Utilities: Page 21


  • The east side of the US Capitol in the early morning. Senate Chamber in the foreground.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    With control of Congress unknown, clean energy advocates cheer state wins and press for climate action

    So far, it appears Republicans failed to pull off an anticipated “red wave” and Democrats outperformed expectations, analysts say.

    By Robert Walton • Nov. 9, 2022
  • A series of voting booths in a brightly lit room.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Climate funding wins big on state and local ballots

    Voters in many jurisdictions embraced spending on resilience projects, clean energy and other climate change mitigation efforts  — with one notable exception.

    By Maria Rachal • Updated Nov. 9, 2022
  • An Amazon delivery van made by Rivian sits in a neighborhood.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Amazon
    Image attribution tooltip

    Amazon rolls out Rivian EVs in more cities for holiday deliveries

    The company has delivered more than 5 million packages to U.S. customers using the electric vans since July.

    By Max Garland • Nov. 8, 2022
  • Macky Sall, Chairperson of the African Union, speaks during the Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit of the UNFCCC COP27 climate conference.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    COP27 to spotlight implementation, finance for climate action

    Even at the global stage, there could be insights on how to best go about decarbonizing U.S. cities from this month’s United Nations climate conference, experts say.

    By Maria Rachal • Nov. 7, 2022
  • 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.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Creating a menu of city standards for better outdoor dining guidelines

    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.Prompted b...

    By Tham Nguyen, Glenn Armstrong • Nov. 4, 2022
  • An election worker works at the Orange County Registrar of Voters less than two weeks before midterms Election Day on October 27, 2022 in Santa Ana, California.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Mario Tama via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Elections 2022

    Climate action ballot initiatives for Election Day 2022

    Spending for transportation decarbonization, wildfire prevention, storm resilience and more are up for a vote next week in some states.

    By Maria Rachal • Nov. 1, 2022
  • 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.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    Wastewater monitoring is an important tool for administrators, but not without ethical considerations

    In this pandemic-marked era, public health officials are looking everywhere for signs that could point to disease spread, including through wastewater monitoring at local sewer systems.

    By Andy Castillo • Oct. 31, 2022
  • High voltage pylons with electric power lines transfering electricity from solar photovoltaic cells at sunrise.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Clean energy supply bottlenecks hit overburdened communities the hardest, utilities and advocates say

    The Inflation Reduction Act and an equity focus should help reverse the trend, however.

    By Elizabeth McCarthy • Oct. 27, 2022
  • An engineer checks the installation of  heat pump on a model house.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    For equitable building electrification, philanthropy-backed fund puts communities in the driver’s seat

    Who designs the energy transition? As cities work to reduce building emissions and spur clean alternatives, the creators of the Equitable Building Electrification Fund believe that decision-making power needs to shift.

    By Maria Rachal • Oct. 26, 2022
  • Houston gets ultrafast EV charging at Phillips 66 flagship station

    Built and installed by FreeWire Technologies, the fuel company says it’s the first ultrafast EV charging location at a gas and convenience store in the city.

    By Brett Dworski • Oct. 17, 2022
  • A bright blue electric bus is parked at a curb.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of New Flyer
    Image attribution tooltip

    Oakland tests electric transit buses for resilience in vehicle-to-building pilot

    The California city will be the site for analyzing how zero-emission transit buses can maintain critical loads during emergency conditions.

    By Robert Walton • Oct. 12, 2022
  • Pilot
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Pilot website.
    Image attribution tooltip

    GM partners with Pilot, EVGo to launch massive convenience store EV-charging initiative

    Convenience store chains are adding hundreds of EV charging stations, but the Pilot chain's goal to install thousands could signal the beginning of an EV charging arms race in that industry.

    By Brett Dworski • Oct. 12, 2022
  • Rendering shows a darkly-lit garage with an electric vehicle charger mounted on the wall and a parked Chevrolet Silverado pickup.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of General Motors
    Image attribution tooltip

    GM partners with utilities, solar and storage providers on vehicle-to-grid, home EV charging

    General Motors hopes the new services will spur EV adoption while improving grid resiliency, it said as part of a broader business announcement Tuesday.

    By Oct. 11, 2022
  • A person charges an electric vehicle.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Smart Cities Connect

    Building EV charging through public-private partnerships

    Cities and companies can work together to install charging stations along curbs, at multifamily housing, in parking lots and at public facilities, panelists said at Smart Cities Connect.

    By Danielle McLean • Oct. 4, 2022
  • A parking space labeled "EV Charging Only"
    Image attribution tooltip
    Drew Angerer/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    New York begins implementation of 2035 ban on new gas-powered cars and trucks, following California lead

    Boosting sales of EVs in New York may require changing the law around how vehicles are sold, according to the Alliance for Clean Energy New York.

    By Robert Walton • Sept. 30, 2022
  • Smoke rises from the skyscrapers along Chicago's lakefront.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kamil Krzaczynski via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Chicago passes updated building energy code to support decarbonization

    Starting in November, new building designs must adhere to stronger energy-efficiency and electrification standards as the city seeks to mitigate one of its major sources of emissions.

    By Katie Pyzyk • Sept. 29, 2022
  • BP and Hertz to develop national EV charging network

    The move sets the foundation for BP and Hertz to “drive the future of mobility and accelerate EV consumer adoption,” the companies said in a statement.

    By Brett Dworski • Sept. 29, 2022
  • Electric charging station with many electric chargers and a parking lot on a sunny day.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    EV charging network plans approved for all 50 states

    The FHWA’s approval unlocks $1.5 billion in NEVI program funds through fiscal years 2022 and 2023 for all jurisdictions across the U.S., allowing the build-out of chargers covering about 75,000 miles of highway.

    By Danielle McLean • Sept. 28, 2022
  • A row of white EV chargers with cables and plus stand against a blurry background of trees and a brick building.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Demand on the rise for electric vehicle charging at multifamily properties

    EV adoption will accelerate next year thanks to new tax credits and expanding options from automakers.

    By Mary Salmonsen • Sept. 22, 2022
  • Los Angeles's downtown skyline enveloped in smog.
    Image attribution tooltip
    David McNew via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    California could phase out gas heaters by 2030 to cut smog

    The home and building appliances are “an underappreciated driver of unhealthy air quality in California cities,” non-profit advocates say in a report Tuesday, as state regulators consider only allowing zero-emissions alternatives.

    By Maria Rachal • Sept. 20, 2022
  • 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.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Column

    The role of EV infrastructure in municipal mobility planning

    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 moveme...

    By David Schmid, Luis Garcia • Sept. 16, 2022
  • Green Field
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Schneider Electric
    Image attribution tooltip
    Sponsored by Schneider Electric

    City-wide modernization plan creates a $100M+ economic impact

    How Sierra Vista, AZ created a sports tourism boom with sustainable infrastructure upgrades.

    Sept. 12, 2022
  • Several electric vehicles are parked in a garage under a sign that reads "Vehicle-to-grid (V2G"
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Revel
    Image attribution tooltip

    New York City’s first vehicle-to-grid charging installation is live in Brooklyn

    Project partners worked through engineering, regulatory and interconnection challenges to get the technology to market, Revel Chief Operating Officer Paul Suhey said.

    By Sept. 9, 2022
  • Two vehicles parked in a garage, with an electric charging cable connceted to a white Nissan in the foreground.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Drew Angerer via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Few states have comprehensive plans to integrate the expected surge in EVs: report

    With regulators having approved more than $3 billion in vehicle electrification programs, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy calls for a more holistic planning approach.

    By Robert Walton • Sept. 7, 2022
  • Modern tower buildings or skyscrapers in financial district with cloud on sunny day in Chicago, USA.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Arup, startup are building smart city modeling tools to maximize energy efficiency

    With Matidor, the partners seek to help civil engineers see the environmental impact and energy efficiency of what they’re developing in real time.

    By Maria Rachal • Sept. 2, 2022