Resilience
States and localities are having to adjust to a changing climate, establishing new policies, rules and guidelines relating to energy, land use and water rights, as well as responding to emergencies triggered by more intense storms, floods and wildfires.
A record amount of electricity came from renewable sources in 2024, with both red and blue states leading the way.
The share of electricity used by data centers is projected to triple by 2028. A Harvard study warns that consumers could end up subsidizing their utility bills.
When it opens in 2028, the advanced filtration plant will supply 10 million gallons a day, the first in the country to convert wastewater directly into drinking water.
Nevada lawmakers are pushing a bill that would require cities to update master plans with strategies to mitigate the effects of extreme heat, as Las Vegas and Reno experience rapid temperature increases.
A spate of new bills in California and other states would protect consumers from electricity rate hikes that subsidize data centers.
Flooding in Eastern Kentucky over the weekend caused widespread damage in Hazard, affecting homes and businesses. Recovery efforts are underway, but many will face weeks of cleanup.
If it remains in place, the president’s order will add deep uncertainty to the future of a nascent industry that could provide tens of thousands of jobs and significant clean energy that the grid requires.
The business group has sided with solar developers in multiple court cases and supports efforts to overhaul a state law that lets townships and counties block siting decisions.
Solutions include funding the federal agency properly, requiring states to share a larger burden of the responsibility and removing barriers to resilience.
Voters approved $9 billion in school construction bonds last fall. The district must rebuild schools destroyed or damaged by smoke or fire and intends to make them more resilient.
The program is designed to offer solar power to households in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Grant recipients received notice from the federal government that funding was put on pause with no indication when or if they might receive it.
President Trump, who calls FEMA “not good,” has issued an executive order and established a commission to look at ending the agency. He favors having states respond to their own disasters, but they may not have adequate resources.
The Eaton Fire consumed a home and community I had loved for decades. I went from writing about homelessness to living it.
Last month, the EPA issued a rule to step up monitoring and limit worker exposure to ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing molecule. But in his first term, Trump rolled back dozens of environmental rules, making residents of Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley” nervous.
The legislation would block foreclosures and allow homeowners who’ve suffered financially due to the L.A. fires to freeze payments without penalty. Several major lenders have already reached agreement with Gov. Gavin Newsom to provide voluntary relief.
The president noted the need to fight Los Angeles fires, but the water would go elsewhere in the state primarily to aid farmers. Environmentalists complained the move was unlawful.
The Trump administration has an opportunity to return authority over energy generation and natural resource development to the states.
Like other states, Michigan is seeing declining revenues due to electric vehicles. It’s pulled a pilot program to try out a fee system based on miles traveled due to lack of funding, which critics call short-sighted.
The state faced its worst storm in decades with up to 10 inches shutting down roads. States of emergency were declared across the South due to unusual wintry conditions.
Catastrophes like the L.A. wildfires are going to happen again. There’s no easy way to make sure victims can be made whole.
The state withdrew its pioneering clean air regulations for diesel trucks and trains, acknowledging they wouldn’t win federal approval. The state intended to end sales of trucks powered by fossil fuels by 2036.
Even the most basic computing tasks require electrical power. The level of computing that drives today’s economy is far from basic.
The state’s troubled home insurance market is certain to command legislative attention this year. The fires in Los Angeles may end up being one of the nation’s most expensive disasters.
Hot, strong desert air is contributing to the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area. The current winds are much less predictable than previous patterns.
After years of cuts, the agency’s budget has doubled since 2020. But its new director will face challenges due to policy differences with the incoming Trump administration.
Iowa leads the nation in the percentage of its electricity it generates from wind and solar, showing that the transition doesn’t have to be expensive or scary or even constrained by politics.
State officials face challenges from shrinking revenue and major changes from Washington in shared programs such as education and Medicaid.
They face more challenges than urban schools. But there are strategies they can use to prepare and cope.
Some communities are investing in new infrastructure and designs not only to protect residents but improve quality of life.
The laws create more regulation, holding manufacturers responsible for the types of packaging materials used and requiring them to educate the public about recycling and disposal.
Two years ago, the city crafted heralded policies on requiring electrification of buildings and cars. This week, it softened restrictions significantly.
