship controller; the Switch 2 Pro Controller’s potentiometer-based joysticks are prone to degradation over time, after all, but our picks include either Hall effect or TMR joysticks. I’ve highlighted any controller-specific perks in the blurbs below. The best Switch 2 controller for most people EasySMX S10 Score: 8 Pros Cons TMR joysticks amiibo support Great rumble Clicky buttons are divisive Where to Buy: $59.99 $47.99 at Amazon (black) $59.99 at EasySMX $59.99 $45.59 at Amazon (white/blue) Supported platforms: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC, Steam Deck, mobile / Connectivity: Bluetooth, wired / Connector type: USB-C / Mappable rear buttons: Yes, two / App customization: No / Rumble: Yes, HD / NFC: Yes / Motion...
(RTTNews) - Cadre Holdings, Inc. (CDRE) reported earnings for fourth quarter that Dropped, from last year The company's bottom line totaled $11.73 million, or $0.27 per share. This compares with $12.98 million, or $0.32 per share, last year. The company's revenue for the period fell 5.0% to $167.22 million from $175.98 million last year. Cadre Holdings, Inc. earnings at a glance (GAAP) : -Earnings...
(RTTNews) - Cadre Holdings, Inc. (CDRE) reported earnings for fourth quarter that Dropped, from last year The company's bottom line totaled $11.73 million, or $0.27 per share. This compares with $12.98 million, or $0.32 per share, last year. The company's revenue for the period fell 5.0% to $167.22 million from $175.98 million last year. Cadre Holdings, Inc. earnings at a glance (GAAP) : -Earnings: $11.73 Mln. vs. $12.98 Mln. last year. -EPS: $0.27 vs. $0.32 last year. -Revenue: $167.22 Mln vs. $175.98 Mln last year. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Infinity Natural Resources press release ( INR ): Q4 GAAP EPS of $1.32 beats by $0.61 . Revenue of $117.1M (+69.5% Y/Y) beats by $7.81M . Delivered 93% growth in total net daily production to 271.6 MMcfe/d, or 45.3 MBoe/d, in the fourth quarter 2025 compared to the fourth quarter 2024. Reported net income of $80.4 million Financial Outlook 2026 Development capital budget of $450 million to $500 mi...
Infinity Natural Resources press release ( INR ): Q4 GAAP EPS of $1.32 beats by $0.61 . Revenue of $117.1M (+69.5% Y/Y) beats by $7.81M . Delivered 93% growth in total net daily production to 271.6 MMcfe/d, or 45.3 MBoe/d, in the fourth quarter 2025 compared to the fourth quarter 2024. Reported net income of $80.4 million Financial Outlook 2026 Development capital budget of $450 million to $500 million, including D&C and midstream Total net daily production is expected to be between 345 and 375 MMcfe/d, representing year-over-year growth of approximately 70% at the midpoint of the range. Total natural gas net production is expected to be between 235 and 255 MMcfe/d. Total oil and liquids net production is expected to be between 18 and 20 Mbbls/d. Anticipate running 2 rigs throughout the year, with 1 rig dedicated to the assets acquired in the Antero Acquisition beginning early in the second quarter. Expect to turn into sales 31 gross wells, with 8 wells in the dry gas Pennsylvania Marcellus, 10 wells in the rich gas area of the Ohio Utica (on the assets acquired in the Antero Acquisition) and 13 wells in the volatile oil window of the Ohio Utica More on Infinity Natural Resources Infinity Natural, Northern Oil adjust ownership split of pending joint Utica acquisition Infinity Natural Resources to buy Pennsylvania gas asset in $36M deal Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Infinity Natural Resources Historical earnings data for Infinity Natural Resources Financial information for Infinity Natural Resources
RHJ/iStock via Getty Images Lifezone Metals ( LZM ) said post-market Tuesday it signed an exclusivity agreement with Burundi's government over the Musongati nickel laterite project, located in Burundi and part of the larger East African Nickel Belt, which also includes the company's Kabanga nickel project. The Musongati Nickel Project is Burundi's most important nickel deposit and sits within the ...
RHJ/iStock via Getty Images Lifezone Metals ( LZM ) said post-market Tuesday it signed an exclusivity agreement with Burundi's government over the Musongati nickel laterite project, located in Burundi and part of the larger East African Nickel Belt, which also includes the company's Kabanga nickel project. The Musongati Nickel Project is Burundi's most important nickel deposit and sits within the world-class NE-SW-trending line of mafic-ultramafic intrusions known as the Kabanga-Musongati Alignment of the East African Nickel Belt, the company said. Lifezone ( LZM ) said the 14-month exclusivity agreement allows it to commit its expertise and resources to assess the Musongati nickel laterite project within this initial exclusivity phase, as the company heads to a final investment decision on its key Kabanga nickel project in neighboring Tanzania. A 2011 study defined a resource of more than 140M tons, making Musongati a major, large-tonnage, open-pittable resource. More on Lifezone Metals Lifezone Metals Presents at Mining Indaba 2026 - Slideshow Lifezone Metals Presents at Sidoti Year End Virtual Investor Conference - Slideshow Seeking Alpha's Quant Rating on Lifezone Metals
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Meituan (MPNGY) may be entering a delicate phase in its global expansion as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East intersect with rising competitive pressure in its core Chinese market. The company, China's largest food-delivery operator, has already been dealing with losses tied to an intense domestic price war involving major e-commerce rivals such as ...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Meituan (MPNGY) may be entering a delicate phase in its global expansion as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East intersect with rising competitive pressure in its core Chinese market. The company, China's largest food-delivery operator, has already been dealing with losses tied to an intense domestic price war involving major e-commerce rivals such as Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com. Those pressures have limited earnings across the sector, while setbacks in Brazil have narrowed the options Meituan might rely on to offset expected weakness in its core business. International expansion has increasingly revolved around Keeta, Meituan's overseas food-delivery brand. The platform debuted in Hong Kong in May 2023 using aggressive discounts and free delivery to attract users, eventually becoming the city's largest food-delivery service by order volume and pushing out Deliveroo. Building on that momentum, the company moved into Gulf markets beginning in September 2024 and expanded further during 2025. Keeta has already become the second-largest operator in Saudi Arabia's roughly $10 billion food-delivery market behind a unit of Delivery Hero, while the broader Gulf region now accounts for more than two-thirds of Meituan's overseas gross merchandise value, according to Bloomberg Intelligence estimates. The company's growing reliance on the region could also expose it to geopolitical risks as tensions involving Iran disrupt parts of the Gulf. Food-delivery services in the United Arab Emirates have warned of delays following the recent U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran and Tehran's retaliation, raising potential operational challenges for delivery platforms in the region. At the same time, Meituan's push into Brazil initially backed by a $1 billion investment agreement and a launch in Sao Paulo has encountered early hurdles after Keeta postponed a planned rollout in Rio de Janeiro and laid off nearly 200 employees there. With competiti...
Rishi Jaluria, managing director of software equity research at RBC Capital Markets, discusses Oracle’s earnings, the company's plans to build a flagship AI data center and the challenges surrounding its financing and profitability. He speaks on "Bloomberg The Close." (Source: Bloomberg)
Rishi Jaluria, managing director of software equity research at RBC Capital Markets, discusses Oracle’s earnings, the company's plans to build a flagship AI data center and the challenges surrounding its financing and profitability. He speaks on "Bloomberg The Close." (Source: Bloomberg)
IDT Corporation press release ( IDT ): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $1.00 beats by $0.10 . Revenue of $320.52M (+1.2% Y/Y) beats by $18.52M . FY 2026 FINANCIAL OUTLOOK IDT is increasing its previous FY 2026 guidance for consolidated Adjusted EBITDA from $141-$145 million to $147-$149 million. At the midpoint, the updated guidance represents an increase of 12% from FY 2025 Adjusted EBITDA of $131.7 million. ...
IDT Corporation press release ( IDT ): Q4 Non-GAAP EPS of $1.00 beats by $0.10 . Revenue of $320.52M (+1.2% Y/Y) beats by $18.52M . FY 2026 FINANCIAL OUTLOOK IDT is increasing its previous FY 2026 guidance for consolidated Adjusted EBITDA from $141-$145 million to $147-$149 million. At the midpoint, the updated guidance represents an increase of 12% from FY 2025 Adjusted EBITDA of $131.7 million. More on IDT Corporation Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on IDT Corporation Historical earnings data for IDT Corporation Dividend scorecard for IDT Corporation Financial information for IDT Corporation
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. China Hongqiao Group (CHHQF) has quietly delivered one of the most striking wealth surges in global metals markets. Since Zhang Bo took control of the aluminum giant in 2019, the company's shares have climbed about 585%, a rise that has helped push the family's fortune to roughly $48 billion and positioned him as Asia's richest metals tycoon. The company s...
This article first appeared on GuruFocus. China Hongqiao Group (CHHQF) has quietly delivered one of the most striking wealth surges in global metals markets. Since Zhang Bo took control of the aluminum giant in 2019, the company's shares have climbed about 585%, a rise that has helped push the family's fortune to roughly $48 billion and positioned him as Asia's richest metals tycoon. The company sits deep inside China's industrial supply chain, providing aluminum to major technology and electric-vehicle manufacturers including Huawei Technologies, Xiaomi (XIACY), and BYD (BYDDF), sectors where demand has increasingly been tied to the expansion of new-energy vehicles, solar installations, and wind power equipment. The backdrop for that rise has been a powerful move in aluminum prices. The metal has climbed more than 25% over the past year and recently touched the highest level in nearly four years, supported by rising demand across clean-energy industries. At the same time, geopolitical tensions have introduced new volatility into the market. Disruptions affecting Middle East smelters, which account for about 9% of global primary aluminum supply, alongside interruptions to shipments moving through the Strait of Hormuz, have tightened supply flows and could potentially open the door for producers such as Hongqiao if global output slows. Hongqiao's positioning in the market has also been shaped by decisions made years earlier to secure raw materials. The company began developing bauxite mines in Guinea around 2014 and expanded its footprint with alumina facilities in Indonesia, steps that analysts say strengthened access to ore at a time when instability in Guinea and export restrictions in Indonesia disrupted global supply. Combined with captive power plants in China and the relocation of part of its aluminum capacity to Yunnan to tap hydropower, the company has emerged as one of the world's lowest-cost producers. Even so, its performance could remain closely tied to ...
The daughter of late wildcatter Autry Stephens is selling about $2 billion of Diamondback Energy Inc. stock received from the sale of the oil mogul’s company. A limited partnership controlled by Lyndal Stephens Greth is selling 11 million Diamondback shares in a secondary offering, the company said in a statement Tuesday. Diamondback, the largest pure-play shale producer in the Permian Basin, acqu...
The daughter of late wildcatter Autry Stephens is selling about $2 billion of Diamondback Energy Inc. stock received from the sale of the oil mogul’s company. A limited partnership controlled by Lyndal Stephens Greth is selling 11 million Diamondback shares in a secondary offering, the company said in a statement Tuesday. Diamondback, the largest pure-play shale producer in the Permian Basin, acquired Stephen’s Endeavor Energy Resources LP for $26 billion in cash and stock in September 2024. Stephens, who died shortly before the transaction closed, founded Endeavor in 1979. Greth owns more than one-third of Diamondback through SGF FANG Holdings. Her net worth is roughly $28 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Diamondback will not receive any proceeds from share sale.
Oracle Jumps On Solid Earnings And Guidance Boost Despite Soaring CapEx And Cash Burn There was much anxiety ahead of Oracle's Q3 earnings release: yes, revenue growth would be solid but would it come at the expense of even more capex, which has sent the stock price tumbling more than 50% since its record high on Sept 10. In the end, it turned out the company had learned from recent mistakes and p...
Oracle Jumps On Solid Earnings And Guidance Boost Despite Soaring CapEx And Cash Burn There was much anxiety ahead of Oracle's Q3 earnings release: yes, revenue growth would be solid but would it come at the expense of even more capex, which has sent the stock price tumbling more than 50% since its record high on Sept 10. In the end, it turned out the company had learned from recent mistakes and projected a goldilocks future: strong revenue and just right capex. Here is what Oracle reports for Q3: Adjusted EPS $1.79 vs. $1.47 y/y, beating estimate $1.70 Adjusted revenue $17.19 billion, +22% y/y, beating estimates of $16.89 billion (Revenue in constant fx +18%, in line with estimate +18.8%) Cloud revenue (IaaS plus SaaS) $8.9 billion, +44% y/y, beating estimate $8.84 billion (in constant currency +41%, estimate +41.7%) Cloud Infrastructure revenue (IaaS) $4.9 billion, +81% y/y, beating estimate $4.74 billion (in constant currency +81%, estimate +82.2%) Cloud Application revenue (SaaS) $4.0 billion, +11% y/y, in line with the estimate $4 billion (in constant currency +11%, estimate +11.6%) Software revenue $6.12 billion, +3.3% y/y, beating estimate $5.97 billion Software Support revenue $4.97 billion, +3.6% y/y, beating estimate $4.89 billion Software License revenue $1.15 billion, +1.9% y/y, beating estimate $1.1 billion Hardware revenue $714 million, +1.6% y/y, missing estimate $724.6 million Service revenue $1.44 billion, +12% y/y, beating estimate $1.36 billion Of note here, sales in the company’s closely watched infrastructure business gained 81% to $4.9 billion in the period ended Feb. 28, the company said Tuesday in a statement. That marked a faster increase than estimate of 79% and compared with a 68% revenue rise in the previous quarter. Going down the line: Adjusted operating income $7.38 billion, +19% y/y, estimate $7.21 billion Adjusted operating margin 43% vs. 44% y/y, estimate 42.7% Remaining performance obligations $553 billion vs. $130 billion y/y And ...
May NY world sugar #11 (SBK26) on Tuesday closed down -0.21 (-1.44%), and May London ICE white sugar #5 (SWK26) closed down -2.10 (-0.50%). Sugar prices fell on Tuesday's -11% plunge in crude oil prices. The sell-off in crude oil prices undercuts ethanol prices, encouraging the world's sugar mills to divert cane crushing away from ethanol production and towards sugar, thereby boosting sugar suppli...
May NY world sugar #11 (SBK26) on Tuesday closed down -0.21 (-1.44%), and May London ICE white sugar #5 (SWK26) closed down -2.10 (-0.50%). Sugar prices fell on Tuesday's -11% plunge in crude oil prices. The sell-off in crude oil prices undercuts ethanol prices, encouraging the world's sugar mills to divert cane crushing away from ethanol production and towards sugar, thereby boosting sugar supplies. Don’t Miss a Day: Crude oil prices plunged on Tuesday, reversing part of the upward spike over the past 1-½ weeks sparked by the Iran war. Oil prices fell after President Trump said the war will be over "very soon" and as G-7 countries are planning the coordinated release of oil stockpiles if needed. On February 12, sugar prices plunged to 5.25-year nearest-futures lows on concern that a global sugar surplus will persist. On February 11, analysts from sugar trader Czarnikow said they expect a global sugar surplus of 3.4 MMT in the 2026/27 crop year, following an 8.3 MMT surplus in 2025/26. Also, Green Pool Commodity Specialists said on January 29 that they expect a 2.74 MMT global sugar surplus for 2025/26 and a 156,000 MT surplus for 2026/27. Meanwhile, StoneX said February 13 that it expects a global sugar surplus of 2.9 MMT in 2025/26. The International Sugar Organization (ISO) on February 27 forecasted a +1.22 MMT (million metric ton) sugar surplus in 2025-26, following a -3.46 MMT deficit in 2024-25. ISO said the surplus is being driven by increased sugar production in India, Thailand, and Pakistan. ISO is forecasting a +3.0% y/y rise in global sugar production to 181.3 million MMT in 2025-26. Signs of lower sugar output in Brazil are supportive of sugar prices, after Unica on February 18 reported that sugar production in Brazil's Center-South in the second half of January fell by -36% y/y to only 5,000 MT. However, cumulative 2025-26 Center-South sugar output through January rose +0.9% y/y to 40.24 MMT. The Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (IS...
AlexSecret/iStock via Getty Images Introduction Hims & Hers Health, Inc. ( HIMS ) has been on a rollercoaster in the past months and weeks. It all started when their earnings continued showing a slowdown of their core business around October 2025. Peak-to-trough, the stock suffered a haircut of more than 80% of its value, driven by uncertainties around the sale of compounded GLP-1s, Hims' weight l...
AlexSecret/iStock via Getty Images Introduction Hims & Hers Health, Inc. ( HIMS ) has been on a rollercoaster in the past months and weeks. It all started when their earnings continued showing a slowdown of their core business around October 2025. Peak-to-trough, the stock suffered a haircut of more than 80% of its value, driven by uncertainties around the sale of compounded GLP-1s, Hims' weight loss division. They leveraged a shortage to sell compounded GLP-1s, then personalized dosages (which is a legal grey area). Therefore, there was a lot of regulatory overhang. Finally, Hims announced the launch of their own weight loss pill at $49 a month , which prompted Novo Nordisk ( NVO ) to sue them . Today, the two companies announced a new partnership after their first attempt was cancelled by Novo. Under the new agreement , Hims will offer Novo’s FDA-approved Wegovy and Ozempic products on its platform at Novo’s self-pay prices, while Hims will stop advertising compounded GLP-1s and keep them only for limited cases where a provider deems them clinically necessary. At the same time, Novo is dismissing its lawsuit against Hims without prejudice, which removes a major legal overhang for now. Just as important, the FDA appears supportive of this setup. Commissioner Marty Makary said he was glad to see Hims stop advertising unapproved compounded drugs, switch to FDA-approved products, keep pricing affordable, and limit compounded GLP-1s to rare FDA-compliant cases, adding that he wanted to congratulate both parties on the deal. Unsurprisingly, investors welcomed the shift, with Hims shares jumping more than 40% on the news. Data by YCharts A lot of short sellers seem to have been caught off guard here. The situation remains highly interesting, as a longer-term short squeeze could occur, similar to Tesla's ( TSLA ) prior price action. Short interest remains above 30%. Data by YCharts In my view, this helps clear the clouds for the longer-term Hims thesis. My previous covera...
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 gro...
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 sq...
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 gro...
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 sq...