Climate & Resilience: Page 9
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This New Jersey beach city went from ‘worst to first’ in reducing flood risk
Sea Isle City’s success required leaders who were willing to spend political and financial capital on building resilience, the city’s floodplain manager said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • March 11, 2024 -
Q&A
Think holistically about infrastructure, new president of civil engineering group urges
The American Society of Civil Engineers’ Marsia Geldert-Murphey talks about why public transit is the most underfunded infrastructure sector and how to build climate change-ready structures.
By Julie Strupp • March 7, 2024 -
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 -
Arizona names US’ first state chief heat officer, unveils summer 2024 plans
Arizona said it has also hired a statewide cooling center coordinator and will deploy solar-powered cooling centers made from shipping containers.
By Ysabelle Kempe • March 7, 2024 -
Building energy code revamps can get another $90M from DOE
More energy-efficient homes can remain habitable longer during extreme heat and cold events, which could save lives, a Department of Energy-commissioned study finds.
By Ysabelle Kempe • March 5, 2024 -
LA City Council plans to streamline solar, battery installation review process
The move, which echoes a similar initiative in New York City, aims to help Los Angeles reach its goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035.
By Joe Burns • March 5, 2024 -
Fuel cell electric buses up 75% in transit fleets last year
Battery-electric bus fleets also grew last year, but at a slower rate than in 2022, according to Calstart’s annual report on zero-emission buses.
By Dan Zukowski • March 4, 2024 -
Can you fix a Phoenix water shortage? A new drought simulation game lets players try.
As the desert city endures a drought that has stretched on since the turn of the century, water resource specialists want the community to understand the trade-offs necessary in water management.
By Ysabelle Kempe • March 4, 2024 -
‘We are behind’: On composting, NYC’s new sanitation chair pushes for funding, transparency
Budget cuts to New York City’s community composting program are “unacceptable,” Council Member Shaun Abreu said at the first Sanitation and Solid Waste Management Committee hearing of the year.
By Jacob Wallace • March 1, 2024 -
NYC defines ‘green economy,’ projects job growth in new action plan
The 124-page plan released yesterday is the city’s latest signal that it is hungry to be at the center of climate change-related business and workforce growth.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Feb. 29, 2024 -
Deep Dive
Congressional action on energy permitting remains stuck, but states, developers are finding solutions
States are resolving local objections to projects through community engagement while transmission developers are making innovative use of existing rights-of-way to bypass permitting logjams.
By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 29, 2024 -
Ocean City, Maryland, ‘cannot be bought’: Mayor rejects offshore wind developer’s benefits package
Mayor Rick Meehan said US Wind offered community benefit packages in exchange for local officials refraining from negative comments about the planned renewable energy project.
By Diana DiGangi • Feb. 28, 2024 -
Local, tribal clean energy projects can tap into $18M from DOE
Microgrids and downtown revitalization efforts that create energy-efficient buildings are potential projects the Department of Energy suggested could be eligible.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Feb. 28, 2024 -
Utility Con Edison to reward NYC EV charging operators for reducing demand at peak times
Rideshare and fast-charging provider Revel will be the first participant in Consolidated Edison’s new EV charging program. Officials say program incentives should help to lower station operating costs.
By Robert Walton • Feb. 27, 2024 -
Climate risk planning portal from Argonne National Lab gets new features
The portal uses one of the world's largest supercomputers to model climate change hazards. Now, communities can use it to predict impacts on vulnerable populations and infrastructure.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Feb. 26, 2024 -
Heat pumps would cut energy bills for majority of US homes: NREL research
Even so, “we need work to bring down the cost of installing heat pumps,” said a senior research engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Feb. 23, 2024 -
EV startup Rivian to lay off 10% of salaried workforce
Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe said that Rivian still firmly believes in the full electrification of the automotive industry.
By Michael Brady • Feb. 23, 2024 -
DC updates strategy to reach ‘zero waste’ by 2040, including many policy proposals
The plan calls for actions such as implementing commercial waste zones and banning certain items from disposal.
By Megan Quinn • Feb. 23, 2024 -
EPA rolls out $83M for air quality monitoring after tightening soot standard
The Biden administration is hoping to clean up the nation’s air, but about two-thirds of U.S. counties lack air monitors, according to Earthjustice.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Feb. 22, 2024 -
Why Colorado cities don’t want to pay for any of a $2B electric transmission project
The Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska and three of its municipal utility members in Colorado contend they won't benefit from the project, which Xcel Energy’s Public Service Co. of Colorado is building.
By Ethan Howland • Feb. 22, 2024 -
Building decarbonization guide to be developed by ASHRAE, Noresco
The guide will provide case studies, guidance and key takeaways to help building owners and operators establish robust plans and feel confident in their decarbonization endeavors, says the chair of the guide’s working group.
By Nish Amarnath • Feb. 21, 2024 -
Chicago sues oil, gas companies to make them pay for ‘climate deception’
The nation's third-largest city joins dozens of other municipalities and states that have filed similar lawsuits.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Feb. 21, 2024 -
Infrastructure law may increase transportation’s GHG emissions as states spend more on highways
The White House is also expected to delay the transition to electric vehicles in a revision to the Environmental Protection Agency's proposed emissions regulation.
By Dan Zukowski • Feb. 20, 2024 -
For US aerial trams, the sky’s the limit
Aerial cable cars remain rare for U.S. urban transportation, but cities and private groups see them as a novel solution to traffic woes.
By Adina Solomon • Feb. 9, 2024 -
Boston’s first networked geothermal project will electrify 7 public housing buildings
Geothermal systems are a promising approach to transitioning communities off fossil fuels for heating and cooling, experts say.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Feb. 9, 2024 -
FTA to help electric transit bus buyers amid tough times for manufacturers
The White House convened a roundtable Wednesday on clean bus manufacturing as transit agencies working to green their fleets struggle with price increases and long delivery times.
By Dan Zukowski • Feb. 8, 2024