Utilities: Page 17

  • Electric vehicles charge under a solar panel.
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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
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    Vermont delays residential building energy code implementation to July 2024

    A legislative committee wants more time to create a state entity to improve international energy conservation code compliance.

    By Nish Amarnath • July 24, 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
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    Northampton mulls adoption of energy efficient opt-in stretch code

    The Massachusetts city is weighing the pros and cons of embracing a specialized stretch energy code to dissuade fossil fuel use in new building construction.

    By Nish Amarnath • July 24, 2023
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    Department of Energy awards 27 organizations, states, local and Tribal governments $90 million to update energy codes

    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 U.S. Depar...

    By Andy Castillo • July 19, 2023
  • A view of the Comcast offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Comcast Center is one of the tallest LEED-certified buildings in the U.S.
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    Cindy Ord via Getty Images
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    $90M for greener building energy codes awarded by DOE

    “Modernizing energy codes is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses and make communities more resilient to extreme weather events,” the Energy Department said.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • July 14, 2023
  • A mid-rise apartment building on a street corner.
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    Christian Columbres

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    Oregon plans to install 500,000 new heat pumps by 2030. Who’s going to do the work?

    The state plans to train and provide provide technical assistance on installing energy-efficient appliances to developers, builders, contractors, technicians and others. 

    By Kavya Balaraman • July 13, 2023
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    Solar-powered ‘microgrids’ coming to San Diego public buildings as first of 8 projects breaks ground

    The microgrids will save the city $6 million over 25 years and boost community resiliency by providing energy during blackouts, the city says.

    By Ysabelle Kempe • July 11, 2023
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    Scottsdale, Ariz. implements green building code for new commercial, multifamily construction

    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.As communi...

    By Andy Castillo • July 10, 2023
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    Sponsored by ABM

    Ready to ride the wave of fleet electrification sweeping the US?

    Here’s how to navigate the obstacles to EV fleet charging infrastructure at your facility.

    July 10, 2023
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    3 tips for public sector leaders looking to take advantage of federal funding for infrastructure

    3 tips for public sector leaders looking to take advantage of federal funding for infrastructure

    By Bill Symon • July 7, 2023
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    How to make communal spaces truly community friendly

    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.Communal s...

    By Celeste Frye • July 6, 2023
  • A row of electric vehicle chargers.
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    US electric vehicle goals will require up to $127B to install 28M chargers by 2030: NREL

    The National Renewable Energy Laboratory expects there will be 30 million to 42 million electric vehicles on U.S. roads in 2030, requiring a rapid infrastructure buildout.

    By Robert Walton • July 6, 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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    Report: More charging infrastructure is needed to support 30 to 42M electric vehicles by 2030

    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.Driven by ...

    By Andy Castillo • July 6, 2023
  • 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
  • Solar panels in New York City.
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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
  • 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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    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
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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
  • 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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    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
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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