Solar Energy
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
Renewable Energy Overtakes Coal for First Time
Solar and wind power generated close to a third of U.S. electricity supplies in 2024.
California Leads in Solar Rooftops
A combination of state and local incentives and building code mandates has helped California far outpace other states in residential rooftop solar permits.
Study: Midwest Property Values Unaffected by Nearby Solar Farms
Despite concerns that solar projects could lower property values, new research finds they actually rose slightly in areas near utility-scale solar installations.
Arizona Native Community Launches First Solar-Over-Canal Project
Covering an irrigation canal with solar panels doubles its utility, producing renewable energy while protecting canal infrastructure and reducing water evaporation.
New Jersey Agrivoltaic Project Combines Solar Energy With Farming
A Rutgers University-New Brunswick demonstration farm will evaluate solar array designs to understand how they can best support grazing and agriculture on the same site.
Rooftop Solar on Mexico City Market to Power 300 Transit Buses
A solar project atop a massive food market will provide electricity to Mexico City's public transit buses.
Renewable Energy Going to Waste Due to Grid Bottleneck
The equivalent of 480 nuclear reactors’a worth of power generated from renewable sources is being produced but not captured in the U.S. and Europe — a number expected to grow as investment flows into the renewable energy industry.
Commercial Buildings, Parking Lots Offer Significant Potential for Solar Energy
Massive swaths of flat rooftops, garages, and surface parking lots go underutilized. They could be producing renewable energy.
New Delaware Laws Address Renewable Energy, EVs, Climate Resilience
Recently enacted legislation promotes offshore wind projects, solar energy, and electric vehicle infrastructure.
Rural Nevada Counties Struggle to Keep up with Solar Projects
Local officials are calling for state regulations that would require federal land managers to enter agreements with local jurisdictions before moving forward with major renewable energy projects.
Solar Industry Growing Fast, but is Hampered by Aging Grid
One of solar’s biggest challenges is getting the energy where it needs to go.
Montana Ranchers Question Massive Solar Project
The $1.2-billion solar farm would provide power to data centers owned by Microsoft, Meta, and others.
Solar Production Threatens Fertile Farmlands
Solar installations are causing soil erosion and raising concerns among farmers in some of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions.
Western Solar Plan Charts Course for Development on Public Lands
The BLM’s proposed maps could open up as much as 55 million acres to solar installations.
Making Solar Energy Land Use More Efficient
How an ‘ecovoltaic’ approach can balance energy production with conservation of sensitive land.
New Solar Capacity Outpaces New Fossil Fuels in the US
Solar energy still makes up just 5 percent of the nation’s energy mix, but could grow faster in coming years.
What Happens to Defunct Solar Plants?
In most states, solar companies are required to provide an end-to-end plan for solar power installations.
States Preempt Local Control on Renewable Energy Projects
To meet ambitious climate and decarbonization goals, some states are barring local governments from restricting wind and solar development.
Federal Plan Identifies Millions of Acres for Solar Production
The proposal targets areas near transmission lines in 11 western and southwestern states.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
