Energy

Power Plant

It's Official: Obama's Clean Power Plan Has Been Replaced by the Trump Administration

It took less than a year for the EPA to finalize the Affordable Clean Energy rule, which will allow older coal-burning plants to continue operating, in the Trump administration's most consequential environmental rollback accomplished to date.

June 21, 2019 - The New York Times

New York State Capitol

New York Sets Ambitious, Net-Zero Climate Emissions Target

The state of New York's new Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act is described by the New York Times as one of the most ambitious climate targets by any state legislature in the world.

June 20, 2019 - The New York Times

Proterra Electric Bus

Debating the Merits of Hydrogen and Batteries for Buses

To switch to fully electric bus fleets, transit agencies can invest in batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. Both have their advantages.

June 19, 2019 - Governing

Exurban Commute

California Looks North for a Climate Partner

California has been lonely for the last seven years as the only state that prices carbon emissions from most sources. Oregon is expected to decide this month whether to join them.

June 18, 2019 - CALmatters

Presidential Campaign

2020 Presidential Campaign: Media Coverage of Climate Strategies

Mayor Pete Buttigieg was criticized for supporting carbon capture and carbon taxes, while Vice President Biden was accused of lifting phrases about carbon capture from a "pro-industry" group. But did the media get these stories right?

June 17, 2019 - Common Dreams

corn field in polk county iowa

Summertime Ethanol Restriction Lifted to Help Corn Farmers—But at What Cost?

President Trump made good on his promise last October to lift the E15 ban in time for the summer driving season. Not mentioned by the Des Moines Register are the downsides to allowing the higher ethanol blend to be sold during the summer, e.g., smog.

June 14, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Hanford Site

Hanford Nuclear Waste Cleanup Stalls Amid Legal Turmoil

A cleanup of nuclear weapons waste at Washington State's Hanford Site was first outlined in 1989. But now, as state officials wrangle with the federal government, deadlines set in 2016 may still not be met.

June 13, 2019 - The Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Bungalow Court

On the Massive Carbon Savings of Gentle Density

A thought experiment compares the carbon impact of three new single family homes with the same block if it contained a duplex, a triplex, and a fourplex.

June 13, 2019 - Sightline Institute

Atlanta Park

A Sustainability Plan for Georgia's Most Populous County

Fulton County, Georgia, home to Atlanta, adopted the "2019 Sustainability Plan + Resilience" earlier this month, focused on addressing the effects of climate change.

June 12, 2019 - SaportaReport

Urban Solar Power

Expanded Solar Capacity Means Supply Exceeds Demand for Solar in California

California is setting records for the amount of solar energy it can’t use, but this cushion might be a good thing: it means the state won’t need to depend as heavily on fossil fuels as a stopgap.

June 10, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Michael Bloomberg Launches $500 Million 'Beyond Carbon' Campaign

The "War on Coal" is back, in the form of a new grassroots political campaign bankrolled by Bloomberg Philanthropies to decarbonize power generation by targeting existing coal power plants and halting the growth of natural gas replacements.

June 10, 2019 - The New York Times

Dakota Access Pipeline

Dakota Access Pipeline Owners Win Eminent Domain Appeal in Iowa Supreme Court

The Iowa Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that found that the Iowa Utilities Board was justified in giving the private owners of the Dakota Access Pipeline the use of eminent domain. Climate change was considered in the ruling.

June 6, 2019 - Des Moines Register

Trans Alaska Oil Pipeline

The Federal Agency With Surprising Power to Impact Climate Change Policy

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) flies under the radar, but it makes some of the most consequential decisions about the federal government's approach to climate change.

May 25, 2019 - Vox

Oak Harbor, Ohio

The Ohio 'Clean Air' Energy Bill Cuts Out Wind and Solar Credits

Nuclear power is the big winner in a new comprehensive energy bill moving through the State Legislature in Ohio.

May 25, 2019 - Statehouse News Bureau

High Falls, Genesee River

Planning for Future Cities Today With Urban Nexus Science

The Urban Nexus is an approach to sustainability that seeks to integrate sectors and silos int he design and development process.

May 12, 2019 - Kayla Matthews

Arizona

'Green' Houses Come Up Well Short in Phoenix

City inspectors and federal regulators will not be favorably portrayed in this story.

May 11, 2019 - Phoenix New Times

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Community Solar, an Alternative Energy Win-Win

Across the country, community solar is taking off and making the financial and environmental benefits of solar energy more accessible.

May 3, 2019 - Curbed New York

Electric Car Charging Stencil

New Developments Must Be EV Ready in Seattle

It's not the same as requiring that all new development have charging facilities and parking spots for electric vehicles, but it's close.

May 1, 2019 - The Urbanist

Fracking

Department of Interior Plans to Open 1 Million Acres in California to Fracking

The Bakersfield Office of the Bureau of Land Management released an environmental study that is the basis for undoing a 2013 de facto moratorium on fracking on federal lands in California. The Supplemental EIS triggers a 45-day public comment period.

April 28, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Virginia State Government

Republicans Block Virginia from Joining Regional Cap-and-Trade Program

The Virginia Air Pollution Control Board approved a cap-and-trade policy for utilities to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, but Republicans added language in the state budget bill to prevent it.

April 25, 2019 - The Washington Post

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.