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.
Because reporting practices and requirements vary so much, extreme weather’s true damage cost is often a mystery. There are several ways to get better numbers.
The plan is to provide more public transportation to move people out of private vehicles to reduce carbon emissions. Critics call the approach heavily restrictive.
Decatur, Ill., has been losing factory jobs for years. A training program at a local community college promises renewal and provides training for students from disenfranchised communities.
Climate models aren't generally specific enough to capture the reasons some urban neighborhoods are prone to flooding. A study in Chicago is examining both causes and remedies.
The Yorba Linda, Calif., water district has the country’s largest PFAS treatment facility of its kind. The drinking water it delivers to customers is free of these unwanted “forever chemicals.”
Concerned about pollution and health effects at a time when the feds are deregulating, cities and counties are using lawsuits and regulations to delay or cancel some energy projects.
A new law shifts both funding and focus away from game animals, while overhauling the governance structure for the state's primary wildlife agency.
State lawmakers are considering more proactive approaches to resilience after learning from community responses to disasters.
Each home and the overall layout of a San Diego County subdivision meet wildfire-resilient standards set by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety.
The governors of Idaho, Utah and Wyoming have agreed to create cooperative agreements between their scientific institutions to promote nuclear development.
Data centers are the driver of near-term growth in electricity use. Electric vehicles will drive future growth.
Business owners complained it was impossible to comply with energy reduction targets. Denver has modified its rules and Colorado lawmakers may follow suit statewide
There are a number of steps that state and local leaders could take to narrow the funding gap by tens of billions, making the most of the money that is available to keep the faucets flowing.
Most of Alabama may be covered in forests, but asphalt still reigns on school playgrounds. The Alabama Forestry Foundation wants to change that.
A working group of mayors believes climate resilience and economic security go hand in hand.
It’s appealing to say that disaster relief should be left to states and localities. The less appealing reality is that they aren’t up to the job.
El Paso has one of the largest water desalination plants in the world. Its efforts will inform Texas’ efforts to use desalination to address its water shortage.
A new executive order directs the attorney general to identify and stop enforcement of state-level climate laws. The order says such laws hinder American energy dominance.
Legal challenges, economic factors and Trump administration policies are all creating problems for commercial wind farms.
The jury found the oil giant liable for environmental damages from decades ago. Business groups said the decision could have a chilling effect on the state's oil and gas industry.
Outdated transmission infrastructure can’t deliver the power that’s being generated. State policymakers can make it easier to build new lines and make older ones much more efficient.
Gov. Jared Polis and legislative leaders are working on a package to require 100 percent clean energy in the state by 2040, 10 years earlier than current plans.
Oregon-based Pacificorp is pushing shield bills in its home state after convincing lawmakers in three other states to offer utilities financial protection if they take preventative steps.
Legislators have made water a priority this session, with the state falling short of ever-increasing demand. Ideas for addressing the problem range from conservation to desalination.
A panel of Massachusetts energy experts discussed how the commonwealth can promote renewable energy even as the federal government pulls back on approvals and funding.
The storm damaged about 20 percent of western North Carolina’s child-care centers. Early childhood education is often neglected in disaster recovery plans and efforts.
The Maryland legislature is considering dozens of proposals to make energy cheaper, more reliable and more abundant. Meanwhile, residents’ utility costs are rising.
A record amount of electricity came from renewable sources in 2024, with both red and blue states leading the way.
The nations were attempting to finalize updates to the 61-year-old Columbia River Treaty, which governs cross-border water and hydropower management. That’s on hold now amidst the Trump administration’s trade fight.
Forests and other natural and working lands are climate-resilience allies. Managing them better offers common ground where economic growth, public safety and environmental progress align.
A state-run insurance program is running out of money following the L.A. wildfires. Lawmakers are looking for ways to shore it up as private insurers leave the state.
