As solar power approaches and even surpasses fossil fuels in cost, the next goal is to make the source of renewable energy ubiquitous.
Tina Casey shares news of the huge scale that the solar industry has achieved in recent years: "The US solar industry has engineered a 1200% increase in utility-scale capacity since 2008, according to a new blog post from the Energy Department."
The article's title—"Nothing Can Stop the US Solar Juggernaut Now"—implies a long-term pattern that will persist beyond the current "hiccup" (as Casey describes it) in the price of oil. The Obama Administration even has a plan to bring the cost of solar energy into parity with fossil fuels, called the SunShot initiative. Casey declares that SunShot has been "so far so good," but a lot more work remains to be done to make solar " not only competitive but ubiquitous."
Along those lines, the Energy Department last week announced $59 million of new funding to support the solar industry. According to a press release announcing the funds, "[the] Department is making $45 million in funding available to quickly move innovative solar manufacturing technologies to market, and is also awarding more than $14 million for 15 new projects to help communities develop multi-year solar deployment plans to install solar electricity in homes, businesses, and communities." Casey provides additional insight into those programs in the article.
FULL STORY: Nothing Can Stop The US Solar Industry Juggernaut Now

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

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.

In More Metros Than You’d Think, Suburbs are Now More Expensive Than the City
If you're moving to the burbs to save on square footage, data shows you should think again.

The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)