Energy Use
Wyoming touts ‘ample land, firm power’ in bid to woo data centers
The state is taking a proactive approach to data centers, hoping the tech behemoths will bring jobs and economic development.
Kansas City Adopts Milestone Data Center Zoning Rules
A new zoning ordinance classifies data centers as industrial facilities, triggering stricter zoning and permitting requirements.
Madison Puts Temporary Freeze on New Data Centers
The city issued a moratorium until it develops a regulatory framework for data center development.
Nearly Half of Pennsylvania Residents Oppose Data Centers. Lawmakers are Welcoming Them Anyway
A raft of proposed legislation aims to both regulate and encourage the building of data centers in the state.
New Jersey Lawmakers Push New Tariffs for “Large-Load” Data Centers
A proposed law would tax data center operators for high power use and incentivize them to increase energy efficiency.
Building a Just Energy Transition
A new book outlines a “four-plus pillars” framework for phasing out fossil fuels while addressing systemic inequities, emphasizing public support, dedicated funding, economic diversification, coalitions, and reforms that dismantle extractive systems.
Data Centers Threaten Western Water Supplies, Power Grids
The rapidly growing need for water to cool data centers is endangering one of the West’s most essential resources.
Oregon Approves Ambitious Framework for ’Microgrids’
Local energy “islands” within the larger power system ensure key facilities can remain online during emergencies and power outages.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
New Alaska Bitcoin Mine Would Burn as Much Energy as the State’s Largest Coal Plant
Fueled by “stranded” natural gas, the startup hopes to become the largest in the US, and to make Alaska an industry center.
Rethinking Computing: Researchers Tackle AI’s Energy Demands
USC researchers are reimagining how AI systems are trained and powered — through smarter algorithms, innovative hardware, and brain-inspired designs — to dramatically reduce computing’s energy footprint.
How Smart Street Lights Can Help Cities Achieve Sustainability Goals
Switching to energy-efficient LEDs and using tech to program when and how street lighting operates can save cities millions in electricity expenses and bring down carbon emissions.
Ratepayers Could Be on the Hook for Data Centers’ Energy Use
Without regulatory changes, data centers’ high demand for energy would be subsidized by taxpayers, according to a new study.
Decarbonizing Homes: The Case for Electrifying Residential Heating
A new MIT study finds that transitioning residential heating from natural gas to electric heat pumps can significantly reduce carbon emissions and operational costs.
California Bills Would Rein in Data Centers’ Energy Use
A series of proposed bills seeks to limit ratepayer increases and ensure data centers report their energy usage and electricity sources.
Minneapolis Airport Expansion Uses Geothermal Heating and Water Conservation Methods to Reduce Impact
The improved facilities are expected to reduce their total energy use by 19 percent.
Data Center Emissions Far Outpace Tech Company Claims
In-house data centers owned by several major tech companies likely produce over six times as many greenhouse gas emissions as their owners estimate.
Data Centers Gaining Ground in Central Ohio
Massive data centers are gobbling up energy resources and tax breaks while creating few jobs in the region.
AI’s Thirst for Energy Threatens Electric Grids
The rapidly growing demand for electricity could lead to shortages and is already impacting where data centers are built.
Virginia Coalition Calls for Increased Data Center Industry Oversight
Environmental groups voice concern that the states large, and growing, number of data centers is putting unsustainable pressure on natural resources and utility infrastructure.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
