Thermal energy networks can decarbonize neighborhoods. Meet the US cities giving them a shot.

With federal dollars, cities want to leverage heat from waste sources and the ground to move buildings away from burning fossil fuels on-site.

By Brian Martucci • Nov. 18, 2024

Small budget, strong security: Why Zero Trust is key to protecting critical infrastructure

Traditional security measures, reliant on perimeter defense, are no longer sufficient. Agencies must stop solely focusing on perimeter defenses and flip the paradigm with an inside-out strategy. This strategy mirrors how threats operate, enabling faster detection and neutralization before escalation, and ultimately building the resilience needed for modern defenses. This approach is at the heart of Zero Trust.

By Gary Barlet • Nov. 15, 2024

Automation, efficiency upgrades at Minnesota zoo could save city up to $1.8M over 3 years

Groundwater-based geothermal heat pumps and building automation systems are among the changes at St. Paul's Como Park Zoo, which a city official said accounts for about 25% of total energy use among city properties.

By Brian Martucci • Nov. 15, 2024

Local decarbonization, energy efficiency projects get over $17M from DOE

The “highly flexible” grant program allows communities to pursue a broad range of projects, from home energy efficiency rebate programs to workforce training initiatives, according to the Department of Energy.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Nov. 15, 2024

OpenAI shares its five-pillar blueprint for building AI infrastructure in the U.S.

The creator of ChatGPT and one of the leading purveyors of AI has shared what it described as its blueprint for building AI infrastructure in the U.S.—and federal, state and local community buy-in for the plan is key.

Nov. 14, 2024

State infrastructure ballot initiatives see mixed results

Approved bond funding and climate resiliency-focused state ballot measures could provide new ways for municipalities to fund improvements.

By Joe Burns • Nov. 13, 2024

How to increase climate resilience in urban areas

In the face of climate change, cities around the world are experiencing unprecedented weather patterns that have profound impacts on urban life. City planners and policymakers must leverage weather data to design resilient urban environments capable of withstanding these changes.

By Andrew Wigmore • Nov. 12, 2024

Trump taps former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead EPA

The Trump administration will likely roll back EPA regulations affecting fossil-fuel power plants, said the president and CEO of a trade group for owners of coal-fired plants.

By Ethan Howland • Nov. 12, 2024

Heat pumps could save these Texas households money, reduce grid strain: ACEEE

The state should focus on deploying heat pumps in homes that currently use inefficient electric resistance heaters, say the authors of a paper from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Nov. 11, 2024

Trump win is ‘setback’ for climate protection, but clean energy advocates say progress will continue

“Most U.S. state, local, and private sector leaders are committed to charging ahead,” said Dan Lashof, U.S. director of the World Resources Institute.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 6, 2024

How EV policy could be impacted by the election results

Electric vehicle infrastructure projects, like charging stations, are likely to maintain support, even under another Trump presidency, one expert says. EV tax credits, however, could be on the chopping block.

By Robert Walton • Nov. 4, 2024

Low-carbon district energy system launches in a Washington city’s waterfront neighborhood

The system, which captures waste heat for districtwide heating and cooling, is expected to help the buildings served meet Washington state energy code requirements, the Port of Bellingham says.

By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 31, 2024

Traverse City’s broadband project is a cautionary tale for other communities

As a former telecommunications executive who created business plans for fiber networks, I’ve watched Traverse City, Mich.’s efforts to build a fiber municipal broadband network with both interest and concern.

By Gerald DeGrazia • Oct. 29, 2024

NYC comptroller proposes stopping pensions’ private market investments in fossil fuels

The funds would be the first U.S. public pension plans to have exclusions on investing in fossil fuel infrastructure like pipelines and liquefied natural gas terminals.

By Lamar Johnson • Oct. 25, 2024

Building smarter, stronger communities with an AI-enhanced government workforce

There are an estimated 20.3 million public sector employees in the United States, representing a significant 13% of the country’s active workforce. The implications for turnover are staggering, as several thousand of these employees retire each year on average as others constantly join.

By Jeff Green • Oct. 24, 2024

California’s first carbon capture and storage facility gets local approval

The decision follows heated debate among community members about the project’s economic and health impacts.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Oct. 24, 2024

2023 Crown Communities Award winner: Two massive projects help relieve traffic problems

Traffic congestion is an issue facing cities of all sizes, affecting commutes, the economy, the environment and the mental health of everyone stuck in it.

By Michelle Havich • Oct. 22, 2024

What does it take to decarbonize a manufactured home community?

A community-scale retrofit project in Colorado offers a path toward lowering power bills for a population that faces high levels of energy insecurity.

By Leslie Nemo • Oct. 18, 2024

EV owners can store more energy from the grid with GM Energy’s new ‘PowerBank’

The stationary energy storage unit can provide power to a home during an outage or help offset higher electricity rates during peak times. 

By Eric Walz • Oct. 17, 2024

How to address a key building decarbonization barrier: the ‘split incentive gap’

While landlords and developers foot the bill for efficiency upgrades, tenants benefit from lower energy costs. A Sustainable Markets Initiative road map outlines policies and other ways to address the mismatch.

By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 11, 2024

Gas utility faces climate deception lawsuit by Oregon county

It's the first time a U.S. community has sued a gas utility for allegedly deceiving the public about the climate impacts of fossil fuels, advocates say.

By Ysabelle Kempe • Oct. 10, 2024

Getting started: What any municipality can do now about EPA’s PFAS ruling for water systems

There is help for municipalities and community water providers overwhelmed by the April 2024 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announcement of its requirement that water systems remove six “forever chemicals” present in drinking water supplies across the country. The U.S. Geological Survey indicates as much as 45 percent of current drinking water supplies are impacted by PFAS.

By Dan Schneider • Oct. 9, 2024

Expert: Internal combustion engines will be propelling fleet vehicles for many years to come

Public-sector fleet managers may want to consider delaying replacing their internal-combustion-engine (ICE) vehicles with electric vehicles/trucks (EVs) says Randall Taylor, CEO of The Fuel Ox, a global provider of fuel treatments and lubricants. For more than 10 years Taylor has led daily operations at the firm, which helps consumers and fleet managers reduce their footprint on the environment with bio-based, eco-friendly and almost completely toxin-free products.

By Michael Keating • Oct. 2, 2024

1.6M customers still without power after Helene; some local grids must ‘be completely rebuilt’

Multiple utilities say they will need to completely rebuild, rather than repair, electric systems in the hardest-hit areas. 

By Robert Walton • Oct. 1, 2024

2025’s top smart city conferences

Smart city technology, housing, climate action, transportation, public safety and more take center stage at events in 2025.

By Dan Zukowski • Updated June 27, 2025