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Current Blog Posts
Green Infrastructure Programs at Local Governments– What’s in a Name?
Many local governments have been creating programs to improve water quality by addressing non-point sources of pollution. Over the years the approach itself has had different names. Terms such as “low impact development,” and “environmental…
Four Myths about Water Rate Setting
Infrastructure has been in the news a lot lately. The president highlighted it in his budget speech/State of the Union address, and if you live in North Carolina, you heard the Governor highlight it in his…
“Decouple” of Electric Utility Business Models in the Solar Age
In North Carolina, and around the country, growth in the deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) power has accelerated dramatically in recent years. However, from the standpoint of financing the provision of electric power to customers, this…
Small Water Systems with Financial Difficulties are More Likely to Violate EPA Regulations
One hazard that water utilities with financial difficulties face is an increased risk of falling out of compliance of federal requirements and drinking water regulations. Violating regulations often triggers enforcement actions (and sometimes fines) by the state primacy…
Incentivizing Flood Mitigation Efforts on Private Property before the Waters Rise
This post was co-written by Mary Tiger and Lexi Kay For about 20 residents in North Topsail Beach, NC, the new year brought a new fix for a lingering problem. This month construction began to…
When Big Customers Make Big Changes
Non-residential water customers use nearly 43% of public water supplied in the United States[1]. In fact, their portion of public water demand has increased over the past twenty years as water efficiency in the residential…
NC Clean Tech Summit: Spotlighting a Growing Collaboration Between the Clean Tech Industry and Universities
This guest post was written by Steve Wall, Research Associate/Project Director of the Environmental Resource Program at the UNC Institute of the Environment. On February 19th and 20th leaders in the clean technology sector will gather in…
Where to Find Data for Smart Managerial and Financial Decisions
Ever need to know how many single-family wood-framed houses were sold in the Midwest last year? Or the latitude and longitude of every farmers market in Wisconsin that sells herbs, flowers, and soap? What about…