Banananomics: Last Minute Removal Of Barriers To Fusion

Last Minute Removal Of Barriers To Fusion

While the electric grid is stretched to its limit, many new power projects are held in backlogs known as "interconnection queues," waiting for approval to be built and connected to the grid.

Inputs that matter: On Monday, the U.S. federal government approved a rule that could bolster new energy projects on the electric grid.

• The rule, from an independent panel known as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), seeks to address the long wait to connect renewable energy.

• The new rule addresses this issue by setting a standard for regional power planning. It was approved in a 2-1 vote.

• The rule will require planning for regional power needs on a basis that the rule describes as "forward-looking."

The opportunity: FERC Chairman Willie Phillips touted the rule as helping the grid to meet modern challenges like increasing power demand, extreme weather, and the ongoing transition to more climate-friendly power sources.

• "We simply will not be able to address these converging challenges and continue to supply the reliable, abundant, and affordable power the American people depend on without taking a clear-eyed, long-term, forward-looking approach to transmission planning," he said.

• "That is why our rule requires transmission planners to plan to look forward on a 20-year time horizon, consider a broad set of reliability and economic benefits, consider using money saving grid enhancing technologies where it makes sense [and] expand states' pivotal role throughout the planning process, selecting and deciding how to pay for transmission facilities."

Zoom in: However, Mark Christie criticized the rule's consideration of factors in power planning, such as state climate plans, corporate power preferences, and which power sources are already waiting in line.

• Sam Altman has invested $375 million in Helion Energy, the first company in the world to secure a purchase agreement for nuclear fusion energy. Microsoft included it in its plan to transition to clean energy sources by the end of the decade.

• This first fusion power plant, whose feasibility is being assessed in Chelan County, Washington, will produce electricity that will be used to power the grid.

• Constellation will serve as the Power Marketer for Helion's first customer, Microsoft.

Between the lines: The Independent explains that nuclear fusion is described as the "holy grail" of clean energy, providing near-limitless energy by mimicking the natural reactions that occur within the Sun.

• Dr. Francesco Sciortino, co-founder, and CEO of Proxima Fusion, told TechCrunch that the new approach to fusion is only possible because AI can simulate the behavior of the plasma, thus bringing the prospect of viable nuclear fusion nearer.

Read More

The Interesting Reasons For Ethereum ETFs

While the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mulls over the decision to allow Ethereum ETFs, crypto exchange Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) went offline for three hours.

Inputs that matter: Coinbase returned at 07:42 UTC with a message on its status page, "We are aware that some users may be experiencing delayed sends for assets on the Ethereum network (ERC-20s)."

• Despite today's setback, shares of COIN are moving upward.

The opportunity: Meanwhile, cryptocurrency investors are not expecting the SEC to approve any spot ether exchange-traded funds this month or anytime soon.

• The SEC has final deadlines on May 23 and May 24 to decide on VanEck and ARK's applications for ether (ETHUSD) ETFs, respectively.

• Bloomberg's Eric Balchunas highlighted the formidable regulatory challenges faced by Ethereum ETFs compared to Bitcoin, notably probing the Ethereum Foundation's centralized impact on the token.

• Ethereum (ETH) isn't Bitcoin (BTC)—it has layers of complexity, making it hard to determine where the SEC stands.

Zoom in: The U.S. regulator approved several Bitcoin ETFs in January after a federal court in August ordered the SEC to vacate its rejection of Grayscale Investments' application to convert its Bitcoin Trust product into an ETF.

• "We do think that as long as Gary Gensler chairs the SEC, any advancement in the digital-asset space is going to have to come through the judiciary channels," Mark Connors, director of research at 3iQ Corp, said in a phone interview.

Between the lines: The question of whether the SEC has jurisdiction over Ethereum has come to the forefront over the past few weeks, as reports have revealed that the agency is subpoenaing companies that deal with the Ethereum Foundation. 

• Consensys has argued that past SEC officials have said Ethereum is not a security, pointing to a 2018 speech from William Hinman, the SEC's Director of the Division of Corporation Finance.

• However, Bitcoin Guide and other investors on X point to the fact that Ethereum had an ICO maintains a command center, and has an acting CEO, something very similar to a public company.

Read More

Banananomics official swag store is open. A place to buy Banananomics merchandise, such as:

• Coffee Mugs

• T-Shirts

• Hoodies

• Stickers

• Hats

• Notebooks

As always, we appreciate your support. International shipping is available.