ASC's Intersections Newsletter — June 6th, 2024
Nora’s Note
Celebrating Pride. This month, communities around the world will celebrate Pride in the LGBTQIA+ community. The first rainbow pride flag, designed by Gilbert Baker and unveiled in San Francisco in 1979, features eight colors – with green symbolizing nature and the environment. The intersections between the environmental justice and LGBTQIA+ justice movements are many. As both movements took hold in the 1960s, environmentalism drew attention to inequalities related to LGBTQIA+ individuals. Decades later, LGBTQIA+ individuals are up to 120% more likely to be without stable housing, a basic tenet of the environmental justice movement’s pursuit of access to a safe and healthy environment for all, and a clear indicator that the fight for an equitable and sustainable world for all is hardly won.
Transportation
School districts receive $900M from EPA to fund electric school buses. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded nearly $900 million to over 500 school districts across the country for electric school buses. Between 2022-2026, EPA's Clean School Bus Program will award $5 billion to help achieve benefits of cleaner air, reduced health risks, and cost savings. This funding advances the transition to cleaner buses as only 0.7% of school buses on the road are electric. Read more about how this round of Clean School Bus funding addresses past concerns. (Source: Canary Media)
Transport Topics: Shippers, private fleets aim for sustainability
Craine’s: Long Island Rail Road is offering seaside travel packages at reduced fares
Mass Transit Mag: MTC approves $18.3 million allocation to fund eight transit projects
Climate
Feds offer $90 million for vast solar array on PA mine land. The U.S. Department of Energy is providing $90 million to develop Pennsylvania's largest solar project on 2,700 acres of former coal mine land in Clearfield County. This 402-megawatt solar farm will generate enough electricity to power 70,000 homes and fill the energy gap left by the recently closed Homer City coal plant. It is part of a broader $450 million federal initiative to promote clean energy on former mine lands. Read more on how this funding will create jobs and economic benefits for local communities. (Source: Bay Journal)
Energy News Network: Massachusetts to recharge solar programs for low-income residents with $156M federal grant
Grist: Can carbon offsets actually work? The Biden administration thinks so.
Anthropocene Magazine: The future holds many, many more EV batteries. And therein lies a solution to grid storage.
Economic Development
Colorado takes a new—and likely more effective—approach to the housing crisis. Colorado has made some changes to its legislation to recover from its housing crisis, introducing and implementing new bills statewide. One of their bills aims to tackle the crisis head-on with solutions to undo the damage from previous zoning restrictions, eliminating old bills, and allowing for new buildings to serve as apartments and condos. The state is charting towards a more balanced and sustainable housing market. Read more about how Colorado’s plans will be implemented. (Source: Route Fifty)
Nebraska Examiner: Expanding intergenerational care is on the horizon for Nebraska child care, nursing homes
Canary Media: Helping low-income families electrify could save Americans $96 billion
Mass Transit Mag: Cracking the ‘ReCode’ that could decide Portland’s housing future
Digital
Community solar developers look to artificial intelligence to help manage subscribers and advance equity. Community solar subscribers in northern Illinois may soon see backlogged credits and charges due to a recent billing issue. A new AI tool aims to reduce potential churn in the market by predicting and addressing at-risk customers. The model helps identify reliable subscribers beyond traditional credit scores, increasing low-income participation and advancing equitable solutions. Read more about how this AI model can enhance project viability and equity in community solar. (Source: Energy News Network)
Route Fifty: Town turns to text messaging to boost community engagement
The Verge: How AI could change EV charging
TechCrunch: With the EU AI Act incoming this summer, the bloc lays out its plan for AI governance
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