While they're still more common in Europe, 'smart' energy meters are gaining ground in the U.S. Southern California Edison recently announced plans to install 5.3 million smart meters by 2012.
"[T]he power grid in the United States is in dramatic need of overhaul. But the needed improvements to load management and energy efficiency go well beyond upgrades to the network cables, transformers and power stations that make up the system's gross anatomy.
Indeed, embedded in the promise of an improved, 21st-century 'smart grid' are 'smart meters,' which are quietly gaining ground in American households as utilities replace aging meters with high-tech, networked versions.
The units provide real-time, two-way communication between customer and power company - on the theory that consumers might be more likely to, say, tolerate a bit of balminess if they are able to monitor their air conditioner's energy consumption in real time."
FULL STORY: Smart Meters Open Market for Smart Apps

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.

Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

California Lawmakers Move to Protect Waterways
Anticipating that the Trump EPA will reinstate a 2017 policy that excluded seasonal wetlands and waterways from environmental protections.

The YIGBY Movement: Unlocking Church-Owned Land for Affordable Housing
As the housing crisis deepens, interest in faith-based development is spreading across the country. How do YIGBY zoning laws work, where are they being implemented or introduced, and what could it mean for communities and churches?

USDOT Could Pull Green Infrastructure Grants
A new department memo requires a review of projects with the goal of removing bike, pedestrian, and electric vehicle infrastructure.
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