Planning & Growth

"The latest Ratepayer Protection Act would apply more specifically to data centers."

"The Colorado River’s largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, have declined to their lowest combined levels on record.
Researchers say the new low underscores the urgent need to cut water use in the seven states that depend on the river."

"The nation’s biggest green groups have joined the fray over data centers — and they’re starting to notch some victories after 18 months of stinging environmental setbacks under the Trump administration."

"Wildfires cast a pall of smoke this week over Greater Manchester, whose former mayor Andy Burnham stands on the threshold of No 10. Amid three UK heatwaves so far this year, which have killed thousands of people in England and Wales, damaged harvests and left children crying in classrooms, the new prime minister’s plans for the climate crisis remain as shrouded as his city."

"The largest solar and battery project in America broke ground this week, as Cypress Creek Renewables began construction of the Steel River Energy Center in Arkansas."

"The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee released bipartisan legislation Monday that seeks to address major water infrastructure priorities and bar the Trump administration from canceling congressionally authorized projects." "The legislation addresses a broader suite of issues compared to the House version."

"For half a century, millions of workers have repeated a task across the deserts in northern China: inserting forearm-length sticks into shifting sand, ... The technique, known as “straw checkerboards,” is a simple yet widely used method to stabilize sand dunes against the wind and help plants take root by using water supplied through an irrigation system."

"The Trump administration has signed off on a company’s plan to convert an oil and gas pipeline to pump groundwater from the Mojave Desert to thirsty California cities for the first time, a lucrative venture that critics say threatens natural springs and wildlife."

"Tech companies face a fundamental choice with no winning answer for keeping data centers cool."

"Fears over farmland loss have fueled arguments against renewables in Ohio — but golf courses and suburban sprawl take up far more acreage than solar does."