ASC's Intersections Newsletter — June 15, 2023
Nora's Note
Wind power looks forward. Today the world celebrates Global Wind Day, highlighting the immense potential of wind power in the fight against climate change. Offshore wind has gained speed in the US as a catalyst for meeting the Biden Administration’s goal of a carbon-neutral power sector by 2035, and communities across the country are working with energy developers and governments to bring environmental justice and job access to the forefront of this transition. Equinor, Skanska, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) are transforming the former South Brooklyn Marine Terminal site into a staging facility for the installation of 12-16 GW of offshore wind power. Astoria’s infamously polluted “Asthma Alley” area will become a converter station for clean energy, the Astoria Gateway for Renewable Energy, and include a state-of-the-art renewable energy education center in collaboration with the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens. As wind power gains speed across the country, such cross-sector collaborations, community investments and dedicated public engagement programs must be front and center in a just transition.
Transportation
A New, Transit-Centered Neighborhood for Philadelphia. A central hub for subway, trolley and bus routes, Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station will be the center of a $10 billion redevelopment project. A collaboration between Amtrak, the Brandywine Realty Trust, Drexel University, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, the 30th Street Station District Plan aims to add residential and commercial towers, retail spaces, cultural amenities and 40 acres of open public space to the central district. Read more about the 90-year-old station and its upcoming transformation. (Source: Governing)
New York Times: Make Way for the Bike Bus
ABC 7: MTA moves forward with plans to install platform doors in three subway stations
Mass Transit: CO: City of Greeley offers free bus rides until Aug. 31
Reuters: US passenger railroad Amtrak CEO says ridership near pre-pandemic levels
Climate
A new effort unveiled to speed up ocean CO2 removal. The non-profit organization Carbon to Sea Initiative is working to better understand the impact and reliability of ocean alkalinity enhancement. While oceans already absorb a significant amount of CO2, adding more alkaline could increase the speed of this uptake through natural “weathering” without compromising the ocean's health. Over $23 million in grants has been committed to support research into ocean CO2 removal. Read more to learn about the next steps of this initiative. (Source: Axios)
Smart Cities Dive: Building performance standards becoming key climate policy in US cities: report
Utility Dive: As offshore wind projects and policies grow, floating turbines will be key to Biden’s 30 GW by 2030 goal
Canary Media: Clean energy’s Made-in-America movement could bring jobs for coal miners
Grist: The US is getting its first new nuclear reactor in 40 years
Economic Development
Single-family rental construction is more active than ever. The US housing market saw an influx of single-family building permits in 2022, with more than 14,500 new single-family rental homes completed nationwide. The yearly rate of constructed single-family rental homes has more than doubled since before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the trend shows no sign of slowing. The effect of inflation on mortgage rates and stagnating wages are among the leading factors contributing to the build-to-rent surge. Read more on the growth of the single-family rental sector and predictions for the year ahead. (Source: Smart Cities Dive)
New York Times: Lincoln Center, Seeking New Audiences, Plans to Remake Its West Edge
The Coversation: Blockchain is a key technology – a computer scientist explains why the post-crypto-crash future is bright
Anthropocene Magazine: Reaching net-zero emissions could triple U.S. energy jobs by 2050
New York Post: NY state court paves way for $850M apartment complex to rise near Seaport
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