Utilities: Page 2

  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    Column

    Special districts: The forgotten districts of local government

    Special districts and special purpose districts are a vital yet often underrecognized component of local government and the community at large. It’s important to educate the public about them, the challenges they face and how to navigate them.

    By Brenden Elwood • April 23, 2025
  • Bumper-to-bumper cars emerge from a tunnel onto a midtown Manhattan street.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    New York expands EV purchase, charging equipment incentives

    New York is making $30 million available to assist with the lease or purchase of new electric vehicles. The state is also expanding efforts to reduce equipment installation costs for Level 2 chargers.

    By Robert Walton • April 23, 2025
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    2024 Crown Communities: Cedar Park Public Library

    The newly built public library is the anchor of a new downtown district for the Central Texas city, where it serves as the “front porch” of the community.

    By • April 18, 2025
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    EV fleets get fueled via solar chargers and managed charging software through existing grid

    The decision of when to shift from internal combustion engines (ICE) to EVs is often driven (or limited) by available grid power. Municipalities often face constraints when looking to transition traditional ICE fleets to EVs due to limited grid capacity at the parking lots where their vehicles are stored.

    By Michael Keating • April 16, 2025
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    More public EV charging, including curbside, envisioned in Chicago plan

    “By prioritizing equity and public input, we’re creating a roadmap for electric transportation that serves every neighborhood and helps drive down emissions across Chicago,” the city’s transportation department commissioner said.

    By • April 14, 2025
  • The exterior of Brockton, Massachusetts, City Hall.
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    "City Hall" [Photograph]. Retrieved from City of Brockton, Massachusetts.
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    Brockton, Mass., leverages energy savings contract to preserve, improve two historic buildings

    New window, lighting and HVAC systems aim to reduce energy and improve air quality, including in one building that has been unusable in extreme weather. 

    By Joe Burns • April 14, 2025
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    RoschetzkyIstockPhoto via Getty Images
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    Denver adds flexibility to building performance guidelines

    Following public input, including some backlash from building owners, the new rules will push back compliance deadlines, remove electrification report requirements and reduce penalty rates, the city said. 

    By Joe Burns • April 9, 2025
  • Workers in orange vests and caps standing on either side of an unhoused person in front of tents and tarps
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Housing, utilities, food among top US needs in 2024: United Way survey

    “At a moment when individuals and communities need more support, but national and local resources are uncertain,” the survey results can help identify cross-sector solutions, United Way Worldwide CEO Angela Williams said.

    By Ryan Kushner • April 2, 2025
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    America’s aging water infrastructure faces new threats

    The U.S. urgently needs to increase funding to shore up facilities, experts say, as climate change and emerging contaminants like PFAS pose growing threats.

    By Julie Strupp • April 1, 2025
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    U.S. infrastructure gets a C, its highest grade ever, in ASCE report card

    Infrastructure needs long-term, continuous investment to maintain and continue to improve, however, the civil engineering group said.

    By • March 26, 2025
  • A closeup of Chris Wright speaking in a room.
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    Retrieved from Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
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    DOE withdraws, postpones multiple appliance energy efficiency rules

    “We are returning freedom of choice to the American people,” Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said in a statement. Appliance efficiency advocates warn the agency is in “uncharted territory.”

    By Robert Walton • March 26, 2025
  • Man seated at table with the seal of the President of the United States surrounded by men and women.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    US infrastructure gets a C, its highest grade ever, in ASCE report card

    Infrastructure needs long-term, continuous investment to maintain and continue to improve, however, the civil engineering group said. 

    By Michelle M. Havich • March 26, 2025
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Mobile servicing and specialized service centers keep public sector fleets in good working order

    Local government fleet managers want to keep their vehicles rolling. Fleet service options can help keep vehicles on the road.

    By Michael Keating • March 20, 2025
  • An aerial view of Madison, Wisconsin.
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    AlenaMozhjer via Getty Images
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    Madison, Wisconsin, benchmarking program to phase in smaller buildings

    Continuous benchmarking and system tune-ups can help owners and operators reduce annual energy use and provide cities with necessary information for setting performance targets, experts say.

    By Joe Burns • March 18, 2025
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    Denis Tangney Jr. via Getty Images
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    New York state offers $5M for existing building energy innovations

    Providers that have already received federal, state, local or other incentive funds can receive up to $1 million to accelerate development of their energy efficiency solutions, the state energy research authority says.

    By Joe Burns • March 18, 2025
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Column

    Cybersecurity challenges faced by local governments in 2025

    While no two incidents are the same, city and county governments often face similar challenges during and after cyberattacks. By taking proactive steps, you can empower your local government to be more in control of its cybersecurity.

    By Phillip Harmon • March 14, 2025
  • A Chicago Transit Authority electric bus stopped near the Navy Pier.
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    Courtesy of Regional Transportation Authority
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    Transit agencies continue to add zero-emission buses to their fleets

    More than 7,000 full-size battery and fuel cell electric buses are in use or on the way, according to Calstart’s latest report, but shifting federal policies could affect future growth.

    By • March 14, 2025
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Choose from a variety of fuel storage tanks to meet municipal needs

    Fuel storage tanks serve a variety of applications in local government, including generator backup, fleets and grounds maintenance.

    By Michael Keating • March 13, 2025
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    EPA revisiting dozens of climate, environment rules in ‘day of deregulation’

    The agency said it would roll back a range of rules and programs, including some that are foundational to its efforts to address climate change. A new WOTUS definition is expected, as well as rollbacks to an emissions reporting program.

    By Jacob Wallace • March 13, 2025
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Column

    Competitive mass transit: Using technology and data to revolutionize city commutes

    Congestion pricing serves as a compelling case study for cities facing similar challenges, demonstrating how data-driven strategies can truly reshape urban mobility.

    By Timothy Menard • March 7, 2025
  • Evanson, gas appliances, washington, federal court, seattle
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    imantsu via Getty Images
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    Washington state efficiency standards discouraging gas appliances prevail in federal court

    A federal court ruling in Seattle will make it more expensive for builders who prefer to install or support natural gas appliances, critics say.

    By David Weisenfeld • March 7, 2025
  • A wind turbine near a fossil fuel power plant in Massachusetts
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    Maudib via Getty Images
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    Massachusetts cuts $500M from state’s energy efficiency program

    Eversource Energy thanked state regulators “for listening to customer concerns about affordability and taking the difficult action.”

    By Robert Walton • March 6, 2025
  • A rendering of a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV in a residential garage with GM's vehicle-to-home charging equipment mounted on the wall.
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    Courtesy of General Motors
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    Massachusetts to deploy 100 bidirectional EV chargers in first-of-its-kind ‘V2X’ pilot

    The program is available for residential, commercial, municipal and school customers and could add 1.5 MW of flexible grid capacity by September 2026, program partners said.

    By Brian Martucci • March 5, 2025
  • "Hon. Lee M. Zeldin," as a placard states, sits at a table with a microphone in front of a crowd in a hearing room.
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    EPA $20B funding freeze leaves ‘green bank’ nonprofits unable to pay bills

    “Local projects across the country will be unable to move forward without legal intervention” if EPA or Citibank does not unfreeze the funds, a Climate United Fund spokesperson said.

    By Diana DiGangi • March 4, 2025
  • A detailed landscape design plan showing topographic contour lines, orange building illustrations, green trees, and directional arrows. The layout includes winding paths and clustered vegetation. A triangular scale ruler lies on the left, and three colored pencils, colored blue, green, and yellow, rest on the lower right corner of the page.
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    Toa55 via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Energy bills are crushing low-income families. Here’s how state and local policymakers can help

    Recent research found that a quarter of low-income households in the U.S. spend more than 15% of their income on energy bills, compared to the overall median of just 2.9%.

    By Roxana Ayala • Feb. 28, 2025