Energy

Bunker Fuel Exhaust

Cleaning-Up the World's Dirtiest Fuel by 2020

A 2016 rule approved by a specialized agency of the U.N. is forcing large ships that burn bunker oil, the dirtiest type of fuel, to either burn a more costly low-sulfur variety, apply scrubbers, or turn to LNG.

August 28, 2018 - The Wall Street Journal

Coal Ash Waste

Making Older Coal Power Plants More Efficient Without Making Them Cleaner

At the center of the EPA's newly proposed Affordable Clean Energy rule is doing away with a permitting process known as New Source Review that requires coal power plants to add scrubbers and other expensive pollution control equipment when upgraded.

August 27, 2018 - The New York Times

Palm Springs

New Renewable Energy Has Yet to Displace Dirty Energy

Falling costs for renewable energy may lead some to believe that coal and other mainstays have been replaced, but they haven't. Adoption of renewables is not yet outpacing growth in demand for energy.

August 25, 2018 - Axios

Electric Car Charging Stencil

Tenants in Rent Controlled Buildings in California to Gain EV Charging

An exemption to an existing law was removed Monday when Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that affords tenants in rent-controlled buildings the same right to request electric vehicle charging capability as renters in unregulated apartments.

August 23, 2018 - Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. (California)

Utility-Scale Solar

'Affordable Clean Energy Rule' Proposed to Replace Clean Power Plan

On Tuesday, EPA released its new rule to regulate emissions from existing power plants, essentially leaving it to the states to determine appropriate emissions levels rather than setting actual standards each state has to meet like the current rule.

August 22, 2018 - The New York Times

Electric Car

Electric Cars: What Are You Waiting For?

Electric cars aren't as expensive as they once were, and the cost of ownership has always been low—so what are you waiting for?

August 21, 2018 - San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Everett

Washington Voters to Decide on Carbon Tax in November

Initiative 1631 takes up where Gov. Jay Inslee's carbon tax legislation ended in March after failing to attract enough supporters. The new initiative differs from I- 732 which was rejected by 59 percent of voters two years ago.

August 20, 2018 - The Atlantic

Hollywood Welcomes Carbon Neutral Complex Amid Revitalization

Kilroy Realty Corp. has broken ground on Academy on Vine, a long-anticipated campus of offices, apartments, and stores in the heart of Hollywood.

August 16, 2018 - The Planning Report

163:365 - Green Energy

Five Key Energy Bills the California Legislature May Decide this Week

Energy stakeholders in California are watching five important bills to see which go forward with three weeks remaining in the legislative season. One would require the state to generate all electricity from renewable sources by 2045.

August 14, 2018 - The Desert Sun

California Wildflowers

Paying for Climate Change Mitigation at the Pump in California

Two market-based programs add about a quarter to every gallon of fuel purchased in the Golden State, but don't expect to see the prices listed anywhere. Furthermore, costs to comply with the Low Carbon Fuel Standard are expected to increase.

August 13, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Electricity

Bridging the Divides in the U.S. Electricity Grid

The U.S. power system is split into three separate sections with very little overlap. A more seamless infrastructure could deliver benefit, but a new study, still unpublished, is the first to take on the question of how much benefit.

August 9, 2018 - NREL

Lake Mead

A Plan to Transform the Hoover Dam into Energy Storage

A proposal by the nation's largest utility could be a model to deal with the most formidable problem presented by intermittent renewable electricity sources.

August 6, 2018 - The New York Times

Trump Administration Proposes to Freeze Fuel Economy Standards at 2020 Level

On Thursday, the U.S. DOT and U.S. EPA announced one of the Trump administration's most consequential rollbacks of environmental and efficiency regulations that will have a detrimental effect on climate change, air pollution, and oil consumption.

August 5, 2018 - The Washington Post

Wind Turbine

Plug Pulled on Plans for the Largest Wind Farm in the U.S.

The planned Wind Catcher did not make it through the Texas Public Utility Commission.

August 3, 2018 - InsideClimate News

Pumping Gas

Another Major Climate Win for Big Oil in Federal Court

A New York federal district court rules on a climate change lawsuit like its West Coast counterpart did last month: Don't hold oil companies accountable for climate change and sea level rise. Baltimore and Rhode Island file climate change lawsuits.

July 25, 2018 - Inside Climate News

Bike Parking

Reducing Cities' Carbon Footprints

There is more than one way for a city to systematically reduce it carbon footprint.

July 25, 2018 - Kayla Matthews

San Francisco Skyline

California Achieved its Climate Goal; Now the Hard Part Begins

New York Times climate reporter, Brad Plumer, comments on California's landmark accomplishment in reducing emissions, observing that with the low-hanging electricity generation fruit picked, reducing transportation emissions will prove formidable.

July 20, 2018 - The New York Times

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Renewable Goals: Set the Bar Low or Shoot for Stars?

A columnist says Pittsburgh's goal to run its government entirely on renewable energy by 2030 is like Trump's Wall: Not gonna happen.

July 17, 2018 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pipeline Politics Ruffle NATO Summit

At the NATO Summit in Brussels last Wednesday, President Trump charged that Germany was captive to Russia because of its dependence on Russian natural gas, and a new, controversial pipeline from Russia to Germany will exacerbate its dependency.

July 15, 2018 - The Washington Post

Biomass

U.S. Households Using Less Energy

Total on-site energy use in U.S. homes declined between 2009 and 2015, thanks to new new building technology and warmer winters.

July 14, 2018 - Housing Perspectives

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.