Solar Power
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.
Study: Midwest Property Values Unaffected by Nearby Solar Farms
Despite concerns that solar projects could lower property values, new research finds they actually rose slightly in areas near utility-scale solar installations.
New Jersey Agrivoltaic Project Combines Solar Energy With Farming
A Rutgers University-New Brunswick demonstration farm will evaluate solar array designs to understand how they can best support grazing and agriculture on the same site.
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.
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.
California’s Shift to Renewables: Successes and Challenges
The state aims to run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.
Solar Industry Growing Fast, but is Hampered by Aging Grid
One of solar’s biggest challenges is getting the energy where it needs to go.
Montana Ranchers Question Massive Solar Project
The $1.2-billion solar farm would provide power to data centers owned by Microsoft, Meta, and others.
Solar Production Threatens Fertile Farmlands
Solar installations are causing soil erosion and raising concerns among farmers in some of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions.
Western Solar Plan Charts Course for Development on Public Lands
The BLM’s proposed maps could open up as much as 55 million acres to solar installations.
Making Solar Energy Land Use More Efficient
How an ‘ecovoltaic’ approach can balance energy production with conservation of sensitive land.
New Solar Capacity Outpaces New Fossil Fuels in the US
Solar energy still makes up just 5 percent of the nation’s energy mix, but could grow faster in coming years.
What Happens to Defunct Solar Plants?
In most states, solar companies are required to provide an end-to-end plan for solar power installations.
Federal Plan Identifies Millions of Acres for Solar Production
The proposal targets areas near transmission lines in 11 western and southwestern states.
Gila River Canal Project Pairs Water Conservation With Solar Energy
Local leaders view the first solar panel-covered water canal in the Western Hemisphere as a ‘major win’ for Indigenous water sovereignty.
City of Vacaville Launches Instant Solar Permitting
A new state law requires cities to take steps to speed up the permitting process for solar energy systems.
The Slow Growth of Solar Carports
Placing solar panels over parking lots has multiple benefits, but higher costs have prevented their widespread adoption in U.S. cities.
Tampa Pilots Solar Sidewalks
The city is testing solar panels embedded in sidewalks as a backup power supply for traffic lights.
France Mandates Solar Panels Over Parking Lots Nationwide
By 2028, all French parking lots with more than 80 spots will have to be covered with solar panels, providing both shade and renewable energy.
How California Kept the Lights On
To stave off rolling blackouts during a record heat wave, California relied on dramatic conservation by households and a growing renewable energy sector.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
