The Environmental Protection Agency has opened another round of public comment on three key terms in a rule defining which bodies of water are subject to regulation, also known as the “Waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, rule, further lengthening the agency’s timeline for finalizing the rules. The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers announced...
Amid Severe Drought, Water Solutions Companies are Stepping In to Optimize Scarce Water Resources
Leveraging Xylem's 'smart sewer' technology, the community of South Bend, Indiana, was able to save around $400 million in planned infrastructure spending... roughly one billion gallons of polluted water are now prevented from contaminating the St. Joseph River every year.
Can We Refill the Great Salt Lake?
The Great Salt Lake is drying up. Since the mid-1980s, the lake has dropped 22 feet, and its surface area is 60 percent smaller than it once was. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, consider this: it takes 12 minutes and 13 seconds to walk from where the lake’s shoreline once was to where it is today.
Is Power the Next Shale? America Needs to Adopt Strict Capital Discipline Before the Bill Comes Due
Announced megawatts are like leased acres, but energized, used, and profitable megawatts are like productive wells. The boom is genuine, and success will depend on precision, discipline, and pragmatism.
A Stronger El Niño Is Putting Crop Forecasting to the Test
Across major farming regions, crop conditions are shifting quickly as rainfall and temperature patterns become more uneven. Too much rain is creating problems in some places, while others are dealing with persistent dryness.
Construction Starts on Last Segment of Major Western U.S. Transmission Project
Construction of the final segment of the Southwest Intertie Project, a 576-mile transmission corridor connecting an area from Idaho to just south of Las Vegas, Nevada, is underway. Officials celebrated the latest milestone for the installation during a groundbreaking ceremony in Ely, Nevada, on September 3. Read more in POWER Magazine here.
This Clean Energy Company is On Track to Build the World’s First Superhot Geothermal Energy Plant
The fallout in global energy markets from the ongoing conflict in Iran demonstrates the perils of overrelying on a single energy source like oil to meet America’s energy needs. As countries are forced to ration fuel and subsidize energy costs, sustainable alternatives like geothermal power are receiving renewed and well-deserved attention for their ability to deliver reliable, always-on power without the risks of price volatility or supply disruptions.
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Releases Section 106 Modernization
Congress is running short on time to pass a comprehensive permitting reform package before the lame duck this fall. On the table awaiting votes are bills reforming the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and Clean Air Act. The National Historic Preservation Act, which has recently gained traction as a permitting barrier to projects, has received comparatively little attention in Congress.
Growing Electricity Use Lowers Rates—Until It Doesn’t
Electricity bills are up, and data centers are getting the blame. But in the data so far, the states with the fastest-growing power use have mostly seen rates rise slower than elsewhere, not faster. Rising demand is supposed to push rates up, not down, but there are good reasons to think rising demand has held electric rates down in some areas. The question worth asking is whether we can count on that to last.
How to Avoid Repeating the Potomac River Spill Fiasco
For five days, the equivalent of 350 Olympic-sized pools’ worth of sewage flooded into the Potomac River in a suburb of Washington, D.C. The cause? A clear failure in our permitting systems.









