Recent articles by Brian Heaton from governing.com http://www.governing.com/authors/rss/rss/?a=177474081 Brian Heaton writes for a variety of e.Republic publications, including Government Technology, Governing, Emergency Management and Public CIO. New Portal Boosts Energy Research http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/gov-new-portal-opens-door-to-energy-research.html Government officials now have access to vast amounts of data to help develop state energy policy and assess energy sustainability. The Benefits of Fingerprinting the Homeless http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/gov-fingerprinting-helps-homeless-services.html New Jersey is expanding a local program that helps agencies track homeless services more accurately and in less time, increasing their chances of getting the federal funding they need. New Clean Energy Program Won't Cost Cities a Dime http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/gov-new-clean-energy-program-doesnt-cost-cities.html A new public-private partnership is similar to existing clean energy programs, but this one doesn't require any financial investment from cities. Battered by Sandy, New Jersey Tries Email Voting with Mixed Results http://www.governing.com/columns/col-new-jersey-tries-email-voting.html Casting a vote by email may seem easy, but the process was no walk in the park when New Jersey allowed it in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Virtual Interns Help Solve an Agency’s Workforce Needs http://www.governing.com/columns/col-virtual-interns-help-workforce-needs.html Instead of losing college students when they return to school, one agency has turned to technology to keep those interns year-round. IT Directors Go Retro in Virginia http://www.governing.com/columns/col-it-directors-go-retro-in-virginia.html Technology workers in two Virginia agencies are using an old-school organizational method to improve workflow and efficiency. Collecting and Assessing Storm Damage Goes High Tech http://www.governing.com/columns/col-storm-damage-collection-goes-high-tech.html A new Web-based application made incident reporting more efficient and cut down the time it took to compile an assessment report in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Local Governments Pursue Independent Broadband Despite Challenges http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/gov-local-governments-pursue-independent-broadband.html Experts explain how municipalities can create a publicly owned community broadband network. Transforming Procurement: Will iPads Replace Binders? http://www.governing.com/blogs/view/gov-will-ipads-replace-binders.html Some states have started to offer vendors the option of submitting their responses to RFPs on tablet devices.