Brendan Pierpont
@brendan.bsky.social
📤 4840
📥 1740
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Energy and climate nerd. Electricity
@energyinnovation.bsky.social
. Views are my own.
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Brendan Pierpont
Joseph D. Ortiz
1 day ago
Update: The US Auto industry has retreated from EVs. That strategy will relegate them to the domestic market only or to extinction. The world is shifting to EVs. Global sales of fully internal combustion engine vehicles peaked in 2017. 🧪🔌💡☀️💨💧🔋 Paywalled link:
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
add a skeleton here at some point
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John Kostyack
1 day ago
ALEC is promoting model legislation to codify unregulated "islanded" grids for data centers. The goal is to eliminate oversight by state PUCs, and presumably other regulators. This Cato piece shows the idea is getting traction in key states like NH, OH, WV and UT.
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The Case for Consumer-Regulated Electricity: Private Electricity Grids Offer a Parallel Path to Energy Abundance
Private electricity networks can help electricity-intensive facilities like data centers get the electricity they need quickly without shifting costs to existing customers.
https://www.cato.org/briefing-paper/case-consumer-regulated-electricity-private-electricity-grids-offer-parallel-path#federal-reforms-support-cre
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Brendan Pierpont
Latitude Media
2 days ago
Have we run out of big ideas to fix the grid?
@stephenlacey.bsky.social
,
@jigarshahdc.bsky.social
, and Jane Flegal dig into why our biggest constraint isn't equipment or land — it's our inability to plan and build at scale. New Open Circuit 🎧
www.latitudemedia.com/news/open-ci...
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Have we run out of big ideas to fix the grid?
The fight over data centers reveals a deeper crisis over our inability to plan and coordinate at scale.
https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/open-circuit-have-we-run-out-of-big-ideas-to-fix-the-grid/
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This is such a critical point on state-level capacity to pick up the slack when federal support for climate (or really, for anything) dries up.
add a skeleton here at some point
2 days ago
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Brendan Pierpont
advait
2 days ago
a lot of energy/climate policy events i've been to lately have stressed that states can pick up the slack for the federal government thanks to "federalism" and states being "laboratories of democracy" but i feel like this take crashes really hard against a bunch of states' balanced budget rules
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Brendan Pierpont
Dr. Jeff Masters
3 days ago
The crazy heat wave that gripped the southwest half of the U.S. in late March 2026 joins our semi-subjective top-six list of the meteorologically stunning extreme events this century that have most astonished myself and
@bhensonweather.bsky.social
:
yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/04/the-...
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The 2026 Southwest U.S. heat wave was one of the six most astonishing weather events of the century » Yale Climate Connections
From the Pacific Northwest to Antarctica, it's extraordinary warmth that's punching through climate norms with the most force.
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/04/the-2026-southwest-u-s-heat-wave-was-one-of-the-six-most-astonishing-weather-events-of-the-century/
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Brendan Pierpont
Jeff St John
13 days ago
Welcome to
@canarymedia.com
's new series on clean energy in rural America! For the inaugural feature I went to California’s Central Valley, where water-starved farmers are planning what could be the world's biggest solar and battery project:
www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...
#energysky
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‘We’re harvesting the sun’: A huge solar project grows in California
A sweeping plan to build 21 gigawatts of solar plus batteries on 136,000 acres could be a lifeline for Central Valley farmers facing devastating water…
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/were-harvesting-the-sun-solar-project-california
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Brendan Pierpont
Arvind Ravikumar
4 days ago
A single data point for y'all: Before the war, we were toying with the idea of a hybrid to replace our 15-year oldToyota. Now, we've reconsidered the decision to only focus on EVs. No solution other than a full break from consuming oil will insulate us from the wars of mad men.
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Brendan Pierpont
Kate Mackenzie
17 days ago
we're all going to be learning about energy markets & contracts like we learnt about derivatives in 2008 lol
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A deep dive into Google's data center development reveals that despite leading the industry on clean energy procurement, they too are building on-site gas to power data centers.
@michael-thomas.bsky.social
www.distilled.earth/p/google-is-...
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Google Is Considering Natural Gas Without Carbon Capture in Its AI Data Center Strategy
In our latest report, we analyzed 100+ documents, satellite imagery, and 63 data center projects to produce the most comprehensive look at Google's power strategy
https://www.distilled.earth/p/google-is-weighing-natural-gas-without
4 days ago
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John Bistline
5 days ago
This is my favorite climate change chart. Japanese monks, aristocrats, and emperors kept meticulous records of cherry blossom festivals for 1,200 years and accidentally built the world's longest climate dataset.
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Emily Pontecorvo
5 days ago
For the launch of our new Electricity Price Hub, I wrote about why rates and bills are not the same. We talk a lot about why rates are higher in some places than others. But some places (i.e. the South) have low rates and high bills, and demand different policy fixes
heatmap.news/energy/elect...
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Why Lower Electricity Prices May Not Mean Lower Electric Bills
It may sound like splitting hairs, but the difference matters when it comes to policymaking.
https://heatmap.news/energy/electricity-price-hub-bills-prices
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Updated data on electricity price trends and drivers from the folks at Berkeley Lab
@berkeleylabemp.bsky.social
:
emp.lbl.gov/retail-elect...
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Retail Electricity Price Trends and Drivers | Energy Markets & Planning
https://emp.lbl.gov/retail-electricity-price-trends-and-drivers
5 days ago
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Catherine Rampell
7 days ago
if you thought China was going to be the big economic loser from our Iran War -- since CHina purchases so much Iranian oil -- think again. Goldman Sachs thinks China will take half the hit to GDP growth we will, thanks in part to the country's massive investments in renewables + big oil reserves
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Brendan Pierpont
Jeff Seidman (he/him)
6 days ago
Good time to re-post the best game on the internet. It gives you a country's energy mix (in 2023), you guess the country.
jmelville.science/griddle/
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griddle | jmelville.science
https://jmelville.science/griddle/
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Brendan Pierpont
Bloomberg News
7 days ago
US government officials and Wall Street analysis are starting to consdier the prospect that oil prices might surge to an unprecedeted $200 a barrel.
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The Strait of Hormuz Energy Shock Is About to Head to the West
US government officials and Wall Street analysis are starting to consdier the prospect that oil prices might surge to an unprecedeted $200 a barrel.
https://bloom.bg/4lY8JBr
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Brendan Pierpont
Justin Gerdes
7 days ago
"Natural gas is widely perceived as a cheap fuel and source of energy. Sometimes that’s true, but gas markets are fickle and can change on a dime,"
@brendan.bsky.social
told
@shannonstirone.bsky.social
:
thepowerline.substack.com/p/why-are-na...
via
@energyinnovation.org
🔌💡
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Why Are Natural Gas Prices So High?
Forced dependence on gas creates more risk during global turmoil
https://thepowerline.substack.com/p/why-are-natural-gas-prices-so-high
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Brendan Pierpont
Stephen Jarvis
10 days ago
Ultimately electricity and gas prices will be decoupled, not by fiddling around with market rules, but by the continued expansion of renewable, nuclear and storage capacity to the point where gas becomes an increasingly negligible part of the supply mix. The sooner this happens the better. (12/12)
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Brendan Pierpont
Transition Show
12 days ago
In Ep. 272, oil analyst
@roryjohnston.bsky.social
explains why the Iran war has thrown the world into uncharted territory, with unprecedented high prices ahead. Are you ready for record high gasoline prices? This episode is not paywalled, so enjoy & share widely!
xenetwork.org/ets/episodes...
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[Episode #272] – Global Energy Crisis 2026 | The Energy Transition Show
The damage to Persian Gulf oil and gas infrastructure and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has thrown the world into a global energy crisis.
https://xenetwork.org/ets/episodes/episode-272-global-energy-crisis-2026/
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Brendan Pierpont
Maxine Joselow
13 days ago
Confirming my scoop from last week, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced this deal with TotalEnergies today. Story w/
@bradplumer.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/23/c...
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When the forecast drives billions of dollars of investment, getting it right is important.
gridlab.org/portfolio-it...
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Data Center Load Forecast Report
While recent industry projections suggest rapid growth in electricity demand from data centers and AI, historical context and current data point to a more complex reality.
https://gridlab.org/portfolio-item/data-center-load-forecast-report/
13 days ago
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Latest from the local truck stop
15 days ago
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Brendan Pierpont
Kevin J. Kircher
16 days ago
New York's governor is trying to undermine the 2019 climate law that the NY legislature passed with overwhelming support. Where the rubber meets the road: Accounting for methane, the main component of natural gas and a fast/potent climate pollutant. 🧵 with some background on methane.
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Hochul Moves to Delay and Alter Climate Law, Citing Energy Prices
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/20/nyregion/hochul-new-york-climate-law-delay.html
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Brendan Pierpont
Robert Rohde
16 days ago
The current heatwave in the US Southwest is utterly destroying many records for this time of year. Phoenix, Arizona has ~90 years of daily temperature data, and yet recent temperatures beat the previous March record by 5 °F (2.8 °C), and would actually tie the record for April.
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New Brattle Group report highlights how improving system utilization can help reduce electricity costs:
www.brattle.com/the-untapped...
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The Untapped Grid - Brattle
https://www.brattle.com/the-untapped-grid/
17 days ago
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New report from Duke Nicholas School and Roselle outlines state policy pathways to enable large load flexibility:
nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/publications...
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Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability
https://nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/publications/leveraging-large-load-flexibility-facilitate-access-power-while-protecting-customers
17 days ago
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Brendan Pierpont
Akshat Rathi
19 days ago
Electric vehicles are already cutting 2.3 million barrels of oil demand per day. That's about to double under a business-as-usual scenario this decade. It could go faster if EV sales rise, which there are indications they will at this oil price. 🎁🔗
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
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Brendan Pierpont
worst-case scenario engineer
18 days ago
Many are aware that data center load is straining the grid because of the load, fewer are talking about how the absurd oscillations LLM training centers create are likely to reduce the lifespan of major grid equipment if not worse
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Brendan Pierpont
Jessica Pickett
18 days ago
Regularly scheduled reminder that data are *always* political
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Applying machine learning to identify unrecognized COVID-19 deaths recorded as other causes of death in the United States
A machine learning approach suggests that COVID-19 deaths were undercounted unevenly across sociodemographic groups in 2020–2021.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aef5697
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Brendan Pierpont
Harry Stevens
18 days ago
I have a new story with
@rebeccafelliott.bsky.social
on how Meta and others, seeking power for data centers, are building their own power plants. These projects have transformed places like New Albany, Ohio, where farmland has given way to industry. Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
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Brendan Pierpont
Dana Nuccitelli
19 days ago
My article
@climateconnections.bsky.social
today examines how, despite their polar-opposite politics, California and Texas became leaders in solar, wind, and battery deployment. The most important thing you need to know is that I came up with the headline – I'm very proud of it 😅 🧵 follows [1/8]:
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How blue California and red Texas became green powerhouses » Yale Climate Connections
Despite wildly different approaches, both states are seeing massive growth in solar and wind energy.
https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/03/how-blue-california-and-red-texas-became-green-powerhouses/
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Brendan Pierpont
PM2.5 Kills ~9 Million People Worldwide Annually
19 days ago
Google is developing a 1 GW data center in Southeast Michigan. The project would include $10 million for energy efficiency and weatherization and plans to add 2.7 GW to the grid, largely composed of batteries and clean energy.
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Google inks deal with DTE Energy for another southeast Michigan data center - Bridge Michigan
The company announced Tuesday that it’s exploring a possible data center development in Van Buren Township, west of the Detroit airport, while DTE Energy announced a 2.7-gigawatt energy deal with the ...
https://bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/google-inks-deal-with-dte-energy-for-another-southeast-michigan-data-center/
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Brendan Pierpont
Yonah Freemark
19 days ago
In 2025, China opened 580 metro miles, added 1,200 high-speed rail miles, opened 3 suspension bridges >4,500 feet (including the world's highest), & built the world's longest cable-stayed bridge (also the world's tallest). It will take Oregon & Washington 19 years to replace one highway bridge.
add a skeleton here at some point
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Brendan Pierpont
Daniel Swain
19 days ago
Well, the ridiculous mid-March heat has officially arrived in the Western U.S., with quite a few locations in California already reaching/breaking all-time monthly records today. Believe it or not, the heat will further intensify and become even more widespread later this week.
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Brendan Pierpont
Todd Tucker
19 days ago
This policy simultaneously is: 1) a taxpayer funded corporate handout for nothing in return; 2) actively damaging to our national security; and 3) worsening energy affordability in the middle of a self-inflicted energy shock. So. Much. Winning.
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/c...
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Trump Officials Weigh New $1 Billion Deal to Stop Offshore Wind Farms
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/climate/offshore-wind-settlements-trump.html
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Brendan Pierpont
Miriam Wasser
23 days ago
Last night was a big night for offshore wind: Vineyard Wind finished construction and Revolution Wind began sending power to the grid
@wbur.org
#energysky
www.wbur.org/news/2026/03...
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Vineyard Wind, country's first large-scale offshore wind project, finishes construction
After years of starts and stops, construction on Vineyard Wind, the country's first large-scale offshore wind project, wrapped up this week.
https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/03/14/vineyard-wind-construction-complete-massachusetts-offshore-wind
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Brendan Pierpont
Christian Roselund
23 days ago
BFD: Revolution Wind is delivering power! If Rev Wind has the same capacity factor as South Fork Wind did in its first year (46.5%), it will generate 2.74 TWh of electricity annually, equivalent to 34% of power use in the state of
#RhodeIsland
! /1
#offshorewind
revolution-wind.com/news/2026/03...
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Revolution Wind Begins Delivering Power to New England
Built by more than 1,000 local union workers, project expected to power 350,000+ homes with affordable, reliable electricity
https://revolution-wind.com/news/2026/03/revolution-wind-begins-delivering-power-to-new-england
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Brendan Pierpont
Ketan Joshi
24 days ago
Pretty interesting new EIA analysis from the US, v odd it hasn't got more attention Data centre growth will - Boost coal and gas generation - Make electricity prices higher (HUUUGGGE increase in Texas) Not new but V new for the EIA to say this out loud and explicitly
www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...
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Wow - in one shot, Codex managed to replicate the NERL ATB LCOE calculation in a single, callable python function. I pointed it to the ATB data parameters CSV and a page documenting their equations and 12 mins later (and it works, produces the same results).
24 days ago
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If the Strait of Hormuz ends up closed for months, we're going to wish we took early action to ramp up EV production and sales, replace fuel oil with heat pumps, and deploy renewables as fast as we could (especially in regions that still rely on oil/dual fuel peakers for summer and winter peaks).
24 days ago
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Brendan Pierpont
Akshat Rathi
24 days ago
It's going from bad to worse.
www.bloomberg.com/news/live-bl...
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Brendan Pierpont
Josh Lappen
24 days ago
Really glad to see
@sammyroth.bsky.social
covering what I agree is one of the most important under-the-radar climate stories of this year so far. LADWP is one of the most powerful decarbonization agencies in North America, and it's looking for a new GM
www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/los-angele...
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Los Angeles needs a bold new leader
For the Department of Water and Power, obviously.
https://www.climatecoloredgoggles.com/p/los-angeles-dwp-quinones
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Brendan Pierpont
Silvio Marcacci
25 days ago
How much profit is your utility making off you? Electricity costs are soaring - this tool from
@energyandpolicy.org
shows how much extra your utility charges per month. Nationally, electric utilities took ~15% of your bill for profit last year.
energyandpolicy.org/utilityprofi...
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How Much Do Utilities Profit from Your Electric Bill?
See how much of your monthly electric bill goes to your utility's profits. An interactive tool from the Energy and Policy Institute.
https://energyandpolicy.org/utilityprofittracker/
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Welp. Great discussion, terrifying implications.
add a skeleton here at some point
25 days ago
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Data centers flexing demand, with real workloads, with near-instantaneous response. Very cool to see the latest from Emerald AI:
ngpartners.cdn.prismic.io/ngpartners/a...
25 days ago
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Brendan Pierpont
Mathias Larsen
7 months ago
New policy report just published with groundbreaking data showing that China's new global role in the green transition is investing in manufacturing, not financing infrastructure: "China’s Green Leap Outward"
www.netzeropolicylab.com/china-green-...
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China Green Leap Outward — Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab
A new China Low Carbon Technology FDI Database
https://www.netzeropolicylab.com/china-green-leap
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TPUSA getting involved in public power elections now?
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
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E&E News: Turning Point shakes up Phoenix utility race
The far-right group is diving into a sleepy election with major power implications.
https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2026/03/09/turning-point-shakes-up-phoenix-utility-race-00812269
28 days ago
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Jigar Shah
29 days ago
TSMC, the company that makes 90% of the world's advanced chips, draws 8.9% of Taiwan's total electricity. Gas disruption = Chip disruption
add a skeleton here at some point
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This is really bad.
add a skeleton here at some point
28 days ago
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If only the they could connect to the grid.
add a skeleton here at some point
30 days ago
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