
-
Where Trump's tariffs could hurt Americans' wallets
-
Trump says 'very close to a deal' on TikTok
-
Trump tariffs on Mexico: the good, the bad, the unknown
-
Postecoglou denies taunting Spurs fans in Chelsea defeat
-
Oscar-winning Palestinian director speaks at UN on Israeli settlements
-
With tariff war, Trump also reshapes how US treats allies
-
Fernandez fires Chelsea into fourth as pressure mounts on Postecoglou
-
South Korea court to decide impeached president's fate
-
Penguin memes take flight after Trump tariffs remote island
-
E.T., no home: Original model of movie alien doesn't sell at auction
-
Italy's Brignone has surgery on broken leg with Winter Olympics looming
-
Trump defiant as tariffs send world markets into panic
-
City officials vote to repair roof on home of MLB Rays
-
Rockets forward Brooks gets one-game NBA ban for technicals
-
Pentagon watchdog to probe defense chief over Signal chat row
-
US tariffs could push up inflation, slow growth: Fed official
-
New Bruce Springsteen music set for June 27 release
-
Tom Cruise pays tribute to Val Kilmer
-
Mexico president welcomes being left off Trump's tariffs list
-
Zuckerberg repeats Trump visits in bid to settle antitrust case
-
US fencer disqualified for not facing transgender rival
-
'Everyone worried' by Trump tariffs in France's champagne region
-
Italy's Brignone suffers broken leg with Winter Olympics looming
-
Iyer blitz powers Kolkata to big IPL win over Hyderabad
-
Russian soprano Netrebko to return to London's Royal Opera House
-
French creche worker gets 25 years for killing baby with drain cleaner
-
UK avoids worst US tariffs post-Brexit, but no celebrations
-
Canada imposing 25% tariff on some US auto imports
-
Ruud wants 'fair share' of Grand Slam revenue for players
-
Lesotho, Africa's 'kingdom in the sky' jolted by Trump
-
Trump's trade math baffles economists
-
Gaza heritage and destruction on display in Paris
-
'Unprecedented crisis' in Africa healthcare: report
-
Pogacar gunning for blood and thunder in Tour of Flanders
-
Macron calls for suspension of investment in US until tariffs clarified
-
Wall St leads rout as world reels from Trump tariffs
-
Mullins gets perfect National boost with remarkable four-timer
-
Trump tariffs hammer global stocks, dollar and oil
-
Authors hold London protest against Meta for 'stealing' work to train AI
-
Tate Modern gifted 'extraordinary' work by US artist Joan Mitchell
-
Mexico president welcomes being left off Trump's new tariffs list
-
Tonali eager to lead Newcastle back into Champions League
-
Lesotho hardest hit as new US tariffs rattle Africa
-
Stellantis pausing some Canada, Mexico production over Trump auto tariffs
-
Rising odds asteroid that briefly threatened Earth will hit Moon
-
Italy reels from Brignone broken leg with Winter Olympics looming
-
Is the Switch 2 worth the price? Reviews are mixed
-
Ancelotti’s tax trial wraps up in Spain with prosecutors seeking jail
-
Civilians act to bring aid to Myanmar earthquake victims
-
US trade gap narrows in February ahead of bulk of Trump tariffs

Tech sector's energy transition draws attention at Vegas show
With its focus on innovative products and cutting-edge technology, the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has not historically paid much attention to energy companies.
But there were signs of a shift at this year's Las Vegas event, as the tech sector begins to confront its substantial energy needs, which are certain to grow as cloud computing and artificial intelligence advance.
"If you'd asked me to do CES five years ago, I wouldn't necessarily have seen the point," said Sebastien Fiedorow, chief executive of the French start-up Aerleum, which manufactures synthetic fuel from carbon dioxide (C02).
"But we are in a very different CES than five years ago," he told AFP, adding that even if energy companies remain "on the fringes" of CES, "we're here."
"It's a good first opportunity," he added.
Data centers accounted for 4.4 percent of US electricity needs in 2023, a figure that is likely to rise to 12 percent by 2028, according to the US Department of Energy.
Gary Shapiro, chief executive of the Consumer Technology Association, which organizes CES, said energy transition was intended to be "a big focus" of this year's show.
"It's something we've talked about for awhile," he added, stressing that the tech sector needs "innovative solutions" to ensure it has the power it requires moving forward.
- 'Not the most sexy' -
Among the companies pitching such innovation at CES, which wrapped up on Friday, was the Dutch firm LV Energy, which generates electricity from sound and vibrations.
General director Satish Jawalapersad said the company's presence at the show was noteworthy.
"The fact that we're here with the CES does say something, definitely," he told AFP.
But LV Energy didn't mention artificial intelligence in its presentation, which he said likely suppressed interest, with AI being "the magic word," at CES.
"Maybe we're not the most sexy... because we don't say those words," he told AFP.
Other energy firms also acknowledged a struggle to break through.
DataGreen, another French company, aims to build smaller, greener data centers that run on renewable power, saving tech companies money by reducing data storage costs.
Cloud computing giants have so far shown no interest, said DataGreen's head of AI, Julien Choukroun.
"For now, they don't see the point (in partnering with DataGreen) but we're trying to convince them," Choukroun said.
The company won an innovation award at CES this year, its first appearance at the show, and Choukroun argued its services are essential.
"We can't continue to increase the hangar space (of data centers)," he said, stressing the land available to house sprawling storage sites "is not infinite."
He voiced confidence that once Big Tech realizes DataGreen offers cost savings, that will "be more persuasive than the 'green'" aspect.
- Changing mindsets -
Jordan Huyghe, product manager at the French company Otrera, which designs small nuclear reactors, said a major change in the relationship between tech and the energy sector will require investment from giants like Amazon, Google and Microsoft.
Amazon is already the world's largest purchaser of renewable energy.
In September, Microsoft signed a deal with Constellation Energy to reopen the Three Mile Island power plant in the US state of Pennsylvania, the scene of a devastating nuclear meltdown in 1979.
Energy from the plant will power Microsoft data centers.
Solutions, Huyghe said, can come from companies big enough to fund them.
"To move forward on projects like these, you need to raise money," he said.
While interest remains muted for smaller players, Jawalapersad of LV Energy said his company has "numerous leads" in the United States.
Fiedorow of Aerleum said there was no doubt the tech sector's focus on energy is growing.
"We produce fuel and work on a technology that is pretty far removed from the focus of the Consumer Electronics Show," he said.
Aerleum's presence in Las Vegas "shows that the mindset is changing."
P.Hernandez--AT