Emerging and Sustainable Technology

The Top 20 Green-Powered Cities

October 31, 2011 - The top three spots are dominated by Texas — where there’s plenty of wind.

Light Monitoring System Keeps Glendale, Ariz., Out of the Dark

October 24, 2011 - Monitoring system detected that 10 percent of Glendale’s street lights weren’t working properly or weren’t operating to industry standards.

The Energy Grid of the Future is No Grid At All

October 24, 2011 - Nanoholdings CEO Justin Tipping-Hall explains some breakthrough technologies that will generate energy anywhere...for free.

MIT Researchers' New Radar Technology Sees Through Walls

October 21, 2011 - The device can detect what’s going on behind 8-inch concrete.

Technology Helps Iowa Wastewater Plant See a Flood of Savings

October 20, 2011 - Tech upgrades yield an estimated $200,000 saved annually.

Transforming Your Skin into a Touch Screen

October 19, 2011 - Researchers at Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University demonstrate how to turn any surface into a touch screen.

IBM Takes Social Networking Tools to Private Cloud

October 19, 2011 - The company’s new service, SmartCloud Social Collaboration for Government, introduces social networking tools for public sector in a private cloud.

Code for America Announces 2012 Cities and Fellows

October 13, 2011 - Eight U.S. cities and 25 fellows chosen to work on innovative IT projects for local governments.

People Power: How Walking Can Light Up a City

October 13, 2011 - Company creates pavement that captures the energy of footsteps.

Can Smart Transportation Apps Curb Greenhouse Gases?

October 11, 2011 - Mobile apps for traffic, public transportation and parking look to be a big contributor to cost savings and environmental gains.

Austin, Texas, Switches to All Renewable Energy

October 11, 2011 - The city government will spend millions more annually to get its energy from west Texas wind farms.

Tracking Tech Drives Dayton, Ohio’s Recycling Incentive Program

October 10, 2011 - RFID tags track city recycling bins and give residents chances for prizes.

Steve Jobs Leaves Legacy in Government (Photo Slide Show)

October 7, 2011 - For many in government, the innovation Jobs inspired has changed how work gets done.

Technology to Allow Electric Vehicles to Sell Excess Power

October 3, 2011 - The University of Delaware and and an energy company are partnering to make commercially available technology that would allow electric vehicles to sell power back to the grid.

IT Projects Improve Air Quality, Receive Grant Funding

October 3, 2011 - Nevada County, Calif., leverages air quality grant funding for three pollution-reducing IT projects.

RoboCop Revisited: How Automation Is Transforming Public Safety

September 30, 2011 - From mobile robots to laser scanners, technology is making police officers safer and more effective.

NASA Launches Apps Competition

September 26, 2011 - NASA has joined other government agencies in the push for transparency by launching its own apps competition.

New Online Service Makes Everyone a County Clerk

September 23, 2011 - Ottawa County, Mich., citizens can order and instantly print out certified documents from the county clerk through a Web interface.

Smart Electricity Data Powers Savings in Iowa Experiment

September 16, 2011 - Volunteers in Dubuque, Iowa, are monitoring electricity consumption along with their neighbors on a Web-based portal stored in an IBM cloud.

‘Best Idea for Government’ Nets Federal Worker $50,000

September 14, 2011 - Federal Highway Administration employee proposed a nationwide, centralized database for inventorying unused assets in government agencies so that they would be shared.