Climate & Resilience

  • An array of solar panels create electricity at the Lightsource bp solar farm near the Anglesey village of Rhosgoch, on May 10, 2024 in Wales.
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    Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
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    Robust community engagement good for locals, renewable energy developers: Berkeley Lab

    In a first-of-its-kind survey, wind and solar developers cited community opposition and strict local siting ordinances as leading causes of project delays and cancellations.

    By Brian Martucci • Sept. 6, 2024
  • A rendering of an aerial view of a sprawling gray building surrounded by roads.
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    (2024). "South Dade Transit Operations Center - Video Rendering of the entire facility - March 24, 2024" [Video illustration]. Retrieved from Miami-Dade County/YouTube.
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    20-acre electric bus operations center under construction in South Florida

    The "largest all-electric bus maintenance and transit operations center" in the U.S. will be home to 100 articulated 60-foot buses, a county official said.

    By • Sept. 4, 2024
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    OSHA sets late December comment deadline for extreme heat standard

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s proposed rule would require employers to develop heat injury and illness prevention plans, among other actions.

    By Ryan Golden • Sept. 4, 2024
  • Aerial view of rooftops in a suburban neighborhood. A street curves through the houses.
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    Haizhan Zheng via Getty Images
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    30 neighborhood decarbonization pilots allowed under bill passed in California

    If the governor signs it, the legislation will let natural gas utilities planning to replace old gas pipelines decarbonize pilot areas instead.

    By • Sept. 4, 2024
  • DOT headquarters in Washington, D.C., showing the name of the department.
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    Retrieved from FHWA.
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    Low-carbon materials a ‘huge opportunity’ to green the transportation sector

    The U.S. Department of Transportation is releasing $800 million for state, local and other agencies to reimburse builders for using cleaner construction products, Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said.

    By Julie Strupp • Sept. 3, 2024
  • A woman holding a young child in a darkened room next to a fan.
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    Brandon Bell/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Cooling is expensive, and more federal assistance is needed, advocates say

    The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program is “chronically underfunded,” argues a policy brief by the Natural Resources Defense Council and WE ACT for Environmental Justice. 

    By • Aug. 29, 2024
  • The financial district in Boston, seen against the Boston Harbor at sunrise showcasing a mix of contemporary and historic buildings.
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    Marcio Silva via Getty Images
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    What to know about BERDO, Boston’s building performance standards law

    While many buildings already meet 2025 emissions limits, facility managers and owners should start planning now for how they’ll meet future requirements, city officials say.

    By Joe Burns • Aug. 28, 2024
  • Large office buildings against a blue sky.
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    David Ryder/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    State, local building energy codes get makeovers with over $240M from US DOE

    Nineteen states and localities, including Seattle and New York City, got grants announced Tuesday by the Department of Energy. The agency encouraged more communities to apply by Sept. 13 for a second round of funding.

    By • Aug. 28, 2024
  • A person pushes a gurney with a person on it into a vehicle
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    Cities assert tenants’ right to cooling in a warming world

    Grappling with fatal heat waves, local governments are passing laws that make landlords provide working air conditioning. Financial and other challenges remain, however.

    By • Aug. 27, 2024
  • Two people carry equipment into a building on a busy city sidewalk.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    Will New York City make landlords provide air conditioning? Its climate chief is optimistic.

    Coordinating any such mandate with the city's building decarbonization law requirements could reduce the burden it might create for building owners, Rohit Aggarwala explained.

    By • Aug. 26, 2024
  • Ecological energy renewable solar panel plant with urban landscape landmarks.
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    xiaoliangge/stock.adobe.com

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    Sponsored by Dow

    Resilient renewable infrastructure needs reliable materials

    Expand the possibilities of long-distance renewable energy transmission with the right materials. 

    Aug. 26, 2024
  • A person stands in between bookshelves looking up at a transparent ceiling, behind which are tall city buildings.
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    Ron Wurzer/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Seattle libraries get $5.5M for air conditioning in FEMA grant offered post-pandemic

    The city is betting on the upgraded facilities to serve as cooling and clean-air centers to protect residents from the rising danger of extreme heat and wildfire smoke.

    By • Aug. 23, 2024
  • California Gov. Gavin Newsom and others walk past a brightly-painted electric commuter train.
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    Courtesy of Caltrain
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    2 California commuter railroads implement zero-emission trains

    Caltrain and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority join other commuter rail lines in replacing diesel-powered trains with battery, electric or hydrogen fuel cell technologies.

    By • Aug. 22, 2024
  • View of a back alley lined with trash carts in Baltimore, with utility lines and tree branches overhead
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    peeterv via Getty Images
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    Focus on heat illness intensifies after death of Baltimore sanitation worker

    In the wake of the death of Ronald Silver II, a city employee, labor groups are calling for more heat safety protections — and fast. Pending state and federal heat standards could help.

    By Megan Quinn • Aug. 22, 2024
  • Window AC units in a large building from the outside.
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    Johan_Spinnell via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    An air conditioning law, the first in its region, changed tenants’ rights in this Maryland county

    Montgomery County began requiring landlords to provide AC in 2020 amid climate concerns and renter complaints. Despite a shaky start, officials say things are going smoothly now.

    By • Aug. 22, 2024
  • A person walks down a path in a forest.
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    GomezDavid via Getty Images
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    Urban forests are ‘critical but underfunded.’ A report looks at how to fix that.

    Carbon credit programs, revolving funds and partnerships with conservancies could provide some of the money needed to prevent these green spaces from degrading, the Natural Areas Conservancy says.

    By • Aug. 21, 2024
  • A child watches as people enjoy a municipal swimming pool.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Municipal pools are popular, but they come at a price for cities

    Cities tout the numerous benefits public pools provide. As costs to maintain, operate and staff them grow, however, funding strategies become increasingly important.

    By Karen Kroll • Aug. 21, 2024
  • A clear bag labeled "Plastic Film (Stretchy)" sits next to a bin branded with the logo of CompostNow on a front porch.
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    Permission granted by CompostNow
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    Composters add pickup services for hard-to-recycle items, addressing gap

    The small, independent haulers are partnering with recyclers in Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts and elsewhere to divert materials. 

    By Jacob Wallace • Aug. 20, 2024
  • New Tesla vehicles parked on a car lot
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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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
  • Three people speak with each other in front of a large multifamily building.
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    Kent J. Edwards/Reuters

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    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 • Aug. 20, 2024
  • People get sprayed by water on a city street lined with cars.
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    Adam Gray/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    With 10 new climate resilience centers, DOE aims to translate research into local action

    Researchers will work on actionable science and tools to help local stakeholders combat extreme heat, flooding, drought and more, the U.S. Department of Energy announced last week.

    By • Aug. 19, 2024
  • Ocean water comes up against houses and palm trees. The sky is stormy and cloudy.
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    Joe Raedle/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Disaster-struck communities now have more time to apply for FEMA resilience grants

    Tight application deadlines were a barrier to accessing grants, state, local, tribal and territorial governments told the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

    By • Aug. 16, 2024
  • People sit with laptops, pens and paper around a table in a room. On the walls are posters with words written on them in different colored markers.
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    (2022). "Las Vegas heat tabletop exercise" [Photograph]. Retrieved from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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    The US has its first national heat strategy. Here’s what to know.

    Relatedly, the Biden administration launched a competition for communities to plan simulated heat emergency drills. Winners will get at least $20,000 each.

    By • Aug. 15, 2024
  • A black lidded trash can sits in front of a building in a fenced-off area. Next to it are a bike rack and covered moped.
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    Jacob Wallace/Smart Cities Dive
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    Large, stationary trash bins for buildings’ waste are coming to New York City streets. Are they the right fit?

    As the city inks an up-to-$7 million contract, zero-waste advocates and landlord groups are frustrated by a proposal to require small residential buildings to use individual bins for waste collection.

    By Jacob Wallace • Aug. 13, 2024
  • The sign for the EPA is pictured.
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    EPA unveils labels for green construction materials

    Materials that earn the label will be listed in a central, publicly accessible registry, making it easier to identify and purchase them, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    By Julie Strupp • Aug. 12, 2024