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May 25, 2012 // Christoph Hammerschmidt

According to a report from market researcher LEDinside, the European LED lighting market's rapid growth is attributed to the energy-saving awareness and high electricity prices in Europe, especially the latter. For example, if a 7W LED light bulb (a replacement for 40W incandescent light bulb) is used for eight hours a day for a month (31 days), it can save 8 kWh compared to using an 40W incandescent light bulb. With the electricity prices of EU-27, US$2 can be saved every month by adopting a LED light bulb instead of incandescent one

As for the future of LED, the market research company expressed "high hopes" for LED commercial lighting's prospects. Given the global anti-nuclear trend and no room for the electricity prices to dip, the energy-saving demand will only climb. LEDinside predicts that LED price will see a drastic drop starting from 2012 and expects the value of European LED commercial lighting market to reach US$1.9 billion by 2015, seven times more than that in 2011.

LEDinside, the LED research division of market research company Trend Force, indicates that more money can be saved by adopting LED lights in the outdoor and commercial lighting sectors due to their high electricity consumptions. LED light bulb's lower wattage and higher thermal dissipation efficiency will result in better energy-saving efficiency. Thus, high electricity price is one of the most important factors that really spurs European LED lighting market's growth surge.

As for the indoor lighting, European lighting market is mainly dominated by Philips, Osram and GE. In particular, Philips and Osram dominate the trend in European LED lighting market; they continue to put efforts into traditional lighting market and channels, but in the meantime, they have been developing their LED products. European LED lighting firms take a more scientific stance on manufacturing LED products, with emphasis on LED components' color temperature, brightness and beam angle.

According to LEDinside, in terms of the color temperature for indoor lighting, Europeans prefer warm white, yellow light (2500K-2700K), while for the commercial lighting they prefer around 3,000K with CRI being above 80.

It is very easy to buy 10W (and lower) LED light bulb and candle light at convenient stores and supermarkets in Europe. However, LED still has a long way to go before it reaches wide adoption in the household lighting market; currently, LED lighting is mainly adopted by new buildings and luxury houses, the market researcher finds. LED lighting fixtures prices are still much higher than those of traditional lighting products, not to mention that at present, LED light bulbs cannot replace traditional ones in terms of beam angle. For this reason, regular consumers are still conservative about using LED lights in their households.

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European LED commercial lighting market value to increase by 7 times

SATELLITE BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Lighting Science Group Corporation (LSCG.OB), one of the world's leading LED lighting manufacturers, announced today that it has completed the final round in a series of private placements totaling approximately $140 million in equity funding and commitments, of which approximately $88 million is new equity funding and commitments and approximately $52 million represents the conversion of certain bridge financings occurring since the fourth quarter of 2011.

The proceeds from the new equity funding and commitments will be used to finance the Companys growth, expand its manufacturing capabilities, and enhance its leadership position in developing innovative energy-efficient LED lighting products for consumer and commercial applications in both the public and private sectors. This new round of funding will help the Company meet the growing demand for products from its distribution networks, including commercial networks (such as real estate owner/operators, retailers, and hospitality), public sector networks (such as the military and municipalities), and consumer networks (such as large-volume home improvement centers). Additionally, approximately $10 million will be used to retire a related-party obligation.

The funding was led by Riverwood Capital, a globally-focused private equity firm that invests in high-growth businesses in the technology and services industries. Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P. and its affiliates, Lighting Science Groups majority owner, also participated in the equity financing in an amount equal to approximately $55 million, pursuant to an investment of approximately $33 million and an equity commitment of up to approximately $22 million.

Additionally, two executives who have previously worked with Riverwood Capital and some of its portfolio companies will be joining Lighting Science Group as senior managersBrad Knight as Chief Operating Officer and Keith Scott as Chief Commercial Officer. Mr. Knight brings more than two decades of hands-on experience with international startups and turnarounds in a wide range of technology, product and service companies. He has held senior executive positions at Flextronics and Adaptix and currently serves as a Managing Director at Riverwood Solutions. Mr. Scott has served in both the role of CEO as well as sales and marketing executive in the energy, consumer electronics and contract manufacturing industries with companies such as Ultracell, Alien Technology and Flextronics.

Moelis & Company acted as placement agent in connection with the private placement.

About Lighting Science Group Corporation

Lighting Science Group Corporation (LSCG.OB) designs, develops, manufactures and markets LED lighting solutions that are environmentally friendlier and more energy efficient than traditional lighting products. Lighting Science Group offers retrofit LED lamps in form factors that match those of traditional lamps or bulbs and LED luminaires designed for a range of applications including public and private infrastructure for both indoor and outdoor use. Lighting Science Group's Advanced Projects Group business unit designs, develops and manufactures custom LED lighting solutions for architectural and artistic projects. Lighting Science Group is headquartered in Satellite Beach, Florida; the Company's European operations are based in Middelburg, The Netherlands; and the Company has a sales office in Sydney, Australia. Lighting Science Group employs approximately 1,000 workers building lighting products from domestic and imported parts. More information about Lighting Science Group is available at http://www.lsgc.com.

About Riverwood Capital

Riverwood Capital is a globally-focused private equity firm that invests in high-growth businesses in the technology and services industries, across a variety of verticals and geographies. Riverwood has offices in Menlo Park, CA and New York, NY and currently has more than 20 investments in North America, Latin America and Asia. Please visit http://www.riverwoodcapital.com.

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Lighting Science Group Completes Final Round of $140 Million Raise of Equity Funding and Commitments

11 industry awards for the Company's indoor and outdoor LED lighting solutions include prestigious "Best in Class" designation

ATLANTA - Acuity Brands, Inc. received an unprecedented 11 prominent industry awards, including prestigious "Best in Class" designation, for its newest commercial and industrial indoor and outdoor LED lighting solutions during last week's LIGHTFAIR International 2012 trade show. Acuity Brands was the most honored LED lighting luminaire manufacturer.

The Company led the Next Generation Luminaires(TM) (NGL) Solid State Lighting Design Competition, winning a total of six awards for its LED indoor ambient and industrial lighting products, including "Best in Class" honors for the Lithonia Lighting ST Series luminaire. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and the International Association of Lighting Designers, the NGL contest was launched in 2008 to promote excellence in the design of energy-efficient LED luminaires for general illumination in commercial lighting applications.

In addition, Acuity Brands was honored with five awards for its indoor and outdoor LED lighting luminaires as part of the 2012 Solid-State Lighting Product Innovation Awards from Architectural SSL magazine, which were presented during Lightfair 2012. The awards identify and honor the market's most innovative LED and solid-state luminaires and fixtures as selected by a group of distinguished industry peers.

"We are honored to be recognized by our industry peers with 11 prestigious awards for our indoor and outdoor LED lighting solutions," said Rick Earlywine, Acuity Brands Lighting Senior Vice President, Innovation & Technology. "The significance and number of awards proves yet again why Acuity Brands is the leading lighting company in North America. We are committed to providing smart and simple solutions that deliver the best quality of lighting for a better quality of life. These industry honors clearly recognize that our innovative high-performance luminaires with integrated digital controls solutions are effectively increasing the quality of light, reducing maintenance and energy requirements, improving sustainability and lowering the total cost of operation.

"Our ongoing goal is to envision and create lighting solutions that customers both need and want; solutions that are not only high quality, reliable and affordable, but are also innovative, integrated and aesthetically pleasing," said Earlywine.

Next Generation Luminaires Awards The Next Generation Luminaires (NGL) judges recognized six innovative Acuity Brands products in three unique categories - utility/general purpose lighting, recessed modular lighting and high bay industry lighting.

Winners included: Lithonia Lighting ST Series indoor ambient LED luminaires, which received "Best-in-Class"; Lithonia Lighting RT Series indoor ambient LED luminaires; Lithonia Lighting VT Series indoor ambient LED luminaires; Lithonia Lighting AC Series indoor ambient lighting luminaires; Lithonia Lighting T Series indoor ambient lighting luminaires; and Lithonia Lighting PROTEON(TM) LED High Bay luminaires for industrial applications. For more information about the NGL winners visit http://www.ngldc.org/.

Product Innovation Awards Architectural SSL magazine judges awarded five 2012 Solid-State Lighting Product Innovation Awards (PIA) to Acuity Brands spanning three categories - indoor and outdoor LED lighting products, general ambient lighting products, linear cove/wall wash and area lighting products.

The new high-quality Acuity Brands' products honored by PIA included: Lithonia Lighting RT Relight Series indoor ambient LED luminaires; Lithonia Lighting VT Series indoor ambient LED luminaires; Lithonia Lighting ST Series indoor ambient LED luminaires; Lithonia Lighting Z Series LED striplights; and American Electric LightingR Autobahn outdoor area LED lighting luminaires. For more information about the PIA winners visit http://www.architecturalssl.com/.

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Acuity Brands, Inc. Triumphs at Major LED Lighting Awards Competitions

Canadian architect Bruce Kuwabara, Officer, Order of Canada. Photo credit: V. Tony Hauser. (CNW Group/Kuwabara

OTTAWA, May 29, 2012 /CNW/ - Last Friday, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, invested Bruce Kuwabara of Toronto, Ontario, as an Officer of the Order of Canada.

"Bruce Kuwabara has shaped our built landscape in lasting ways. A founding partner of KPMB Architects, he has earned public and critical acclaim for such projects of national significance as Canada's National Ballet School, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Bell Lightbox for the Toronto International Film Festival and Manitoba Hydro Place. Committed to raising the profile of Canadian architecture, he has taught at the University of Toronto and at Harvard University. He continues to act as an advocate for excellence in architecture, urbanism and sustainable design." - Office of the Secretary to the Governor General

Bruce Kuwabara is one of Canada's leading architects and a recipient of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Gold Medal. Throughout his career, he has been dedicated to raising Canadian standards in architecture and urbanism by integrating design excellence and innovation, city building and sustainable design. He was the design architect for Manitoba Hydro Place in Winnipeg, the first and only large office tower in Canada to achieve LEED Platinum Certification, to winning design competitions for civic architecture including Kitchener City Hall, Richmond City Hall, the Canadian Embassy in Berlin and Vaughn City Hall.

Kuwabara is a graduate of the University of Toronto. Prior to founding Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects with his partners Thomas Payne, Marianne McKenna and Shirley Blumberg in 1987, he worked for two prominent architects, George Baird and then Barton Myers. He is the first chair of the Waterfront Design Review Panel for Waterfront Toronto, and a member of the board of directors of the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal.

He is currently design architect for the Remai Art Gallery of Saskatchewan, the Departments of Economics and International Initiatives at Princeton University, the new Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, the Global Centre for Pluralism for the Aga Khan Foundation and the Athletes' Village for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games.

Born in Hamilton to Japanese-Canadian parents who were interned in Vancouver during World War II, along with 26,000 people of Japanese descent. Kuwabara has sought meaningful commissions and opportunities to contribute to the communities and institutions which shaped his experience, including the design of the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto and ongoing teaching and fundraising for the Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design at the University of Toronto.

Kuwabara says "The Order of Canada reinforces my commitment to express the unique qualities of Canada through architecture and to contribute to building an open world full of promise for future generations."

Image with caption: "Canadian architect Bruce Kuwabara, Officer, Order of Canada. Photo credit: V. Tony Hauser. (CNW Group/Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120529_C2996_PHOTO_EN_14218.jpg

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BRUCE KUWABARA, FOUNDING PARTNER Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects INVESTED AS OFFICER OF THE ORDER OF CANADA ...

BY KENNYWALTER Staff Writer

The third and final phase of Pier Village, a mixed-use redevelopment along the Long Branch beachfront, is ready for construction.

The Long Branch City Council approved the plan during the May 22 meeting for the development that will include a hotel, retail, residential component and public space, including a play area, concert stage and carousel.

While the conceptual plans have been approved, the Long Branch Planning Board will vote on the site plan and the council then must approve a parking management plan.

We had a meeting yesterday, and we have people working on it as we speak, Business Administrator Howard Woolley Jr. said. Applied Development Co., Hoboken, is the developer for the 7-acre project bounded by Melrose Terrace to the north, Morris Avenue to the south, Ocean Avenue to the east and Ocean Boulevard to the west.

The council approved the preliminary design for the third phase of the project in 2010, and inApril the developers presented modified plans that include an expanded boardwalk and concert stage as new design elements.

At least one business owner gave mixed reviews to the plans during the meeting, expressing concerns about the viability of the project Dan Pinheiro, owner of Stewarts Root Beer in Pier Village, said he doubts the ability of the new phase to bring more people year-round into the area.

I love the concept, but in the past we were promised a lot of things, he said during the public hearing on the project. Ive been there for six, seven years now, and when I first came I was told Id be coming to a year-round community.

I ended up getting stuck with a store that has four months [of business], and there is not much else I can do, he added. It cant just be promised, it just has to be done.

According to landscape architect Tom Bauer, of Melillio and Bauer, the main difference in the plans presented in April is that a beach access point on Morris Avenue would be preserved.

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Final phase of Pier Village approved

Last Updated: May 25, 2012 12:03pm ET

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This is more activity than we have seen in many years in Santa Monica, says Deschaine.

(Save the date: RealShare Apartments comes to the Westin Bonaventure, Los Angeles, October 24.)

SANTA MONICA, CA-With at least eight mixed-use projects combining residential and retail either under construction or in planning stages, the city currently has approximately 500 units of housing in the pipeline. A major impetus for the development is the Expo Light Rail line, which is due for completion in 2015, but factors such as high downtown demand and easily available capital are also fanning the flames, according to Lee & Associates-L.A North/Ventura Inc.

The projects represent a combination of redevelopments and ground-up projects with a majority of the residential component consisting of rental apartments along with some condominiums. Each project will contain approximately 50 to 100 units of residences.

This is more activity than we have seen in many years in Santa Monica, says Christine Deschaine, a principal of Lee & Associates, who is preleasing one of the projects underway and advising on another. It is being fueled by several factors: high demand for apartments in the Santa Monica downtown core and the availability of financing mostly from private-equity firms and construction lenders.

Deschaine is representing SeventhandArizona LLC in the leasing of the retail portion of a mixed-use project at Arizona Ave. and 7th St. The project, which has not yet broken ground, is slated to open in late 2013. She has also been advising Century West Partners in Los Angeles, a joint venture formed by real estate heavyweights Steve Fifield, head of Fifield Cos. in Chicago, and Michael Sorochinsky, founder of locally based Cypress Equity Investments, on another project here. The joint venture has additional projects in the planning stages here.

Santa Monica has long been an outstanding trade area for retailers because of its demographics, tourism and the critical mass of stores located there, says Sorochinsky, whose company strategy is to acquire assets in value-add space throughout Southern California and to develop class-A multifamily and mixed-use property in strong infill locations. Now, with a renewed focus on housing, it is going to be even more attractive to retailers.

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Eight Mixed-Use Projects Will Add 500 Housing Units

VERNON HILLS, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

CDW LLC (CDW), a leading provider of technology solutions to business, government, education and healthcare, announced today that it received Cisco Partner Summit award for Global Partner of the Year Americas. CDW also received national and theater awards for Americas Partner of the Year Commercial and Public Sector, U.S. Public Sector Partner of the Year, U.S. Nationals Architectural Excellence Collaboration, U.S./Canada Central Area Partner of the Year, U.S./Canada Central Cisco Capital Partner of the Year, U.S./Canada East Commercial Partner of the Year, and U.S./Canada West Architectural Excellence Borderless Networks. Cisco announced the winners at its annual Partner Summit on April 17 in San Diego, Calif.

Cisco Partner Summit global awards are designed to recognize exemplary channel partners who demonstrate best-in-class business practices and serve as a model to the industry. Areas of consideration include innovative practices, applications successes, unique programs problem-solving and sales approaches. All winners are selected by a group of Cisco worldwide channels and regional executives.

Cisco is privileged to work with some of the best channel partners around the world, and it is my honor to recognize CDW as a Cisco Partner Summit global award recipient, said Edison Peres, senior vice president, Worldwide Channels at Cisco. The awards presented to CDW recognize its outstanding achievement as a Cisco channel partner in 2011.

Each of the nine Cisco Partner of the Year awards, reinforced by our Cisco Master Certifications in Unified Communications, Managed Services and Security, recognize CDW and Ciscos hard work and dedication to deliver industry-leading technology and solutions to our customers, said Thomas E. Richards, president and chief executive officer of CDW. Our strong partnership with Cisco enables us to successfully support our customers needs across all of our markets with powerful collaboration, communications and data center technology.

Cisco Partner Summit awards are presented at three levels: global, geo and theater. Cisco Partner Summit awards reflect the top-performing channel partners within a specific technology market across several geographic regions.

About CDW

CDW is a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government, education and healthcare. Ranked No. 32 on Forbes list of Americas Largest Private Companies and No. 270 on the FORTUNE 500, CDW features dedicated account managers who help customers choose the right technology products and services to meet their needs. The companys solution architects offer expertise in designing customized solutions, while its advanced technology engineers assist customers with the implementation and long-term management of those solutions. Areas of focus include software, network communications, notebooks/mobile devices, data storage, video monitors, desktops, printers and solutions such as virtualization, collaboration, security, mobility, data center optimization and cloud computing. CDW was founded in 1984 and employs more than 6,800 coworkers. For the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2012, the company generated net sales of $9.8 billion. For more information, visit http://www.CDW.com.

Cisco, the Cisco logo, and Cisco Systems are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems Inc. in the United States and certain other countries.

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CDW Wins Nine Cisco Awards at Cisco Partner Summit 2012

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

With a clean look and superior light quality, the new TruGroove lineup of LED and fluorescent recessed luminaires are high performance solutions for a variety of applications. Not only does TruGroove allow lighting designers to deliver aesthetic impact with optimum light levels at energy densities well below industry guidelines, its sophisticated style, exceptional color rendering and reduced energy consumption are an ideal fit for applications where color, ambience and structure are key.

TruGroove features an innovative optical design, patented MesoOptics technology. This allows TruGroove to make spaces more visually comfortable by optimally blending light and color, controlling high angle glare and creating a precisely-controlled batwing distribution. Its 3 narrow aperture lens provides full end-to-end luminance without socket shadows, which is ideal for commercial applications such as offices, classrooms, libraries, retail spaces and healthcare environments.

TruGroove can create balanced luminous environments to deliver efficacies as high as 69lm/W in LED fixtures and efficiencies as high as 83 percent in fluorescent luminaires. Unlike other narrow aperture recessed products, TruGroove also features a unique cable-cinch procedure, which allows contractors to join fixtures below a drywall ceiling and raise them up to finish installation.

Its challenging to develop a product that is not only beautiful and energy efficient, but also functions without any compromise to light quality or performance, said Don Jacklin, general manager for Philips Ledalite. This new TruGroove family of products is a true winner on all fronts an exceptional LED narrow aperture product, easy installation for contractors, and a wide variety of choices that will give our customers the flexibility they need to create the right solution for their application.

TruGroove fixtures are available in 2, 4, and 8 standalone lengths, and continuous runs in virtually any length. The luminaires can be integrated into both t-grid and drywall ceilings to accommodate a diverse set of spaces. In addition, both LED and fluorescent versions of the product are available in symmetric and asymmetric distributions, in multiple lumen packages, color temperatures, and lens options.

TruGroove integrates Philips Ledalites Response daylight harvesting sensors, which can reduce energy savings by upto an additional 35 percent. To further reduce energy consumption, the system can also be integrated with the companys Airwave wireless, battery-free, solar and kinetically powered controls. All Philips Ledalite LED luminaires feature an easy plug-and-play installation that simplifies maintenance and upgrades.

For more information on these products or Philips Ledalite, please visit http://www.ledalite.com.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving peoples lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of sense and simplicity. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 122,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 22.6 billion in 2011, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at http://www.philips.com/newscenter.

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Philips Introduces TruGroove Family of High Performance Linear LED Solutions for Interior Architectural Applications

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF)- During heavy rain from tropical systems, or even severe thunderstorms, all the water can cause problems around a home.

Danny Isaac with restoration company A & I Fire and Water Restoration said he sees the aftermath of those problems regularly, and fortunately many of the problems could be avoided or reduced.

Homeowner Terry Dresser just repaired damage from one of the most common rain-related problems. Her gutters were leaking water into the framing of her roof.

"We found that some of the water was flowing backwards thereby getting under the shingles and causing the damage," she explained.

Gutter specialist Eddie McCreery with the Seamless Myrtle Beach company said there are usually two issues with gutters.

"You want to make sure they're pitched in the right direction so that they're draining properly that way," McCreery said. "You also want to make sure they're cleaned out of any debris that may cause them to back up and overflow."

There are two pretty easy ways to figure out if gutters are working properly, McCreery said. First, when it is raining, check out the spout and make sure there is water coming out of there. Second, look for any patches that are dirtier that the rest of the gutter. That will likely indicate where water is flowing over the gutter in that area. Homeowners can get up on a ladder and check for clogged gutters themselves, or they can hire a professional will likely check for a few more issues.

"We'll check the pitch, check the level on it, make sure the water's flowing like it's supposed to," McCreery said.

Lots of rain can also saturate the ground, so check for trees that may fall over. Isaac said debris can also clog ditches and drains. So watch for anything that could cause flooding in your yard.

"If you have an open ditch or even a stormwater culvert, make sure the debris doesn't have your drains covered up," Isaac said.

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Homeowners advised to check for rain-related problems

Credit: Rebecca Ryan

Togerson Avenue in North Charleston, just one of the locations seeing storm damage from Tropical Depression Beryl.Two cars outside home damaged from storm debris.

A tree fell on a North Charleston home damaging the home and two cars parked in front of it.

Debris also blew into roads around the Lowcountry leaving crews to clean up the mess in the early morning hours Wednesday.

Tropical Depression Beryl barreled through the Lowcountry overnight causing power ourages, as well. According to SCE&G, several locations in the Tri-County area are experiencing power outages at this time:

Reevesville near Bryant Rd 20-200 affected Est. Restoration Time: 7:30 AM on Wednesday, May 30

Near Town of Dorchester on School House Rd (2 locations) 20-200 affected Est. Restoration Time: 9:00 AM on Wednesday, May 30

Summerville near Hazeltine Bend 20-200 affected Est. Restoration Time: 7:00 AM on Wednesday, May 30

Summerville near Tulip St. Less than 20 affected Est. Restoration Time: 7:00 AM on Wednesday, May 30

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Tropical Depression Beryl and power outages