ASC's Intersections Newsletter — Week of December 20, 2021
Nora's Note
The GSD Team. What a way to end a tough year. NYC Mayor-Elect Eric Adams chose five women as his deputy mayors, including four women of color and the first-ever woman to lead the NYPD. Twenty-year City Hall veteran Lorraine Grillo will be the first deputy mayor; Anne Williams-Isom, a former deputy commissioner of the Administration for Children’s Services, will become the deputy mayor for health and human services; Meera Joshi, a current federal administrator who once served as the Taxi and Limousine Commissioner, returns from Washington, DC, to become the deputy mayor for operations; Maria Torres-Springer, a former commissioner of the Department of Housing and Preservation Development, will be deputy mayor for economic and workforce development; and Sheena Wright, the CEO of United Way of New York City and the head of the Adams transition team, will be the deputy mayor for strategic initiatives. “No one is going to fight harder for the people of this city. The nurturing, energy, the compassion, the caring—who they are is what we all can become,” Adams said. Happy holidays to all—we’re looking forward to the start of a Get Stuff Done year in NYC.
Transportation
Major U.S. utilities plan coast-to-coast, EV-charging network. To reduce gaps in the nation's electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, more than 50 U.S. power companies have partnered to build a coast-to-coast fast-charging network along major U.S. travel corridors by the end of 2023. Using funding from the new federal infrastructure bill, the project plans to increase the amount of charging stations along the Interstate Highway System, facilitate growth in the EV sector and enhance grid resiliency. Read more to learn about how this initiative will affect the outlook for electric vehicles in 2022 and beyond.
Gothamist: Public Sounds Off on Penn Station Redevelopment Plans
NY Times: To Win Riders Back, M.T.A. to Offer Free Rides for ‘Tap-and-Go’ Customers
Transportation Today: Automated Speed Enforcement’s program awards Philadelphia $22.1 million
NBC NY: MTA Retiring 1960s-Era Subway Cars With 4 Final Trips
Washington Post: Metro returns first two 7000-series trains to service
Wired: The US Is Gently Discouraging States From Building New Highways
Transport Topics: Responding to Supply Chain Needs, USDOT Announces Maritime Grants
POWER Magazine: The Billion-Dollar Bet on Electric Vehicles
Energy/Environment
2021 in review: Not-to-miss discussions on energy market trends. Some of the biggest stories in the energy sector this year included digitalizing grids, a major push towards renewable energy production and unprecedented data integration. As the year comes to a close, it’s a great time to reflect on the sector's growth in 2021 and look forward for to what 2022 will bring for the energy transition, major utilities and sustainability efforts. Read more for an overview of some of this year's biggest energy developments.
MIT Technology Review: How rising groundwater caused by climate change could devastate coastal communities
NPR: The EPA begins rolling out billions to clean up Superfund sites
Lancaster Farming: New York Launches Solar Siting Working Group to Protect Farmland
Grist: Beyond reusing and recycling—How the US could actually reduce plastic production
Environmental Protection: EPA Opens a $20 Million Grant Competition for Community Air Pollution Monitoring
Energy Storage News: US energy storage industry smashes quarterly deployment record with 3.5GWh in Q3 2021
AmNY: New York City set to ban natural gas in new buildings
E&E News: Hospitals want to go green, but sustainability data is scarce
Economic Development
Building electrification momentum grew in U.S. cities in 2021. Across the U.S., cities are requiring stricter building decarbonization policies to reduce carbon emissions and improve health outcomes for building residents. In addition to issuing mandates that require electrification in new buildings, many cities are working to retrofit existing buildings as a pathway towards achieving decarbonization goals. As the source of nearly 30% of all U.S. carbon emissions, building electrification represents a crucial step towards a clean and sustainable future. Read more to learn about how cities are working to balance equity and electrification goals.
Route Fifty: 60 Finalists Selected for $1B Regional Development Program
Rome Daily Sentinel: $4.6M upgrade in works for city streetlights
Bloomberg: NYC’s JFK Airport set for $9.5 Billion Carlyle-Backed Redo
Produce Blue Book: New York State Regional Food Hub to open next summer
City Limits: NYC High Schoolers to Build Green Roofs in New Parks Dept. Program
Pew: Pandemic Sweetens Lure of Smaller Cities’ Relocation Incentives
Gothamist: Prospect Park Getting $40M In City Funding To Reimagine The Vale
NY Times: The ‘Double Whammy’ That Is Slowing New York City’s Job Growth
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Empire State Development: NY State Business Pandemic Recovery Initiative
CDC: Official Updates for Coronavirus Disease
SBA: COVID-19 Resources for Small Businesses
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