Utilities: Page 12

  • A double-decker electric bus.
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    Courtesy of InductEV
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    Seattle to add electric buses that use wireless charging

    In-ground inductive chargers will power double-decker buses along a new Sound Transit bus rapid transit route.

    By • Feb. 21, 2024
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    Expert: It takes time for cities and counties to shift to an all-electric fleet

    Editor's note: This article was originally published in American City & County, which has merged with Smart Cities Dive to bring you expanded coverage of city innovation and local government. For the latest in smart city news, explore Smart Cities Dive or sign up for our newsletter.Yes, gover...

    By Michael Keating • Feb. 21, 2024
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    Trendline

    Energy Codes and Building Performance Standards

    Cities are using these levers to meet climate goals and address everything from data centers to building decarbonization.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
  • A satellite image of the Earth showing a map of electric vehicle charging locations in the United States.
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    Courtesy of IONNA LLC.
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    Joint venture EV charging network Ionna begins operations

    The firm, which seven leading automakers support, plans to install at least 30,000 high-powered public chargers in strategic locations throughout North America.

    By Eric Walz • Feb. 15, 2024
  • An airplane flies over a rooftop with a solar array in Los Angeles, California
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    Los Angeles public-private partnership works to advance industrial solar

    The decade-old Feed-in Tariff program pays property owners for solar energy, but long grid interconnection queues and lingering “mistrust” hinder adoption, a business group leader notes.

    By Brian Martucci • Feb. 14, 2024
  • A person speaking into a microphone in front of a brick wall
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    Retrieved from Screenshot: Boston City TV/YouTube on February 09, 2024
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    Boston’s first networked geothermal project will electrify 7 public housing buildings

    Geothermal systems are a promising approach to transitioning communities off fossil fuels for heating and cooling, experts say.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Feb. 9, 2024
  • A blue electric New York City transit bus at an overhead charging station.
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    Courtesy of Marc A. Hermann / MTA
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    FTA to help electric transit bus buyers amid tough times for manufacturers

    The White House convened a roundtable Wednesday on clean bus manufacturing as transit agencies working to green their fleets struggle with price increases and long delivery times.

    By • Feb. 8, 2024
  • An HVAC worker is seen to perform heat pump maintenance
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    9 states pledge to accelerate zero-emission heat pump sales

    The pledge sends a clear market signal, said the senior policy advisor for an association of Northeastern state air quality agencies.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Feb. 7, 2024
  • Aerial shot of city buildings on a sunny day
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    Neighborhood-scale building decarbonization: 2 approaches

    Relying on the replacement of one appliance at a time isn’t enough to meet federal and state climate goals, said the Building Decarbonization Coalition’s executive director. 

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Feb. 6, 2024
  • an empty row of EV chargers at a public park
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    Is the EV revolution over?

    Despite a sales slowdown, apartment owners and developers should charge ahead with electric vehicle infrastructure, experts say.

    By Amanda Loudin • Feb. 1, 2024
  • As part of a maintenance check, a service engineer inspects the solar cell on a building roof for a damaged part.
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    FEMA to help communities pay for net-zero energy projects post-disaster

    Communities can now leverage the agency’s grant programs to install solar microgrids, heat pumps and passive cooling when rebuilding schools, hospitals, fire stations and other infrastructure in disaster’s wake.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Feb. 1, 2024
  • Aerial shot of city streets and tall buildings
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    US cities’ outlook for 2024

    Cities are pushing ahead on innovative bids to build more sustainable, safe and equitable communities, but many of the roadblocks they face likely aren't going anywhere.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff • Jan. 31, 2024
  • The backs of three people sitting at an overlook over a city and mountains at sunset
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    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Extreme heat watch: Will cities be ready for summer 2024?

    This year could be even hotter than last year’s record-breaker, some scientists say. Cities are using the winter to prepare.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Jan. 31, 2024
  • View from below of a twin silver bridges stretching across water.
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    The image by Pi.1415926535 is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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    Connecticut beefs up energy storage incentives to meet 1 GW goal by 2030

    Residential customers can get as much as $16,000 in upfront incentives — up from the previous maximum of $7,500.

    By Kavya Balaraman • Jan. 25, 2024
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    Jim Vondruska/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Chicago mayor proposes natural gas ban in new buildings

    This marks the first time the city has introduced a building decarbonization ordinance, a city employee said. The proposal drew swift backlash from the local gas industry.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Jan. 25, 2024
  • A modern office with glass windows looking over a green outdoor courtyard.
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    ASHRAE updates energy efficiency standard for existing buildings

    The 2024 edition of Standard 100 contains new metrics for setting emissions targets and a “simple” compliance mechanism for energy-efficient and low-emission buildings.

    By Joe Burns • Jan. 22, 2024
  • The silhouette of a high voltage power line line towers during sunset.
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    Robot worms, lasers, drones and AI: How the DOE wants to move the US power grid underground

    The U.S. Department of Energy on Tuesday announced $34 million in funding to explore novel approaches to undergrounding power lines to increase resiliency.

    By Robert Walton • Jan. 19, 2024
  • Aerial shot of urban downtown
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    Affordable housing faces building performance standards challenges, report says

    Facing costly upgrades, hefty fines and lacking technical assistance, the affordable housing sector needs more help from cities and states with such policies, says a new American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy report.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Jan. 18, 2024
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    City and county officials will create lush tree canopies and electrify fleets to enhance the environment in 2024

    Editor's note: This article was originally published in American City & County, which has merged with Smart Cities Dive to bring you expanded coverage of city innovation and local government. For the latest in smart city news, explore Smart Cities Dive or sign up for our newsletter.This year,...

    By Michael Keating • Jan. 18, 2024
  • Pedestrians and a cyclist cross a crosswalk at a busy city intersection with a burst of sunlight shining through.
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    6 trends that could shape US cities in 2024

    Cities will contend with a shifting transportation picture, increased urgency to act on climate change, and innovative policies and technologies to address longstanding concerns.

    By Ysabelle Kempe , , • Jan. 17, 2024
  • 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
  • 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
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    Column

    Report: Building efficiency upgrades could reduce global energy demand by 12%

    Report: Building efficiency upgrades could reduce global energy demand by 12%

    By Andy Castillo • Jan. 12, 2024
  • View of the facade of a modern building using renewable energy
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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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    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 Ysabelle Kempe • Jan. 9, 2024