logo
Gulf policymakers detail efforts to brace for 2025 hurricanes

Gulf policymakers detail efforts to brace for 2025 hurricanes

The Hill02-06-2025
Gulf Coast policymakers on Monday laid out efforts to brace for what's expected to be an active hurricane season during a Hill event titled 'Securing the Grid – Powering the Gulf South Region.'
Eric Skrmetta, vice chair of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, said the durability of the power grid needs to improve, including calling for infrastructure that can help manage the flow of power.
'We're looking at the durability of [the] transmission grid, more than anything,' Skrmetta said when asked about hurricane season.
'We need supplies and we need mechanisms. We're going to need to build transformer manufacturing facilities,' he added.
Skrmetta said the state has 'been in discussions with the Pentagon about the need for building one, possibly in Louisiana, Oklahoma, [or] Texas.'
The 'Securing the Grid' event, which was sponsored by electric company Entergy, comes one day after the official start of hurricane season. U.S. weather agencies have predicted an 'above average' season, which could see between three and five major hurricanes.
'You're seeing our energy suppliers here in Texas put in more steel poles instead of wooden poles. There's a move to get as much of that infrastructure, if you will, below ground,' said Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas).
It's not just hurricanes though that have taken a toll on Texas's electric grid. During 2021's Winter Storm Uri, the state faced massive blackouts that killed hundreds of people.
The state has implemented significant reforms since that time, but Weber still said it's in bad shape — and criticized the Biden administration over electric vehicles in the process.
'It's really bad,' Weber said when asked to grade the state of the grid.
'They wanted to put 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations. They did put it in that bill and we don't have the grid to support that. So we're wanting to make sure that everybody understands that we ought to have nuclear,' he added, referring to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds for a nationwide electric vehicle charging network.
Meanwhile, Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) said he'd give his state a 'B-plus' as far as infrastructure and storm response.
'Louisiana has been a very good student. It has done the preparation, and I think understanding of investing in our shorelines in our floodplains and our levees,' Carter said, but added 'we still have work to do.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Former CIA Insider Highlights America's Buried Advantage in Online Presentation
Former CIA Insider Highlights America's Buried Advantage in Online Presentation

Business Upturn

time2 hours ago

  • Business Upturn

Former CIA Insider Highlights America's Buried Advantage in Online Presentation

By GlobeNewswire Published on July 28, 2025, 02:00 IST Washington, D.C., July 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rediscovering America's Strategic Core In a released presentation , renowned former national security advisor Jim Rickards warns that the next major shift in U.S. policy may come not from Wall Street or Washington—but from beneath the surface of federally controlled lands. 'This story is not about real estate… the government retained the most valuable part'. Rickards points to a dormant but active legal provision—originally designed to encourage domestic growth—which may now hold the key to America's technological future. The Invisible Wiring of Modern Power The materials Rickards identifies are not commodities in the traditional sense—they are foundational enablers of global advancement: Application Mineral Inputs AI Chips & Data Centers Silicon, gallium, germanium, copper EV Batteries Lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, graphite Missile Systems & Drones Neodymium, dysprosium, samarium, rare earth alloys Satellite Navigation Indium, tantalum, beryllium, aluminum 'These seemingly obscure minerals… they're the building blocks of everything from NVIDIA chips to advanced military weapons'. Sources: U.S. Department of Energy CSIS Visual Capitalist A 150-Year-Old Law, Still in Effect Rickards centers the opportunity on Title 30—a little-known federal statute from the 1800s that allowed Americans to claim rights to public lands, which were often rich in mineral deposits. 'Back then, anyone could make a claim… pay $2 to $5 per acre… and do a minimal amount of work'. The framework still exists—and Rickards believes it may quietly be resurfacing to address modern strategic needs without requiring congressional debate. Technology May Be the Catalyst Rickards believes a convergence of technology and geopolitics is making this moment different: The use of AI mapping tools to identify previously unreachable mineral deposits The Pentagon's direct involvement in securing U.S. rare-earth supply chains Escalating foreign control over strategic mineral exports 'We have truly massive mineral wealth here. It's not hard to extract. We know where it is. And how to get it' About Jim Rickards Jim Rickards is a former advisor to the CIA, Pentagon, White House, and Treasury. His work has guided U.S. leadership during global crises including the Iran Hostage Situation and the 2008 financial collapse. He is the editor of Strategic Intelligence , a monthly report on national security, macroeconomics, and resource policy. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash GlobeNewswire provides press release distribution services globally, with substantial operations in North America and Europe.

What will it cost to renovate the ‘free' Air Force One? Don't ask.
What will it cost to renovate the ‘free' Air Force One? Don't ask.

Boston Globe

time5 hours ago

  • Boston Globe

What will it cost to renovate the ‘free' Air Force One? Don't ask.

Officially, and conveniently, the price tag has been classified. But even by Washington standards, where 'black budgets' are often used as an excuse to avoid revealing the cost of outdated spy satellites and lavish end-of-year parties, the techniques being used to hide the cost of Trump's pet project are inventive. Which may explain why no one wants to discuss a mysterious, $934 million transfer of funds from one of the Pentagon's most over-budget, out-of-control projects — the modernization of America's aging, ground-based nuclear missiles. Advertisement In recent weeks, congressional budget sleuths have come to think that amount, slipped into an obscure Pentagon document sent to Capitol Hill as a 'transfer' to an unnamed classified project, almost certainly includes the renovation of the new, gold-adorned Air Force One that Trump desperately wants in the air before his term is over. (It is not clear if the entire transfer will be devoted to stripping the new Air Force One back to its airframe, but Air Force officials privately acknowledge dipping into nuclear modernization funds for the complex project.) Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Qatar's defense minister and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed the final memorandum of understanding a few weeks ago, paving the way for the renovation to begin soon at a Texas facility known for secret technology projects. The document was reported earlier by The Washington Post. Advertisement Trump's plane probably won't fly for long: It will take a year or two to get the work done, and then the Qatari gift — improved with the latest communications and in-flight protective technology — will be transferred to the yet-to-be-created Trump presidential library after he leaves office in 2029, the president has said. Concerns over the many apparent conflicts of interests involved in the transaction, given Trump's government dealings and business ties with the Qataris, have swirled since reports of the gift emerged this spring. But Trump said he was unconcerned, casting the decision as a no-brainer for taxpayers. 'I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer,' the president said in May. 'I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, 'No, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane.'' It is free in the sense that a used car handed over by a neighbor looking to get it out of his driveway is free. In this case, among the many modifications will be hardened communications, antimissile systems, and engine capabilities to take the president quickly to safety as one of the older Air Force Ones did Sept. 11, 2001, when Al Qaeda attacked the United States. And there is the delicate matter of ridding the jet of any hidden electronic listening devices that US officials suspect may be embedded in the walls. Then, of course, it has to be stuffed with the luxuries — and gold trim — with which the 47th president surrounds himself, whether he is in the Oval Office or in the air. The jet's upper deck has a lounge and a communications center, while the main bedroom can be converted into a flying sick bay in a medical emergency. Advertisement So it's no surprise that one of Washington's biggest guessing games these days is assessing just where the price tag will end up, on top of the $4 billion already being spent on the wildly behind-schedule presidential planes that Boeing was supposed to deliver last year. It was those delays that led Trump to look for a gift. Air Force officials privately concede that they are paying for renovations of the Qatari Air Force One with the transfer from another massively over-budget, behind-schedule program, called the Sentinel. That is named for the missile at the heart of Washington's long-running effort to rebuild America's aging, leaky, ground-launched nuclear missile system. The project was first sold to Congress as a $77.7 billion program to replace all 400 Minuteman III missiles, complete with launch facilities and communications built to withstand both nuclear and cyber attack. By the time Trump came back into office, that figure had ballooned by 81 percent, to $140 billion and climbing, all to reconstruct what nuclear strategists agree is the most vulnerable, impossible-to-hide element of America's nuclear deterrent. In testimony before Congress in June, Troy E. Meink, the Air Force secretary, said that he thought the cost of the Air Force One renovations would be manageable. 'I think there has been a number thrown around on the order of $1 billion,' he said. 'But a lot of those costs associated with that are costs that we'd have experienced anyway, we will just experience them early,' before Boeing delivers its two Air Force Ones. 'So it wouldn't be anywhere near that.' Advertisement 'We believe the actual retrofit of that aircraft is probably less than $400 million,' he said. If so, that would be a bargain. But engineers and Air Force experts who have been through similar projects have their doubts that it can be accomplished for anything like that price. Members of Congress express concern that Trump will pressure the Air Force to do the work so fast that sufficient security measures are not built into the plane. When asked last week, the Air Force said it simply could not discuss the cost — or anything else about the plane — because it's classified. This article originally appeared in

Qatari plane that could be new Air Force One will be ‘unconditional' gift to the Pentagon, agreement says
Qatari plane that could be new Air Force One will be ‘unconditional' gift to the Pentagon, agreement says

CNN

time8 hours ago

  • CNN

Qatari plane that could be new Air Force One will be ‘unconditional' gift to the Pentagon, agreement says

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Qatari counterpart have signed an agreement outlining the terms of Qatar's 'unconditional donation' of a Boeing jet to the Pentagon, confirming that the US will pay nothing for the plane, according to a copy of the memorandum of understanding reviewed by CNN. The agreement, signed by Hegseth and Qatar's deputy prime minister and minister of state for defense affairs, Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, on July 7, says the plane — which is expected to be used by President Donald Trump as Air Force One once it is upgraded — is a 'bona fide gift' to the Defense Department. 'This donation is made in good faith and in the spirit of cooperation and mutual support between the parties,' the document says. 'Nothing in this MoU is, or shall be interpreted or construed as, an offer, promise, or acceptance of any form of bribery, undue influence, or corrupt practice.' The memorandum, while signed by both parties, could still be tweaked ahead of a formal announcement, a source familiar with the matter said. The aircraft is parked in San Antonio awaiting upgrades, CNN has reported. CNN has reached out to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Air Force and the Qatari Embassy for comment. The MOU was first reported by The Washington Post. The transfer of the jet from Qatar to the Trump administration sparked a political firestorm in the spring as Democrats and several influential Republicans, including supporters of the president, said they opposed the potential deal on ethics grounds. It also caught Air Force officials off guard, CNN has reported. While the Air Force was exploring options for getting a replacement plane for Air Force One faster than Boeing could deliver the new jets it had been contracted to build, the Air Force was initially under the impression that any transaction with the Qataris would involve a sale of the plane — not a donation, defense officials said. But after news of the US-Qatar discussions became public, Trump repeatedly described the plane as a 'GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE.' The memorandum signed by Hegseth and Al-Thani emphasizes the transfer of the plane is 'unconditional' and that it is 'not connected or otherwise related to any governmental decision and, as such, is not made, offered, promised or accepted because of any past, present or future official act or decision and is not intended to obtain or retain any improper advantage or to influence any official decision.' But beyond the ethical and legal questions, retrofitting and installing the required security and communications equipment on a second-hand plane from another government, even a friendly one, is a monumental task. To fund the upgrades, the Air Force has sought to transfer hundreds of millions of dollars from the vastly overbudget Sentinel program to an unspecified classified project, according to sources familiar with a congressional notification about the transfer. Sentinel is a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile system that is being developed to replace the US' aging Minuteman III missiles. Officially, the price tag to retrofit the Qatari plane for use by the president is classified, the Air Force previously told CNN. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told lawmakers last month that it will 'probably' cost less than $400 million. An addendum to the Defense Department-Qatar agreement reviewed by CNN says the Air Force 'is in the process of finalizing the transfer of registration and will immediately begin execution of the required modifications.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store