Austin Energy is using new technology to monitor energy use more carefully, in the hopes of developing a 'smart energy network'.
"Among its goals, the Center for the Commercialization of Electric Technology hopes to couple new digital meters like these with cutting-edge communication and information technology to give customers real-time information about energy use. In advanced phases they could be used to remotely control air-conditioning settings or activate 'smart' appliances. Austin Energy has installed more than 130,000 digital meters as part of its Multifamily Partnership Program...The meters automatically take readings and communicate through radio waves, allowing power to remain on, saving the utility a trip each time a tenant moves in or out. AE is evaluating whether to install the meters in other homes and businesses. One day they could all be linked to a 'smart energy network.'"
FULL STORY: Making the Energy Grid Smarter

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free
Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.

Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies
A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.

USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program
The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.
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