Planning & Growth

"The culprit depends on where you live — but it’s probably not data centers (yet)."

"A giant freeway crossing for wildlife is due to open outside Los Angeles this year. Here’s the story of one young cat hemmed in near the city."

"Amid one of the driest winters on record, representatives from seven Western states have less than two weeks to meet an already-delayed federal deadline to find a new way to share the dwindling Colorado River—one that recognizes the megadrought and overconsumption plaguing the basin."

"A House hearing exposed sharp divisions over whether loosening environmental laws and expanding logging will protect communities from catastrophic fires. Scientists urged a shift toward investing in fire-resilient homes and landscapes."

"The historic site, on an island in South Carolina, could be inundated by rising seas in decades to come. A display on the threat has been removed."

"Wyoming is poised to become an artificial-intelligence powerhouse after Laramie County commissioners last week unanimously voted to move forward with the construction of a 1.8 gigawatt data center designed to eventually scale up to 10 gigawatts, which would be the largest single AI campus in the U.S. "

"The Republican Study Committee on Tuesday published a framework for a second reconciliation package that calls for selling off federal public lands to build housing, adopting a contentious proposal previously championed by Utah Sen. Mike Lee."

"Two years ago, Massachusetts regulators created a framework for phasing out the use of natural gas in buildings — a groundbreaking move for the state’s decarbonization efforts. Today, however, momentum has slowed as gas companies clash with lawmakers, regulators, and advocates on a fundamental question: Are utilities legally obligated to provide gas service to any consumer who wants it?"

"The National Park Service gave President Donald Trump the go-ahead to tear down the White House’s East Wing earlier this year after a streamlined environmental review concluded the negative effects of the president’s planned ballroom wouldn’t be too significant and despite the final design remaining a work in progress, new court filings show."