Utilities: Page 16

  • 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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    EPA announces $100 million for recycling infrastructure projects, improvement of solid waste management

    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.Representi...

    By Andy Castillo • Sept. 13, 2023
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    California must ban gas in new buildings, local officials tell governor

    With a federal appeals court overturning Berkeley, California’s landmark gas ban, the state needs a unified standard to remain a climate policy leader, 26 local leaders told Gov. Gavin Newsom.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 11, 2023
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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
  • The front of a silver car is connected to an electric vehicle charger.
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    Deep Dive

    Accelerating EV adoption: Utilities partner with GM, BMW, Lyft and more in the auto sector

    Automakers and utilities “are now partners until the end of time, whether they like it or not,” said Joel Levin, executive director of Plug In America.

    By Robert Walton • Sept. 7, 2023
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    EPA awards climate planning grants to New England cities, states

    The Environmental Protection Agency is nearly done awarding such grants to communities nationwide and will soon launch the competitive phase of its climate pollution reduction program.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 1, 2023
  • 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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    Fleet electrification: 5 principles to help state and local governments plan

    World Resources Institute researchers spoke with local governments, transit agencies and consultants to uncover the pitfalls of and best practices for shifting to electric vehicles.

    By • Sept. 1, 2023
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    Seattle intends to revamp its waterfront parks network in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

    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.Seattle is...

    By Andy Castillo • Aug. 31, 2023
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    Tax credit incentives for local governments could ‘turbo charge the clean energy economy,’ but need clarification

    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.Over the l...

    By Andy Castillo • Aug. 29, 2023
  • Two people install rooftop solar on a building. One person is holding the panel and the other person is holding a drill.
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    On clean energy tax credits, mayors want clearer federal guidance

    New incentives could turbocharge local climate action, but resource-limited cities need clarity on how to use them, over 50 mayors said in a letter to the Treasury Department.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 28, 2023
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    Technology can help cities and counties reduce food waste and safeguard the environment

    Technology can help cities and counties reduce food waste and safeguard the environment

    By Michael Keating • Aug. 23, 2023
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    Colorado mandates new building energy performance standards despite criticism

    The ruling unfairly burdens existing buildings, operators and owners say. The state Air Quality Commission touts the rules’ flexibility.

    By Joe Burns • Aug. 22, 2023
  • A gray four-door crossover vehicle parked in an electric vehicle charging stall with a woman holding a charging cable to the car.
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    Courtesy of EVgo Services LLC. Used with permission.
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    Public EV charger customer satisfaction drops: J.D. Power

    "The results of this year's study should be very concerning to all those involved in the transition from gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles," one expert said.

    By Michael Brady • Aug. 18, 2023
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    Boston grants aim to lower carbon footprint of affordable housing

    Building owners can get up to $10,000 each for comprehensive energy assessments.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 16, 2023
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    Courtesy of General Motors
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    More GM electric vehicles will be able to charge homes in coming years

    The bidirectional charging technology uses a GM vehicle’s battery as a backup power source in the event of a power outage.

    By Eric Walz • Aug. 10, 2023
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    Boston bans fossil fuels in all new, renovated municipally owned buildings

    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.In a move ...

    By Andy Castillo • Aug. 8, 2023
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    Washington building codes lawsuit dropped by gas, building groups

    The litigation was an “aftershock” of a federal appeals court decision to overturn Berkeley, California’s first-in-the-nation ban on gas in new buildings, an Earthjustice senior attorney said. 

    By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 8, 2023
  • The Executive Order harnesses new capital investments to drive decarbonization by retrofitting or constructing fossil-fuel-free buildings.
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    Boston mayor bans fossil fuels in new city-owned buildings

    The executive order, which also prohibits fossil fuel use in renovations of existing city-owned structures, is part of a larger push for carbon neutrality by 2050.

    By Nish Amarnath • Aug. 8, 2023
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    Q&A

    How to safely store e-bikes, e-scooters in apartments

    The uptick in micromobility battery fires shows electrification is "moving faster than we’re able to necessarily adapt to," a fire protection expert at an engineering consulting firm said.

    By Mary Salmonsen • Aug. 3, 2023
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    Report: Cities and counties must prioritize workforce development to meet clean energy infrastructure goals

    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.The Biden ...

    By Andy Castillo • Aug. 2, 2023
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    Energy-efficient buildings save lives during extreme weather events: Department of Energy

    Meeting or exceeding current codes can improve habitability by up to 140% during extreme heat events, a report found.

    By Joe Burns • July 28, 2023
  • A Chevy Bolt EV plugged in at a charging station.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    7 automakers form massive EV charging network joint venture

    The collaboration will create one of North America's largest public EV charging networks and include 30,000 high-powered chargers.

    By Eric Walz • July 27, 2023
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    Back to School Readiness: A Comprehensive Guide to Preparing Your Facilities

    Back to School Readiness: A Comprehensive Guide to Preparing Your Facilities

    July 27, 2023
  • New building codes targeting net-zero and climate goals are placing substantial strain on facilities managers whose roles have traditionally focused on keeping buildings safe and secure.
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    Building code, energy code updates face pushback due to cost concerns

    Codes that seek to curb emissions and fossil fuel consumption will save money in the long run, supporters say, but builders and facility managers wonder if “the juice is worth the squeeze.”

    By Nish Amarnath • July 26, 2023
  • Rear view of engineers walking along the rows of photovoltaic panels on a rooftop of a solar plant.
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    Low-income, disadvantaged communities urged to apply for $7B federal solar grants

    The EPA Solar For All competition offers up to 60 grants for solar programs that provide financing and technical assistance like workforce development.

    By Diana DiGangi • July 25, 2023
  • Aerial shot of electric buses parked near chargers
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    Cities can afford more climate projects with new tax incentives: report

    Tax credits made available to cities through the Inflation Reduction Act are so significant “that they may warrant a re-evaluation of some previously assessed investment opportunities,” the Alliance for a Sustainable Future report says.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • July 25, 2023
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    Colorado releases new statewide building energy codes

    The standards, set to take effect July 1, will require local municipalities to meet minimum requirements, including electric vehicle and solar panel compatibility.

    By Joe Burns • Updated July 25, 2023