"Nine projects in California are making their way through the Bureau of Land Management's fast-track program which, if completed, will bring over 4,500 megawatts worth of generating capacity onto the grid."
"The nine projects would cover more than 41,000 acres of BLM land and provide enough power for 3.8 million homes, according to federal estimates."
Demand for such large scale solar power projects in the desert has been driven by a California mandate which requires utilities to obtain 20% of their electricity from sustainable sources by year's end.
Technologies at the sites vary: "The 392-megawatt Ivanpah project, which technology provider BrightSource Energy expects to start construction on this fall, uses a field of mirrors focused on a tower which heats a liquid to make steam that drives a turbine." Elsewhere in California, San Bernardino County is installing "giant parabolic dishes which use the sun's heat to drive an attached Stirling engine to generate electricity."
FULL STORY: Solar Power Plans Move Ahead in California
Greener Gasoline to Come from Solar-Powered Oil Wells in California
Crude oil from Kern County's Belridge field will soon have a much lower life cycle carbon intensity thanks to new solar technology used to extract hard-to-get oil. The renewal of California's carbon cap-and-trade market made it possible.
Solar Thermal Power Tower Debuts in U.S.
This week, eSolar debuted the first solar thermal power tower in the U.S., which they say is a step forward in technology and affordability.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service