Come along for a flawless drive on FSD beta 11.4.7 to check out some different electric bikes in Austin, Texas. These bikes are easy to operate and are very fast. I tested out a few bikes and really enjoyed the hospitality of the folks at the Bike Farm at 5440 Burnet Road in Austin.
Come join me for our 28th podcast with info on FSDbeta 11.4.7 and buying eBikes ⚡️🔋 pic.twitter.com/oPJ5Z6j7a6
Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author and podcaster is to support Tesla (the most American vehicle manufacturer) and Elon Musk in both making life better on Earth for humans and becoming a space-fairing civilization.
In the rapidly evolving world of renewable energy and distributed resources, Tesla, Inc. has emerged as a leader in customer care and innovation through its groundbreaking participation in the ERCOT Aggregated Distributed Energy Resource (ADER) Pilot Project in the State of Texas. Over the course of just one year, Tesla has achieved remarkable milestones, showcasing its unwavering commitment to providing exceptional service to its customers and driving the transition towards a more sustainable and reliable energy grid.
The ADER Pilot Project was initiated following discussions and directives laid out in a memorandum dated July 13, 2022, in Project No. 51603. This visionary project aimed to explore the integration of distributed energy resources into the ERCOT grid, transforming them into virtual power plants (VPPs) capable of providing essential energy and reserves. Tesla, Inc. took on the challenge with gusto, and the results are nothing short of impressive.
Pioneering the Future of Energy Participation
One of the most significant accomplishments of the ADER Pilot Project is the establishment of a mechanism for controllable Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) to actively participate in ERCOT’s 5-minute dispatch. Unlike traditional demand-side response programs, Tesla’s innovation allows individual devices to act as electricity injectors or non-injectors, responding dynamically to grid conditions with the precision expected of conventional generation resources.
Tesla’s engineers developed an ADER control system that anticipates availability and influences response every five minutes. This revolutionary system takes into account the unique characteristics, constraints, and preferences of each site and device, ensuring a response that matches or exceeds the capabilities of traditional generation or storage resources.
Setting New Standards for Grid Integration
The ADER Pilot Project also achieved milestones in collaboration with distribution utilities, ensuring safe and reliable integration of DERs. Distribution utilities played a crucial role in commissioning and operating ADERs, working closely with Tesla to develop a registration and qualification process. In under a year, Tesla established a functional process to identify potential participants, validate interconnections, maintain precise customer premise information, and verify non-overlapping demand response program participation.
This work has not only facilitated the integration of ADERs into the grid but has also provided distribution utilities with unprecedented visibility into the impacts of ADERs on their systems. This level of detailed information exchange is a testament to Tesla’s dedication to transparency and cooperation in its customer care approach.
Empowering Customers through Real-time Engagement
Customer engagement and transparency have been cornerstones of Tesla’s approach to the ADER Pilot Project. Tesla Electric customers have been empowered with knowledge about ERCOT prices, energy sellback rates, and grid conditions. They understand the significance of ERCOT’s high offer cap and the role it plays as dispatchable capacity during peak periods. Tesla’s ADER pilot has enhanced customer engagement by providing real-time information through its Tesla app.
Customers are not only connected to ERCOT markets through their devices but also through the Tesla app, which offers notifications about Tesla Powerwall deployment based on ERCOT Load Zone Price. Tesla has even introduced dynamic price settings and web-based/mobile notifications, giving customers more control and awareness of their energy consumption.
Creating Innovative Customer Incentives
Innovation doesn’t stop at grid integration; Tesla has also been at the forefront of developing customer incentives. Customers participating in the ADER Pilot Project can now receive monthly bill credits reflecting their contributions to the program. These bill credits can often exceed the value created by each customer, making it a financially attractive proposition.
Tesla’s forward-looking approach aims to retain customer engagement with consistent revenue streams while creating additional incentives for peak demand periods. By continually rewarding customers for their participation, Tesla ensures a mutually beneficial relationship with its customers, aligning their interests with grid reliability.
Paving the Way for Future Participation
Tesla’s commitment to innovation extends beyond its own customer base. The company has worked to enable third-party participation in the ADER Pilot Project, recognizing the importance of expanding ADER populations to create a sustainable and meaningful impact on ERCOT.
The project has also led to the development of precise measurement and verification processes, ensuring accurate load curtailment at a device level. This level of detail is critical for maintaining grid reliability and optimizing the use of DERs.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
While Tesla has achieved remarkable success in the first year of the ADER Pilot Project, challenges remain. The company has identified the need for higher caps to make ADERs economically viable on a larger scale. Additionally, the introduction of the Dispatchable Reliability Reserve Service (DRRS) poses new considerations for ADERs’ future revenue potential. Tesla remains dedicated to addressing these challenges and ensuring the long-term viability of ADERs in the ERCOT market.
In conclusion, Tesla, Inc.’s efforts in the ADER Pilot Project exemplify its unwavering dedication to customer care and innovation. By pioneering new standards for grid integration, empowering customers through real-time engagement, creating innovative incentives, and enabling future participation, Tesla is driving the transition towards a more sustainable and reliable energy future. As the ADER Pilot Project progresses, Tesla’s commitment to customer care and innovation will undoubtedly continue to shine as a beacon of progress in the energy industry.
ADER Task force Chair Jason Ryan and Co-Chair Arushi Sharma Frank at the PUC in Austin, Texas.
Elon Musk live streaming in Palo Alto, California.
Late Friday evening on August 25th, Elon Musk drove around Palo Alto in his Model S Tesla with white seats and a kid’s car seat in the back. This was no ordinary drive, he allowed the vehicle to drive around the idyllic town with millions of viewers!
Using his iPhone and live streaming simultaneously on the X App, he explained the vehicle’s autonomy in real-time.
I was lucky enough to not only watch the broadcast live from my home in Austin, Texas, but I also got to report on it in real time as well!
Here’s what I call my “Drive Fun Summary” of Elon Musk’s amazing live stream!
DRIVE FUN SUMMARY
Since I am a writer I seized the opportunity to write about the drive while it was happening! Enjoy! It was a pleasure to watch (link to video below)!
THE HIGHLIGHTS
The near 45-minute drive began at the Tesla Engineering HQ and Elon pinned a random spot and engaged FSD beta V12. The car passed construction flawlessly. It also slowed down for a speed bump, based on what a human would do, not based on what a line of code told it to do. He mentioned the same is true for bicycles and stop signs. The car uses the neural net to decide – like a human would – to stop at a stop sign.
At a “round-about” Elon’s car waited for 2 cars, then took its turn. Elon said there is about 100 watts of inference compute (all local) on hardware 3. Elon explained that no internet connection is needed. It uses 8 cameras at 36 frames per second. The reality of the roads are based on 24 frames per second.
Elon joked, “Hello assassins if you want to get me, head to Palo Alto.” Thankfully Elon Musk stayed safe the entire livestream.
Elon said there are FSD test drivers in Japan, Europe, and all over the world.
The vehicle drove around students who were walking around the Stanford Campus. At another round-about, Elon reassured drivers there is no line of code for this, as it is trained on data.
Elon and his AI Engineer (also presenting the car) explained that Tesla’s data curation needs to be trained on excellent data, and not mediocre data. High quality data is always selected from the fleet.
When interventions occur in the fleet, it is integrated with training and then updated with the weights.
Elon invited viewers to edit his live video and speed it up.
On the drive, Elon did not have to intervene even once. He said that with traffic lights, there’s no code in V12 to say what light colors stand for. Instead, all training is done on neural nets.
For fun, Elon decided to head over to Mark Zuckerburg’s neighborhood in real-time. When he arrived it was just a bunch of homes on a street, not really Zuck’s home, which would have been surrounded with high security.
On the ride back to the Tesla Engineering HQ, here’s the main highlights:
– Ride was super SMOOTH, with Elon playing lovely Classical music
– Palo Alto reminds Elon of the perfection seen in the movie, “The Truman Show.”
– The car was very polite/conservative with Pedestrians and bicyclists, meaning it was cartious and slow around them (and so was Elon as he did not film them).
– Training is needed all around the world as the weather in California is too nice, and situations are needed with parades, people, etc.
– A successful unprotected LEFT turn onto a high-speed road was achieved.
– V12 will be ASS (meaning Smart Summon will work well)
– Intuitive Smooth speed-up in places (different than posted speed)
– Elon had lovely music playing (we would love Elon’s Playlist!)
– Tesla Engineering HQ is at the “former HP headquarters.” (an honor for Tesla). Note the Tesla HQ is Austin, Texas.
– Tesla parking lot was pretty full, even at 7 p.m. on a Friday night. How did FSD beta do, getting into the hectic parking lot? It went perfectly to the “pinned” spot!
– Pure AI driving does NOT have to have a map. It can do what a human would also do without a map.
If you would like to watch this video, you can here:
Elon Musk live stream in a Tesla on August 25, 2023.
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Here are a few more screen shots from the drive.
In this article, I’ll provide you with tips to optimize the performance, and reliability of your EV, whether you live in a hot region or elsewhere. I live in Texas where it has been over 105 °F many days in a row (over 40° C). My Tesla runs great in extreme heat!
How do I prefer to have my Tesla serviced? I use the Tesla Mobile Service feature and specifically request service when I am at work. Why then? I personally trust and know the Mobile Service technicians, they are reliable, consistent, and professional. Once you develop a trust relationship, it is gold!
Tip 1: Check and Refresh Cabin Air Filters
If you or your family members suffer from seasonal allergies, maintaining clean and fresh air inside your vehicle becomes crucial. Regularly inspect and replace the cabin air filters or HEPA filters according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Over time, dust, pollen, and other particles can accumulate, reducing the filter’s effectiveness. For example, Tesla recommends replacing the cabin air filter in Model Y and Model 3 every 2 years and the HEPA filter every 3 years. Be sure to consult your vehicle’s recommendations for optimal air filtration.
Tip 2: Tire Rotation, Balance, and Wheel Alignment
Proper tire maintenance is essential for optimal performance and durability, especially in hot weather. Refer to your car’s manufacturer recommendations for tire rotation intervals and follow them accordingly. Tesla, for instance, suggests rotating tires every 6,250 miles or if the tread depth difference reaches 2/32 inches or more. Additionally, ensure your wheels are balanced and aligned to maintain optimum steering and handling. Vibrations caused by unbalanced or misaligned wheels can compromise safety. Frequent tire servicing may be necessary if you engage in aggressive driving.
Tip 3: Brake Fluid Test
Image Courtesy Zach on X @blkmdl3
Regular brake fluid contamination tests are good to ensure brake safety. Perform this test every 2 years to identify any potential issues such as moisture, dirt, or contaminants that can impact brake performance. Addressing these issues promptly can prevent corrosion and potential brake failure, ensuring the continued smooth operation of your brakes.
Tip 4: Air Conditioning Service
Your EV’s air conditioning (A/C) system plays a vital role in hot weather. It helps dehumidify the cabin and enhances overall cooling performance. Follow the recommended replacement schedules for components like the A/C desiccant bag to maintain efficient A/C operation. Replace the desiccant bag as per the manufacturer’s guidelines, such as every 4 years for Tesla Model 3 and Model Y (6 years for Model 3 produced between 2017 and 2021 without a heat pump).
Bonus Tip 5: Schedule Brake Caliper Cleaning and Lubricating
Though this article primarily focuses on hot weather, it’s worth mentioning this bonus tip for cold weather regions. Harsh conditions like freezing temperatures, snow, ice, and road salt can accelerate wear and corrosion on brake calipers. To ensure optimal performance and longevity of your braking system, schedule a cleaning and lubrication of all brake calipers every 12 months or 12,500 miles.
Remember to also maintain your charging equipment. Regularly inspect the charging cables, connectors, and adapters for any signs of wear, damage, or dirt buildup. Keeping the charging port clean with a soft brush or cloth will help ensure an uninterrupted charging connection, allowing for efficient charging and optimal vehicle performance.
If you liked this article, follow and subscribe to @gailalfaratx on X. Thank you! All images used with permission from @blkmdl3
Your Tesla Battery is Guaranteed. It is built to serve your needs. Whether you have 2170, 4680, or LFP batteries in your Tesla, it comes with a warranty. Here are the details, taken today from the Tesla website.
These warranties cover the repair or replacement necessary to correct defects in the materials or workmanship of any parts manufactured or supplied by Tesla, which occur under normal use.
FACT: The existing warranty on any Tesla is transferred to the new owner if you purchase the vehicle from Tesla.
Tesla says in the 2021 Impact Report,
“Our batteries are designed to function for the entire life of the vehicle. Tesla’s battery packs are designed to outlast the vehicle.
We estimate that a vehicle gets scrapped after approximately 200,000 miles of usage in the U.S. and roughly 150,000 miles in Europe.
Creating a battery that could last for 1,000,000 miles (4,000 charging cycles) would dramatically reduce the emissions per mile driven for high-mileage vehicles such as taxis, delivery vans, or trucks.”
Range varies on Tesla vehicles for many reasons. For example, if your Model Y was bought with a range of ~318 miles on the battery. You should expect your vehicle will retain a range of over 222 miles by the time you reach 120,000 miles. In the rare case that your Y does not then know that Tesla will replace the battery for free. Tesla may also decide to replace your battery if it has a defect or problem like the inability to charge.
The Average EV Will Never Need A Battery Replacement
It is a myth to assume that the average EV needs a battery replacement at some point in its life, according to Tesla,
“Extending the life of a battery pack is a superior option to recycling for both environmental and business reasons. For those reasons, before decommissioning a consumer battery pack and sending it for recycling, Tesla does everything it can to extend the useful life of each battery pack.
Any battery that is no longer meeting a customer’s needs can be serviced by Tesla at one of our service centers around the world.
None of our scrapped lithium-ion batteries go to landfill, and 100% are recycled.”
Tesla Batteries Are Recycled
Tesla says in their 2021 Impact Report,
“Every battery used in R&D or returned from the field that cannot be remanufactured is recycled. Tesla batteries, including the battery packs in our vehicles and our energy storage products, are made to last many years, and therefore, we have received a limited number of them back from the field. Most batteries that Tesla recycles today are pre-consumer, coming to us through R&D and quality control. None of our scrapped lithium-ion batteries go to landfills and 100% are recycled.”
Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.
My Thoughts about Different Batteries
Which battery is better in a Tesla? 2170, 4680, or LFP? My opinion is that it is an advantage to be able to charge to 100% daily and the LFP battery is the only one that can do this safely. However, if you live where you cannot plug in at night and slow charge till the morning, LFPs are not much of an advantage to you. LFPs are also denser, and heavier, leading to slightly less range their weight means that your vehicle’s tires may need changing sooner. On the flip side, the 2170 batteries also have my heart. Both my Tesla vehicles have 2170s and I am satisfied with their reliable performance. Then we have the revolutionary new 4690 batteries which delightfully form the structural pack for most of the best-selling Model Y vehicles. These are known to be more efficient than the 2170’s so they are an advantage as well. As you can see, all Tesla vehicle batteries are great and in the end, you won’t notice which batteries you are using, but you will notice the safety, speed, comfort, and precision of your Tesla. This matters more than the battery beneath your seats.
Enjoy your Tesla, Do Not Worry
I am very happy with my two Tesla vehicles, a 2022 Model Y and a 2020 Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive that was bought with a range of 250 miles on the battery. My Model 3 battery currently retains 86% of its original range of 216 miles. I expect my Model 3 will retain a range of over 175 miles by the time I reach 100,000 miles.
I was in part inspired to write this article by Sofiaan Fraval who had his Model 3’s battery replaced under Tesla’s warranty, “Although it’s not new info, it’s often forgotten about or overlooked over time. I just got a pack replacement for my 3 under warranty and cost me $0. It actually bumped my range up by 11 miles and the car charges quicker. Super happy about it.” Sofiaan advises, “Tesla owners needn’t worry about battery packs, and should fully enjoy their Teslas!”
Tesla is doing a lot of good in this world, much of which was shared in the Tesla Q2 2023 Update on July 19, 2023. I hope you enjoy this article, and that it leaves you with optimism & hope for the future!
(Austin, Texas) On Investor Day 2023, Elon Musk and the Tesla team explained how a global sustainable economy is within reach through these six actions:
1. Repower the Existing Grid with Renewables
2. Switch to Electric Vehicles
3. Switch to Heat Pumps in Residential, Business & Industry
4. Electrify High Temperature Heat Delivery and Hydrogen Production
5. Sustainably Fuel Planes & Boats
6. Manufacture the Sustainable Energy Economy
I’m confident that many companies around the world are making progress towards these actions and I believe Tesla is showing and leading the way!
REPOWER THE EXISTING GRID WITH RENEWABLES
Success is imminent in this arena. Thus far, ½ million Tesla Powerwalls have been installed on homes by customers. I personally installed 3 Powerwalls recently and am excited to be a part of what will make Texas become a strong force in the energy economy. I believe that being solid in energy, or defying the odds in these times of climate extremes, means Texas can lead. Last year, I spoke to the ERCOT board of directors in Texas, urging the leadership to do everything they can to promote Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) in Texas. I watched the Tesla Energy team spend years getting to the point where they are now in Texas. Tesla Electric started in Texas and will one day reach to all states.
VPP regulatory challenges are hard, as mentioned during the Tesla Q2 2023 Update, and that cannot and does not stop Tesla Energy from meeting the challenges. The best case for VPPs is they are much cheaper and much faster to respond to grid weakness than traditional fossil fuel peakers.
ENERGY AND SERVICES & OTHER BUSINESSES
Tesla has deployed 3653 MWh of energy storage Megapacks. This is an incredible 222% increase over last year, where 113 MWh were deployed. This is a testament to the incredible work of the Megapack manufacturing plant in Lathrop, California.
The current Tesla Electric pilot program for charging for Model 3 owners will expand to all Tesla owners in Texas later this year.
SWITCH TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Image Model Y credit Tesla, Inc.
When looking at the current business, Tesla’s number one priority is investment, and that includes investment AI and capacity expansion. The second top priority is to maximize volume in a way that can support expansion.
Has volume been expanding? Yes, Elon Musk thanked Tesla owners for making the Model Y become a best-seller over cars like the Toyota Corolla. This is important, given Tesla is just getting started with production at scale because Tesla will maximize volume in a way that can support even more expansion. Tesla had the best-ever vehicle production and deliveries in a single quarter, with a total of 466,140 deliveries, and they are just getting started!
— Remember, in Q2-2022 (just 12 months ago), there were a total of 254,695 vehicle deliveries.
To accelerate the switch to EVs, Tesla makes Full-Self driving (FSD) software and hardware available to other OEMs. It is now known that Tesla is in serious talks with another OEM to license their FSD software and hardware. This is exciting news as it means it will make that other carmaker an alluring competitor to other traditional gasoline cars.
SUPERCHARGING AND THE NACS
As you may know, Supercharging in the Tesla Network is a seamless experience. The Tesla Charging standard – or the “NACS” is part of Tesla’s way to help accelerate the EV revolution. Many other automakers have already announced they will adopt the NACS so that their EVs can supercharge in the Tesla Network. This includes Ford, Mercedes, Rivian, Volva, Polestar, and Nissan! You’ll see a level playing field, meaning all EVs will be welcomed.
Q3 is an important time for doing some critical upgrades to all of Tesla’s gigafactories. These upgrades will mean that production rates will improve dramatically.
Elon explained the real-time pulse updates he gets. He said there are challenges in increasing interest rates, making it important to therefore decrease the price of the car to make up for increased interest rates.
ROBOTAXI
Elon Musk carefully explained that “Every car may be worth 5X as much as today due to autonomy.” He compared Robotaxi to Airbnb and discussed a step-change in history.
Elon Musk on vehicle order intake: “Demand has roughly tracked production, which is what we aim for; we have real-time demand and real-time production data.”
Lars Moravy of Vehicle Engineering said there’s a misconception about giga castings, which are in Model 3 and Y. Giga casting is 3X faster and much cheaper. Collision repair is in a closed (in-house) loop so when collisions occur, inserts can be replaced in the castings and this is done often and easily.
Elon commented that the referral program is and will continue to be effective. He also said that many people (potential customers) are not breaking even every month, and macroeconomic conditions are impossible to control. He’s correct, I have spoken to many people who struggle every day to meet bills. Elon is well aware of this and thankfully is engineering solutions for people.
Giga Texas 4680 battery cell production increased by 80% in Q2 over Q1. The Giga Texas team produced over 10M cells, there was a beautiful image shared of the team by the Tesla X account.
Tesla is creating a unique Cybercell to bring energy density and cost improvements. Drew Baglino, SVP of Powertrain and Energy Engineering at Tesla, said Tesla is scaling their Cybercell 4680 battery for use in Cybertruck.
Elon Musk has been key to Cybertruck’s engineering and development, walking the production line and driving it around Austin, Texas. He said Cybertruck is the first truck that we’re aware of that will have four doors, over a 6-foot bed, and will fit into a 20-foot garage. So, it’s sort of biggest on the outside, but it’s even bigger on the inside.”
In more good news, Tesla has seen a reduction in pricing, across the across-the-board for all commodities, such as nickel, cobalt and graphite. This is good not only for Tesla but also for many other companies involved in the transition to a sustainable energy economy.
CONCLUSION
Finding ways to power our world with sustainable energy is necessary for maximum happiness for humanity.
While short-term stock fluctuations are fun to play with, that’s like candy in a candy shop. The serious meat is accelerating the transition to a world economy that is powered by sustainable energy. That’s why this article is about what progress is being made towards Master Plan 3, as communicated by Elon Musk and Tesla leadership at the Q2, 2023 Update.
I am rooting for a continued switch to heat pumps in residential, business & industry, the electrification of high-temperature heat delivery and hydrogen production, and sustainably fueled planes & boats.
Giga Texas Cybertruck Production Line, Image Credit Tesla, Inc.
Elon Musk recommends people follow @fintwit_news on X and look at the analysis by ARK Invest. Article by Gail Alfar, please credit accordingly.
They do, and it’s on their website, and it features things like tire management, how best to pre-condition the interior so the cabin is cool when you enter the vehicle, and much more. I’ll link to it for you, and here are my fav hacks for handling the heat.
Sunshades!
Sunshades make a huge difference in the summer and I love installing them, Tesla says,
“Help prevent heat from entering the cabin by using sunshades. With sunshades installed, your vehicle’s cabin conditioning uses less energy to maintain a desired temperature. Sunshades are available for the glass roof and rear liftgate.”
In addition to sunshades, I always throw up a big front windshield sunshade that I keep in the backseat at all times. Mine was made for the Model Y. For all my sunshades, I choose them based on size and if they have a silver reflective surface to maximize effectiveness.
Windows Closed.
This seems like a no-brainer, and I am addicted to the wind, but keeping the windows up is pure physics, and here’s what Tesla says about it,
“When you want to maximize efficiency and range while keeping your cabin temperature comfortable, drive with the windows up and set climate to ‘Auto.’ This takes full advantage of your vehicle’s aerodynamics and allows your climate system to adjust settings automatically. In ‘Auto,’ climate will reach your desired temperature as quickly as possible and maintain it with minimal energy consumption.”
I never let my vehicle’s cabin reach over 100 °F. Tesla has two ways to protect your cabin from overheating. Tesla explains,
“ON uses air conditioning to prevent the cabin from exceeding 105° F / 40° C.
“NO A/C uses less energy while still providing some cooling by blowing outside air into the cabin.
“To activate, go to ‘Controls’ > ‘Safety’ > ‘Cabin Overheat Protection’ on your vehicle touchscreen, or expand the bottom drawer in the Climate section of the Tesla app.
This summer’s heat index here in Austin has reached over 100 °F for many days in a row now. I think all cars need protection.
Please check out Tesla’s awesome tips and pass them along as we experience one of the hottest summers yet.
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Image Austin Frost Bank building at Sunset, courtesy Aerial Austin Drone Photographers
Transforming Energy Grids: Tesla’s Milestones in the ADER Pilot Project. Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.
(Austin, Texas) In a world rapidly transitioning towards sustainable energy solutions, Tesla, Inc. has emerged as a pioneering force in reshaping the way we envision and utilize energy resources. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) Aggregated Distributed Energy Resource (ADER) Pilot Project represents a significant step forward in this endeavor. In just under a year, Tesla has achieved remarkable milestones that are transforming the landscape of energy distribution and management. This article goes into some of the technical details and innovative strides taken by Tesla, Inc. in the first year of the ADER Pilot Project, highlighting the impact of this initiative on the future of all energy grids across the globe.
The ADER Pilot Project: A Groundbreaking Innovation
The ADER ERCOT Pilot Project is not just another energy initiative; it’s a groundbreaking innovation that challenges the norms of traditional energy generation and distribution. Unlike previous demand-side participation programs, the ADER Pilot Project introduces a population of distributed devices capable of being non-injectors of electricity during times of scarcity or grid need, with performance standards equivalent to conventional generation resources. This distinction marks a significant departure from the status quo in ERCOT.
Tesla’s Role in the Transformation
Tesla has played a pivotal role in driving this transformation. The company embarked on a journey to develop new processes that mirror the commercial and physical activity of traditional resources. This journey involved activities such as registration, telemetry, and asset/market operations for ADERs, which did not exist before the ADER Pilot Project. Tesla also developed an advanced ADER control system that anticipates availability and influences responses every five minutes. This control system ensures that the aggregated response aligns with customer expectations, surpassing the capabilities of traditional generation or storage resources.
Why the ADER Pilot Project Matters
The timing of the ADER Task Force’s work could not be more critical. Establishing the infrastructure and processes necessary for distributed devices to participate in grid operator dispatch is typically a multi-year endeavor. Texas stands ahead of the curve in laying the foundation for a future where grid-coordinated dispatch of distributed devices seamlessly integrates with traditional wholesale assets. This alignment is crucial for grid reliability and energy market competitiveness.
Key Milestones Achieved
Coordination with Transmission/Distribution Service Providers [TDSPs]: One of the primary objectives was to create a process to qualify DER customers for ADER participation. Distribution utilities played a crucial role in commissioning and operating ADERs, and a stable process has been established to identify potential participants, validate interconnections, maintain precise locations, and verify non-participation in overlapping demand response programs.
Communicating with Individual Devices: Tesla has been engaged in developing sophisticated communication protocols to verify ADER status in real-time and anticipate future capabilities to fulfill reserve obligations. This marks a significant step in improving the reliability and responsiveness of the grid.
Contribution to ERCOT’s Reliability Standard: Tesla has actively provided feedback on ERCOT’s development of a Reliability Standard. This standard includes metrics that consider the reliability contribution of ADERs and other DERs to the ERCOT grid, highlighting their importance in ensuring a stable energy supply.
Customer Engagement and Transparency: Transparency has been a key focus, with Tesla customers gaining a deep understanding of ERCOT prices, energy sellback rates, and grid conditions. Customers have been empowered with real-time data through the Tesla app, enhancing their awareness and engagement with the grid.
Measurement and Verification: The ADER Pilot Project tackled the challenge of measuring device response exclusive of other behind-the-meter activities. This achievement enhances the accuracy and reliability of ADERs’ participation in the grid.
Market Strategy: Tesla’s market strategy involves a dynamic approach, where customers are informed and engaged in real-time grid operations. Customers have the flexibility to provide grid services when needed, aligning with their preferences and needs.
Customer Incentives: Tesla introduced innovative incentives to encourage customer participation in ADERs. Customers receive monthly bill credits reflecting their participation, making the grid more accessible and economically beneficial.
Challenges and Future Needs
While the ADER Pilot Project has achieved significant milestones, it also highlights future challenges and needs. Key areas of concern include:
Economic Viability: Maintaining the infrastructure for ADERs at a small scale poses economic challenges. Future phases must address these concerns to enable broader participation.
Dispatchable Reliability Reserve Service (DRRS): The introduction of DRRS could impact the performance and revenue potential of ADERs. It’s crucial to ensure that ADERs remain economically viable in the evolving market landscape.
Third-Party Participation: Expanding ADER capabilities to third parties is essential for sustainability and scalability. The project should focus on enabling non-Tesla Electric customers to participate effectively.
Dynamic MPC/LPC: Continuous monitoring and reporting of ADER data are essential for maintaining optimal performance. Developing systems that capture the dynamic nature of distributed devices is a priority.
Refining Dispatch Control Systems: Further refinements in control systems are needed to ensure that ADERs consistently perform at or above the level of traditional resources.
The ADER ERCOT Pilot Project represents a significant leap towards a future where distributed energy resources function as virtual power plants (VPPs) on par with conventional resources. Tesla’s remarkable achievements in the first year of the project have demonstrated the potential of ADERs to enhance grid reliability, offer economic benefits to customers, and revolutionize the energy market. As challenges and opportunities continue to unfold, the ADER Pilot Project paves the way for a more sustainable and responsive energy grid, where every participant, from individual customers to large aggregators like Tesla, contributes to a cleaner and more reliable energy future.
Elon Musk talked on a Twitter space on July 12, 2023. Here’s what he said about his new company, xAI, AI regulation, the importance of insight followed by oversight, China’s reasons to regulate AI, “Team Humanity.” He also gives advice for young people (or anyone for that matter) as we enter into a new era and then discusses the singularity. Elon ends the discussion on a positive note, explaining why we should be optimistic about the future.
xAI
“I think I have been banging the drum on AI safety now for a long time. If I could press pause on AI or advanced AI digital superintelligence, I would. It doesn’t seem like that is realistic.
“So xAI is essentially going to build an AI, you know, you’ve got to grow an AI in a good way, hopefully.
“The premise of an AI is to sort of have an AI that is maximally curious, maximally truth-seeking, and, this may get a little esoteric here, but I think that a curious AI, one that is trying to understand the universe, I think I want it to be pro-humanity from the standpoint that humanity is just so much more interesting than not-humanity.
“Obviously, I’m a big fan of Mars and that we should become a spacefaring, civilization, and a multi-planet species, but Mars is quite frankly boring relative to Earth. It’s a bunch of rocks, and there’s no life that we’ve detected, not even microbial life.
But Earth, with the vast complexity of life that exists, is vastly more interesting than Mars.
“You just learn a lot more with humanity being there, and, I think fostering humanity, if you are trying to understand the true nature of the universe, that’s the best thing that I can come up with from an AI safety standpoint.
“I think this is better than trying to explicitly program morality into AI. because if you program in a certain morality, you have to say well what morality are you programming? Who’s making those decisions? And even if you are extremely good with how you program morality, there’s still a morality, inversion problem. This is sometimes called the Waluigi problem, which is if you program Luigi, you inherently get Waluigi by inverting Luigi.
Haha, to use Super Mario metaphors. I mean this is starting to get quite esoteric, but hopefully, this makes some sense.
Who is Waluigi? For some background, Waluigi is a fictional character in the Mario franchise. He plays the role of Luigi’s arch-rival and accompanies Wario in spin-offs from the main Mario series, often for the sake of causing mischief and problems. Interestingly, Elon played the role of Wario in a SNL skit in May 2021. Wario, similar to Waluigi, was designed to be an arch-rival to Mario, an anti-hero or an antagonist.
Elon continued,
“So, I would be a little concerned about the way AI is programming the AI to say that this is good and that’s not good. xAI is really just kind of starting out here, it will be a while before it’s relevant on the scale of OpenAI Microsoft AI or Google Deep Mind AI. Those are really the two big gorillas in the Ai right now by far.
“I could talk about this for a long time, it’s something that I’ve thought about for a really long time and actually was somewhat reluctant to do anything in this space because I am concerned about the immense power of a digital superintelligence. It’s something that, I think is maybe hard for us to even comprehend.
“Even if AI is extremely benign, the question of relevance, perhaps, comes up. If it can do anything better than any human, what’s the point of existing? That is also an issue? Do we even have relevance in such a scenario? That’s the bad side of it. The good side, obviously, is that in an AI future where you really will have (in a benign scenario) an age of plenty where, really, there will be no shortage of goods and services. Any scarcity will be simply scarcity that we self-define as scarcity. It could be a unique piece of art or a house in a specific location. It’s artificially defined scarcity but goods and services will not be scarce in a positive AGI future.
But I think it’s also important for us to worry about a terminator future in order to avoid a terminator future.
AI REGULATION
Elon also spoke about the critical nature of AI regulation,
“And I am an advocate of having some sort of regulatory oversight and I’ve actually made this point throughout the world, meeting with world leaders including in China where there is actually strong agreement that there should be AI oversight, AI regulation.
“Just as we have regulations for nuclear technology, you can’t just go make a nuke in your garage, and everyone thinks that’s cool, we don’t think that’s cool. There’s a lot of regulation around things that we think are dangerous. And even if things are not dangerous at a civilizational level, we have the FDA, we have the FAA and the DOT. There are all these regulatory authorities that we put in place to ensure public safety at an individual level but AGI is just one of those things that is potentially dangerous at a civilizational level not just at an individual level. That’s why we want to have AI regulation.
“We want to be careful in how the AI regulation is implemented, not be precipitous or heavy-handed. But there has to be some kind of referee on the field here. One of the dangers is that companies race ahead to… I think it’s actually more dangerous for companies that are behind that might take shortcuts that could be dangerous.
“You know, the FAA came into being after lots of people died in aircraft crashes and they were like, If you want to make aircraft you cannot cut corners because people are going to die. So, that’s kind of how I see AI regulation. I know a lot of people are against it but I think its the kind of thing that we should do, we should do it carefully, we should do it thoughtfully.
Elon paused here while Ro Khanna, a U.S. representative from California and Mike Gallagher U.S. representative for Wisconsin spoke. In response to their conversation, Elon added,
“It’s difficult to think of, I can’t think of a good movie or TV example of Ai that’s the benign scenario. There are some books. The Ian Banks Culture books are the best imagining of a positive AI future that I’ve read. I think the Isaac Asimov Foundation series books have somewhat of a benign AI center (the TV series divulges quite far from the books). But the most sophisticated or perhaps the most accurate view of an AI future is the Ian Banks Culture books which I highly recommend. It would be helpful for Hollywood to articulate that vision in a way that the public can understand.
INSIGHT, FOLLOWED BY OVERSIGHT
Elon said
“I think the right sequence to go with here is insight, followed by oversight. At first, it’s really just for the government to try to understand what’s going on and I think there’s some merit to an industry group, like the Motion Picture Association that I think actually should be formed so I think we’ll try to take some steps in that direction because there’s some amount of self-regulation that I think can be good here.
CHINA WILL REGULATE AI
Elon Musk in China meeting with Qin Gang, foreign minister. May, 2023.
Elon Musk is generally pro-China, he thinks China is underrated and he truly agrees the people are China are really wonderful. When he was in China, he experienced a lot of positive energy there and he noticed the Chinese people generally want the same things that people in America want. He admits there are many political challenges. He praises China for how much they have accomplished to further the electrification of vehicles and implement solar and wind power. He spoke about his trip to China,
“When I was on my recent trip to China, I did spend a fair amount of time with the Senior leadership there, talking about AI safety and some other potential dangers and pointing out that if a digital superintelligence is created that that could very well be in charge of China instead of the Chinese communist party. I think that did resonate. No government wants to find itself unseated by a digital superintelligence. So I think they actually are taking action on the regulatory front and are concerned about this as a risk and I’ve seen some comments internally within China that the companies are a bit unhappy about the government wanting to put regulatory oversight on AI. So this is something that does actually resonate even in China because when I was in China I said one of the biggest obstacles to AI regulation outside of China is the concern that China will not regulate AI and then will get ahead and they took that point to heart, it’s a logical point, I think. And I highlighted that, if you make superintelligence, the superintelligence could actually run China and that also resonated.
“So I think, try to shed as much light on this subject. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Be as open about things as possible, going from insight for a few years to oversight with consultation with the industry, is the sensible approach.
“I think the public is starting to understand the potential of AI with ChatGPT, something the public can interact with. I’ve understood the power of AI for a while, and until you have some sort of easy to use interface it’s difficult for the public to understand. It’s also the case with stable diffusion and Midjourney, you can see the incredible art that AI can create, it’s really amazing.
“I’m actually somewhat of an optimist in general, but like I said, the best way to ensure a good future is to worry about a bad one. So I think that’s the sensible thing to do, and to have discussions like this, and continue to have discussions like this.
TEAM HUMANITY
Elon spoke about how easy it is to demonize an organization or a person if you have never met them in person, saying, “When you meet with them you’re like, well, there’s not that bad! You can understand where they’re coming from and at the end of the day, we’re all part of Team Humanity, hopefully! I think we should all aspire to be part of Team Humanity! We’ve got one planet only, so far, and we don’t want to lose it. There’s that famous quote – think it might be Einstein but could be one of those internet things where you think its Einstein but its not, where it says, it doesn’t matter how WW3 was fought except that WW4 will be fought with sticks and stones.” Haha, there’s not going to be anything left! So we really want to aspire to avoid global thermonuclear warfare. We really want to avoid that, Bigtime! Hopefully, we’ll focus on positive things like becoming a spacefaring civilization, becoming a multi-plantary species, hopefully going out there and visiting other star systems, but we may discover many long-dead one-planet civilizations that never got beyond their original planet.
“I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” – Albert Einstein.
Elon continued,
“On the xAI front. If I speak to my personal motivations here, is that I’ve always just wondered what is really going on in reality. Are the aliens? Where are they? Like the Fermi paradox, I find to be intriguing and troubling if the standard model of physics is correct, the universe has been around for many billions of years, so why haven’t we seen aliens? Many members of the public are convinced the government is hiding evidence of aliens and I have not seen any evidence of aliens which is a concern. I might feel better if I saw some aliens. I have not seen one shred of evidence of aliens which is a problem. It means that life & consciousness might be incredibly rare. Maybe we are it, at least in this galaxy. The light of consciousness seems to be this tiny candle in a vast darkness and we should do our absolute best to make sure that candle does not go out.”
ELON’S THEORY ABOUT OUTCOMES RELATING TO CHINA – TAIWAN
“The most entertaining outcome is the most likely (as seen by a 3rd party, not the participants. Like, you could be watching a WW1 movie about getting blown to pieces while sipping a soda and eating popcorn. Not so great for those in the movie, but it is entertaining which does suggest it’s probably going to get hot in the Pacific. Hopefully not too hot. But it’s going to get hot. Hopefully, we can get past that and get to a positive situation for the world in the spirit of, aspirationally, we are all on Team Humanity. But it’s going to get spicey. But the most concerning thing is probably the Taiwan question over the next 3 years and the next 3 years after that I’d be surprised if there is not digital superintelligence in roughly the 5 or 6-year timeframe. If this was a Netflix Series, I’d say the season finale would be a showdown between the West and China and the Series finale will be AGI.”
ELON’S ADVICE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE (AND ANYONE)
“If someone is able to contribute to building AI in a positive way, if someone has that technical ability, that is probably the right thing to work on. For your average citizen, I think the future is definitely going to be interesting. Things get very strange in a future where the AI can basically do everything. In the benign scenario, I guess we will look for personal fulfillment in some way. I think between now and then it’s just trying to be useful. On the manufacturing front, I do think we should place much greater weight on the importance of manufacturing. I think things are shifting in that direction. Generally, when somebody asks me for advice, my advice is to try to be as useful as possible. It’s actually quite hard to be useful. If you can be of use to your fellow humans and contribute more than you take then I think that’s a great thing! I have a lot of respect for those who work hard and do make goods, and provide services, in excess of what they take. That is just a fundamentally good thing.
Elon explains the advent of AGI is often referred to as the singularity. A singularity is like a black hole. You just don’t know what happens after that. “We are on the event horizon of the singularity of digital superintelligence.”
One of the most interesting parts of all of history is the time we live in now, and Elon Musk is optimistic, he says,
“I think if I was to assign probabilities, I think it is more likely to be a positive scenario than a bad scenario, it’s just that the bad scenario is not 0% and we want to do everything we can to minimize the probability of a bad outcome with AI. I think it is maybe 70-80% likely to be a good future. Maybe a great future even! I think of the future in probabilities, nothing is for sure. The future is a set of branching probability streams.
What is the Turing Test? The Turing Test is a deceptively simple method of determining whether a machine can demonstrate human intelligence: If a machine can engage in a conversation with a human without being detected as a machine, it has demonstrated human intelligence.
Elon explains he thing we are well past The Turing Test with AI. He says,
“ChatGPT is well past the Turing Test so really we are on our way to digital superintelligence, I think it’s 5 or 6 years away. The definition of superintelligence is that it’s smarter than any human at anything. It’s not necessarily smarter than the sum of all humans, that’s a higher bar, to be smarter than the sum of all humans. Especially given that it’s the sum of all humans that are machine augmented in that we will have computers and phones and software applications. We are already defacto cyborgs, it’s just that the computer is not integrated with us. But one’s phone is already an extension of one’s self. If you leave your phone behind it feels like missing limb syndrome. You’re patting your pockets like -where did my phone go? It’s crazy the degree to which our phone is basically a supercomputer in your pocket. It is an extension of yourself. So there is a higher bar to be smarter than the sum of all humans that are computer augmented”
Elon explained this concept has caused him stress and many sleepless nights. He tries to figure out how we navigate through these facts to the best possible future for humanity as it may be the hardest problem humans have ever faced and it deserves, or rather, it demands our attention. He adds,
“I think ultimately the nation-state battles will seem parochial compared to digital superintelligence. Of all the risks that we face, there are ones that are dangerous at an individual level and dangerous at a state level and there are things dangerous at a civilizational level. Global thermonuclear warfare is dangerous at a civilizational level, some supervirus that has high mortality rates would be dangerous. I think it’s crazy to do gain-of-function research. Gain of function research is like saying – death maximization! Haha, like I don’t know who came up with this gain-of-function model!? Haha. AI is also a civilizational risk, but the thing about AI is that is has the potential to be amazing if it’s done right.
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
The hour-long talk ended with Elon Musk reminding listeners that,
“We want to maximize the collective happiness of humanity and the freedom of action of humanity. You want to look forward to the future and say that is the future I want to be a part of! And I’m excited about the future. That’s actually incredibly important in general. I’m actually concerned that there’s a pervasive pessimism in the world about the future and that’s part of what’s leading to a low birthrate in many parts of the world. I advocate for optimism. I think it’s generally better to be optimistic and wrong than pessimistic and right!
“You look up at the night sky, and see all those stars, and I wonder what’s going on up there. Are there alien civilizations? Is there life up there? Hopefully one day we find out!”
Elon Musk
This article by Gail Alfar. Please credit accordingly. Since January 2022, I have been writing and recording many of Elon Musks’ talks on my blog and here in order to preserve his important words in writing. My blog link is on my Twitter bio and I thank you for reading and for your support. You rock and you are part of Team Humanity! Thank you!
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