Under new state law, Texas will bill electric vehicle drivers an extra $200 a year AUGUST 21, 2023 Earlier this year, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 505, which requires electric vehicle owners to pay the fee when they register a vehicle or renew their registration. It’s being imposed because lawmakers…
House bill aims to create lending institution for infrastructure projects
House bill aims to create lending institution for infrastructure projects Feb. 7, 2023 The bank would help finance work such as transportation projects, ports, electric grid security and broadband connectivity, according to the release. The bill also allows for broad discretion by the bank to invest in any infrastructure projects…
First Bitcoin Mining Powered By Nuclear Energy To Open In The U.S. In Q1 This Year
First Bitcoin Mining Powered By Nuclear Energy To Open In The U.S. In Q1 This Year January 23, 2023 Positioning bitcoin mining with carbon-free sources, like nuclear energy, offers enormous benefits to the cryptocurrency industry as digital assets grow in popularity, acceptability, and engagement with the broader economy. World Nuclear…
US Cities Are Falling Out of Love With the Parking Lot
US Cities Are Falling Out of Love With the Parking Lot JAN 7, 2023 They are gray and rectangular, and if you laid all 2 billion of them together they would cover an area roughly the size Connecticut, about 5,500 square miles. Parking lots have a monotonous ubiquity in US…
Phoenix airport launches autonomous service with Waymo
Phoenix airport launches autonomous service with Waymo 29 Dec 2022 Waymo also announced it is more than doubling the Waymo One service area in Downtown Phoenix. The expansion connects the airport service to a large part of the downtown area. In early November, Waymo began offering its trusted tester participants…
Baltimore utility to deploy Itron smart streetlights
Baltimore utility to deploy Itron smart streetlights 12 Dec 2022 Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) is to deploy 260,000 smart streetlights as it bids to reduce energy consumption and enhance the wellbeing and safety of the community. Critical infrastructure solutions specialist Itron is working together with Maryland’s largest gas and…
Thornton has plenty of water – it’s just in the wrong place. And that’s a very Colorado story.
Thornton has plenty of water – it’s just in the wrong place. And that’s a very Colorado story. Dec 4, 2022 Thornton needs water. Developers are scrapping homebuilding projects out of fears that the city can’t guarantee them a water tap in the next few years. Thornton has water. It’s…
Amtrak prepares for $1.5-billion Susquehanna River Rail Bridge replacement project
Amtrak prepares for $1.5-billion Susquehanna River Rail Bridge replacement project Nov. 22, 2022 Amtrak is advancing the planned replacement of the 116-year-old Susquehanna River Rail Bridge with two new bridges that will increase capacity and improve reliability of both freight and passenger trains. The existing structure is the Northeast Corridor’s…
Commuter Tunnel Under the Hudson Won’t Be Finished Until 2035
Commuter Tunnel Under the Hudson Won’t Be Finished Until 2035 Nov. 15, 2022 The long-delayed, $16 billion project to repair the existing Amtrak tunnels under the Hudson River and build a new two-track tunnel is about to move forward under the control of the Gateway Development Commission, which became the…
The infrastructure lobbying frenzy is just getting started
The infrastructure lobbying frenzy is just getting started 11/06/2022 The $1.2 trillion infrastructure law has kicked off a lobbying scramble by states, municipalities and industries seeking a slice of one of Washington’s biggest cash bonanzas in a generation. Those vying for a slice of the funding include Detroit, which obtained…
C40 and mayors offer US Inflation Reduction Act guidance
C40 and mayors offer US Inflation Reduction Act guidance 31 Oct 2022 Climate Mayors and C40 Cities have issued a guidebook to help local leaders understand the US Inflation Reduction Act and all the resources available to them through the law. The guidebook – supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies – advises…
FAA Clears New York Drone Corridor for Sightless Flights
FAA Clears New York Drone Corridor for Sightless Flights October 24, 2022 Last week the Federal Aviation Administration approved New York’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site (NUAIR) to fly uncrewed drones without supervision across 50 miles of airspace within the state’s drone corridor. In essence, this means that an uncrewed…
$1B Cybersecurity Grant Program Still Coming Into Focus
$1B Cybersecurity Grant Program Still Coming Into Focus OCTOBER 16, 2022 State and local governments are preparing to use $1 billion from the federal infrastructure law to improve cybersecurity. It marks the most significant federal support yet for protecting the computer networks and data of smaller governments. But many crucial…
Three Ways to Build Back Smarter After Hurricane Ian
Three Ways to Build Back Smarter After Hurricane Ian Oct. 3, 2022 The damage from Hurricane Ian will very likely run into the tens of billions of dollars and scientists say the United States can expect more severe storms like it as the planet heats up. They also say the…
Modular Construction Technology Comes Far and Fast During the Pandemic
Modular Construction Technology Comes Far and Fast During the Pandemic SEPTEMBER 27, 2022 Six years ago, 461 Dean Street — then and now the nation’s tallest modular apartment building at 32 stories — opened its doors on Flatbush Avenue in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. The 363-unit tower had been plagued with…
Big NY, NJ Infrastructure Projects Advance With Renewed Momentum
Big NY, NJ Infrastructure Projects Advance With Renewed Momentum September 19, 2022 Signature transportation infrastructure projects across the New York and New Jersey region are accelerating, thanks to recent infusions of federal funding and successful efforts to break through political logjams. But as contractors and engineers spin up to meet…
Xcel property in Becker eyed for another big data center project
Xcel property in Becker eyed for another big data center project Sep 9, 2022 Xcel Energy Inc. plans to sell 348 acres of land at its Sherco location in Becker to an unknown company that could build a $1 billion data center project there. The utility said the new center…
Toxic arsenic levels make tap water unsafe for thousands in New York City
Toxic arsenic levels make tap water unsafe for thousands in New York City 6 Sep 2022 Dangerous levels of arsenic were found in a New York City Public Housing Authority (NYCHA) complex, leaving thousands of affected residents without safe tap water. The crisis plays out as people in the predominantly…
Massachusetts getting municipal infrastructure improvements
Massachusetts getting municipal infrastructure improvements August 30, 2022 Newly signed legislation in Massachusetts will provide millions for municipal infrastructure improvements. Earlier this month, Gov. Charlie Baker signed MassTRAC legislation into law to provide funding that is designed to prop up municipal infrastructure needs throughout the state with an $11.4 billion…
New apartment construction to match 50-year high
New apartment construction to match 50-year high Aug 22, 2022 Some 420,000 new apartments are expected to be completed in cities across the U.S. this year, marking a historic 50-year high in multifamily construction, according to data from the listing service RentCafe. Read more
$1.66B in grants for buses and bus facilities announced by Federal Transit Administration
$1.66B in grants for buses and bus facilities announced by Federal Transit Administration Aug. 16, 2022 The Federal Transit Administration today announced $1.66 billion in grants to transit agencies, territories and states for buses and bus facilities across the U.S. The agency said in a press release that the grants…
Urban wood movement looks to capture value, carbon from city trees
Urban wood movement looks to capture value, carbon from city trees 8/8/2022 When architect David Rousseau designed a manufacturing facility for Promega Corp., he specified a unique material for the lobby stairs: Walnut trees from the biotech company’s land. Cut for various reasons over the preceding decades, the trees had…
Federal Highway Administration announces $7.3B in grants for transportation resilience
Federal Highway Administration announces $7.3B in grants for transportation resilience Aug. 2, 2022 The Federal Highway Administration published new guidance last week for the $7.3 billion formula grant program created by the bipartisan infrastructure law to help states and communities prepare transportation infrastructure for extreme weather events and natural disasters.…
DOE signals intent to make building energy codes more efficient with $225M investment
DOE signals intent to make building energy codes more efficient with $225M investment July 25, 2022 Through a Notice of Intent (NOI) covering $225 million for state and local governments, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) last week moved to expand the implementation of the latest building energy codes and…
Waterloo becomes fourth city in the country to adopt carbon-free plan
Waterloo becomes fourth city in the country to adopt carbon-free plan Jul 18, 2022 The city of Waterloo has vowed to run on carbon-free electricity by 2035, making it the fourth city in the U.S. to adopt the pledge. The City Council voted unanimously to adopt a carbon-free electricity goal…
Virginia receives $219.8 million for broadband expansion
Virginia receives $219.8 million for broadband expansion Jul 5, 2022 The U.S. Department of the Treasury recently announced that Virginia is one of four states poised to expand access to rural high-speed internet service. Under the American Rescue Plan’s Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, Virginia received $219.8 million, which represents 100%…
U.S. Jump-Starts Effort to Curb Residential CO2 Emissions
U.S. Jump-Starts Effort to Curb Residential CO2 Emissions June 27, 2022 The project will retrofit older homes and apartment buildings to be more energy efficient In 2010, the Dutch government launched a program to sharply cut carbon dioxide emissions from one of the world’s largest and most problematic sources: homes.…
Plenty of federal funding but labor shortages stymie infrastructure work
Plenty of federal funding but labor shortages stymie infrastructure work JUNE 21, 2022 Construction projects across the U.S. are running short on labor just as $1 trillion in federal infrastructure money starts to kick in, leading companies to get creative in their quest to attract and retain workers, according to…
Who are the most active PE investors in infrastructure?
Who are the most active PE investors in infrastructure? June 10, 2022 Private equity investors have been pouring more money into infrastructure funds in recent years, drawn by the steady cash flows and lower risk profile such assets offer. The expectation of increased opportunities in the US created by the…
Evers announces federal funding for 40 infrastructure projects
Evers announces federal funding for 40 infrastructure projects June 7, 2022 Roads across Wisconsin are set to see improvements. Governor Tony Evers announced $35 million worth of funding for 40 infrastructure projects throughout the state Tuesday. The money comes from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Read more
State Capitol stalemate could risk federal infrastructure dollars
State Capitol stalemate could risk federal infrastructure dollars MAY 30, 2022 Minnesota leaders have been anticipating an infusion of federal cash to bolster the state’s infrastructure — from bridges and roads to cybersecurity and drinking water pipes — on a scale not seen since the New Deal. But some of…
White House Says $110 Billion in Infrastructure Funds Released in First 6 Months
White House Says $110 Billion in Infrastructure Funds Released in First 6 Months May 16, 2022 The White House on Monday said it has released $110 billion in funding from the $1 trillion infrastructure package that seeks to fix crumbling roads, expand broadband internet and improve the electrical grid. Read…
High pump prices the result of a suite of market issues and not simply price gouging, study says
High pump prices the result of a suite of market issues and not simply price gouging, study says Energize Weekly, May 18, 2002 Oil companies have been in the crosshairs of lawmakers for either price gouging or not producing enough oil as gasoline pump prices have soared, but a new…
Brookfield Weighs Takeover of Data Center Firm Switch
Brookfield Weighs Takeover of Data Center Firm Switch May 03, 2022 Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is exploring a takeover of data center operator Switch Inc., according to people familiar with the matter. Read more
Biden to require infrastructure projects be made with U.S. iron, steel
Biden to require infrastructure projects be made with U.S. iron, steel April 18, 2022 The Biden administration is directing federal agencies to ensure that new construction projects funded by the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package are made with U.S.-made materials. Read more
Compute North breaks ground on 300MW data center in Granbury, Texas
Compute North breaks ground on 300MW data center in Granbury, Texas April 12, 2022 Compute North is building a 300MW data center at a gas-fired power plant in Texas. The blockchain & HPC data center firm has announced that construction is underway to build a 300MW data center next to…
The Data Center of the Future
The Data Center of the Future 29 Mar 2022 The switch from on-premises data centers to the cloud has enabled companies to offload a lot of the complexity involved in maintaining a data center, providing access to computing, storage and network as a commodity. Yet this switch has created other…
How green rooftops can help cool off hot cities
How green rooftops can help cool off hot cities March 22, 2022 Recent research suggests that green roofs — rooftops covered with greenery or other sun-reflecting materials — can reduce heat in cities. City features like asphalt and concrete absorb and retain a significant amount of heat, creating what is known as…
SEC plans to force public companies to disclose greenhouse gas emissions
SEC plans to force public companies to disclose greenhouse gas emissions March 15, 2022 The Securities and Exchange Commission plans to require all publicly traded companies to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and the climate risks their businesses face, part of the Biden administration’s broader push to force the private…
BitNile Plans to Expand the Power Capacity of Its Michigan Data Center to 300 Megawatts
BitNile Plans to Expand the Power Capacity of Its Michigan Data Center to 300 Megawatts Mar 7, 2022 BitNile Holdings, a diversified holding company today announced that it plans to expand the power capacity at its Michigan data center to 300 megawatts, which would enable Bitcoin mining operations at the…
Florida Infrastructure: Critical strategies the Sunshine State can implement to manage the state’s anticipated growth
Florida Infrastructure: Critical strategies the Sunshine State can implement to manage the state’s anticipated growth 3/1/2022 The pandemic has been accompanied by an influx into Florida of people from California, Illinois, New York and other states. Tops on the list of motivations for the moves: Taxes, quality of life, business-friendly…
Urban green spaces can’t beat climate change on their own
Urban green spaces can’t beat climate change on their own FEB 19, 2022 To make the world a little greener, sometimes you just have to add greenery. This is particularly true in cities, where there’s an increasing awareness that adding green spaces is crucial for developing healthy and sustainable places to live.…
Hartsfield-Jackson Airport pledges net-zero by 2050
Hartsfield-Jackson Airport pledges net-zero by 2050 February 14, 2022 Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in the US has unveiled its first carbon policy, incorporating various green measures to reduce emissions. The airport has committed to reaching the City of Atlanta’s 100% Clean and Renewable Energy by 2035 objective and the ACI…
Most Green Buildings — So Far — Aren’t Even Close to Being Carbon-Neutral
Most Green Buildings — So Far — Aren’t Even Close to Being Carbon-Neutral FEB. 3, 2022 Behold the building of the future: mossy stones lying strewn around a hill outside the English city of Windsor, carved, shaped, and incised in the fashions of centuries past. These chunks of 18th-century wall…
In the wake of the Pittsburgh bridge collapse, many questioning safety of bridges across the region
In the wake of the Pittsburgh bridge collapse, many questioning safety of bridges across the region January 31, 2022 The Fern Hollow Bridge, previously rated a poor-condition bridge, collapsed Friday. Read more
Emergence of the New Payments Paradigm – The Case for Utility CX Transformation
Emergence of the New Payments Paradigm – The Case for Utility CX Transformation By Paridhi Gupta, Marketing, Smart Energy Water Utilities across the geographies have started their journey to improved customer self-service capabilities. Now millions of people enjoy the digital convenience of managing their utility account, tracking usage, paying bills,…
How NYC’s public housing authority plans to transform the market for clean heat
How NYC’s public housing authority plans to transform the market for clean heat Jan 24, 2022 Under New York City law, the agency must cut greenhouse gas emissions from these buildings by 80 percent by 2050, and 70 to 75 percent of its emissions come from old steam heat systems with boilers…
Can Anyone Satisfy Amazon’s Craving for Electric Vans?
Can Anyone Satisfy Amazon’s Craving for Electric Vans? Jan. 18, 2022 In the fall, Jeff Bezos tweeted praise for Rivian, a start-up under contract to make 100,000 electric delivery vans for Amazon, and its founder, R.J. Scaringe, calling him “one of the greatest entrepreneurs I’ve ever met.” Then, Mr. Bezos…
Smaller Cities, Poorer Regions Could Be Infrastructure Losers
Smaller Cities, Poorer Regions Could Be Infrastructure Losers Jan. 11, 2022 Is Joe Biden legislating for an America that doesn’t exist? Experts like Bruce Katz of Drexel University, with a long experience in observing and participating in local policymaking, fear that many of the fruits of the recently passed infrastructure bill will…
City audit shows San Diego’s internal technology systems need greater transparency, accountability
City audit shows San Diego’s internal technology systems need greater transparency, accountability JAN. 3, 2022 A new city audit says San Diego must boost the transparency and accountability of its internal computer and technology system so workers can more efficiently deliver services to residents and businesses. The 89-page audit comes as San…
