El Salvador Recognizes China in Blow to Taiwan
China is using its wealth to isolate Taiwan diplomatically by offering infrastructure projects to Latin American countries.
U.S. households are holding on to their vehicles longer
(Tue, 21 Aug 2018) The turnover of household vehicles has slowed since 2009, based on U.S. Department of Transportation surveys of household vehicle travel. The 2017 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) reported that households held on to their cars, trucks, and vans longer. The average vehicle age has increased from 9.3 years in 2009 to 10.5 years in 2017, suggesting that many households have delayed the purchase of a new vehicle and continuing a trend of U.S. households operating vehicles longer.
The port district of Houston-Galveston became a net exporter of crude oil in April
(Mon, 20 Aug 2018) The U.S. port district of Houston-Galveston in Texas recently began exporting more crude oil than it imported for the first time on record. Crude oil exports from the Houston-Galveston port district have increased since the restrictions on U.S. crude oil exports were lifted at the end of 2015. In April 2018, crude oil exports from Houston-Galveston surpassed crude oil imports by 15,000 barrels per day (b/d). In May 2018, the difference between crude oil exports and imports increased substantially to 470,000 b/d.
‘Laceration in the Heart of Genoa’: Italy Holds State Funeral for Victims of Bridge Collapse
The country declared a day of national mourning as it struggled to come to terms with a tragedy that critics say could have been avoided.
Electric power sector coal inventories are expected to remain relatively low through 2019
(Fri, 17 Aug 2018) In May 2018, coal inventories, or stockpiles, in the electric power sector totaled 128 million short tons (MMst), 34 MMst (21%) lower than in May 2017, and the lowest at that time of year since 2014. Stockpiles have averaged 35 MMst (22%) lower during the first five months of 2018 compared with 2017.
How Dangerous Are Italy’s Bridges? Even After Genoa, No One Knows
No central authority tracks or enforces maintenance of Italy’s aging transportation network — and that is a big problem, experts say.
In Italy Bridge Collapse, Both Design and Upkeep Are Under Suspicion
The engineering and maintenance of Riccardo Morandi’s 1967 cable-stayed bridge are under scrutiny, days after it collapsed in Genoa.
Is a Rail Yard in Queens the Site of New York’s Next Mega-Development?
A massive, multi-billion-dollar project is being considered for an industrial site in Sunnyside. It could change the city. One problem: Locals don’t love it.
PURPA-qualifying capacity increases, but it's still a small portion of added renewables
(Thu, 16 Aug 2018) Between 2008 and 2017, more than 103 gigawatts (GW) of renewable generating capacity entered service in the United States, of which only 14 GW is certified to have qualifying facility small power producer status under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA). Utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plantsâthose that have a capacity of one megawatt (MW) and higherâaccount for more than 8 GW of the added qualifying capacity, followed by onshore wind at 4 GW.
‘We Are Tired of Crying for the Dead’: A Stunned Genoa Mourns
At the morgue, people looking for missing travelers dreaded what they might find. Residents wondered how they would get from one side of Genoa to the other.