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.

August 7, 2015 - The Onion

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."

August 6, 2015 - Fast Co.Exist

Somerville, MA City Hall

Somerville Reaches for Carbon Neutrality by 2050

The city has launched a program of collaboration with the green tech industry.

August 6, 2015 - Governing

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.

August 5, 2015 - The Washington Post

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.

August 5, 2015 - Bloomberg News

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.

August 3, 2015 - The Guardian

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.

August 3, 2015 - AASHTO Journal

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.

July 31, 2015 - Satellite Magazine

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.

July 30, 2015 - The New York Times - Energy & Environment

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.

July 29, 2015 - The New York Times - Business Day

Buffalo, New York

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.

July 27, 2015 - New York Times

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.

July 24, 2015 - Politico

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.

July 22, 2015 - The Denver Post - Business

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.

July 21, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

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.

July 21, 2015 - Common Dreams

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.

July 20, 2015 - WRAL

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.

July 17, 2015 - Los Angeles Daily News

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.

July 14, 2015 - Associated Press via Chicago Tribune

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.

July 9, 2015 - The Courier-Journal

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.

July 6, 2015 - USA Today

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.