Electricity
San Diego to Install Solar ‘Microgrids’
The self-sufficient energy systems will help the city improve its resiliency during power outages.
New York Temporarily Bans Crypto-Mining
Could New York State’s ban on the energy-intensive activity foreshadow similar actions in other parts of the country?
Tampa Pilots Solar Sidewalks
The city is testing solar panels embedded in sidewalks as a backup power supply for traffic lights.
Renewable Energy Powers Entire State of California—for a Few Minutes
Last Saturday afternoon, thanks to a combination of high production and reduced consumption, California’s power needs were met almost entirely by renewable energy sources.
How to Make the Texas Electric Grid More Resilient
This year's winter storm and the subsequent damages highlight the urgent need for more resilient energy systems that can outlast increasingly powerful weather events.
How Extreme Heat Threatens the Electrical Grid
Higher demand for electricity and lower capacity for production due to more intense heat waves are straining the power grid and causing concern for future energy production.
Trump Rebuffed by Federal Energy Commissioners on Coal and Nuclear Power Bailout
Last month the Trump administration directed Energy Secretary Rick Perry to require grid operators to purchase power from aging coal and nuclear power plants, enabling them to keep operating as a matter of "national security." Regulators disagree.
Cryptocurrency Goes in Search of Cheap Power, Finds it in Small-Town America
Some of the least expensive electricity in the country can be found in Upstate New York, where cryptocurrency miners are starting to set up shop—with or without local approval.
The Nation's Energy Portfolio, Visualized
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) released its annual energy flowchart.
The Price of Solar Power Keeps Falling
It's getting a lot cheaper to install solar power, and a lot easier to imagine a solar-powered future.
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.
Detroit's Latest Power Outage: The Dark Before the Dawn?
Earlier this week a massive power outage struck Detroit. But that type of embarrassment might soon be a thing of the past because Detroit will soon undertake a $200 million upgrade of its electricity grid.
Renewables Account for 92 Percent of New Power in the United States
Although the United States built less new energy capacity than in the same time period last year, renewable energy dominated the capacity to come online so far in 2014.
A Call to Regulators: Do More to Protect Electricity Infrastructure
America’s electricity infrastructure is vulnerable to physical attack. And while federal regulators have known this for years, they’ve been slow to compel security upgrades.
Declining Electricity Sales in a Growing Economy: Aberration or New Normal?
Electricity sales normally grow and fall with economic activity, but since 2011, that pattern has been turned on its head. The Washington Post offers four explanations for the change and how it threatens utilities' very existence.
What is the Key to Improving New York City's Livability?
The candidates competing to emerge from today's mayoral primary confront a host of challenges that threaten the quality of life in the Big Apple. Five experts identify the issues they believe are key to improving the city's livability.
'First They Tried to Make Moons': The Fascinating History of Electric Streetlights
When electricity was still in its infancy, municipal leaders turned to "moonlight towers" to provide mass illumination for their cities. Megan Garber explores the "brief and literally shining moment" in the history of electric streetlights.
Dynamic Pricing: A More Efficient Way to Allocate Public Goods
SPUR, the San Francisco-based planing think tank, looks at the potential benefits to the public sector of using dynamic, demand-based pricing to manage limited public resources - from parking to electricity.
Harvesting the Tides of the Bay of Fundy
Experimental efforts are being made to harness the extreme currents off Maine's coast, as underwater tidal energy turbines could soon generate power for nearby homes and businesses.
Coachella Valley: One of the Poorest, Densest Areas in the U.S.
Coachella Valley is home to agriculture, music festivals, and impoverished residents living in shanty mobile homes. Drinkable water, reliable electricity, basic sanitation, and clean air are scarce, says California Watch.
University of New Mexico - School of Architecture & Planning
Placer County
San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC)
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Arizona State University, Ten Across
Park City Municipal Corporation
National Capital Planning Commission
City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
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.
