Utilities

  • Machine with hoses and wires, several water containers and a heat pump
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    Permission granted by AirJoule Technologies
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    Texas city pioneers tech that uses waste heat to generate drinking water

    AirJoule’s first U.S. field deployment will tap into a geothermal well to turn air into distilled water for the municipal supply.

    By • Aug. 13, 2025
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    EPA considers terminating $7B Solar For All program

    If the Trump administration moves forward to claw back the funding, “we will see them in court,” said Kym Meyer, litigation director at the Southern Environmental Law Center.

    By Diana DiGangi • Aug. 7, 2025
  • An electric utility truck drives down a street after a wildfire.
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    Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
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    Xcel Energy ‘prepared to go to trial’ to fight Colorado fire liability

    The company contends that it did not start the late 2021 Colorado blaze, which caused an estimated $2 billion in damages.

    By Emma Penrod • Aug. 4, 2025
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    The weather is changing. Here’s how utilities can adapt.

    Climate READi, developed by energy providers, policymakers and government agencies, can help energy companies prioritize investments and adapt the evolving electric system to the climate of the future.

    By Morgan Scott • Aug. 1, 2025
  • A cardboat cutout of a green cart wearing glasses that says “I’m Professor Green, ask me what to do with your food waste" in front of Griffith Observatory.
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    Permission granted by LA Sanitation
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    Cities and waste facility operators turn to AI for recycling education revamp

    As recycling rates stagnate, cities are testing smarter ways to help residents sort waste — from tamales to chopsticks — right at the bin.

    By Leslie Nemo • July 31, 2025
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    BackyardProduction via Getty Images
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    EPA’s move to gut key climate regulation raises stakes for city leaders

    A repeal of the endangerment finding would make local climate policy a new battleground in continuing tensions between the Trump administration and cities, a legal scholar suggests.

    By • July 30, 2025
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    Permission granted by Oldcastle Infrastructure
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    Sponsored by Oldcastle Infrastructure

    Workforce issues put new demands on municipal water management

    Water systems are aging and leaking as water experts are retiring. Can tech save our most vital resource?

    By Chris Cummings • July 14, 2025
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Building community through play

    The right playground equipment fosters community spirit and helps direct youth energy in the right direction

    By Michael Keating • June 30, 2025
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Column

    AI could hold the key to help cities solve traffic issues

    By harnessing AI to optimize traffic flow and reduce congestion, cities are finding themselves in a far more advantageous position to create and maintain efficient and sustainable urban environments.

    By Wes Guckert • June 27, 2025
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    Chris Hondros/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Summer power bills are going up, federal government warns

    Consumers will see a “slight increase” in power bills this summer, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said Monday. But that analysis is based on expectations for cooler weather.

    By Robert Walton • June 25, 2025
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    No surprise: The public sector faces more ransomware and cloud-based attacks in 2025

    Several factors leave cities and counties more vulnerable to cyber-attacks, including limited security budgets, less mature security programs and slower ability to adapt to evolving threats.

    By Michael Keating • June 16, 2025
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Securing our water future through strategic action

    How utilities can overcome aging infrastructure, unfunded mandates and emerging contaminants.

    By Stephanie Cuthbert • June 13, 2025
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Study: Business AI power consumption highest in these 10 states

    States across the country are seeing surges in electricity usage from businesses incorporating AI, according to a recent study by internet marketing company DesignRush.

    By • June 13, 2025
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Clearing waterways of nuisance vegetation can be a green achievement

    A key part of aquatic maintenance includes a growing demand for products that get rid of vegetation overgrowth without the use of dangerous herbicides.

    By Michael Keating • June 4, 2025
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    TomasSereda via Getty Images
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    NYC power bills going up this summer, ConEd warns

    The increases come amid a national rise in electricity prices and rapidly growing demand. Consolidated Edison has spent about $2.35 billion on its distribution system since last summer.

    By Robert Walton • May 29, 2025
  • A wall of six electric smart meters against gray, metal paneling.
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    Permission granted by Ethan Howland
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    Opinion

    Making energy affordable again: The role of cities, states and utilities in enhancing the energy safety net

    Even as the U.S. pursues an energy agenda centered on achieving affordability through abundance, utilities and local governments have tools to help families navigate energy insecurities.

    By Diana Hernández and Vivek Shastry • May 28, 2025
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    Brandon Bell/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    CenterPoint completes critical Houston grid upgrades ahead of hurricane season

    The utility has bolstered its power grid and communications systems since Hurricane Beryl left almost 2.3 million Houston-areas customers without power last summer.

    By Robert Walton • May 27, 2025
  • A man exits the front of the U.S. Capitol at dawn.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Republican budget squeezes out of House committee, but deeper IRA cuts could come

    Deficit hawks voted to advance the legislation for now but said they negotiated for more cuts to clean energy incentives.

    By Diana DiGangi • May 20, 2025
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    doug4537 via Getty Images
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    Thermal energy networks need municipal participation: report

    Cities and other entities can develop neighborhood-scale thermal networks to lower greenhouse gas emissions, clean energy consultants say.

    By • May 16, 2025
  • Wind turbines operate at a wind farm in Coachella Valley, as vehicles drive on a highway below.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Policy, tax uncertainty holding back US clean energy development

    Clean energy policy experts gathered at DC Climate Week said the current uncertainty around the U.S. tax and tariff environment is inhibiting the market.

    By Lamar Johnson • May 12, 2025
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Enhanced tech helps government fleets run at peak performance, but fleet managers must evolve

    From supply chain disruptions to technological advancements including telematics, AI and driver-assistance, the role of the fleet professional is evolving faster than ever before.

    By Michael Keating • May 8, 2025
  • A hand holding a carbon monoxide alarm in front of a gas stove
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    Ralf Geithe via Getty Images
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    Report ranks states’ efforts to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning

    UL Standards & Engagement officials recommend cities and states mandate indoor carbon monoxide alarms, conduct public awareness campaigns and train first responders.

    By • May 8, 2025
  • An Energy Star label on a washing machine.
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Trump administration plans to end popular Energy Star program

    The program has helped consumers save more than $500 billion in energy costs and 5 trillion kWh since it launched in 1992 under President George H.W. Bush.

    By Robert Walton • May 8, 2025
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Column

    ASCE recap: Local and state government should start reporting regularly on infrastructure success

    While the report card provides valuable information to track progress, government leaders should take the initiative to develop their own measurement systems.

    By Jennifer Perkins • May 2, 2025
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Column

    Smarter infrastructure: How rural and suburban counties can leverage advanced GIS data

    The data gives us visibility into underlying infrastructure, which helps us take proactive maintenance and repair actions, improve efficiency and be mindful of our budgets through careful planning.

    By Matt Fox • April 30, 2025