Clean energy transition in buildings could create 2M+ jobs in US, Europe

The study by Schneider Electric and Boston University estimates which U.S. regions will see the most new jobs as more buildings get solar PV, heat pumps and battery storage.

By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 12, 2023

Vermont utility wants to give all customers battery storage to prevent outages

Green Mountain Power aims to shift the state’s grid to a distributed system — a future the utility’s CEO envisions for the entire U.S.

By Diana DiGangi • Oct. 11, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive

From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

New alliance aims to turn this Rust Belt city into a ‘Green Belt’ hub

The Chicagoland Climate Investment Alliance wants $1 billion in federal funding for a “Rust Belt to Green Belt Initiative,” indicating the region is ready to move past its nickname from the 1970s.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Oct. 10, 2023

Notable 2024 conferences for smart city leaders

Newly added events focus on traffic safety, technology and green infrastructure.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Updated Aug. 2, 2024

‘Empty’ federal buildings under scrutiny

Unused office space poses financial and environmental issues federal agencies must address, lawmakers from both parties said at a Senate committee hearing.

By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 9, 2023

California governor signs bill to speed utility interconnections

The Powering Up Californians Act aims to accelerate the state's electrification efforts and is one of several clean energy bills signed recently by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

By Robert Walton • Oct. 9, 2023

US Green Building Council’s LEED v5 doubles down on decarbonization

The proposal for existing buildings would set new requirements to boost climate resilience, assess social impact and cut emissions from embodied carbon, refrigerants and transportation.

By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 6, 2023

What are the ‘greenest’ US cities?

Personal finance company WalletHub evaluated cities based on 28 key “green” indicators using data from 21 sources. “A well-run city is likely to also be a reasonably green city,” an environmental scientist said.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Oct. 6, 2023

Amtrak switches to renewable diesel fuel for ‘Pacific Surfliner’ trains

Fuel from sources like used cooking oil will cut greenhouse gas emissions 63% for these trains, which run along the Southern California coast, said the agency that manages the service.

By Dan Zukowski • Oct. 5, 2023

MTA lags on NYC subway flooding prevention plan

A new audit shows severe weather amplified by climate change poses a huge risk to the city’s transit system, which was swamped by a tropical rainstorm last week.

By Julie Strupp • Oct. 5, 2023

NYC’s ‘mass timber studio’ aims to warm builders up to the material

The wood products represent a “huge untapped potential” to drive down the city’s carbon footprint, said the New York City Economic Development Corporation.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Oct. 4, 2023

National Weather Service rolls out flood forecast maps

When paired with existing tools, the maps can show where a forecasted flood overlaps with built infrastructure, including that serving vulnerable communities, a federal water official said.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Oct. 3, 2023

With a $4M EPA grant, Baltimore looks to chart a fresh course on composting

The city's organics infrastructure is getting a jolt from the new funding. Composting advocates hope broader changes laid out in the city’s draft waste plan will follow.

By Jacob Wallace • Oct. 3, 2023

Biden administration will define zero emissions for buildings

Use of 100% clean energy and meeting strict energy-efficiency guidelines are part of the proposed definition, White House National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi said.

By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 2, 2023

National climate resilience plan unveiled by Biden administration

The framework “will help guide wise investment of federal dollars” and indicates that the government is moving beyond traditional disaster response, said a Union of Concerned Scientists analyst.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 29, 2023

Governments can cut buildings’ embodied carbon with new policies, reports say

Targeted incentives and building code changes can support the transition to more climate-friendly building materials, say research, advocacy and industry groups.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 28, 2023

FEMA climate resilience grants unevenly distributed among communities

Coastal states with more “high-capacity” local governments tend to win more of the competitive BRIC grants, a Headwaters Economics analysis finds.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 27, 2023

Community solar is hot. Why not community wind?

Perhaps the biggest difference between yesterday’s community wind and today’s community solar markets is in their business models, which reflect their respective market and policy environments. 

By Mark Bolinger and Bentham Paulos • Sept. 27, 2023

Local governments share curbside composting program lessons

Local governments that have recently launched curbside organics collection programs in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., say communication with residents and vendors can smooth out early-stage kinks.

By Megan Quinn • Sept. 26, 2023

Bracing for rising seas, a Hawai’i county makes builders prep for year 2100

Kaua’i County is one of the nation’s first to base construction regulations on projected sea-level rise. A planning official explains how others could follow suit.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 26, 2023

NY sets first-in-the-nation concrete emissions limits for state agencies

Set for January 2025, the state’s Buy Clean Concrete rules establishing greenhouse gas emission limits will cover all agency projects.

By Sebastian Obando • Sept. 25, 2023

White House launches clean energy youth workforce program amid labor shortage concerns

The American Climate Corps aims to put more than 20,000 people to work in its first year. The plan “harkens back” to the New Deal, said International District Energy Association CEO Rob Thornton.

By Diana DiGangi • Sept. 22, 2023

Boston launches pilot to help small housing owners go electric

Two- to four-unit buildings are the city’s most common building type. Boston hopes the new grant program will yield lessons on scaling up building decarbonization.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 22, 2023

Retrofits can cut office building emissions by up to 70%: Schneider Electric

New research from the company says its digital building and power-management tools can slash up to 42% of operational carbon emissions, while eliminating fossil fuels can cut an additional 28%.

By Nish Amarnath • Sept. 21, 2023

$4.6B for climate action plan implementation available from EPA

Measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions the most will get priority in Environmental Protection Agency funding decisions.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 20, 2023