Clean Energy

Adult holding young child facing away from camera looking at wind turbines sillhouetted against the sunset.

Art in Action: USC Event Calls for an Urgent Green Energy Transition

The El Respiro / Respire event at USC uses a large-scale human geochoreography to demand an urgent and equitable transition to green energy, blending art, activism, and community engagement to amplify the message of climate justice.

March 5, 2025 - USC Today

Neoclassical United States Treasury building in Washington, D.C.

January Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

How a tidal wave of potential changes at the federal level could throw many programs planners depend on into chaos, a roundup of last year’s zoning stories, and the continuing ripple effects of a landmark Supreme Court case.

February 6, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Bird's eye view of workers installing solar panels on rooftop.

Building a Just Transition from the Ground Up

Effective just transitions require locally driven solutions that prioritize inclusion, agency, and accountability, ensuring that communities, cities, and national policies align to create equitable and sustainable economic opportunities.

February 5, 2025 - World Economic Forum

Solar and Wind Energy

Equity in Energy: Protecting Livelihoods and Restoring Communities

The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy must be equitable, ensuring that workers receive support, communities are revitalized, and degraded lands are restored to create a more sustainable and inclusive future.

February 3, 2025 - PRB+ Magazine

White hydrogen tank.

First US Hydrogen Public Utility to Launch in California

The project will serve as an intermediary between clean hydrogen providers and consumers.

January 31, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Solar and Wind Energy

Building a Cleaner Future: Financing the Coal-to-Clean Transition

The Coal-to-Clean Initiative is an effort to fund the early retirement of coal plants in emerging markets, urging public-private collaboration to achieve a just energy transition that limits global warming and supports sustainable growth.

January 28, 2025 - World Economic Forum

Tall power line towers with blurred city lights in background.

How Microgrids Can Boost Community Resilience

Localized power grids, sometimes sourced from renewable sources, can make energy systems more resilient and reliable.

January 24, 2025 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Technician in orange vest and white hard hat standing in field with row of wind turbines.

Executive Order Pauses Infrastructure, Clean Energy Funds

Trump’s order puts a freeze on unspent funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

January 23, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Silver oil pipeline running above ground in snowy area near Fairbanks, Alaska.

Trump Attacks Environmental Rules Amid Flurry of Executive Orders

Several executive orders signed on Monday seek to repeal Obama- and Biden-era environmental regulations and roll back goals to encourage the shift to electric vehicles.

January 22, 2025 - The New York Times

Photovoltaic solar panels on red-tile rooftops in California neighborhood.

California Leads in Solar Rooftops

A combination of state and local incentives and building code mandates has helped California far outpace other states in residential rooftop solar permits.

December 17, 2024 - Fast Company

Close-up of hand holding small white square thermoelectric generator in lab with computer in background.

Harnessing Waste Heat Through Thermoelectricity

Heat from industrial installations and buildings can be captured to create renewable electricity.

December 3, 2024 - Fast Company

Orange and white steam pipes in New York City releasing white steam against background of red brick buildings.

“Steam Loops” Can Power Large Buildings With Clean Energy

Underground steam pipe systems in New York, Boston, and other cities could hold the key to renewable power generation.

November 28, 2024 - Bloomberg CityLab

Solar and Wind Energy

Why Renewables Aren’t Going Anywhere

The worldwide transition to renewable energy sources is already underway as climate change creates more significant impacts on the global supply chain and economy.

November 14, 2024 - Forbes

Large roof with solar panels and Los Angeles hills in background.

How Los Angeles County is Advancing Sustainability

A recently released report by the Chief Sustainability Office (CSO) shows that L.A. County is making progress on meeting the goals of the OurCounty Sustainability Plan.

November 13, 2024 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Small mountain lake with snow-capped mountains in background in Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains in California.

California Approves $10 Billion Bond for Water, Clean Energy, and Environmental Projects

Funds will be used to support water, wildfire prevention, environmental, and park projects, reflecting strong public support for climate resilience.

November 7, 2024 - Los Angeles Times

Gaslamp Quarter

America’s 10 ‘Greenest’ Cities

A new analysis ranks cities based on their environmental quality, energy consumption and production, transportation, density, and other factors.

October 28, 2024 - The Street

Close-up of top of white offshore wind turbine with other turbines in sea in background.

New York Offshore Wind Farm Offers Hope for Nascent Industry

The first commercial-scale offshore wind installation in the United States is powering roughly 70,000 homes in Long Island, New York.

October 16, 2024 - CNBC

Aerial view of Central de Abasto food wholesale market in Mexico City, Mexico.

Rooftop Solar on Mexico City Market to Power 300 Transit Buses

A solar project atop a massive food market will provide electricity to Mexico City's public transit buses.

October 7, 2024 - Bloomberg CityLab

View of Three Mile Island nuclear power plant with four reactor towers on a sunny day.

Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant Could Power Microsoft Data Centers

The proposal to restart one unit of the infamous plant, which suffered a partial meltdown in 1979, still requires federal, state, and local approvals.

September 24, 2024 - Reuters

Solar panels installed as shade panels over parking lot with small cars parked underneath.

Commercial Buildings, Parking Lots Offer Significant Potential for Solar Energy

Massive swaths of flat rooftops, garages, and surface parking lots go underutilized. They could be producing renewable energy.

September 19, 2024 - Clean Technica

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.