Energy

Downtown Los Angeles viewed from Echo Park with lake with artesian fountain in foreground.

A Sustainable Future for LA: Updating the OurCounty Plan

Los Angeles County is updating its Sustainability Plan to refine its vision for climate action, environmental justice, and community well-being, with residents encouraged to participate by taking the OurCounty 2025 Update Community Survey.

February 19, 2025 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Los Angeles, California skyline against mountains at sunset.

Building Resilient Communities: Insights from the LA County Cities Summit

The Los Angeles County Cities Summit convened local leaders to share strategies for advancing sustainability, addressing climate resilience, extreme heat, and other pressing environmental challenges through policy and community-driven solutions.

February 14, 2025 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Row of vehicles parked and plugged in at EV charging station.

Federal EV Charging Program Suspended

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program planned to fund the construction of hundreds of EV charging stations across the country.

February 9, 2025 - Wired

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

Rows of small plants being grown indoors hydroponically.

Vertical Farms Grow in Office Buildings

Office conversion is taking an agricultural turn.

January 31, 2025 - BBC

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

Electric road digger on street construction site in London, UK.

E-diggers Pave Way for Cleaner, Greener, Quieter London

London power workers are trialing zero-emission electric diggers that remove more than 200 tonnes of CO2 emissions and 75% of noise pollution from their work in the capital. 

January 22, 2025 - UK Power Networks

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

View of black oil wells behind chain link fence with barbed wire top

Healing the Land: Collaborative Effort to Reclaim Orphan Well Sites

The Well Done Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are partnering to plug over 110 orphan wells across four National Wildlife Refuges, restoring habitats, protecting ecosystems, and reducing methane emissions.

January 21, 2025 - PRNewswire

Front of White House with stormy sky above.

How the Trump Presidency Could Impact Urban Planning

An analysis of potential changes in federal housing, transportation, and climate policies.

January 19, 2025 - Planetizen

Cooling tower on data center building roof against twilight sky.

Growth of Ohio Data Centers Prompts Concerns

A watchdog group is questioning whether the benefits of data centers outweigh their negative impacts on the local economy and power grid.

January 14, 2025 - Ohio Capital Journal

Black oil well pumpjack in brown field surrounded by metal fence.

How an Environmental Liability Tax Could Solve the Orphan Well Crisis

An Environmental Liability Tax (ELT) on oil extraction would fund orphaned well cleanup, shift financial responsibility to oil companies, and address the environmental and public health risks posed by abandoned wells.

January 13, 2025 - Forbes

"Danger Extreme Fire Hazard" sign on street sign post below "No Parking" sign.

Rising Temperatures and the Escalating Wildfire Crisis

Rising global temperatures driven by climate change are intensifying and prolonging wildfire seasons worldwide, necessitating improved forest management, public awareness, and urgent action to reduce fossil fuel emissions.

January 12, 2025 - DW.com

Oil well pumpjack sillhouetted against a bright pink sunset sky.

Upcoming Conference Spotlights California's Orphan Wells

The 2025 Orphan & Idle Wells California Conference will address the environmental, economic, and public health challenges of abandoned oil and gas wells, focusing on remediation strategies, regulatory frameworks, and community-centered solutions.

December 31, 2024 - Energy Conference Network

Oil well in prairie landscape.

Reclaiming Oil Wells for Renewable Energy in Rural Colorado

A company is seeking to repurpose abandoned oil wells in Pierce, Colorado, to create a cost-effective geothermal energy system that could heat and cool local buildings, reduce emissions, and serve as a model for sustainable energy nationwide.

December 31, 2024 - Fast Company

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.