Utilities: Page 17

  • An aerial view of the iconic pier and boardwalk on the beach in Santa Cruz, California.
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    Courtesy of Granite Construction
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    California greenlights $4.3B funding for energy efficiency, targets underserved and rural communities

    The funding will support energy efficiency efforts from 2024 through 2027. Regulators also approved a forecasted budget of another $4.6 billion from 2028 through 2031.

    By Kavya Balaraman • July 5, 2023
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    EPA launches $7B program to fund solar development in low-income and disadvantaged communities

    The agency will assess proposals on several metrics, including whether they produce at least 20% bill savings, provide resilience benefits during power outages and support workforce development.

    By Ethan Howland • June 30, 2023
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    Massachusetts city mandates net-zero emissions for some large buildings by 2035

    Cambridge, Massachusetts, touted its new requirements as the most aggressive in the country, as building performance standards emerge as a key tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing buildings.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • June 30, 2023
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    Phoenix passes water conservation policy that restricts turf, outdoor irrigation on new development, promotes native flora

    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.With droug...

    By Andy Castillo • June 28, 2023
  • An engineer checks the installation of heat pump on a model house.
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    Residential heat pump, EV sales surged last year in US and globally, boosting energy efficiency

    “We are seeing strong momentum behind energy efficiency,” said International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol, and the IEA expects global investment to reach record levels this year. 

    By Robert Walton • June 21, 2023
  • construction team with lead pipes
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    Courtesy of Courtney Steger

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    Getting the lead out: Courtney Steger, 2022 Exemplary Public Servant of the Year

    As utilities director, Steger has spearheaded the lead pipe replacement project for Mayville, Wisconsin.

    By Michelle Havich • June 16, 2023
  • 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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    NYC housing authority highlights 9% reduction in heat, hot water outages; $78M in infrastructure upgrades

    Investing in modern heat and hot water infrastructure doesn’t just reduce energy costs, it also saves money by cutting down on outages. New York City’s Housing Authority (NYCHA) has reduced its heat and hot water outages by nearly 10% compared to the previous heating season.

    By Andy Castillo • June 15, 2023
  • Seattle skyline.
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    To reduce carbon footprint of existing buildings, Seattle proposes new standards

    Mayor Bruce Harrell called the legislation “among the most impactful proposals [the city] can advance to reduce emissions.”

    By Ysabelle Kempe • June 15, 2023
  • A worker installs a solar panel.
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    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
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    California’s urban roofs provide more value for community solar+storage than rural areas: report

    State and federal incentives could help “ensure that not all of our community solar is getting built in the cheapest areas out in rural locations,” said a solar developer’s Western policy director.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • June 13, 2023
  • Close-up of a gloved worker fixing pipes on a heating system.
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    New York City Housing Authority says heating system improvements reduced outages by 9%

    New York City’s upgrades are just some of many taking place in municipalities across the country, with others also using energy performance contracts to save money to fund future installations.

    By Joe Burns • June 12, 2023
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    USDA announces $11B in green energy grants for rural utilities

    USDA announces $11B in green energy grants for rural utilities

    By Andy Castillo • June 8, 2023
  • City skyline from above over highways.
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    Dallas in the homestretch of ransomware attack recovery

    Security operations and tools are also getting a refresh as city officials rebuild impacted systems and make upgrades across multiple departments.

    By Matt Kapko • June 8, 2023
  • Several vehicles lined up along a curb are blurred while in the foreground a white and silver electric vehicle charger is in focus.
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    Permission granted by Enel X Way North America
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    Utility plan to build 460 EV fast-charging stations in Colorado angers retailers, other charging proponents

    Gas stations, convenience store owners and other businesses say Xcel Energy's plan to own chargers makes it less likely they will install them.

    By Robert Walton • May 26, 2023
  • White icons float above a cityscape
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    Greenhouse gas emissions tracking project addresses ‘flawed’ approach cities use now, researchers say

    City Climate Intelligence can provide free, near-real-time information on greenhouse gas emissions at the city, neighborhood, building and street level.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • May 26, 2023
  • 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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    How green last-mile infrastructure benefits your community

    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.Overseeing...

    By Celeste Frye • May 24, 2023
  • The Phillips 66 Los Angeles Refinery Wilmington Plant stands beyond a residential street on November 28, 2022 in Wilmington, California.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Collecting data to support energy-burdened communities poses unique challenges, experts say

    Census data isn’t collected often enough to reflect neighborhood demographic shifts, and asking communities to self-report can present additional burdens, panelists said at a clean energy summit.

    By Diana DiGangi • May 24, 2023
  • A construction worker sets a roof joist.
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    The ‘infrastructure decade’ is here, but challenges loom for local governments at the helm

    “Money is flowing, grant applications are live, private capital is ready to move. But there are real constraints to achieving public goals,” Brookings Metro Senior Fellow Adie Tomer said at an event last week.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • May 23, 2023
  • 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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    Research highlights safety tradeoffs of electric scooter speed limiters

    Research highlights safety tradeoffs of electric scooter speed limiters

    By Andy Castillo • May 22, 2023
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    Q&A

    In San Jose, city climate plans must have ‘the cool factor’

    After winning a national climate leadership award, the city’s chief sustainability officer discussed how libraries can win over electric stove skeptics and how house parties might boost community engagement.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • May 22, 2023
  • 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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    NYC adopts building emissions software developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    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.Across the...

    By Andy Castillo • May 19, 2023
  • 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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    Metal buildings: Their versatility and durability suit them for public sector infrastructure

    Metal buildings: Their versatility and durability suit them for public sector infrastructure

    By Michael Keating • May 19, 2023
  • The sun sets behind some transmission lines.
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    "sunset2" by Barbara Eckstein is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Most of US faces elevated risk of blackouts in extreme heat this summer, NERC warns

    All areas are expected to have adequate resources for normal summer peak load, but extreme weather could create widespread challenges, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. said Wednesday.

    By Robert Walton • May 19, 2023
  • A dark blue electric bus showing a sign on the right side that reads "Nova Bus: Bring life to your city" is on a road under green trees.
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    Courtesy of Nova Bus
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    How a federal program meant to help communities buy zero-emission buses instead favors fossil fuels: report

    A legal requirement added to the Federal Transit Administration program in 2015 led to the disparity, advocacy organization Transportation for America said.

    By • May 18, 2023
  • 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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    The future of parking in the 15-minute city

    The future of parking in the 15-minute city

    By Jeremy Zuker • May 18, 2023
  • A grey footpath winds along the shore with a new york city skyline in the background.
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    Courtesy of New York City Department of Design and Construction
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    Q&A

    How NYC is preparing its infrastructure for extreme weather

    Thu-Loan Dinh, who helps lead infrastructure design for the city’s Department of Design and Construction, discusses the agency’s biggest resilience concerns and how to address them.

    By Julie Strupp • May 17, 2023