the ACCC Cardiff has been developed by Green GEN Cymru

AN electricity grid operator has marked St David’s Day by naming its new pylon technology after the Welsh capital. Devised by Ofgem-licensed Green GEN Cymru as a variation on the cables used to distribute electricity on pylon routes, the technology has been formally designated the ‘ACCC Cardiff’.

It follows naming convention established by other international variants, including the ‘Hamburg’ and ‘Oslo’ conductors. Gen Cymru is the independent specialist infrastructure arm of Bute Energy. It has been designed to withstand challenging Welsh weather conditions.

The ACCC (aluminium conductor composition core) Cardiff is also crucially designed to provide higher capacity and reliable long-term performance. Green GEN Cymru will deploy the variant on L7c pylons. At a standard 27m tall and 5m wide, these pylons are half the size of typical 400 kV towers.

The new conductor can double the capacity of smaller pylons – an upgrade the developer says can modernise and enhance critical grid infrastructure while dramatically reducing its visual impact.

READ MORE: The verdict on the promise of £14bn of rail investment in Wales over the long-termREAD MORE: Next Welsh Government needs to help realise huge potential of renewables

The news comes with electricity demand in Wales projected to triple by 2050. New and enhanced distribution networks are needed to meet this demand, and to connect renewable energy sources to homes and businesses.

Green GEN Cymru earned the right to name the technology as the first developer to type test and deploy the conductor. Steve Rowlands, head of construction at Green GEN Cymru, said: “We’re proud to have put Cardiff on the map as an engine of innovation in the energy sector. Wales has ambition to generate growth, skills and jobs through the industry. We are motivated to support our nation’s energy future, and the capital embodies that spirit.

“We are committed to deploying technologies designed for our landscape and our communities. The ACCC Cardiff allows us to carry far greater capacity on smaller, less visually intrusive pylons.

I’m delighted our application was successful, and I look forward to seeing the ACCC Cardiff used on projects around the world.”

Stuart George, chief executive of Gen Cymru, said: “We are delighted to recognise Cardiff as a centre of expertise and innovation.

“The ACCC Cardiff is just one example of how we’re innovating when it comes to network technology. We’re always looking to see where we can improve and help to bring cutting-edge solutions to the industry.

“Investing in this vital infrastructure and advanced technologies is fundamental to achieving our ambition to harness innovation, drive economic growth, create high-quality jobs and strengthen Wales’ energy security.”

UK Government Minister of State for Energy Michael Shanks said:“We are upgrading an electricity grid system largely designed in the 1960s, so lower cost clean energy can be transported to power up homes and businesses.

“Innovations to increase our grid capacity can help us make the most of clean power generated in Wales and across Britain, and getting us off the rollercoaster of fossil fuel markets.”

Thailand is proposing to reduce visa-free stays for foreign nationals to address overstays and illegal immigration, impacting tourism and businesses.

Key Points

• Proposed Visa Changes: Thailand is considering reducing visa-free stays for foreign nationals from 60 to 30 days to address concerns about overstays and illegal immigration. This potential policy shift aims to balance tourism growth with national security, affecting tourists and businesses relying on current immigration laws.
• Impact on Tourism and Businesses: Tourism professionals are worried that shorter visa-free periods may deter international visitors, particularly retirees and digital nomads.
• Recommendations for Foreign Nationals: Foreign visitors should stay updated on potential changes and ensure adherence to Thai immigration laws. Those planning extended stays are advised to explore alternative visa options and seek guidance from immigration experts to effectively manage these forthcoming regulations.

Thailand’s Immigration Policy Review

Thailand is currently evaluating its immigration policies, particularly the potential reduction of visa-free stays for foreign tourists. A goal of this assessment is to combat the rising issues of visa overstays and illegal immigration. Currently, many nationalities (93) enjoy up to 60 days of visa-free travel, but the increasing number of tourists exceeding this limit has prompted authorities to reconsider the allowed duration. This proposed change may impact various foreign nationals, including digital nomads and retirees, who frequently stay longer in the country, presenting challenges to both them and the hospitality sector.

How such changes could affect foreign visitors and businesses operating in Thailand? With the anticipated reduction, ease of short-term travel for business and leisure could suffer, ultimately influencing foreign investment and the expatriate community’s stability within Thailand.

Balancing Security and Tourism

The Thai government’s primary motivation behind these proposed immigration shifts is improving national security while still promoting a welcoming atmosphere for genuine travelers. As the nation grapples with the rising incidence of visa violations, officials aim to tighten regulations without severely impacting tourism volumes. While immediate concerns from tourism professionals suggest a possible decline in arrivals, some analysts argue that enhanced immigration control could foster a sustainable tourism model in the long run. Foreign nationals are encouraged to remain informed about legal stipulations to ensure compliance and enjoy uninterrupted access to Thailand’s diverse offerings.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Saturday publicly defended his company’s new Pentagon deal, just a day after President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to cut ties with rival Anthropic.

Hours after the U.S. and Israel launched a joint strike against Iran, Altman took to X to answer questions about the agreement allowing the Department of War (DoW) to deploy OpenAI’s artificial intelligence (AI) models on its classified network.

“I’d like to answer questions about our work with the DoW and our thinking over the past few days,” he said.

In announcing the agreement late Friday, Altman wrote, “AI safety and wide distribution of benefits are the core of our mission. Two of our most important safety principles are prohibitions on domestic mass surveillance and human responsibility for the use of force, including for autonomous weapon systems. The DoW agrees with these principles, reflects them in law and policy, and we put them into our agreement.”

OPENAI REACHES PENTAGON AGREEMENT AS TRUMP ORDERS ANTHROPIC OFF FEDERAL SYSTEMS

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman defended his company’s Pentagon agreement after President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to phase out rival Anthropic. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

The OpenAI agreement came as Trump directed every federal agency to stop using Anthropic technology, setting a six-month phase-out period and intensifying the dispute over how AI should be used in military operations.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said he was directing the department to designate Anthropic a “supply-chain risk to National Security.”

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei had refused demands from the DoW to allow its AI to be used for “all lawful purposes,” citing concerns about “mass domestic surveillance” and “fully autonomous weapons.”

When asked why the DoW accepted OpenAI but not Anthropic, Altman said, “Anthropic seemed more focused on specific prohibitions in the contract, rather than citing applicable laws, which we felt comfortable with.” He added that Anthropic “may have wanted more operational control than we did.”

OPENAI’S $110B FUNDING ROUND DRAWS INVESTMENT FROM AMAZON, NVIDIA, SOFTBANK

President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to cut ties with Anthropic, intensifying a dispute over military AI use. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

Altman said the DoW did not issue any explicit or implicit threats before the agreement was reached, adding that Pentagon officials were “genuinely surprised we were willing to consider” classified work.

He said OpenAI initially planned to do only non-classified work with the Pentagon, but that talks accelerated this week.

“We thought the DoW clearly needed an AI partner, and doing classified work is clearly much more complex. We have said no to previous deals in classified settings that Anthropic took. We started talking with the DoW many months ago about our non-classified work. This week things shifted into high gear on the classified side. We found the DoW to be flexible on what we needed, and we want to support them in their very important mission,” Altman said.

APPLE IMPLEMENTING AGE VERIFICATION TOOL TO ENSURE USERS ARE 18 AND UP FOR SOME APPS

Sam Altman addressed questions on X about OpenAI’s classified work with the Department of War. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Altman also addressed criticism that the agreement appeared rushed, saying OpenAI moved quickly to “de-escalate the situation.”

“I think the current path things are on is dangerous for Anthropic, healthy competition and the U.S.,” he said. “We negotiated to make sure similar terms would be offered to all other AI labs.”

Altman acknowledged he remains concerned that a future legal dispute could expose OpenAI to the same supply-chain risk designation imposed on Anthropic.

“If we have to take on that fight we will, but it clearly exposes us to some risk,” he said. “I am still very hopeful this is going to get resolved, and part of why we wanted to act fast was to help increase the chances of that.”

ALTMAN CALLS MUSK’S SPACE DATA CENTER PLANS ‘RIDICULOUS’ FOR CURRENT AI COMPUTING NEEDS

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman arrives to testify before a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing titled “Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation,” on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 8, (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters / Reuters)

Anthropic previously told Fox News Digital that Hegseth’s designation of the company as a supply-chain risk “follows months of negotiations that reached an impasse over two exceptions we requested to the lawful use of our AI model, Claude: the mass domestic surveillance of Americans and fully autonomous weapons.”

Altman also addressed questions about whether the federal government could attempt to nationalize OpenAI or other AI development.

“I obviously don’t know; I have thought about it of course… but it doesn’t seem super likely on the current trajectory,” he said. “That said, I do think a close partnership between governments and the companies building this technology is super important.”

Altman said the most difficult aspect of the agreement to reconcile involved “non-domestic surveillance.”

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“I have accepted that the US military is going to do some amount of surveillance on foreigners, and I know foreign governments try to do it to us, but I still don’t like it,” he said. “I think it is very important that society thinks through the consequences of this; perhaps the single principle I care most about for AI is that it is democratized, and I can see surveillance making that worse.”

“On the other hand, I also respect the democratic process. I don’t think this is up to me to decide,” he added.