Energy & Utilities: Page 2
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More efficient electric vehicles can reduce grid stress, cut charging costs by almost a third: ACEEE
Local governments can leverage registration fees and subsidies to encourage EV efficiency, says research published Tuesday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
By Robert Walton • Aug. 20, 2024 -
Deep Dive
Should tenants have a right to cooling? More cities say yes amid record heat.
As rental cooling standards pop up around the country, experts warn that they aren’t a perfect solution to the rising danger of scorching temperatures.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 20, 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 -
New York encourages electrification with new affordability pilot, grid planning process
The pilot will ensure that about 1,000 low-income households spend no more than 6% of their annual income on electricity when they electrify their space and water heating.
By Robert Walton • Aug. 19, 2024 -
Sponsored by Oldcastle Infrastructure
Tackling water loss with advanced AI technology
Transition to continuous monitoring and proactive maintenance.
Aug. 12, 2024 -
Thermal energy networks can slash water use in buildings, study shows
With thermal energy networks poised to expand in coming years, water usage data must be standardized and publicly available, the Building Decarbonization Coalition said.
By Nish Amarnath • Aug. 7, 2024 -
AI could halt energy use growth in US buildings: LBNL study
Combined with policy measures and low-carbon generation, building carbon emissions can decline over 90% by 2050 compared with business-as-usual scenarios, according to national lab researchers.
By Joe Burns • Aug. 6, 2024 -
Electric company would pay $2B in pending Maui wildfire settlement
Hawaiian Electric Industries and its utilities were named in about 400 lawsuits related to the wildfires, with plaintiffs arguing utility power lines started the deadly blazes.
By Ethan Howland • Aug. 5, 2024 -
$36M for low-income housing energy efficiency available from US DOE grants
Local governments and other entities can get up to $2 million each for weatherization and workforce training efforts.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 1, 2024 -
Clean energy tax credits are tough. This new tool could help.
The free online navigator from Lawyers for Good Government can help cities determine if a project qualifies for Inflation Reduction Act direct-pay incentives.
By Ysabelle Kempe • July 31, 2024 -
US cities sharpen focus on building performance standards to meet net-zero goals
U.S. cities are turning to performance-based standards to meet climate goals after traditional energy-efficiency mandates fell short, a JLL report says.
By Nish Amarnath • July 29, 2024 -
Building performance standards are likely not preempted by federal law, attorney says
Such policies are likely safe even after a federal appeals court struck down Berkeley, California’s first-in-the-nation gas ban in new construction, said Daniel Carpenter-Gold, staff attorney at the Public Health Law Center.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Updated July 24, 2024 -
600+ NYC facilities pledge to cut energy use as part of expanded demand response program
The city also plans to install over 1,150 real-time meters in municipal buildings to help manage electricity use, according to its Department of Citywide Administrative Services.
By Nish Amarnath • July 23, 2024 -
How cities are using Biden’s $4.3B climate pollution reduction grants
The grants “put local governments in the driver’s seat to develop climate solutions,” a federal official said. Cities and counties plan to use the money for electrification, bike-sharing, solar power and more.
By Ysabelle Kempe • July 23, 2024 -
New York wants tall commercial, multifamily buildings to test low-carbon heating retrofits
Seven finalists in a $10 million competition will develop heating and distribution systems that can be installed without displacing occupants, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced last week.
By Nish Amarnath • July 22, 2024 -
The movement to get neighborhoods off natural gas gains momentum
For years, cities have pursued ways to get buildings off fossil fuels, one structure at a time. Now, some leaders and advocates are eyeing a newer approach: neighborhood-scale decarbonization.
By Ysabelle Kempe • July 10, 2024 -
US electricity prices rise again as AI, onshoring may mean decades of power demand growth: BofA
The year-over-year inflation rate for electricity prices reached 5.9% in May, up from 3.8% in January, according to Bank of America Institute.
By Robert Walton • July 8, 2024 -
Lack of affordable electric vehicles will limit widespread US adoption until at least 2028: BofA
Analysts at Bank of America and Bloomberg say U.S. EV penetration rates are slowing and are unlikely to reach 30% by 2030.
By Robert Walton • June 27, 2024 -
What US mayors want from the next president, Congress
The creation of a first-ever city mental health block grant, affordable housing investments and gun safety legislation are among the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ requests.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 27, 2024 -
Electrifying neighborhoods could save California billions on gas line replacements
Utilities could save around $20 billion in gas pipeline replacement costs by 2045 while only affecting about 3% of current gas customers, says a new analysis prepared for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 20, 2024 -
Local opposition to renewable energy projects ‘widespread and growing’: Columbia University report
The report tracks 395 local restrictions on renewable energy development, with 55 of those emerging in the last year.
By Diana DiGangi • June 14, 2024 -
Tax on gas-powered large buildings will go to voters in Berkeley, California
A 2023 court decision that struck down Berkeley’s first-in-the-nation ban on gas hookups in new construction is part of what led to the ballot measure, an organizer said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 10, 2024 -
5 states, DC get $45M to finance energy efficiency retrofits
The revolving loan funds established with the federal awards can unlock millions in private capital for energy efficiency improvements, says the U.S. Department of Energy.
By Nish Amarnath • June 10, 2024 -
DOE releases zero-emissions building definition, part 1
The definition will bring clarity to the public and private sectors, supporting their efforts to decarbonize buildings and ramp up clean energy, said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.
By Nish Amarnath • June 7, 2024 -
Geothermal system is a US first
A networked, utility-owned system in a Massachusetts community's pilot could replace fossil fuel for heating and cooling across entire neighborhoods.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 5, 2024 -
$1.3B available for EV charging network expansion in US
Government entities nationwide can apply for federal funding to build charging infrastructure in their communities.
By Haley Cawthon • June 4, 2024