Boston grants aim to lower carbon footprint of affordable housing

Building owners can get up to $10,000 each for comprehensive energy assessments.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 16, 2023

More GM electric vehicles will be able to charge homes in coming years

The bidirectional charging technology uses a GM vehicle’s battery as a backup power source in the event of a power outage.

By Eric Walz • Aug. 10, 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

Boston mayor bans fossil fuels in new city-owned buildings

The executive order, which also prohibits fossil fuel use in renovations of existing city-owned structures, is part of a larger push for carbon neutrality by 2050.

By Nish Amarnath • Aug. 8, 2023

Washington building codes lawsuit dropped by gas, building groups

The litigation was an “aftershock” of a federal appeals court decision to overturn Berkeley, California’s first-in-the-nation ban on gas in new buildings, an Earthjustice senior attorney said. 

By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 8, 2023

How to safely store e-bikes, e-scooters in apartments

The uptick in micromobility battery fires shows electrification is "moving faster than we’re able to necessarily adapt to," a fire protection expert at an engineering consulting firm said.

By Mary Salmonsen • Aug. 3, 2023

Energy-efficient buildings save lives during extreme weather events: Department of Energy

Meeting or exceeding current codes can improve habitability by up to 140% during extreme heat events, a report found.

By Joe Burns • July 28, 2023

7 automakers form massive EV charging network joint venture

The collaboration will create one of North America's largest public EV charging networks and include 30,000 high-powered chargers.

By Eric Walz • July 27, 2023

Building code, energy code updates face pushback due to cost concerns

Codes that seek to curb emissions and fossil fuel consumption will save money in the long run, supporters say, but builders and facility managers wonder if “the juice is worth the squeeze.”

By Nish Amarnath • July 26, 2023

Low-income, disadvantaged communities urged to apply for $7B federal solar grants

The EPA Solar For All competition offers up to 60 grants for solar programs that provide financing and technical assistance like workforce development.

By Diana DiGangi • July 25, 2023

Cities can afford more climate projects with new tax incentives: report

Tax credits made available to cities through the Inflation Reduction Act are so significant “that they may warrant a re-evaluation of some previously assessed investment opportunities,” the Alliance for a Sustainable Future report says.

By Ysabelle Kempe • July 25, 2023

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

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

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

$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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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