Climate & Resilience: Page 7
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HUD’s $4.8B green retrofit program announces first construction project deal
A new heat pump system will replace the existing gas-powered system at an apartment community housing low-income older adults.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 9, 2024 -
‘Reliable’ coastal resilience funds needed from federal government, NYC mayor says
“We’re investing billions in green and grey infrastructure,” Mayor Adams said as the city broke ground on a $200 million project to protect lower Manhattan from sea-level rise.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 8, 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 -
How can cities build a future with fewer gas pipelines?
As some communities question the logic of continued investment in the gas system, a new RMI and National Grid paper looks at efforts to find alternatives.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 6, 2024 -
DOE picks local clean energy projects to receive $27M in grants
More than three dozen state and local governments will receive funds, including $2.2 million for Chicago to launch a building electrification campaign, install EV chargers and other projects.
By Robert Walton • May 2, 2024 -
EPA unveils environmental justice ‘clearinghouse’ with hundreds of resources
The online library is an "excellent start" for municipal leaders looking to center environmental justice in their work, the National League of Cities’ sustainability director said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 2, 2024 -
Clean energy transition could take ‘decades or generations,’ JPMorgan warns
New research from the U.S. bank pointed to inflation, high interest rates and geopolitical issues as key roadblocks delaying the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
By Zoya Mirza • May 1, 2024 -
HUD tightens flood-protection rules for new and rebuilt homes
One floodplain manager predicts similar state and local standards may pop up nationwide, but those in real estate finance decried the rule.
By Ysabelle Kempe • May 1, 2024 -
Want to improve your transit system’s sustainability? A relaunched FTA program can help.
The Federal Transit Administration's two-year program includes an environmental review, virtual workshops and two audits and requires the participation of transit agency executives.
By Dan Zukowski • April 30, 2024 -
Energy Department finalizes rule to phase out fossil fuels in federal buildings
The elimination of on-site fossil fuel use in new projects after 2030 is part of the Biden administration’s push for net-zero emissions from federal facilities by 2045.
By Nish Amarnath • April 29, 2024 -
California’s nature-based solutions ambitions laid out in 81 goals
The state’s lands emit more greenhouse gas emissions than they absorb from the atmosphere. California aims to turn things around, but climate advocates question where funding will come from.
By Ysabelle Kempe • April 29, 2024 -
Facing expensive climate threats, NYC’s transit system unveils a resilience plan
The $6 billion climate resilience plan is meant to address rising sea levels, more intense storms and extreme heat events that will impact subways, buses and commuter trains.
By Dan Zukowski • April 29, 2024 -
White House earmarks $1.5B in push for freight decarbonization
The largest piece of the president’s plan provides $1 billion to cities, states and tribes to replace heavy-duty vehicles.
By Larry Avila • April 26, 2024 -
Results are in for a Los Angeles cool pavement experiment
The covered neighborhood saw cooling benefits, a new study finds. But some researchers contend shade is king when it comes to protecting people from heat.
By Ysabelle Kempe • April 26, 2024 -
EPA awards $7B to 60 low-income solar access programs
The funds will support community solar programs as well as initiatives to provide loans and grants to low-income households looking to install rooftop solar, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
By Emma Penrod • April 24, 2024 -
What 54 climate adaptation plans say about how communities are preparing
Nature-based approaches constitute the largest category of total planned strategies, researchers found. They highlighted examples of progress and innovation from a variety of communities.
By Ysabelle Kempe • April 24, 2024 -
Want a 7-day forecast of heat risk near you? Check out this new federal tool.
The tool accounts for how unusual heat is in a specific location and pulls in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data on what that means for public health, federal officials said Monday.
By Ysabelle Kempe • April 23, 2024 -
US EPA designates 2 types of PFAS as hazardous substances
The long-awaited move is meant to hold polluters accountable. The Environmental Protection Agency says it won’t focus on enforcement at municipal landfills and water utilities.
By Megan Quinn • April 22, 2024 -
Air quality data is now widely available, but what should communities do with it?
With air quality sensors now costing as little as $100, some communities are hoping for more federal guidance on how to use them to support decision-making and regulation.
By Ysabelle Kempe • April 19, 2024 -
Electric bus, railcar purchases sought by Chicago-based transit authority
The region’s three major transit agencies are hoping $375 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds will usher along their transition to zero-emission fleets by 2040.
By Dan Zukowski • April 17, 2024 -
Boston teams with climate tech company to map floods as they happen
The low-lying coastal city will use the technology to target alerts, evacuations and post-disaster resources to the neighborhoods that most need the support.
By Ysabelle Kempe • April 16, 2024 -
80 transportation infrastructure resilience projects get $830M from USDOT
The grants are the first of their kind dedicated to protecting surface transportation systems from climate change-driven extreme weather, the agency said.
By Julie Strupp • April 15, 2024 -
5 ways cities can accelerate EV charger deployments equitably
Seek community input, learn from other cities, reduce regulatory barriers and other ideas from participants in the DOE’s Clean Energy to Communities Program.
By Iulia Gheorghiu • April 12, 2024 -
DOE awards $27M for communities to plan a clean-energy future
This is the first funding round for the Energy Future Grants initiative, which launched last year to help communities plan for transportation and building electrification, microgrids and solar projects.
By Ysabelle Kempe • April 11, 2024 -
How cities are building out public EV charging infrastructure
As more electric vehicles hit the road, municipalities and property owners are working with contractors to deploy EV chargers at libraries, airports, parks and other sites.
By Joe Burns • April 10, 2024 -
Rooftop heat pump technologies can save US businesses $5B annually: DOE
A new U.S. Department of Energy program aims to bring higher-efficiency rooftop heat pump technologies to market as soon as 2027.
By Nish Amarnath • April 9, 2024