Climate & Resilience
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OpinionOn clean energy, bigger is not always better
When Congress revisits clean-energy tax policy, lawmakers should restore incentives for locally driven solar and storage projects, writes Edward Yim at Lawyers for Good Government.
By Edward Yim • Sept. 25, 2026 -
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Second federal judge overturns $7B Solar for All cancellation by Trump administration EPA
The decision in a suit brought by Harris County, Texas, follows a similar ruling last week. A Harris County judge called it “a really important victory for energy resilience.”
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Sept. 25, 2026 -
Explore the Trendline➔
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TrendlineTop 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.
By Smart Cities Dive staff -
Permission granted by City of Columbia.
Green infrastructureHow a water infrastructure crisis became a riverfront opportunity in Columbia, South Carolina
After Hurricane Joaquin exposed vulnerabilities in its drinking water system, the city is turning resilience investments into a broader strategy to reconnect residents with its rivers.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Sept. 24, 2026 -
Permission granted by New York City
Green roofs, reflective materials on bus shelters aim to beat the heat in NYC pilot
The pilot in one of the city’s most heat-vulnerable neighborhoods is testing how changes to everyday transit infrastructure can help cities adapt to extreme heat.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Sept. 23, 2026 -
Mario Tama/ via Getty Images
Data CentersCities get more say in data center development under new California laws
Data center developers must disclose energy and water use, pay more for grid infrastructure and undergo environmental review under seven bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Monday.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Sept. 22, 2026 -
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EPA unlawfully canceled $7B Solar for All program, judge rules
The ruling could revive grants awarded to states, cities and nonprofits for low-income solar projects.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Sept. 21, 2026 -
Jon Cherry via Getty Images
Local water projects on path to federal support as WRDA 2026 clears House
The Water Resources Development Act of 2026 targets flood protection, ports, waterways and water supply while giving communities more tools to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Sept. 18, 2026 -
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EPA scraps Biden-era power plant carbon rules, moves to eliminate all power-sector GHG standards
“While mayors continue to advance local initiatives to protect residents, the EPA is moving backwards,” Climate Mayors Executive Director Kate Wright says.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated Sept. 15, 2026 -
Permission granted by Hourcar
2026 Smart Cities Dive Community Project Award Winners: Solving real community needs
Addressing energy costs, housing, transportation and community engagement, these initiatives exemplify the innovation that helps cities and counties improve residents’ lives.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Sept. 10, 2026 -
Permission granted by Hourcar
EV car-sharing and curbside charging network expands clean transportation in Minnesota’s Twin Cities
The EV Spot Network may be the nation’s first municipally-owned car-sharing and clean-energy-powered curbside charging program. It’s a 2026 Smart Cities Dive Community Project Award winner.
By Dan Zukowski • Sept. 10, 2026 -
Permission granted by Mike Taylor/City of Orlando
Renters benefit from energy-efficient appliances through Orlando program
This Smart Cities Dive Community Project Award winner puts portable energy-saving technology in low-income residents’ hands, reaching renters and homeowners overlooked by most efficiency programs.
By Stephanie Kanowitz • Sept. 10, 2026 -
Permission granted by City of Durham
The Smart Cities Dive Awards
To highlight notable people and projects in U.S. city, county and regional government, Smart Cities Dive presents the Public Service Awards and the Community Project Awards.
By Rachel H. Pollack • Sept. 10, 2026 -
Retrieved from Flickr.
Financing climate resilience: 3 ways cities are pivoting as federal funding dwindles
Local leaders are turning to layered programs, new financing tools and deeper community engagement to prepare for extreme weather.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Sept. 4, 2026 -
Megan Quinn/Smart Cities Dive
Food waste collection for multifamily housing expands in D.C.
The city's smart bin program will add another 20 collection locations. It’s part of an effort to increase multifamily composting efforts to meet D.C.'s zero waste goal to divert 80% of waste by 2040.
By Megan Quinn • Sept. 3, 2026 -
Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
New York’s congestion pricing program has not affected air quality, study finds
The study addresses fears that the program would increase pollution if drivers tried to avoid the toll.
By Dan Zukowski • Sept. 2, 2026 -
Retrieved from Flickr.
Stormwater ‘sponges’ take root in Queens, New York, to curb flooding
As part of its larger green infrastructure program, the city is repurposing existing hardscape to capture millions of gallons of stormwater before it overwhelms sewers.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 31, 2026 -
Courtesy of Microsoft
Data Centers3 things cities should do before approving another data center
Aurora, Illinois, and Anchorage, Alaska, offer a road map for developing rules that balance economic opportunity with resident concerns over water, power, infrastructure and quality of life.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 27, 2026 -
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Gas appliance ban in Oak Park, Illinois, upheld by federal judge
The Chicago suburb can keep its ban because it doesn’t impose efficiency standards in conflict with federal law, the ruling found.
By Robert Freedman • Aug. 21, 2026 -
Permission granted by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Data CentersSweeping new data center rules give local governments more leverage in Pennsylvania
"If the local community doesn’t approve a project, the state won’t approve it, either,” Gov. Josh Shapiro says.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 19, 2026 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Extreme indoor heat is a housing violation, Arizona warns landlords
The state’s most recent lawsuit against Tucson landlords reflects a nationwide movement to establish maximum indoor temperatures for rental housing.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 17, 2026 -
Michael Nagle via Getty Images
Steamy-hot subways are a problem in New York. They could become a clean-energy asset.
An $800,000 study will examine whether subway stations’ excess heat in the summer could warm municipal buildings in colder months.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated Aug. 12, 2026 -
Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
$20B in federal climate grants unblocked by appeals court
A divided court rejected the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s attempt to reclaim Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants “based solely on a policy disagreement” with the Inflation Reduction Act.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 5, 2026 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
30+ water utility cyberattacks expose a vulnerability across US cities
Attackers remotely accessed industrial controllers at water systems in seven states. The campaign suggests a common weakness utilities everywhere should address, experts warn.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Aug. 3, 2026 -
Permission granted by City of Boston
Boston’s $10B coastal resilience infrastructure plan wins access to billions in federal funding
The city qualifies for a 65% federal cost share following a U.S. Army Corps feasibility study, paving the way for more than 20 flood-protection projects expected to prevent $41 billion in damages.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • July 30, 2026 -
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$7.6B in clean energy grant cancellations politically driven: court filing
The Energy Department's admission comes as the Trump administration proposes giving political appointees greater authority over grant awards.
By Robert Walton • July 28, 2026
