“It has to be one of the greatest wastes of money in any state’s history,” Alan Greenblatt writes.

In the first line of his piece on failed nuclear plants in South Carolina, Alan Greenblatt speculates, “It has to be one of the greatest wastes of money in any state’s history.”
The story begins 12 years ago:
“Back in 2006, South Carolina, along with several other states, passed legislation to try to jumpstart the moribund nuclear construction industry. At the time, energy was more expensive than it is today and there was talk of Congress perhaps imposing a carbon tax. In states with growing populations, encouraging nuclear energy through a new approach seemed like a good idea.”
What also seemed like a good idea was a financing strategy that had utility customers paying for the plants as they were built, instead of being presented with a bill once they were finished.
Which is how those customers have paid $2 billion into projects that will never generate electricity; in fact, even though work has ceased, and the company contracted to build the plants went bankrupt last summer, and an audit uncovered faulty designs and poor management, South Carolinians are still paying $37 million per month to South Carolina Gas & Electric and Santee Cooper.
“The state is now trying to figure out who’s to blame, and who will pay,” Greenblatt writes, noting that it’s unlikely the utility companies could refund ratepayers even if the state demanded it, that they both claim they can’t continue to operate if the payments cease.
FULL STORY: South Carolina Spent $9 Billion on Nuclear Reactors That Will Never Run. Now What?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024
The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding
In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.

Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland