Solar

Large solar panel field in the Mojave Desert with desert mountains in background.

AI-Powered Permitting is Speeding up Solar Deployments in California

AI-powered permitting is accelerating solar deployments in cities across California, automating compliance checks and approvals for efficient and rapid solar project installations.

December 15, 2023 - Canary Media

Solar panels in a green field

Local Opposition Threatens to Cripple Solar Expansion

A bevy of real and unfounded claims against solar farms is feeding a growing opposition movement in rural areas.

April 8, 2022 - Reuters

Solar Power

Solar Farm Moratorium to End, Despite Local Concerns

Delaware County plans to amend its solar zoning ordinance and lift a moratorium on the construction of new solar farms that was implemented after local opposition stalled the project.

January 27, 2022 - The Star Press

Solar Power

L.A. County Plans for Electrification

Los Angeles County's Minh Le discusses the county's priorities for moving forward with recent technological advancements in solar and energy storage.

December 4, 2019 - The Planning Report

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U.K. Solar Trains to Embark in August

South Western Railway will be using its own solar panels to directly supply power to trains and partially eliminate its need for outside power.

July 27, 2019 - Electrek

Denver

Colorado's Greenhouse Gases are Going Down for the First Time in Its History

The state of Colorado is still a long way from reaching its 2050 commitment, but a move to more renewable energy has the state trending in the right direction.

July 15, 2019 - The Denver Post

Palm Springs

New Renewable Energy Has Yet to Displace Dirty Energy

Falling costs for renewable energy may lead some to believe that coal and other mainstays have been replaced, but they haven't. Adoption of renewables is not yet outpacing growth in demand for energy.

August 25, 2018 - Axios

Texas

Border Town Removes Licensing Barrier to Encourage Solar

On the U.S.-Mexico border just west of the Gulf of Mexico, Brownsville looks to take advantage of its sunny territory.

May 11, 2018 - Next City

Utility-Scale Solar

U.S. Solar Continues to Grow Despite Headwinds from Federal Government

Industry experts say that the Trump Administration has slowed and will continue to slow the expansion of U.S. solar, but expect solar to grow nevertheless.

March 19, 2018 - Washington Post

Clean Energy

For Stability and Sustainability, the World Needs Microgrids

Solar and wind power are cheaper than ever, but they remain variable. To make the best use of renewable resources, the electrical grid needs to network more small free-standing power sources together.

December 19, 2017 - Vox

View of solar panels on roofs

Mapping Rooftop Solar to Make It a Social Norm

Debuted in 2015, Google's Project Sunroof is designed make it easier for homeowners to go solar. Now the tool is harnessing peer pressure to "create a social norm" around solar.

June 27, 2017 - CityLab

Mapping the Best and Worst Places for Rooftop Solar

A new scorecard, called "Freeing the Grid," evaluates states on the incentives they offer homeowners and businesses to install rooftop solar.

January 29, 2016 - CityLab

Household Solar Popularity Builds, As Does Utility Industry Discomfort

Utilities and regulators should be looking forward, not backward, to find ways to invest in progress, rather than trying desperately to cling to yesterday's business model, which is based on encouraging consumption of polluting sources of energy.

May 12, 2015 - PlaceShakers

Streamlined Permitting Approved for California Rooftop Solar

The path to a distributed solar future just got clearer in California, thanks to new bill approved by the State Legislature and awaiting Governor Jerry Brown's signature.

August 27, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

The Sunny Places that Prohibit Solar Power

An examination of the challenges facing the solar industry in Southeastern states, like Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida, where utilities and governments have largely blocked residents and businesses from tapping their solar resources.

August 11, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

Rooftop Solar Panels

Distributed Solar Sparks ‘War of Business Models’

Threatened by the increasingly diverse electricity generation market, more utilities are pushing back on incentives for rooftop solar, such as net-metering credits.

January 18, 2014 - Denver Post

Small Cities Explore Sustainable Energy Solutions

From solar panels to waste-to-energy to geothermal systems, small cities across Minnesota are exploring ways to take advantage of the latest in distributed energy generation technologies to reduce costs and improve local economies.

September 12, 2013 - Minnesota Public Radio

U.S. Solar Industry Fights to Keep Alive a Federal Incentive Program

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is fighting with Congress to extend a popular federal incentive program. Set to end on December 31 this year, the group states that the program could create 37,400 more jobs and add nearly 500 megawatt.

October 14, 2011 - Forbes

Stealth Solar is Slowly Transforming Downtown Portland

In Portland, two examples of how stealthy implementation of solar-powered technology is changing the rhythm of daily life.

September 2, 2010 - EnzymePDX.com

Renewable Energy Convergence

One source of renewable energy isn't going to cut it; the future is in using multiple sources, and even combining them in a single power plant, says blogger jnshere.

March 29, 2010 - Renewable Energy World

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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.