Energy

Washington Says Seven-Degree Increase Is Coming, Doesn’t Outline Solutions
A federal evaluation of fuel-efficiency standards says that while drastic climate change is imminent, there is little reason to do anything about it.
Hurricane Florence Causes Coal Ash Spill at Former Coal Power Plant
The breach of the coal ash landfill by a former coal-burning power plant in Wilmington, North Carolina serves as a reminder that even after coal plants are shuttered, the by-products of the world's most polluting fossil fuel can still cause harm.

Phasing Out the Internal Combustion Engine No Easy Task
A report from the Global Climate Action Summit on a looming deadline set by the Paris climate agreement: ending sales of new gas and diesel-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035.

How U.S. Cities Are Taking Climate Action
A new survey identified the top climate strategies favored by municipalities around the country.

Los Angeles Aims for Zero-Emission Transportation
The region hopes to achieve widespread electrification of transportation ahead of the 2028 Olympics.

Utilities Still Catching Up to Public Opinion on Renewable Energy
Renewable energy enjoys broad public support—the utility industry is more skeptical.

Latest Obama-Era Regulations Targeted by the Trump Administration: Methane Rules
One Obama-era climate regulation still on the books deals with methane leakage from oil and gas wells. The greenhouse gas is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Another methane regulation targeted deals with flaring on federal lands.
Keep it in the Ground – 2018
As climate hawks gather in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit that convenes Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown, host of the summit, is dogged by critics who can't distinguish between oil production and consumption.

New York to Update the OneNYC Resilience and Sustainability Plan
Introduced with fanfare in 2015, the OneNYC plan is ready for an update.
The Far-Reaching Consequences of Remaking the Mercury Emissions Rule
The EPA intends to review the rulemaking process behind the mercury rule, the subject of a landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2015, to place more value on a rule's compliance cost to industry and less to its beneficial impact on human health.

Kentucky Rejects 'Smart Meters' Proposal
It's back to the drawing board for utilities hoping to implement new electricity grid infrastructure.

Oil and Gas Drilling Issues Loom Large in Colorado on Election Day
Unlike prior initiatives that sought drilling bans, Prop. 112 would greatly increase setbacks from buildings to such an extent that it could doom much of the industry. A competing initiative would make the change a "taking" and require compensation.

Report: Transportation Emissions Sully California's Environmental Reputation
There's good and bad news from an annual assessment on the Golden State's economy and environment. Gross domestic product per capita increases as emissions per capita decrease, with the major exception of emissions from transportation.

Generating Thermal Energy Requires Water, Lots of It
Water is an important part of the thermal energy process – one that we may not think as much about.

California May Join Hawaii With 100 Percent Renewable Energy by 2045
Senate Bill 100 by Sen. Kevin de León has one more hurdle to clear before it becomes law. While the state's greatest climate challenge isn't electricity generation, it will be helpful as more motorists turn toward electric vehicles.

Smart Meters and AI take on Electrical Grid Load Forecasting
With the recent development of IoT, smart meter technology, and advanced weather forecasts by machine learning, we have the ability to analyze usage and load patterns and estimate future needs to help balance the electricity grid.
Tar Sands Oil Just Lost Another Outlet, For Now
It was viewed as a "David vs. Goliath" pipeline fight: the city of South Portland, Maine against a pipeline company backed by Big Oil. The city had passed a zoning ordinance preventing the export of oil which would have impacted public health.

Cleaning-Up the World's Dirtiest Fuel by 2020
A 2016 rule approved by a specialized agency of the U.N. is forcing large ships that burn bunker oil, the dirtiest type of fuel, to either burn a more costly low-sulfur variety, apply scrubbers, or turn to LNG.

Making Older Coal Power Plants More Efficient Without Making Them Cleaner
At the center of the EPA's newly proposed Affordable Clean Energy rule is doing away with a permitting process known as New Source Review that requires coal power plants to add scrubbers and other expensive pollution control equipment when upgraded.

New Renewable Energy Has Yet to Displace Dirty Energy
Falling costs for renewable energy may lead some to believe that coal and other mainstays have been replaced, but they haven't. Adoption of renewables is not yet outpacing growth in demand for energy.
Pagination
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.
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service