Infrastructure

The funding will expand access to high-speed Internet around the city. Its Municipal Broadband Utility will develop a network that incorporates existing infrastructure, as feasible, with fiber-optic and wireless technologies.

The devices, which are finding their way onto local roads, could come to state highways too, with passage of a new law. The first step would be a plan for that expansion, from the state Department of Transportation.

A new GIS-powered state planning tool brings together more than 100 data sets to offer officials and members of the public a detailed look at where electric vehicle charging exists, is already planned, and may be needed.

If signed by the governor, the bill would require utilities to use so-called grid-enhancing tech to make transmission lines more efficient and boost their capacity, and offer real-time data.

Tribal communities are some of the nation’s least connected areas, making them fertile ground for innovative broadband deployments and tech. Speakers on a recent panel said open-access, tribe-owned systems may be best.

Legislation with bipartisan support aims to safeguard the state’s climate goals, and water and household electric bills, while making developers pay for conservation projects. Most existing tax breaks, however, remain.

The Hammond Common Council signed off on a development pact for a planned $7 billion data center endeavor. Terms give owners a break on property taxes, and give the city a yearly “community impact payment.”

Two routes that will run underneath the lake, bringing faster Internet to thousands of Michiganders and connecting Benton Harbor to Chicago, are in environmental review and engineering.

Local government should center its decisions on people’s needs, the city’s newly arrived CIO said. This means hearing from residents and staff alike, and doing more with the information at hand.

The Freestate Middle Mile Network ultimately will deploy 682 miles of fiber with funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. A goal is for Kansas to be among the top 10 states for broadband access by 2030.

A project to connect Union Station in Los Angeles to Dodger Stadium via a mile-long gondola run aims to be done for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. A similar aerial initiative is moving forward in neighboring Orange County.

In Florida, Tampa and Orlando are exploring new water treatment methods. The cities aim to uncover more effective ways to manage pollutants, improve water quality and significantly cut treatment costs.

Technology continues changing our travel. Officials at Boston Logan International Airport are testing artificial intelligence to help travelers sort trash, and they’re eyeing remote terminals, with off-site security checks.

Studies show the United States is not keeping up with electric demand, as electric vehicles and data centers continue to ramp up their burden on the grid. A slowdown in federal funding has not seemed to impact this.

The company plans to reactivate a battery energy storage system at the Moss Landing power complex. A second facility there, a portion of which caught fire in January, remains shuttered and an investigation continues.

Modernizing the state system will require more than just new technology. The undertaking will include a careful “change management” process to receive input and feedback from Hawaii staffers.

The city has improved customer service and billing for its water and sewer customers, in part through new customer service software and a policy alerting residents to issues with bills.

Plus, new broadband legislation has been introduced, the BEAD program remains on hold amid pressure to expedite its review, Philadelphia has launched a laptop distribution initiative, and more.