Latest news with #MichaelBenson
CTV News
19-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘Absolutely critical': Teched out new planes lead B.C. wildfire response
Before an aircraft in British Columbia drops water on a wildfire or crews attack flames from the ground, a pilot like Rob Verstraten gets there first. 'We really have to size up the fire. We have to see what terrain and hazards we have to deal with,' Verstraten said. Verstraten flies in one of two new TBM 960 Air Attack planes from Conair Aerial Firefighting, known as 'birddogs,' alongside a provincial air attack officer. Together, they orchestrate the aerial response to a wildfire. It's a crucial role, according to Conair's director of business development. 'The role of the birddog team is absolutely critical to a mission. Without a strong birddog team your operation won't be safe, effective, or efficient,' said Michael Benson said. Benson says the two new birddogs are the most modern in the world, and cost roughly $10 million based on the purchase price paid by Conair and 13 modifications the Abbotsford, B.C.-based company made to maximize their effectiveness at fighting fires. The installed technology includes advanced weather sensors to detect lightning and infrared cameras. 'When you're flying over a fire, you can see the hot spots of the fire, and that displays itself in real time on a screen inside the cockpit. It allows the birddog team to make some real-time decisions to pinpoint accuracy around where they put retardant or fire-suppressing water,' Benson said. There are several factors taken into consideration when deciding whether to send in an air tanker filled with water or flame retardant, according to Eric Antifaeff from the B.C. Wildfire Service. 'The retardant is long term,' said the superintendent of air tanker operations. 'We drop it adjacent to the burning flame front, and it slows the growth of the fire. And then we could follow up with water to bring down the intensity and increase how long the retard is effective.' Kamloops provincial wildfire co-ordination centre The Kamloops provincial wildfire co-ordination centre is pictured in June 2025. (Andrew Johnson / CTV News) The birddog crew will decide what to drop on the fire and when, and will rehearse the route air tankers will take before calling in the larger planes to make their drops. Verstraten explained, 'We will test it ourselves first, acting as a tanker. We need to be able to operate in all the speed ranges that a tanker would typically operate in.' When a wildfire call comes in to the Kamloops, B.C., provincial co-ordination centre, the two-person crew can fire up the birddog in only five minutes. An air tanker can be filled with a full load of retardant in only a matter of eight minutes, taking off in 10. But, Antifaeff points out, the aerial attack is only part of the wildfire fighting equation. Rob Verstraten Pilot Rob Verstraten is shown. (Andrew Johnson / CTV News) 'I think the biggest misconception out there is that aircraft put out fires. We're just there to support the ground resources. You can have the best fleet in the world, but if it's not followed up by ground crews, heavy equipment and that kind of stuff, you're not going to be successful in fighting fires.' For pilots like Verstraten, who are trained to push emotion aside as wildfire is threatening a community, the reward is in the results. 'We really get a lot of satisfaction out of keeping people safe and trying to prevent any loss of life or property,' he said.
Perth Now
16-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
‘We need your help': Beloved Freo bar struggling to survive
The new owners of Mojo's Bar have made a public appeal for funding to help bring their transformative vision of the North Fremantle institution to life. Last year, local architect Michael Benson, musician and venue manager Tony Papa-Adams and DJ Paul Malone purchased the 190-capacity venue from Triple-1-Three, which operates Otherside Brewing Co. and the Freo Social. Triple-1-Three took over Mojo's, a breeding ground for top WA artists such as Tame Impala, John Butler and Stella Donnelly, in 2021. Your local paper, whenever you want it. The extensive renovations planned by the new owners were expected to begin early this year but have been put on hold due to financial 'struggles'. Mr Papa-Adams created a GoFundMe on Monday in an attempt to raise $16,000 for new bar furniture, 16 new beer taps, upgraded sound and lighting equipment and a new kitchen where they plan to serve 'family-style Greek-Cypriot food'. Renders of the new-look Mojo's Bar in North Fremantle. Credit: Benson Studio 'We need your help,' Mr Papa-Adams wrote. 'Not just to survive, but to grow into something even stronger that can sustain itself for future generations of music lovers. 'Live music venues everywhere are struggling. Rising costs, from rent and insurance to production and staffing, are threatening even the most beloved spots. 'These aren't just renovations. They're the foundations of a new business model one that makes Mojos more resilient, more welcoming, and more capable of supporting live music for generations to come.' Renders of the new-look Mojo's Bar in North Fremantle. Credit: Benson Studio The new owners also plan to put a roof over the beer garden, which will feature a small bar and sound system for patrons who are not attending a performance in the front room. When performers are not using it, the green room will become a vinyl record store. The venue has been an important incubator of local musical talent and the owners said the new-look Mojo's will continue to support up-and-coming bands. Renders of the new-look Mojo's Bar in North Fremantle. Credit: Benson Studio 'We're not just a venue,' Mr Papa-Adams said. 'We're a launchpad for emerging artists, a sanctuary for local musicians, and a gathering place for creatives, music lovers, and community, and a special part of North Freo's soul. 'If you've ever discovered your new favourite band or had a night you'll never forget on our wooden floors, you probably know how invaluable Mojos is to the community.'
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why the solar industry is counting Ohio's newest energy law as a win
A new state law aimed at expanding gas and nuclear power plants in Ohio may also provide opportunities for solar developers — if they can overcome other policy and political barriers. Solar industry advocates say House Bill 15, signed by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in mid-May, contains several technology-neutral provisions that could benefit clean energy projects, including property tax breaks for siting them on brownfields and former coal mines. The law also loosens restrictions on behind-the-meter electricity generation and lowers the overall tax burden for new power plants. 'This is just smart economic development. We need the energy,' said Michael Benson, board president of Green Energy Ohio, whose members include a variety of clean energy companies. In his view, a market-based approach should work in favor of renewables and battery storage, which can generally be deployed more quickly and cheaply than power plants that burn fossil fuels. Much of the public discussion around the legislation focused on its repeal of coal plant subsidies mandated by HB 6, the 2019 law at the heart of Ohio's ongoing public corruption scandal. HB 15 also will end the use of 'electric security plans,' which let utilities add special charges to customer bills without reviewing all revenue and expenses in a full rate case. But many of the measures in HB 15 are meant to encourage new electricity production in the state. 'We should open the market to dispatchable energy generation to address future energy shortages,' the bill's primary sponsor, Rep. Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland), said in his February testimony, in which he also noted growing energy demand from data centers and other large electricity users, and energy supply issues raised by grid operator PJM Interconnection. The term 'dispatchable' is often used to refer to power plants that can be turned on or off as demand requires, as opposed to solar or wind without battery backup. Most of the law's incentives for new energy production are technology-neutral, however. Under HB 15, new electricity production on brownfields and minelands designated as priority investment areas will be exempt from property taxes for five years. Grants of up to $10 million each will be available to clean up or prepare the sites for construction. And the Ohio Power Siting Board will speed up its review of energy projects in those areas. 'It's a huge opportunity,' said Rebecca Mellino, a climate and energy policy associate for The Nature Conservancy in Ohio. Last year the organization estimated that Ohio has more than 600,000 acres of minelands and brownfields suitable for renewable energy production. The sites often have good access to roads and transmission lines, too. As Mellino sees it, solar in priority areas would avoid objections raised by some people about displacing farmland. And counties with renewable energy bans could presumably modify them to allow development in priority investment areas without affecting other parts of their jurisdictions, she suggested. The law also removes a restriction that has required behind-the-meter generation to be located on the premises of the customer who is using the power. The change might allow data centers to tap into gas-fired backup generators on an adjacent property, for example. But it could also create new opportunities for clean energy-powered microgrids, in which a group of customers share solar panels and a large battery. 'That is significant, all by itself,' because it provides more flexibility, said Dylan Borchers, an energy attorney with law firm Bricker Graydon in Columbus, Ohio. Just as importantly, the law 'allows essentially a portfolio approach for customers and energy resources.' In other words, multiple businesses could form a shared 'self-power' system with equipment for electricity generation or battery storage on adjacent land or on premises controlled by one or more of them. Such a system could include numerous generation or storage facilities, allowing a cluster of data centers, factories, or other large energy users to combine multiple behind-the-meter resources, whether they be natural gas, solar, batteries, or small nuclear when it becomes available. The ability to combine resources means customers wouldn't necessarily need lots of land to add renewable energy, said Benson. 'If you want the most power quickly and cleanly, you can use rooftops and parking lots and build out a lot of small-scale generation.' The law also reduces the overall tax burden for new electricity production. Local governments may collect less revenue but still welcome the jobs and other spending that come with new energy investments. And less stringent requirements might even benefit some communities when new power generation is sited, Borchers suggested. Ohio's current tangible personal property tax rates have been so high that companies have often used 'payments in lieu of taxes,' also known as PILOT programs, to avoid getting walloped by huge tax bills as soon as energy production starts. But counties face somewhat strict requirements for how they must allocate PILOT payments. Developers that take advantage of the lower tax rates available under HB 15 may have more financial flexibility to be able to fund some projects that local governments want most, such as a new fire station or community center, Borchers said. Taken together, the provisions in HB 15 promise to make it easier to build more solar in the state, industry representatives say. The governor and legislature saw 'the urgent need to expand energy generation as Ohio confronts rapidly increasing demand and the threat of escalating costs and supply shortages,' said Will Hinman, executive director for the Utility Scale Solar Energy Coalition of Ohio. 'House Bill 15 is a critical step towards addressing these challenges by reducing barriers to energy development — including utility-scale solar projects.' The law still requires projects to meet multiple criteria to benefit from its provisions. For example, power-generating facilities and transmission lines exceeding certain thresholds may need approval from the Ohio Power Siting Board. The state's director of development must approve local governments' designations of priority investment areas. And self-power systems have to be independent of the main power grid. The biggest downside is that the new law left in place a 2021 statute, Senate Bill 52, which requires utility-scale renewable energy developments to get local approval, said Molly Bryden, a climate and sustainability researcher with think tank Policy Matters Ohio. Under that earlier law, 34 of Ohio's 88 counties have banned new solar generation in all or part of their territories. Even where the local law doesn't bar a new project, local officials can still block projects before a developer even seeks a permit from the Ohio Power Siting Board. A county representative and a township representative also get to vote with state siting board members on whether facilities get a permit, even for some projects that were in the grid operator's queue before the 2021 law. Another law took effect in early 2023, letting local governments limit small solar and wind projects that connect to the grid but don't otherwise fall within the scope of the 2021 law. Requirements of the 2021 and 2023 laws don't apply to generation fueled by natural gas, coal, or nuclear power. And Ohio's high court has ruled local governments can't ban or regulate gas wells and related infrastructure or even enforce broader zoning laws that would prevent such development. Lawmakers also cut out provisions from an earlier version of HB 15 that would have allowed community solar development. Community solar lets residential customers save money by sharing the electricity from a local solar array, which doesn't have to be on their own property. 'There's still a real need for permitting reform,' Bryden said.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
WVU Commencement kicks off for Class of 2025
MORGANTOWN, (WBOY) — Friday marked the beginning of a new chapter for West Virginia University's graduating class of 2025, as commencement began. The College of Law was the first class to graduate, holding its ceremony at 9:00 am. The Schools of Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and Dentistry followed, alongside the Masters and Doctorate programs in WVU's School of Medicine. Right at Home hosts graduation in Morgantown for latest round of CNAs This class of students is also the last to be under WVU President Gordon E. Gee, after he announced his intent to retire in August 2023. He'll be replaced by former Coastal Carolina University President Michael Benson, who starts this summer. Commencements will continue on both Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18. You can find a full schedule of those ceremonies and links to livestream the events on WVU's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WVU President-elect speaks on his transition to Morgantown
BRIDGEPORT, (WBOY) — As the school year wraps up, West Virginia University President-elect Michael Benson is getting ready to step into the limelight. Benson, who was previously the President of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, will begin his term in July of this year. 12 News got to speak with Benson for the first time moments before the start of the 2025 West Virginia Business Roundtable, where he was one of multiple university presidents representing their respective schools. Benson said he and his family are excited to be becoming Mountaineers. 'It's a wonderful community, people have been incredibly warm and welcoming and we look forward to getting to work and making a difference.' As for his plans for the university, especially after it has suffered financially in recent years, Benson said that plans will be announced soon. WV Business Roundtable hosts dozens of state business leaders 'I'm a big believer that plans are important, but the planning process is even more important. So we're in that process right now, and we're going to roll out some ideas about the direction moving forward, but there's a lot to be excited about. There are a lot of blue sky opportunities ahead for the university,' Benson said. Benson said the way he's been acclimating himself to his new school has been by getting to know people and different communities around the area. 'I think the most important thing I can do as president is get to know people, relationships are key, and I want to know what's important to them and what's important to the university and see if we can get the two to come together,' Benson said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
