Energy
Friday Funny: Alternative Energy Will Enable Americans to Waste More Energy
A fake news report from the fake news site The Onion lampoons the American culture of excess and its disregard for environmental consequences.
Common Issues Facing Cities—Aggregated from 100 'State of the City' Speeches
Around the country, issues related to the field of planning dominate the public discussion of the "state of the city."

Somerville Reaches for Carbon Neutrality by 2050
The city has launched a program of collaboration with the green tech industry.
Mapping the Location and Scale of U.S. Electricity Capacity
A series of maps from The Washington Post answers the questions of how and where the United States gets its energy.
Meet the Woman Guiding California to 100% Electric Vehicles by 2030
One of the most influential environmental regulators may be someone you never heard of. She is Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board—twice over. She is pushing automakers to exceed the current 2025 goal for electric vehicles.
President Obama's Clean Power Plan Is Nation's Strongest Climate Initiative
Just over a year ago President Obama's draft Clean Power Plan was unveiled. That proposal has been finalized and the president promoted it at a press event on Monday. The final rule is both stronger and more lenient that the original proposal.
A Really, Really Big Fuel Cell Vehicle Possibly Coming to the Bay Area
This vehicle would be larger than a Hummer, a bus, and even an 18-wheeler. Then again, it would not travel on land. The proposal goes by an appropriate acronym: SF-BREEZE. Think fresh air over the bay.
City Life in the Republic of NGOs
Haiti's weak government and heavy foreign aid presence has led some to refer to it as the "Republic of NGOs." Satellite explored how this dynamic plays out in the small city of Fort-Liberté, which has been shaken by recent protests over electricity.
Renewable Diesel Gets Huge Boost from UPS
Renewable diesel, a biofuel that differs from biodiesel by the feedstock used and its chemical makeup, making it indistinguishable from petrodiesel, is a small but growing industry. The announcement from UPS was welcome news for three companies.
Foundations for First U.S. Offshore Wind Power Towed to Construction Site
Last week the foundations for five wind turbines were towed into place off Block Island, 13 miles east of Rhode Island in the Atlantic Ocean. Scheduled to go online in 2016, they will be the first offshore wind turbines in the United States.

Buffalo Shakes Off Some Rust
Buffalo made its fortune in long-gone heavy industries such as steel. Now a new industrial revolution—in renewable energy—is bringing new life to the coldest, northernmost city of the American Rust Belt.
Selling the Nation's Strategic Assets to Fund Road Construction
What happened to the "strategic" in the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserves? As Politico reveals, heretofore these oil reserves have only been sold when the nation's oil supply was threatened. Republicans leaders now view the SPR as a cash cow.
Biofuels Make Headways into Jet Fuel Market
Jets no longer run solely on fuel derived from petroleum, thanks in part to Colorado-based Red Rock Biofuels. They signed contracts with FedEx and Southwest Airlines for "renewable jet fuel" that is derived from wood-based biomass.
Frisco, Texas Struggles to Coordinate Water, Electricity, and Road Upgrades
An age-old of question of infrastructure is up for debate in Frisco, Texas: whether the utility can bear the cost of running electricity lines under the ground.
Montana Oil Train Derailment: Seventh of 2015
An estimated 35,000 gallons of crude spilled from four of 22 toppled tank cars of a 106-car oil train near Culbertson in northeast Montana on July 16. Unlike other oil train derailments, no fiery explosions occurred.
First Wind Energy Farm Blows Into the Southeast
Elizabeth City, North Carolina, will host a 204-megawatt wind energy facility—the first in a region known for steady coastal breezes. The project is a collaboration of European-based Iberdrola Renewables, LLC, and Seattle-based Amazon.
Wind Turbines Likely Banned From Unincorporated Los Angeles County
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors acted against the recommendations of county planners in moving toward banning utility-scale wind energy production from unincorporated parts of the county.
Natural Gas Is the New Top Dog in U.S. Energy Production
A new report puts natural gas ahead of coal in the U.S. energy production portfolio.
Mountain Removal Coal Mining Down 62 Percent Since 2008
The mountains of West Virginia and Kentucky can much less likely to be stripped and gutted for the purposes of coal extraction that they were even a few years ago as natural gas continues its ascendance.
Record Environmental Settlement Reached in 2010 BP Gulf Oil Spill
While a judge must approve the historic $18.7 billion settlement reached July 2, the United States and the five Gulf States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas have agreed to the settlement, along with BP.
Pagination
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
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont