Off the News: The Tokyo Games have begun

Let the Games begin! Yes, the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo is Friday, but competition is already underway. Among Wednesday’s first-day events: Softball and women’s soccer — and in both sports, the U.S. teams were in action.

First came softball, with Team USA featuring 2008 Olympians Cat Osterman and Monica Abbott, in a game against Italy. Then in soccer, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe led the U.S. team against Sweden.

Due to the time difference from Tokyo, those live matches are now done. But restreaming and going for the gold have only just begun. Check out viewing schedules and much more at www.nbcolympics.com.

A battery with a bonus

Hawaiian Electric’s just-launched rooftop solar “Battery Bonus” program provides customers a one-time payment between $500 and $850 per kilowatt of new battery storage. In some cases, the incentive could cover half the cost of a basic 5-kilowatt battery while the customer also receives compensation for any electricity the utility pulls from the battery during a daily peak-use period.

The program aims to generate savings for customers who can afford the investment. And it affords the utility a cushion to help avoid a potential power shortfall when a coal-fired power plant owned by AES Corp. is slated for retirement in September 2022.