Utilities

Crew in orange safety vests stand on roadway next to orange heavy equipment

Opinion: The Slippery Slope of Privatizing Public Works

The Biden administration is changing course on a century of policy in public works ownership and management, signaling a concerning shift toward privately owned, profit-driven utilities and other essential services.

May 12, 2023 - The New York Times

Hand holding candle toward small electrical fuse box in the dark

California Developments Wait Months for Power

In areas served by PG&E, new developments sometimes have to wait months before the utility will turn on the power, creating extra costs for builders and keeping new affordable housing units off the market.

April 25, 2023 - Politico

Power lines against sunset sky and snowy landscape in rural Minnesota

Minnesota Utilities to Go Carbon-Free by 2040

If signed by the governor, a new state law would require all utilities in the state to switch to renewable energy within two decades.

February 7, 2023 - Route Fifty

Factory Emissions

Carbon Emissions Down, but Not Drastically

Transportation activity is down considerably, but other sources of carbon dioxide are still going strong.

May 12, 2020 - Grist

Butte County, California

California Town Looks to Rebuild After Wildfire, but No Clear Path Forward

Paradise, California, burned to the ground last year, and the town’s recovery has begun. But questions remain about the measures that should be put into place to prevent another disaster.

November 15, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Smart Infrastructure

It's Time to Map and Share Data on Underground Infrastructure

A call for cities like New York to accurately map, model, and share information on underground water and utility infrastructure for public benefit.

October 30, 2019 - Crain's New York Business

California Wildfire

PG&E Promises to Keep the Lights on After Declaring Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Pacific Gas and Electric has declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the face of "actual and potential" liability.

January 29, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Northern California Wilidfires

California's Largest Utility Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

PG&E announced that it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, facing $30 billion in liability after two years of catastrophic wildfires in the state of California.

January 15, 2019 - The Mercury News

Washington DC Metro

Judge: D.C. Metro Does, In Fact, Own Its Facilities

An internet company can't just stop paying for the use of underground transit facilities when it decides the subway company doesn't have the right to charge for the access.

November 12, 2018 - WTOP

Fiber Optic Cable

The 'Worst-Connected Cities' in the United States

Here are the cities where residents are the least likely to have a broadband Internet connection in their home.

June 9, 2018 - Route Fifty

electricity infrastructure

Wanted: An Electrical Grid That Looks Like the Internet

All the coal industry's money has not been able to stem the growth of renewable energy and distributed generation. For the electricity grid, the future is already here.

June 2, 2017 - Quartz

Water Main

Report: How Do Local Water Utilities Measure Up?

With the federal funding situation uncertain, water utilities are left in widely varying financial positions. Comparing local utilities across six metrics paints a grim picture.

January 19, 2017 - Brookings Institution

No Dumping

A Little Help Explaining the Stormwater Utility Concept

American Rivers has created a toolkit for implementing stormwater utilityies

November 17, 2016 - American Rivers

Infrastructure

The Winners and Losers of Utility Rates

An example from St. Louis County shows one way that sprawl is subsidized by areas closer to the regional center.

October 25, 2016 - nextSTL

What Does the Connected Home Mean for Energy Policy?

As cities look to the Internet of Things to reimagine urban infrastructure, one hope is that real-time data collection will help increase energy efficiency at the regional level. Where do homes outfitted with a network of smart devices fit in?

October 28, 2015 - VerdeXchange News

Energy, Carol Stream, IL

New York's Visionary Model of Utilities Reform

Utilities profit from building more power plants—a flawed model for a diminishing natural monopoly.

October 15, 2015 - Vox

$1.2 Billion 'Energy Strong' Project Construction Making Life Difficult in New Jersey

A complex infrastructure investment project to build resilience into the energy grid is snarling traffic in North and Central New Jersey.

August 14, 2015 - The Record

The End of the Era of Cheap Water

In many places around the country, the price of water is increasing, quickly. While the reasons for the increase vary depending on the location, common to the issue is the ability of planning to either help or hinder the problem.

December 9, 2014 - Governing

electricity infrastructure

How To: Smarter Infrastructure Investments

In the next few decades, U.S. governments and businesses are predicted to spend trillions of dollars on infrastructure. This is the reality. The question is: how do we get smart about these investments?

November 15, 2014 - Infrastructure Crisis Sustainable Solutions

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Not-So-Bright Future for Utility-Scale Solar Projects

Construction and permitting for large solar facilities like those located in the desert at the border of California and Nevada is nearly non-existent. Uncertainty over expiring tax credits is only partly to blame.

January 13, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

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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.