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The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that there are 220,000,000 shower heads installed in homes across the United States. They also estimate that about 10 percent of those shower heads are replaced each year due to wear and tear, bathroom remodeling and other reasons.

Here's what to know about buying and replacing a shower head if you're in the market for a new one.

Your shower head, along with your shower faucets, are part of your overall shower system. And the shower head, of course, is where the water comes out.

Most shower heads manufactured in the U.S. follow the National Pipe Thread standard of 1/2-inch. This helps ensure that any shower head you choose will fit into a standard shower elbow. Still, it's worth noting the outside diameter of your shower elbow and desired shower head before buying, especially if you're considering one manufactured outside the U.S.

There are three main types of shower heads:

Fixed shower heads are mounted on the wall of your shower. You can usually angle them and even adjust their height, but you can't remove them from the wall. Most people prefer multi-function shower heads like the Tibbers Shower Head that lets you change the spray pattern and pressure.

A popular option within the fixed shower head category is the rain shower head. These extra-large shower heads can be mounted on a wall or a ceiling to create the experience of standing under rainfall. They're great for anyone looking for a luxurious, spa-like shower experience. One well-rated option to consider is this Voolan Rain Shower Head.

Handheld shower heads let you hold and direct the water wherever you want. They usually have a flexible hose and are mounted on the shower wall with a bracket. This can be a good option if you regularly wash pets or children in your shower, are recovering from an injury, have mobility issues or just want an easy way to clean your shower. You can buy just the shower head or a set, like the AquaDance High Pressure Chrome Face Handheld Shower that also includes the hose and holder.

Dual shower heads have a handheld unit attached to a fixed shower head. They offer the best of both worlds if you can't decide between a fixed shower head or a handheld. One well-rated option is AquaDance Premium High Pressure Three-Way Rainfall Combo.

Gallery: 10 Ways to Keep the Cold Out This Winter (The Family Handyman)

If your shower space and budget allow, consider installing a fixed shower head and a traditional handheld shower head.

One final consideration is the shower head finish. Most people match their shower head to their bathroom faucets and other bathroom hardware. A few of today's most popular shower head finishes are copper, nickel, chrome, brass and bronze.

It's a good idea to replace your shower head if it:

No longer gives off good, strong water flow. This can be caused by sediment buildup, so you can try to clean your shower head before buying a new one.

Has an unfixable leak. First, see if you can fix your dripping shower.

Has substantial sediment buildup. This is especially common with hard water.

Has uncleanable mold. You can try to clean off mold by soaking the shower head in vinegar overnight and then running the hot water.

You might also decide to replace your shower head if you're doing a bathroom remodel or if you want a water-saving shower head. When shopping for an eco-friendly, low-flow shower head, look for the WaterSense label.

Note: Most shower head manufacturers offer a limited lifetime warranty, so check on that before you buy a new one.

Replacing a fixed shower head is usually as simple as unscrewing the old shower head, then screwing in and tightening the new one. A special situation arises when you need to install toggle bolts for an adjustable shower head within a fiberglass or plastic shower.

With handheld shower heads, you'll also need to screw the bracket into the wall if it's not already installed. Things get a little trickier with dual shower heads. You'll typically need to install a diverter that routes water to both the handheld and the fixed shower heads, but that is a fairly easy DIY endeavor.

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The Homeowner's Guide to Shower Heads - MSN Money

I have to wonder why so much attention is given to couples becoming engaged at Christmas time?

According to jewelry ads, and virtually every Hallmark Christmas movie ever made, more couples are engaged at Christmas than at any other time of the year.

Maybe its the chance to kill two turtledoves with one stone? The lure of making a diamond the gift for that year is just too good? Whatever the reason, its a very romantic trope.

What is often lacking, though, is some holly jolly attention to what a very married Christmas is really like. Not better. Not worse. Definitely different.

Mr. Wonderful is pretty much a saint. He has his own fans, and everyone finds him easygoing and charming. Obviously, hes awesome and every day is a fresh joy.

That said, he does tend to struggle with shopping. He has been pretty much spoiled in that my love language is acts of service far more than gifts. Nonetheless, I still like a nice box to unwrap from time to time.

He has in the past given me some amazing gifts. He has been fortunate in having a daughter. From an early age, Girl Wonder took over the care and keeping of moms wish list.

Unfortunately, with college and work taking precedence these days, she was not in the house to assist him in shopping this year. Accordingly, he kept asking ME what I wanted for Christmas. Like women since time began, I am prone to surprise me, which is not the answer he was hoping for.

My mother once told me, correctly, that men are terrible at reading minds, but theyre pretty good at doing exactly what theyre told. Plus, the best way to get what you want is to ask for it. I finally just sent him a link to a watch I might like to have. Nothing crazy. Reasonable price. Remember, I sent him the link, people.

Apparently, and we will glean more detail as the incident is reconstructed as we go to trial, the link would not work for him. Thus, he made the mistake of looking me the mother of his children and his wife of over two decades in the eye and uttering the fateful words: Just go ahead and order your own gift.

His calling hours will be held at the close of the pandemic. He was a good man, and we will miss him.

That is the kind of mistake no self-respecting boyfriend or girlfriend should ever make. Heres some cash, get your own present. No, baby. It takes marriage to make a man that brave.

A dear friend has also been married for ages. Recently her husband, who usually isnt insane, tricked her into going hiking. Shes a fit and fun type person, so she agreed to hike a few miles in the hills of Tennessee.

They hiked eight miles. Eight. Eight is not a few. Eight is an awful lot of miles. My friend was not amused.

Worse, her husband decided he really liked hiking. Im told he stomped around, swinging his arms and declaring that he felt invigorated. This led to his belief that they were going to become an outdoorsy hiking couple and be invigorated regularly. My friend can now often be heard muttering, I swear to God if he gives me hiking boots for Christmas

Once married, I did muddy the waters of gifting bliss by actually wanting things like a new vacuum cleaner, sofa or remodeling our bathroom to count as our gifts to each other. Nothing says I love you like a new wax ring.

Add children, and the very married Christmas takes on a new look. Mostly the look of surprise on Mr. Wonderfuls face as he was just as surprised as the children were as they opened their gifts on Christmas morning.

He is a wonderful, hardworking man, and his efforts provided the children with many glorious Christmas mornings. He also rarely had much of an idea what they were getting. I was the hunter and gather of the gifts, after all.

We have enjoyed 28 Christmases together. 24 of them married. Each of them more magical than the last. We dont always get the gift-giving right but the gift of laughing about it is always in style.

Married Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

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Have yourself a very married Christmas - Farm and Dairy

Brainerd Chemical Company Inc. is a major manufacturer and distributor of chemicals for research facilities, industrial plants and agricultural operations.

C L Boyd Company Inc., aka the Clarence L Boyd company, is the John Deere construction equipment dealer for much of Oklahoma and more than 100 years old. The Crews family has been involved in operations since the 1930s.

CACI is a $5.7 billion company whose mission and enterprise technology and expertise play a vital role in our national security, safeguarding our troops, and enabling our government to deliver cost-effective and high-quality support for all Americans..

Casualty Corporation of America, Inc. is a locally owned Oklahoma property and casualty insurance company based in Jones. The company commenced business in 1964.

CEC is a privately held, multidiscipline engineering firm whose collaborative, highly skilled problem-solvers provide solutions to improve infrastructure, from conception, to design, to construction. Incorporated in 1966, CEC has grown to more than 210 employees strong, with offices located in Texas, along with Oklahoma. Clients include numerous federal, state, municipal, county, government agencies and private organizations.

Central Technology Center, part of the Oklahoma CareerTech system, provides technical education leading to individual success and elevates the workforce through economic development collaborations. Last year, CTC had more than 20,000 enrollments and provided customized business and industry training to 400 companies. Training included a wide array of safety classes with an emphasis on tailoring curriculum to meet the needs of each specific industry.

City of Mustang offers wide-ranging services to the citizens of Mustang, a suburb of Oklahoma City. An award winning Library, unmatched recreational opportunities and programming, emergency services that are well planned, equipped and trained, a commitment to reinvest in infrastructure, a construction environment that is not over regulated, a fiscally conservative administration, a calm political climate and a willing and helpful team of employees are what make the organization successful.

Claims Management Resources adjusts and recovers property damage claims for self-insured entities. CMR partners with organizations in the utility industry and governmental agencies.

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Who are the Top Workplaces contenders? - Oklahoman.com

Three projects and initiatives in Covington and Ludlow received funding Tuesday from the 2020 Urban Revitalization grant program from Duke Energy.

The utility company awarded $213,500 to eight projects and small business assistance programs across the Cincinnati area.

This is the tenth year of the program which has awarded more than $2.6 million to 83 projects across the region.

Its exciting and gratifying to see how these grants have spurred development and lasting change along dozens of Main Streets across southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky over the past 10 years, said Amy Spiller, president of Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky. These urban cores are transforming into vibrant and entrepreneurial hubs with beautifully restored buildings, dynamic businesses and a diversity of new jobs.

The Duke Energy grant really uplifts and injects life into our project and inspires hope around what we can bring to the West End community amidst a health and racial pandemic, said Toilynn ONeal Turner, founding director of the Robert ONeal Multicultural Arts Center, which was awarded $100,000 as part of this years Urban Revitalization grants.

The reality is every dollar makes a significant impact, said ONeal Turner. And the initial dollars, for things like our architect and our surveyors and to develop our marketing strategy, these dollars are crucial for us to see the vision of this project coming to life.

Its been a wonderful experience to keep moving forward at a time when many of us are really trying to evaluate and address how were going to move forward collectively.

$10,000 was awarded to the Catalytic Development Fund of Northern Kentucky for 722 Scott Blvd. in Covington, the former site of NorthKey Community Care.

The project will create 11,600 sq. ft. of office space.

The grant funds will assist in architectural and engineering drawings, as well as other pre-development costs required to qualify for historic tax credits.

The Catalytic Fund was also awarded $15,000 for 471 Elm St. in Ludlow where North South Baking Co. is set to expand. Owner Kate Standfest owns and operates the business and is working with the Catalytic Fund to transform the property into a commercial baking kitchen to serve wholesale customers, and to offer on-site retail.

The grant will go towards architectural design and engineering services for the 3,000-sq. ft. building which was originally home to an automobile service and filling station.

The Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington was awarded $11,000 in support of culinary businesses and a commercial bakery retail space.

The funding will allow the organization to offer virtual support to local chefs, many of whom completed its chef fellowship program, launched in 2016 to support local residents passionate about food, but lacking money and connections to bring their visions to fruition.

It will also allow for pre-development work on a shared retail and commercial bakery space on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.

-Staff report

Image via Kenton Co. PVA

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Covington, Ludlow Development Projects Awarded Funds - The River City News

Flagler County commissioners on Monday will consider approving a $20 million loan from a commercial bank to finance the proposed Sheriffs Operations Center in Bunnell, significantly adding to the countys current debt load of $142 million and annual debt servicing of more than $11 million, records show.

Six banks responded to Flaglers Nov. 3 request for proposals to finance the loan. The countys financial adviser is recommending awarding the bid to CenterState Bank, whose Gary Lubi, a well-connected local banker and past president of the now defunct Chamber of Commerce, submitted that banks proposal: a 15-year loan at a fixed 1.83 percent interest, pending a closing on or before Dec. 18. Lubi has brokered various financing and re-financing arrangements with Palm Coast, the county and the school board over the years.

CenterStates was not the lowest bid. Capital One offered a 1.68 percent interest rate, one of J.P. Morgans four options was a rate equal to that of CenterState, and RaymondJames offered a 1.69 percent rate. Other bidders were KeyBank and Truist.

While CenterState did not offer the lowest fixed interest, Jay Glover, the countys financial adviser wrote in a memo to Jerry Cameron, the county administrator, their proposal includes an attractive draw down feature that will allow the County to draw funds down through June 30, 2022. This minimizes the interest cost in early years and gives the County flexibility on final draw if the full $20,000,000 is not needed to complete the project. When comparing the CenterState proposal to the lowest interest rate proposal (Capital One at 1.68%), there is a small present value benefit in debt service cost with the draw down feature.

The CenterState loan would bring principal and interest costs of the loan to $22.85 million.

Architects and the general contractor on the project unveiled plans for the 51,000 square foot building along the future Commerce Parkway, south of the Government Services Building complex, at a commission meeting on Monday. The county is the landlord for all constitutional officers, responsible for housing all their offices at the countys expense. The sheriffs Office vacated its operations center off State Road 100 in mid-2018 after employees became chronically sick from what was believed to be water intrusion and other issues that caused symptoms similar to sick building syndrome. The county had bought and renovated that building for $7 million less than three years before. The building was sold at a huge loss in July: the buyer paid $807,000 for it, an apparent difference of just $423,000 from the price the county paid for it in 2013, but that was before the nearly $6 million in renovations the county invested in the building. The county is still carrying that debt.

Contrary to Camerons claims to commissioners on Monday, the proposed loan for the new building will not be bonded and financed by the countys half-penny surtax that the commission approved in 2012: since the commission voted in the tax, foregoing a referendum, the commission does not have the authority to bond revenue or finance a loan from that particular tax. It will finance the bank loan through the countys portion of the states sales tax revenue.

The two taxes are often confused, as Cameron appeared to have been on Monday when a commissioner noted that the local surtax doesnt go on forever. It does if you say it does Cameron told the commissioner (the tax is not set to expire before 2032). Each tax generates about $2.9 million a year.

The small county surtax we enacted cannot be used to pay debt and cannot be used to repay this bank loan, County Attorney Al Hadeed confirmed. (Cameron himself appears to have ordered his public information office not to answer questions about his inaccurate statements on Monday. When asked what bond he was referring to on Monday, Julie Murphy, whos in charge of Camerons PR, wrote, This is not a public records request. The records, however, which were not provided by Murphy, clarify the picture, though it isnt clear why Cameron did not disclose the financial recommendations to commissioners on Monday: the countys financial adviser sent his memo on Dec. 1.)

The countys commission-approved half-penny surtax has paid or will pay for such things as the cottages at Princess Place Preserve, parking at Bings Landing, improvements at Bunnells Carver Gym and the long-planned, yet-to-be-built south branch library. Revenue from the half-penny share of the state sales tax, which may be bonded, paid for the jail expansion, the once and future sheriffs operations center, the GSB complex and will be used for a west-side fire station.

But in both cases, money spent on those projects means its money diverted from other needs. That will also be true of the financing of the sheriffs operations center, which will significantly narrow the countys ability to pay for other projects through that fund. It is difficult to conceive, for example, how the county would pay for both the operations center and a branch library. The countys available funds for unexpected projects or emergencies will also be further limited.

The loan amount for the proposed sheriffs building falls short of projected costs for the building, which on Monday were pegged at just under $21 million, when architectural and engineering fees and furniture costs are included, as they must be. The cost does not include an additional building for purchasing and logistics planned for the sheriffs grounds, and it does not include interest on the loan, all of which would push the cost well beyond $21 million.

Fortunately for the county, it has no legal debt limits.

The $142.5 million in debt the county is currently carrying was issued between 2004 and 2020. Not all of it is for general government services. For example, the nearly $10 million owed for the Plantation Bay sewer plant and water projects the commission approved this year and last are administered through a separate fund that only Plantation Bay utility ratepayers are responsible for. Thats also the case for the outstanding debt of $6.5 million from when the county acquired the plant in 2014. The airport and a Beverly Beach utility the county administers also have their own funds, outside of the general government stream.

In sum, the county currently owes $115 million through its general government funds, and $27 million through proprietary funds such as Plantation Bay and the airport. In general government, for example, the county took out a bond to build the GSB complex in 2005 and refinanced in 2015, leaving it with a still-outstanding debt of $52 million. The $33 million bond to build the courthouse in 2005 was not refinanced. The county still owes nearly $29 million on that building. (See the countys debts in detail here.)

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$21 Million Sheriff's Building Would Be Financed With 15-Year CenterState Bank Loan at 1.83% Interest - FlaglerLive.com

Editors note: Click media kit to view and download related video clips and photos.

CINCINNATI Duke Energy today announced the recipients of its 2020 Urban Revitalization grants, which deliver $213,500 to eight redevelopment and small business assistance programs across southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

This is the 10th iteration of the companys Urban Revitalization grants. Since launching the program in 2011, Duke Energy has awarded more than $2.6 million to 83 grantees across Greater Cincinnati.

Its exciting and gratifying to see how these grants have spurred development and lasting change along dozens of Main Streets across southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky over the past 10 years, said Amy Spiller, president of Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky. These urban cores are transforming into vibrant and entrepreneurial hubs with beautifully restored buildings, dynamic businesses and a diversity of new jobs.

Video Amy Spiller speaks about Urban Revitalization grant program

On top of funding redevelopment projects in urban areas outside of Cincinnatis central business district, this years Urban Revitalization grants also provide support to entrepreneurs and small businesses that continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Duke Energy grant really uplifts and injects life into our project and inspires hope around what we can bring to the West End community amidst a health and racial pandemic, said Toilynn ONeal Turner, founding director of the Robert ONeal Multicultural Arts Center, which was awarded $100,000 as part of this years Urban Revitalization grants.

The reality is every dollar makes a significant impact, said ONeal Turner. And the initial dollars, for things like our architect and our surveyors and to develop our marketing strategy, these dollars are crucial for us to see the vision of this project coming to life.

Its been a wonderful experience to keep moving forward at a time when many of us are really trying to evaluate and address how were going to move forward collectively.

VideoToilynn ONeal Turner speaks about impact of Urban Revitalization grant

Duke Energy, through the Duke Energy Foundation, provided more than $2 million in grants across Greater Cincinnati communities in 2020. This includes nearly $300,000 for pandemic-related causes like hunger relief and elder care, supplies for front-line workers, and grants to struggling small businesses owned by women, veterans and minorities.

Grants provide gap funding, catalysts for further economic development

The vision for the Urban Revitalization grant program emerged during and after the Great Recession. Thats when Duke Energy leaders learned that nontraditional developers like community groups, small business owners and entrepreneurs were interested in giving new life to historic, yet blighted and neglected, buildings that once served as the epicenters of communities and neighborhoods. However, these visionaries experienced difficulties getting these projects off the ground.

Plans to restore a 100-year-old structure from top to bottom oftentimes cannot move forward due to small, but critical, upfront costs, like the development of detailed architectural and engineering plans, said Spiller. This is where the Urban Revitalization grants prove invaluable.

While our funding is modest in comparison to the costs to redevelop or revamp a property, these catalyst grants are vital for individuals and organizations to obtain the necessary credentials for seeking and securing permits, additional grants and traditional financing for construction.

Photos Urban Revitalizations grantees, past and present

2020 Urban Revitalization grantees

The following Greater Cincinnati projects were awarded grants today:

Catalytic Development Funding Corp. of Northern Kentucky

The redevelopment of the former NorthKey Community Care building will create 11,600 square feet of high-quality and desirable office space. Future tenants will value the buildings location, which is one block west of Covingtons vibrant Madison Avenue commercial corridor and 1 mile south of downtown Cincinnati, as well as its 40-space, on-site parking lot. The Urban Revitalization grant will be put toward architectural and engineering drawings, as well as other predevelopment costs required to qualify for historic tax credits. Experts believe this project could serve as a catalyst for the redevelopment of at least three neighboring properties along Scott Street.

Catalytic Development Funding Corp. of Northern Kentucky

Kate Standfest owns and operates North South Baking Co. and sells her delicious baked goods at events, cafes and coffee shops across the region. Soon shell be able to expand her operations and create jobs all while giving new life to a vacant, 90-year-old structure in the heart of Ludlow. Standfest is working with the Catalytic Fund to transform the building at 471 Elm St. into a commercial baking kitchen that will serve North South Bakings existing wholesale customers as well as offer an on-site retail area. The Duke Energy grant will be used for architectural design and engineering services related to the transformation of the 3,000-square-foot building, which originally housed an automobile filling and service station.

Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington

The Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington will use its Urban Revitalization grant for two purposes. First, the funding will allow the organization to offer virtual support to local chefs, many of whom completed the Chef Fellowship program. The fellowship program was launched in 2016 to support local residents who are passionate about sharing their food creations but lack the money, language, connections and more to make their dreams come to life. The virtual support will help these individuals and other food entrepreneurs navigate the realities of operating food-based businesses during the pandemic.

The second focus of the Duke Energy grant is predevelopment work associated with the creation of a shared retail and commercial bakery retail space along Covingtons Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. commercial corridor. This future community asset will serve the broader neighborhood and provide an affordable space for local bakers looking to start their own businesses.

Avondale Development Corp.

The planned Avondale Leadership Development Center of Excellence will be a high-tech, multipurpose education and training facility serving as a hub for community members and the growth of next-generation leaders. Avondale Development Corp. will use its grant money for a variety of predevelopment work associated with transforming the 1.2 acres of vacant land in the heart of the Avondale community.

Among other amenities, the Avondale Leadership Development Center of Excellence will offer affordable office space for local small businesses; multipurpose space for community events, programs and groups; a 400-seat auditorium for major community forums and meetings of nonprofit organizations; and an industrial kitchen that will serve as a soup kitchen for community members, as well as a facility for restaurateurs.

College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corp.

Just a stones throw from recent Urban Revitalization grantees Tortilleria Garcia and Kiki, the Ruth Ellen Building at 5904 Hamilton Ave. in College Hills mid-business district is primed for a new beginning. The College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corp. was awarded a grant to begin restoring the buildings historic integrity including the removal of a deteriorating facade that was added about 60 years ago.

The grant dollars will be put toward developing architecture and construction drawings, both of which will qualify the project for the Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit program a requisite to ensure the projects short- and long-term viability. Once the Ruth Ellen Building is restored, it will feature 11 housing units capable of housing more than 20 residents who will add to the liveliness and strength of the College Hill community.

Hamilton County Development Corp.

The Hamilton County Development Corp. will apply its Duke Energy grant dollars toward the creation of an assistance program that aims to help small businesses, especially those owned or led by minorities and women, that have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This support includes helping businesses navigate the various state and local programs and relief packages available; guidance related to cash flow, staffing, marketing, accounting, supply chain and more; and expert advice on planning for the post-pandemic recovery period and the expected longer-term shift in consumer behaviors.

Mt. Airy Community Urban Redevelopment Enterprise (CURE)

The Mt. Airy CURE is in the midst of facilitating the revitalization of the Mt. Airy business district and surrounding neighborhood, which is located in and around Colerain Avenue in northwest Cincinnati. The organization will use its grant to create conceptual renderings of its business district and commercial properties that will be used to build interest and grow momentum among developers, businesses looking to set up shop in the area and other stakeholders.

Robert ONeal Multicultural Arts Center

Cincinnatis West End neighborhood has a rich history, and Toilynn ONeal Turner intends to preserve and build upon it with the creation of the Robert ONeal Multicultural Arts Center. Named for Toilynns father, a famed Cincinnati artist and civic activist who passed away in 2018, the center will be a modern, professional-grade facility that will celebrate the works of local African American and multicultural artists. It will also serve as a multipurpose hub that houses a marketing agency, co-working studios for creatives of color, and street-level retail and event space that will host national and local performances, conferences and meetings.

The grant will fund complex architectural and engineering plans for the complete restoration and expansion of a historic, yet vacant and dilapidated, West End property that will be home to the Robert ONeal Multicultural Arts Center. The award will also be put toward the creation of renderings and other graphics and presentation materials to support the centers ongoing marketing and fundraising efforts.

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky

Duke Energy Ohio/Kentucky, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides electric service to about 870,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in a 3,000-square-mile service area, and natural gas service to approximately 542,000 customers.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S. It employs 30,000 people and has an electric generating capacity of 51,000 megawatts through its regulated utilities, and 3,000 megawatts through its nonregulated Duke Energy Renewables unit.

Duke Energy is transforming its customers experience, modernizing the energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure units regulated utilities serve approximately 7.7 million retail electric customers in six states North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. The Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to more than 1.6 million customers in five states North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The Duke Energy Renewables unit operates wind and solar generation facilities across the U.S., as well as energy storage and microgrid projects.

Duke Energy was named to Fortunes 2020 Worlds Most Admired Companies list, and Forbes 2019 Americas Best Employers list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energys illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Media contact: Lee Freedman800.559.3853@DE_LeeF

Original post:
Duke Energy awards more than $200000 to Greater Cincinnati ventures that aim to spark redevelopment, help small businesses - Duke Energy News Center

Mortenson Announces Leadership Promotions in Denver

Aaron Calhoon

Jed Sluyter

Mortenson, a top-20 U.S. builder, developer and energy and engineering services provider, announced the leadership promotions of Aaron Calhoon and Jed Sluyter on its Denver team.

Our people are our greatest competitive differentiator at Mortenson, and its always our goal to create the kind of workplace where team members are motivated to grow and succeed with us, said Gene Hodge, vice president and general manager at Mortenson. Aaron and Jed have consistently demonstrated their leadership dexterity on complex projects, and we look forward to seeing what theyre able to accomplish for our clients in this new capacity.

Calhoon has been promoted to project executive and will work closely with Mortenson vice president of operations, William Gregor, to oversee local operations for the company. He was most recently on a two-year assignment in Las Vegas, Nevada, working on the Allegiant Stadium project with Mortensons Sports and Entertainment Group.

Since joining the company in 2008, Calhoon has been responsible for providing overall leadership on large or complex projects, such as Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center, Saint Joseph Hospital and the University of Colorados Visual Arts Complex.

Sluyter has been promoted to field operations manager. Sluyter will focus on making sure each Mortenson project is set up for success in the Preconstruction and Design Phase by supporting project planning, estimating, and scheduling. This focus will then carry forward into supporting jobsite teams and construction activities to ensure positive project outcomes.

Sluyter started his career with Mortenson in 2001 with the companys Seattle office and spent time in the Portland office before moving to Denver in 2013. Since joining the Denver office, Sluyter has successfully helped lead the Colorado Judicial Center, Westin DIA, and Gaylord Rockies projects before most recently taking on the role of general superintendent for the Denver office a role in which he consistently excelled in demonstrating a team-first approach. As Field Operations Manager, Sluyter will continue to pursue operational excellence on projects through expert planning, organization and evaluation of Mortenson job sites. Sluyter earned his bachelors degree in construction management from Central Washington University.

Atlas Real Estate Hires Vincent Deorio as Vice President of Corporate Development

VincentDeorio

Atlas Real Estate, a full-service real estate company specializing ininvestment brokerage, property management and institutional acquisition, welcomes VincentDeorio as vice president of corporate development.

Deorio joins the Atlas team to fuel the continued growth of the company. He has extensiveexperience in acquisitions and development, market expansion and fundraising, with a proventrack record in leading the growth of firms backed by both private equity and venture capital. Hehas deployed in excess of $1b across multiple markets and asset classes, for both institutional andprivate capital partners.

This is a tremendous opportunity to lead the growth of an exciting organization, said Deorio. Imincredibly honored to join the team at Atlas and to drive the expansion of both our institutionalsingle-family rental acquisition and property management business lines.

Deorio is a resourceful and talented real estate professional. Prior to Atlas, Deorio held the role of vice president of corporate development at Mynd Property Management in Oakland, California. Inthat role, he led all M&A activity, successfully closing 18 acquisitions in 16 markets and acceleratingthe company from 400 units under management to approximately 10,000 units, with over $92.5Min funding and 375 team members. Deorio played an integral role in helping Mynd achieve the 2020San Francisco Business Times fastest growing private company award.

Adding Vincent to the Atlas Executive Team is catalytic for the growth trajectory of the company,said Tony Julianelle, CEO of Atlas Real Estate. Vincent has an incredibly impressive track-record.His unique background adds a depth to our team that will play an integral part in rapidly expandingour business in the years to come.

MVE + Partners Appoints New Principal, Director of Business Development

Richard Flierl

MVE + Partners (MVE), a leading architecture, planning, interior design and urban design firm, recently announced the addition of Richard Flierl, principal and director of business development in Colorado, to its executive leadership team. An industry veteran with a wide range of experience collaborating with architects, landscape architects, urban designers and business development experts and deep roots in the region Flierl will help establish MVEs Denver-based studio with a goal of expanding the firms presence and portfolio in Colorado and neighboring regions.

Drawing on his experience in creating and expanding design studios nationally, Flierl will help shape the direction, strategy and culture of MVEs growing presence in Colorado. In this role, he will manage and nurture the firms existing relationships with local and national developers, contractors, consultant groups and industry leaders to build the firms regional talent base while cultivating new partnerships.

With over three decades of industry experience, an aptitude in strategic market expansion and a deep understanding of our mission and vision, Flierl is well-poised to successfully establish our new Denver-based studio, said Matt McLarand, president, MVE. While weve always had work in the Rocky Mountain region, expansion in this market is key now more than ever as millennials and remote workers relocate to the region and drive population growth.

Flierl will help MVE grow its portfolio across numerous project development types, including urban infill, commercial, residential and mixed-use, master planning and suburban redevelopment. Transit-oriented developments, an area of expertise for both Flierl and MVE, will also be a key focus of the new studio as demand for more vibrant, walkable and connected communities in Colorado is on the rise.

Im honored to join MVEs leadership team and help guide the firm in expanding its footprint in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region, said Flierl. My diverse industry background and keen understanding of the local development market coupled with MVEs 45-year legacy of imaging award-winning places will allow us to accomplish great things in Colorado and beyond.

KEPHART Announces New Principal

Nicole Williams

KEPHART community :: planning :: architecture, a leader in residentialarchitectural design and land planning, is pleased to announce the promotion of Nicole Williams to principal.This promotion recognizes the outstanding leadership and insight Nicole provides the KEPHART team andthe contributions she has made to the culture of the firm.

As a licensed architect and KEPHARTs Director of Contract Administration and Quality Control, Nicolesfocus is on ensuring that the construction documents KEPHART produces are of the highest quality, inaddition to assuring clients have a thoughtful experience during the construction phase of their projects.During her seven-year tenure with the firm, she has become an exemplary leader, sharing her extensiveknowledge of construction and the building industry.

Nicole possesses the unique ability to see a project through the eyes of an architect, developer andcontractor and merge those visions. Her skill and passion for sharing this expertise and developing our staffhave been instrumental in our continued success, said Bryce Hall Principal and President of KEPHART.

In addition to Bryce Hall, Nicole will join seven existing principals on KEPHARTs leadership team.

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Movers and Shakers Week Ending 12.11.20 - milehighcre.com

STV|DPM, part of STV, an award-winning national firm that provides a broad range of program/project management, design, engineering and planning services, is pleased to announce that Jim Kolb has been promoted to senior vice president, New England regional director of the Program Management/Construction Management Division. Bob Keeley will be taking on a new corporate role as senior vice president, business systems that will help drive broader initiatives within the firm.

Jim will lead the STV|DPM management teams in Newton, MA and Hartford, CT and will oversee all facets of that business. Jim joined STVs Boston office in 2012 and played a key role in forging the relationship that led to the firms acquisition of Diversified Project Management (DPM) in 2015 to form STV|DPM.

As a construction industry veteran, Jim has played a key role in leading the higher education and public buildings practices in the Newton operation where he has served as the lead executive on numerous owners project management (OPM) assignments for projects of varying size and complexity. Jim has been instrumental in our growth. He is a true team player and I have the utmost confidence in his ability to lead STV|DPM into the future. said Bob Keeley.

Bob will work with STVs management team with a focus on implementing new company-wide business systems and strategies. Bob founded Diversified Project Management in 1989 and led DPM to become one of the first and largest project management companies in New England.

STV|DPM provides strategic real estate advisory, design and construction project management and move coordination services in multiple geographic markets within the corporate, higher education, healthcare, technology, life science, public and industrial sectors.

About STV|DPM: Diversified Project Management (DPM), a leading provider of owners project management services throughout the greater Boston/New England region, is now a part of STV and doing business as STV|DPM. STV|DPM is comprised of more than 70 professionals throughout New England. Founded more than 100 years ago, STV is a leader in providing program and construction management, architectural, planning, engineering, and environmental services for buildings, transportation systems, infrastructure, energy and other facilities. The firm is ranked 32nd in Engineering News-Records Top 500 Design Firms survey and 15th in Building Design + Construction magazines Top 40 Construction Management firms.

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Jim Kolb Promoted To SVP Of STV|DPM - Citybizlist

Washington, DC -Memorandum onThe National Space Policy:

MEMORANDUM FOR THE VICE PRESIDENTTHE SECRETARY OF STATETHE SECRETARY OF DEFENSETHE ATTORNEY GENERALTHE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIORTHE SECRETARY OF COMMERCETHE SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATIONTHE SECRETARY OF ENERGYTHE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITYTHE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGETTHE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCETHE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRSTHE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONTHE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICYTHE CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF

SUBJECT: The National Space Policy

Section 1. References. This directive supersedes Presidential Policy Directive 4 (June 29, 2010) and references, promotes, and reemphasizes the following policy directives and memoranda:

a) Presidential Policy Directive 26 National Space Transportation Policy (November 21, 2013)

b) Executive Order 13803 Reviving the National Space Council (June 30, 2017)

c) Space Policy Directive 1 Reinvigorating Americas Human Space Exploration Program (December 11, 2017)

d) The National Space Strategy (March 23, 2018)

e) Space Policy Directive 2 Streamlining Regulations on Commercial Use of Space (May 24, 2018)

f) Space Policy Directive 3 National Space Traffic Management Policy (June 18, 2018)

g) Space Policy Directive 4 Establishment of the United States Space Force (February 19, 2019)

h) National Security Presidential Memorandum 20 Launch of Spacecraft Containing Space Nuclear Systems (August 20, 2019)

i) Executive Order 13906 Amending Executive Order 13803 Reviving the National Space Council (February 13, 2020)

j) Executive Order 13905 Strengthening National Resilience Through Responsible Use of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Services (February 12, 2020)

k) Executive Order 13914 Encouraging International Support for the Recovery and Use of Space Resources (April 6, 2020)

l) Space Policy Directive 5 Cybersecurity Principles for Space Systems (September 4, 2020)

Sec. 2. Principles. It is the policy of the United States to ensure that space operations are consistent with the following principles.

1. It is the shared interest of all nations to act responsibly in space to ensure the safety, stability, security, and long-term sustainability of space activities. Responsible space actors operate with openness, transparency, and predictability to maintain the benefits of space for all humanity.

2. A robust, innovative, and competitive commercial space sector is the source of continued progress and sustained United States leadership in space. The United States remains committed to encouraging and facilitating the continued growth of a domestic commercial space sector that is globally competitive, supports national interests, and advances United States leadership in the generation of new markets and innovation-driven entrepreneurship.

3. In this resurgent era of space exploration, the United States will expand its leadership alongside nations that share its democratic values, respect for human rights, and economic freedom. Those values will extend with us to all space destinations as the United States once again steps beyond Earth, starting with the Moon and continuing to Mars.

4. As established in international law, outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means. The United States will pursue the extraction and utilization of space resources in compliance with applicable law, recognizing those resources as critical for sustainable exploration, scientific discovery, and commercial operations.

5. All nations have the right to explore and to use space for peaceful purposes and for the benefit of all humanity, in accordance with applicable law. Consistent with that principle, the United States will continue to use space for national security activities, including for the exercise of the inherent right of self-defense. Unfettered access and freedom to operate in space is a vital national interest.

6. The United States considers the space systems of all nations to have the right to pass through and conduct operations in space without interference. Purposeful interference with space systems, including supporting infrastructure, will be considered an infringement of a nations rights. Consistent with the defense of those rights, the United States will seek to deter, counter, and defeat threats in the space domain that are hostile to the national interests of the United States and its allies. Any purposeful interference with or an attack upon the space systems of the United States or its allies that directly affects national rights will be met with a deliberate response at a time, place, manner, and domain of our choosing.

Sec. 3. Goals. The United States shall:

1. Promote and incentivize private industry to facilitate the creation of new global and domestic markets for United States space goods and services, and strengthen and preserve the position of the United States as the global partner of choice for international space commerce.

2. Encourage and uphold the rights of nations to use space responsibly and peacefully by developing and implementing diplomatic, economic, and security capabilities and strategies to identify and respond to behaviors that threaten those rights.

3. Lead, encourage, and expand international cooperation on mutually beneficial space activities that broaden and extend the benefits of space for all humanity; further the exploration and use of space for peaceful purposes; protect the interests of the United States, its allies, and partners; advance United States interests and values; and enhance access to space-derived information and services.

4. Create a safe, stable, secure, and sustainable environment for space activities, in collaboration with industry and international partners, through the development and promotion of responsible behaviors; improved practices for the collection and sharing of information on space objects; protection of critical space systems and supporting infrastructures, with special attention to cybersecurity and supply chains; and measures to mitigate orbital debris.

5. Increase the assurance of national critical functions enabled by commercial, civil, scientific, and national security spacecraft and supporting infrastructure against disruption, degradation, and destruction through the development and fielding of materiel and non-materiel capabilities and rehearsal of continuity of operations practices.

6. Extend human economic activity into deep space by establishing a permanent human presence on the Moon, and, in cooperation with private industry and international partners, develop infrastructure and services that will enable science-driven exploration, space resource utilization, and human missions to Mars.

7. Increase the quality of life for all humanity through the cultivation, maturation, and development of space-enabled scientific and economic capabilities, including space and Earth resource discovery, management, and utilization; space and Earth weather and environmental monitoring and prediction; disaster monitoring, prediction, response, and recovery; and planetary defense.

8. Preserve and expand United States leadership in the development of innovative space technologies, services, and operations. Work with likeminded international and private partners, to prevent the transfer of sensitive space capabilities to those who threaten the interests of the United States, its allies, and its supporting industrial base.

Sec. 4. Cross-sector Space Policy Guidelines. The heads of all executive departments and agencies (agencies), consistent with their respective missions and authorities, shall execute the guidance provided in this section consistent with applicable law.

Heads of agencies with representation on the National Space Council shall designate a senior official with responsibility for overseeing their respective agencys implementation of the National Space Policy. This official shall periodically report to the National Space Council on the progress of implementation of this policy within respective agencies.

1. Foundational Activities and Capabilities. Foundational activities and capabilities enable the United States to fulfill the principles and goals directed in this policy.

(a) Strengthen United States Leadership in Space-related Science and Technology. Heads of agencies shall:

i. Reinforce United States technological leadership by promoting technology development; improved industrial capacity; a robust supplier base; and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education opportunities necessary to support United States leadership in space innovation;

ii. Conduct basic and applied research that increases space capabilities and decreases costs, if such research is best supported by the Government; and

iii. Encourage commercial space innovation and entrepreneurship through targeted investment in promising technologies that improve the Nations leadership in space operations.

(b) Strengthen and Secure the United States Space Industrial Base. To further foster the security and resilience of the domestic space industrial base, heads of agencies, to the maximum extent practicable and consistent with applicable law, shall:

i. Promote the availability of space-related industrial capabilities in support of national critical functions;

ii. Identify suppliers and manufacturers key to the United States space-related science, technology, and industrial bases and incentivizing them to remain in, or return to, the United States;

iii. Support innovative entrepreneurial space companies through appropriate deregulatory actions;

iv. Strengthen the security, integrity, and reliability of the supply chains of United States space-related science, technology, and industrial bases by identifying and eliminating dependence on suppliers owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries, and engaging with United States and international industrial partners to improve processes and effectively manage and secure supply chains; and

v. Incorporate cybersecurity principles across all phases of space systems design, development, acquisition, and deployment.

(c) Enhance Capabilities for Assured Access to Space. United States access to space depends in the first instance on assured launch capabilities. To the extent consistent with applicable law, United States Government payloads shall be launched on vehicles manufactured in the United States, unless approved for foreign launch in support of:

i. No-exchange-of-funds agreements involving international scientific programs, launches of scientific instruments on international spacecraft, or other cooperative government-to-government agreements;

ii. Launches of secondary-technology demonstrators or scientific payloads for which no United States launch service is available;

iii. Hosted payload arrangements on spacecraft not owned by the United States Government; or

iv. Other circumstances on a case-by-case exemption as coordinated by the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, consistent with established interagency standards and coordination guidelines.

v. To the maximum extent practicable and consistent with their responsibilities and applicable law, the heads of agencies shall:

1. Work collaboratively to acquire space launch services and hosted Government payload arrangements that are secure, reliable, cost-effective, and responsive to United States Government needs;

2. Enhance operational efficiency, increase capacity, and reduce launch costs by investing in the modernization of space launch infrastructure;

3. Permit the launch of United States Government spacecraft manufactured in the United States from territories of allied and likeminded nations when launched on vehicles manufactured in the United States; and

4. When sufficient United States commercial capabilities and services do not exist, support industry-led efforts to rapidly develop new and modernized launch systems and technologies necessary to assure and to sustain future reliable, resilient, and efficient access to space.

(d) Safeguard Space Components of Critical Infrastructure. The space domain is important to the function of critical infrastructure vital to the security, economy, resilience, public health, and safety of the United States. Multiple infrastructure sectors depend on reliable access to space-based systems to perform their functions.

i. The United States will develop strategies, capabilities, and options to respond to any purposeful interference with or attack on the space systems of the United States or its allies that directly affects national rights, especially those necessary for the operation of the Nations critical infrastructure. Such strategies, capabilities, and options will allow for a deliberate response at a time, place, manner, and domain of its choosing.

ii. The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with other heads of agencies, as appropriate, shall develop and maintain focused threat and risk assessments on the effect of deleterious actions in the space domain to the Nations critical infrastructure.

(e) Maintain and Enhance Space-based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Systems. The United States must maintain its leadership in the service, provision, and responsible use of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS). To that end, the United States shall:

i. Provide continuous worldwide access, for peaceful civil uses, to the Global Positioning System (GPS) and its Government-provided augmentations, free of direct user fees;

ii. Engage with international GNSS providers to ensure compatibility, encourage interoperability with likeminded nations, promote transparency in civil service provision, and enable market access for United States industry;

iii. Operate and maintain the GPS constellation to satisfy civil and national security needs, consistent with published performance standards and interface specifications;

iv. Improve the cybersecurity of GPS, its augmentations, and federally owned GPS-enabled devices, and foster commercial space sector adoption of cyber-secure GPS enabled systems consistent with cybersecurity principles for space systems;

v. Allow for the continued use of allied and other trusted international PNT services in conjunction with GPS in a manner that ensures the resilience of PNT services and is consistent with applicable law;

vi. Invest in domestic capabilities and support international activities to detect, analyze, mitigate, and increase resilience to harmful interference to GNSS;

vii. Identify and promote, as appropriate, multiple and diverse complementary PNT systems or approaches for critical infrastructure and mission-essential functions; and

viii. Promote the responsible use of United States space-based PNT services and capabilities in civil and commercial sectors at the Federal, State, and local levels, including the utilization of multiple and diverse complementary PNT systems or approaches for national critical functions.

(f) Develop and Retain Space Professionals. The primary goals of space professional development are to achieve mission success in space operations and acquisition; stimulate innovation to improve commercial, civil, and national security space capabilities; and advance science, exploration, and discovery. Toward these ends, the heads of agencies, in cooperation with industry and academia, as appropriate, shall:

i. Establish standards for accession and career progression;

ii. Seek to create educational and professional development opportunities for the current space workforce, including internships and fellowships, and to implement measures to recruit, develop, maintain, and retain skilled space professionals, including engineering and scientific personnel and experienced space system developers and operators, across Government and commercial sectors;

iii. Promote and expand public-private partnerships within space and technology industries to foster transdisciplinary educational achievement in STEM programs, supported by targeted investments in such initiatives;

iv. Promote the exchange of scientists, engineers, and technologists among Federal laboratories, universities, and the commercial space sector to facilitate the exchange of diverse ideas and to build capacity in space technical knowledge and skills;

v. Develop the means to recruit and to employ qualified and skilled space professionals from likeminded nations to increase United States leadership in space commerce, science, exploration, and security; and

vi. Support training and education in key enabling scientific and engineering disciplines, including: artificial intelligence and machine learning, autonomy, orbital mechanics, collision avoidance methods, robotics, computer science and engineering, digital design and engineering, electromagnetics, materials science, hypersonics, geoscience, quantum-related technologies and applications, and cybersecurity.

(g) Improve Space System Development and Procurement. The heads of agencies shall:

i. Improve timely acquisition and deployment of space systems through enhancements in estimating costs, assessing technological risk and maturity, and leveraging and understanding emerging industrial base capabilities and capacity;

ii. Reduce programmatic risk through improved management of program requirements, reduce the use of cost-plus contracts, where appropriate, and take advantage of cost-effective opportunities to test high-risk components, payloads, and technologies in digital, space, or other relevant environments;

iii. Create opportunities to strengthen and to develop pertinent expertise in the Government workforce through internships and fellowships with the commercial space sector;

iv. Pursue and endorse cooperative research and development agreements;

v. Incorporate rapid prototyping, experimentation, and other efforts to accelerate development cycles to improve performance and to reduce costs;

vi. Embrace innovation to cultivate and to sustain an entrepreneurial United States research and development environment;

vii. Engage with the industrial base to improve processes and effectively manage and secure supply chains; and

viii. Promote, where consistent with applicable rules and regulations concerning Government contracting, procurement of critical materials and sub-tier components, such as solar cells and microelectronics, from domestic and other trusted sources of supply.

(h) Strengthen Interagency and Commercial Partnerships. As facilitated by the Executive Secretary of the National Space Council, the heads of agencies shall, consistent with applicable law:

i. Strengthen existing partnerships and pursue new partnerships among interagency members, the United States commercial space and related sectors, and United States academic institutions through cooperation, collaboration, information sharing, innovative procurements, and alignment of common pursuits to achieve United States goals;

ii. Encourage the sharing of capabilities and the exchange of expertise among agencies and, to the maximum extent practicable, with the United States commercial sectors to strengthen the Nations ability to pursue its strategic goals;

iii. Develop implementation and response strategies and leverage United States capabilities to increase technology innovation and achieve desired outcomes involving space operations relating to science, public safety, national security, and economic growth.

2. International Cooperation.

(a) Strengthen United States Leadership in Space. The heads of agencies, in collaboration with the Secretary of State, shall:

i. Demonstrate United States leadership in space related fora and activities to strengthen deterrence and assure allies and partners of its commitment to preserving the safety, stability, security, and long-term sustainability of space activities;

ii. Identify areas of mutual interest and benefit, such as collective self-defense and the promotion of secure and resilient space-related infrastructure;

iii. Lead the enhancement of safety, stability, security, and long-term sustainability in space by promoting a framework for responsible behavior in outer space, including the pursuit and effective implementation of best practices, standards, and norms of behavior;

iv. Encourage other nations to adopt United States space regulatory approaches and commercial space sector practices;

v. Encourage interoperability among United States, allied, and partner space systems, services, and data;

vi. Facilitate new market opportunities for United States commercial space capabilities and services, including commercial applications that rely on United States Government-provided space systems;

vii. Promote the adoption of policies and practices internationally that facilitate full, open, and timely access to Government space-derived environmental data on a reciprocal basis;

viii. Promote appropriate burden-, cost-, and risk-sharing among international partners; and

ix. Augment United States capabilities by leveraging existing and planned space capabilities of allies and partners.

(b) Identify and Expand Areas for International Cooperation. The heads of agencies shall identify potential areas for international cooperation across the spectrum of commercial, civil, and national security space activities that increase the understanding of Earth and space sciences, expand the detection of hazardous near-Earth objects, ensure the freedom of operation in and through space, increase the quality and safety of life on Earth, extend human presence and economic activity beyond low Earth orbit, and reduce the cost of achieving the Nations goals.

i. The Secretary of State, in coordination with the heads of agencies, shall:

Original post:
Memorandum on The National Space Policy - Imperial Valley News

BURNABY, British Columbia, Dec. 9, 2020 D-Wave Systems Inc., a leader in quantum computing systems, software, and services, has launched a first-of-its-kind cross-system software tool providing interoperability between quantum annealing and gate model quantum computers. The open-source plugin allows developers to easily map quadratic optimization inputs in IBMs Qiskit format onto D-Waves quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) format and solve the same input on any quantum system supported in Qiskit. The code is available for free as a stand-alone packagein GitHub and marks a major industry milestone: the ability to use, test, solve and compare real applications with both gate-model and annealing quantum computers. For the first time, developers and forward-thinking businesses can have a real assessment of the benefits of different systems on their applications.

Interoperability is a critical step in the maturation of transformative technologies. Until now, there hasnt been a convenient way to send the same problems to solvers on both gate and D-Wave systems, or to obtain head-to-head comparisons of results from the two different quantum computing systems. Before today,using a different quantum computing vendors hardware and software required significant investment to familiarize developers with code, solvers, and SDKs.

D-Waves industry-first open-source package removes those barriers.Qiskit users can nowsubmit Ising Hamiltoniansto the D-Wave quantum computer, in addition to any gate model system Qiskit supports.Now, cross-paradigm transparency and comparison will give quantum developers the flexibility to try different systems, while providing businesses with key insights into performance so they can identify, build, and scale quantum applications.

The company also called for users to publish their work.

In order for the quantum computing ecosystem to fully mature, the developer and business communities alike need access to diverse quantum systems and the ability to compare cross-architectural performance, said Alan Baratz, CEO, D-Wave. The next few years will bring a proliferation of quantum applications, and companies must be able to make informed decisions about their quantum computing investment and initiatives to stay competitive. Weve moved beyond measures that explore does the system work? Instead, enterprises want to benchmark which systems add the most value to their businesses. Were opening the door to this and we encourage users of the tool to share their work and publish their results.

The news is in line with D-Waves ongoing mission to provide practical quantum computing via access to the most powerful quantum hardware, software, and tools. In 2018, D-Wave brought theLeap quantum cloud service and open-source Ocean SDK to market. In February 2020, Leap expanded to include new hybrid solver services to solve real-world, business-sized problems. At the end of September, D-Wave made available the Advantage quantum system, with more than 5000 qubits, 15-way qubit connectivity, and expanded hybrid solver services that can run problems with up to one million variables. The combination of the computing power of Advantage and the scale to address real-world problems with the hybrid solver services in Leap enables businesses to run performant, real-time, hybrid quantum applications for the first time. And with the new cross-system software tool, now users can benchmark their applications across annealing and gate model systems, to further understand and benefit from performance comparisons.

To download and install the cross-paradigm integration plugin for free, clickhere.

As part of its commitment to enabling businesses to build in-production quantum applications, the company also introducedD-Wave Launch, a jump-start program for businesses who want to get started building hybrid quantum applications today but may need additional support.

About D-Wave Systems Inc.

D-Wave is a leader in the development and delivery of quantum computing systems, software and services and is the worlds first commercial supplier of quantum computers. Our mission is to unlock the power of quantum computing for the world. We do this by delivering customer value with practical quantum applications for problems as diverse as logistics, artificial intelligence, materials sciences, drug discovery, cybersecurity, fault detection, and financial modeling. D-Waves systems are being used by some of the worlds most advanced organizations, including NEC, Volkswagen, DENSO, Lockheed Martin, USC, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. With headquarters near Vancouver, Canada, D-Waves US operations are based in Palo Alto, CA and Bellevue, WA. D-Wave has a blue-chip investor base including PSP Investments, Goldman Sachs, BDC Capital, NEC Corp., and In-Q-Tel. For more information, visit: http://www.dwavesys.com.

Source: D-Wave Systems Inc.

See the article here:
Show Your Work: D-Wave Opens the Door to Performance Comparisons Between Quantum Computing Architectures - HPCwire