Energy & Utilities: Page 3

  • Atlantic Aviations and BETA Technologies will install electric charging stations in separate deals with Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation.
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    Courtesy of BETA Technologies, Inc.
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    Air taxi charging infrastructure coming to 3 states in Archer, Joby deals

    The two eVTOL manufacturers are moving closer to commercial passenger flights as federal officials urge state and local governments to plan for the needed infrastructure.

    By • Jan. 17, 2024
  • Cars make their way toward downtown L.A. during the morning commute
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    US greenhouse gas emissions fell in 2023, despite economic growth: Rhodium

    Preliminary estimates show emissions are now 17.2% below pre-2005 levels, but the emissions reduction rate needs to more than triple to reach Paris Agreement goals.

    By Lamar Johnson • Jan. 16, 2024
  • smart city, smart cities Explore the Trendline➔
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    jamesteohart via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive

    From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them in 2024.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
  • A gray four-door crossover vehicle with a woman seated with her hand on the steering wheel is parked in front of a Hertz building.
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    Courtesy of Hertz/GM
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    Hertz reverses course on electric vehicles

    The company, which once said EVs would account for a quarter of its rental fleet by 2025, is selling some 20,000 electric vehicles and replacing them with gas-powered cars.

    By • Jan. 12, 2024
  • View of the facade of a modern building using renewable energy
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    t_kimura via Getty Images
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    Buildings can reduce energy intensity by up to 38%: report

    Undertaking energy savings and energy efficiency measures by 2030 can garner up to $2 trillion in annual savings, according to a white paper by the World Economic Forum and PwC. 

    By Nish Amarnath • Jan. 11, 2024
  • Looking down a city street lined with colorful houses, trees, cars and power lines.
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    Scharvik via Getty Images
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    New buildings that use natural gas lose final utility subsidy in California

    Incentives that indirectly help expand the gas system don’t align with the state’s climate goals, the California Public Utilities Commission said.

    By • Jan. 9, 2024
  • A rendering of an Electric Era charger charging a vehicle.
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    Permission granted by Electric Era
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    Opinion

    To spur more EV chargers, regulators must get creative with demand charges

    No matter what the incentives for installing an EV charger, very few businesses will enter this marketplace if selling the product leads to thousands of dollars in charges that aren’t made up for with revenue.

    By Chris Kaiser • Jan. 8, 2024
  • An artistic rendering of a building which is transitioning from fossil fuel use to renewable sources like solar panels
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    Oliver de la Haye via Getty Images
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    To define zero emissions for buildings, Biden administration seeks input

    Feb. 5 is the deadline to submit information on Part 1 of the definition, which addresses operating emissions, including those from tenants.

    By Nish Amarnath • Jan. 5, 2024
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    David McNew via Getty Images
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    Federal court won’t reconsider decision to overturn Berkeley, California, natural gas ban

    The denial of the city’s request for a rehearing left the court divided, with a strong dissent by 11 judges. If Berkeley wants to continue to appeal the decision, its next stop would be the U.S. Supreme Court.

    By • Jan. 2, 2024
  • Upward-facing shot of tall buildings and blue sky
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    franckreporter via Getty Images
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    What US cities could look like in 2024: 6 predictions

    Safer, greener communities with more housing, greater civic participation, and diversified downtowns are what these experts envision for the coming year.

    By the Smart Cities Dive Team • Jan. 2, 2024
  • natural gas stove flame
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    "Stove flame" by Paul Kretek is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Legal threats to city, state natural gas bans: A timeline

    Berkeley, California’s legal battle with the California Restaurant Association comes to a close as the city agrees to repeal its first-in-the-nation ban on gas in new buildings.

    By • Updated March 27, 2024
  • Sign for the US Department of Energy out-front of their headquarters the James Forrestal Building in Washington, D.C.
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    The Bold Bureau via Getty Images
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    DOE allocates $40M for energy audit training

    The funds aim to help states upskill a workforce that will evaluate energy efficiency to help building owners save money and combat climate change.

    By Nish Amarnath • Dec. 22, 2023
  • The outside of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit during the day
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    Retrieved from U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
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    Gas industry sues DOE over new furnace efficiency rule, citing cost and other concerns

    The new rule will require gas furnaces to be 95% efficient, but the American Gas Association and other stakeholders say it effectively bans a product class and will drive prices higher for many consumers.

    By Robert Walton • Dec. 21, 2023
  • Person holding up EV charger to car
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    coldsnowstorm via Getty Images
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    Tesla EV charging stations are coming to these North American hotels

    The partnership is the latest between a hotel company and EV charging provider as hotels increasingly seek to cater to eco-conscious guests.

    By Noelle Mateer • Dec. 21, 2023
  • A view of the Statue of Liberty against the New York City skyline with a backdrop of the World Trade Center, Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan high-rise buildings
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    Oleg Albinsky via Getty Images
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    NYC releases second set of final rules for Local Law 97 implementation

    The rules define what a good-faith effort to decarbonize is, create a framework for retroactive enforcement, limit the use of renewable energy credits and more.

    By Nish Amarnath • Dec. 20, 2023
  • The James V. Forrestal Building Building, the headquarters of the United States Department of Energy, in downtown Washington, DC at sunset.
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    Silverman Media Services via Getty Images
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    $530M in building code technical assistance grants available from DOE

    The grants will support a wide range of energy code and building performance standards activities, including workforce development, by state, local and tribal governments.

    By Joe Burns • Dec. 20, 2023
  • A hospital covered in solar panels.
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    Adam Eszes via Getty Images
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    Microgrids can drive resiliency, efficiency and profitability: JLL

    Government buildings and healthcare facilities are among those that can benefit most significantly from microgrids, the report says.

    By Joe Burns • Dec. 19, 2023
  • An artistic rendering of a sustainable building representing the concept of corporate goals for net-zero emissions by 2050.
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    Fahroni via Getty Images
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    To be truly net-zero, buildings must buy 100% renewable energy, global council says

    A globally consistent definition of net-zero buildings is needed, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development says, while market commentators decry carbon compliance ambiguities.

    By Nish Amarnath • Dec. 18, 2023
  • Aerial shot of Manhattan
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    Drew Angerer/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    More climate-friendly housing, faster, is the goal of NYC proposal to speed environmental reviews

    Each eligible housing project could save an average of $100,000 and two years of review time, the city estimates.

    By • Dec. 14, 2023
  • The Seattle skyline, featuring the Space Needle and skyscrapers.
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    George Dodd via Getty Images
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    Seattle requires large buildings to zero out greenhouse gas emissions by 2050

    As building performance standards gain traction nationwide, Seattle’s policy is the city’s most ambitious plan ever to reduce building emissions, the City Council said.

    By • Dec. 13, 2023
  • The Statue of Liberty stands in the foreground as Lower Manhattan is viewed at dusk, September 8, 2016 in New York City
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    Drew Angerer via Getty Images
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    NYC overhauls zoning to boost renewables, electrification

    The “City of Yes” initiative, which took effect Dec. 11, is among the most significant zoning changes in New York City's history, the city's chief climate officer said.

    By Joe Burns and Ysabelle Kempe • Dec. 12, 2023
  • A Resideo smart thermostat mounted on a wall of a home.
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    Courtesy of Ford Motor Co.
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    Ford, Resideo to study how EVs can power homes

    The automaker and smart home product company will test how Ford’s future electric vehicle batteries can reduce home energy costs.

    By Eric Walz • Dec. 12, 2023
  • An illustration depicting Volkswagen's vehicle-to-home electric vehicle charging technology.
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    Courtesy of Volkswagen AG
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    VW is launching a vehicle-to-home EV charging pilot in Sweden

    Other automakers are also working on bidirectional charging technology, which allows homeowners to tap into the massive power reserves of EV batteries when the vehicle is stationary.

    By Eric Walz • Dec. 11, 2023
  • A technician connects cable on a solar rooftop array.
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    Wichien Tep via Getty Images
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    Warehouse roofs house New Jersey’s largest rooftop community solar project to date

    The two installations will provide more than 1,400 nearby homes with discounted solar energy.

    By Joe Burns • Dec. 11, 2023
  • Interior renovation of an existing building
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    mniebuhr via Getty Images
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    Existing building stock challenges decarbonization goals

    New construction codes that don’t align with performance standards for existing buildings pose a “serious problem,” said Sustainable Energy Partnerships’ managing director at an ASHRAE conference.

    By Joe Burns • Dec. 8, 2023
  • Closeup of a sign reading "United Nations Climate Change COP28 UAE" with blurred groups of people standing in the background
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    Sean Gallup/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    HUD announces new building decarbonization efforts at COP28

    As the U.S. pledges to make near-zero-emissions buildings the “new normal” by 2030, the housing agency is teaming up with other departments for access to the best available data and research.

    By • Dec. 7, 2023