Solar

BLM Proposes Opening 31 Million Acres of Public Lands to Solar Development
The Biden administration has released a proposal that would open tens of millions of acres in 11 Western states to solar development, a move that has clean energy advocates celebrating and environmental groups concerned.

Solar Panels Coming to a Self-Storage Facility Rooftop Near You
The sixth-largest self-storage company in the United States will add solar panels to 8.5 million square feet of its facilities’ rooftops to produce community solar power.

Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-megawatt solar farm with crop and livestock production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

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.
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.
Pagination
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.
City of Brookings
City of White Salmon
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
M-NCPPC Prince George's County Planning Department
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service