California

California Energy Efficiency Program Could Be Much More Effective for Low-Income Residents
According to an analysis by the Energy Efficiency for All coalition, California's Energy Savings Assistance Program could be four times as effective for low-income renters if it were better deployed.

San Jose Proposes Turning Schools into Teacher Housing, Faces Outcry
A San Jose Unified School District plan to relocate several schools and build affordable housing in their place has sparked controversy. The district says teachers increasingly can't afford to live in the area.

BART Rolls Out Upgraded Earthquake Alert System
The new sensor technology gives riders up to a minute to drop, cover, and hold on.

To Incentivize Clean Energy, California Commits $800 Million
Recently signed by Governor Jerry Brown, a new measure has increased the funds California sets aside to incentivize energy storage systems to over $1 billion.

California Doubles Carbon Intensity Reduction Requirement for Transportation Fuels
California regulators have found that transportation emissions are the most difficult to reduce, unlike those from electricity generation. The state just took a major step by approving significant changes to its Low Carbon Fuel Standard program.

Uber Wants to Make Urban Mobility More Sustainable
Uber plans to support sustainable mobility by funding advocacy efforts, sharing data, and offering bike-share service.

Proposed California Ballot Measure From Gas Tax Opposition Goes After High-Speed Rail
A follow-up initiative to Proposition 6 would put the brakes on high-speed rail in California and funnel gas tax funds to roads.

City's Opposition to BART TOD Bill Factors into City Manager's Retirement
Steven Falk, city manager for 22 years of the East Bay enclave of Lafayette, expressed frustration with the city's resistance to infill development, calling it incompatible with addressing "the most significant challenges of our time."

California's Housing Package, One Year Later
It's too early to gauge the long-term effects of California's housing package signed a year ago. But with a $4 billion bond on the ballot this November, some facts (and some dramas) have already made themselves known.

California to Regulate Security of IoT Devices
A recently approved California bill will set a legislative standard in the U.S. for basic Internet of Things security.

Not All of San Diego's Inclusionary Zoning Funds Going to Affordable Housing
San Diego finds itself having to explain how its inclusionary zoning program spending diverged from expectations.
Volvo to Sell All-Electric Heavy Trucks in North America in 2020
Volvo gained attention last year by announcing it would stop making new internal combustion engine models. Now it plans to electrify its 2020 truck models as well. A demonstration program will be launched in Southern California next year.

San Jose City Council Supports New Billboards
San Jose, California is suddenly taking a much more permissive approach to large billboards.

Los Angeles Launches Wave of Community Plan Updates
With a promise to update all 35 of its community plans by 2024, Los Angeles took a big step toward that goal this week by launching new planning processes in nine community plan areas.

Two Sides of the California Rent Control Debate, in Silicon Valley and Beyond
In California, rent control continues to be a hotly contested issue at both the local and state levels.

Another Bus Rapid Transit Planned for L.A.—Connecting North Hollywood to Pasadena
More details have emerged for yet another large transit project in Los Angeles County.

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Case Threatening the California Coastal Act
A conservative and partisan court handed a victory to public access and California's environmental law by refusing to hear an appeal sought by billionaire Vinod Khosla.

Open for a Month, San Francisco's Transit Terminal Shut Down Due to Cracked Beams
The $2.2 billion Salesforce Transit Center, which opened to much celebration on Aug. 11, closed down abruptly Sept. 25 after workers found a cracked steel beam. A second cracked beam was later found. Work began Sunday to shore up the structure.

BART Development Law Signed
Under a law signed today by Governor Jerry Brown, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) gains the power to rezone its properties. It's a decisive victory for state preemption over local control in the face of California's housing crisis.

Downtown San Jose Could Get Taller
In the Bay Area's biggest city, the debate over density pits two economic drivers against each other.
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