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A critical milestone has been reached in cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cell technology, helping pave the way for solar energy to directly compete with electricity generated by conventional energy sources.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to revise its Risk Management Program (RMP) regulations to improve chemical process safety, assist local emergency authorities in planning for and responding to accidents, and improve public awareness of chemical hazards at regulated sources.

Mercy Housing Northwest, one of the region’s largest not-for-profit affordable housing providers, hosted a celebration event at noon on Thursday to mark the start of construction of Mercy Othello Plaza. Bill Rumpf, Regional President, was the Master of Ceremony. Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff and community leaders joined Mercy Housing staff in the celebration

On Friday, February 26th, U.S. EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water Joel Beauvais will end his California tour of several sustainable water facilities at the Oro Loma wastewater treatment and purification plant in San Lorenzo. His visit will focus on their innovative “horizontal levee” ecotone project, which is transforming a 10-acre weedy field to provide wastewater treatment, wet weather storage, shoreline habitat, and infrastructure protection from rising sea level. The levee is also an outdoor laboratory used to research climate change adaptation methods to protect infrastructure around San Francisco Bay.

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), President Obama made the largest single investment in clean energy in history, providing more than $90 billion in strategic clean energy investments and tax incentives to promote job creation and the deployment of low-carbon technologies, and leveraging approximately $150 billion in private and other non-federal capital for clean energy investments.

The City of Elk Grove Development Services Department will host a community meeting to provide more information related to The Ridge Shopping Center and Costco Wholesale projects. There will also be an opportunity for residents to ask questions and provide their input to the developers of the projects. The community meeting will be held on Monday, March 7 at 6:00 pm in the City Hall Council Chambers

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act), President Obama made the largest single investment in clean energy in history, providing more than $90 billion in strategic clean energy investments and tax incentives to promote job creation and the deployment of low-carbon technologies, and leveraging approximately $150 billion in private and other non-federal capital for clean energy investments

The Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance held its second hearing of the 114th Congress to examine the impact of international regulatory standards on the competitiveness of U.S. insurers.

–Teams of specialists from FEMA will offer tips and techniques to lessen the impact of future disaster-related property damage at building supply stores in three Arkansas locations Thursday, Feb. 25 – March 1, 2016.

Sales of new single-family houses in January 2016 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 494,000, according to estimates released jointly today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau. This is 9.2 percent (±13.5%)* below the revised December rate of 544,000 and is 5.2 percent (±12.6%)* below the January 2015 estimate of 521,000.

The American Planning Association (APA) is a national partner in the U.S. Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) new "Prosperity Playbook" initiative. The initiative will convene regional experts in five locations to identify best practices for supporting economic mobility, expanding housing affordability and increasing access to opportunity-rich neighborhoods, education and jobs.

Sales of newly built, single-family homes dropped 9.2 percent in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 494,000 units, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau

Chaban is the Chief Executive Officer of Princeton Properties, which acquires, builds, renovates, leases and manages apartment communities and corporate furnished apartments. Currently, Princeton Properties owns and manages more than 6,000 apartment homes for rent in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Georgia. Chaban is considered to be one of the foremost industry experts in the field of rehabilitation and management of multifamily rental housing.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today at a Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment hearing used her time to ask three questions of particular concern to District of Columbia residents – lead levels in D.C.’s water supply, ground water testing in the Spring Valley neighborhood, and flooding of the National Mall and D.C. neighborhoods.

As part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to cut energy waste in the nation’s buildings, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today recognized the city of West Palm Beach for their leadership in improving energy efficiency across 1.4 million square feet of building space by 20 percent within 10 years. The city of West Palm Beach has met their Better Buildings Challenge goal of 20 percent energy reduction and today Mayor Jeri Muoio is announcing a new 15 percent energy reduction goal for 2025

Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra (CA-34) was joined by Caucus Vice Chairman Joe Crowley (NY-14), Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12) for a press conference, following Caucus meeting, to discuss Republicans’ unprecedented Supreme Court obstruction and their fumble on the budget, as well as the Flint water crisis.

The Federal Trade Commission has charged a debt relief operation with falsely representing to financially distressed homeowners and student loan borrowers that it would help get their mortgages and student loans modified. At the FTC’s request, a federal court has temporarily halted the operation. The agency seeks to permanently stop the alleged illegal practices and obtain refunds for affected consumers.

Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, asked the Department of the Interior about its commitment to the Yakima River Basin during a hearing on the president’s FY 2017 budget request. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Michael Connor agreed with Sen. Cantwell that the Yakima River Basin plan “is a model for the rest of the nation in water management.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached settlements with nine gas stations in Alaska, Oregon and Washington to bring them into compliance with federal laws designed to protect underground sources of drinking water from fuel tanks stored below ground. The gas stations were subject to increased penalties for repeat violations, and some were blocked from receiving fuel shipments for continued non-compliance.

As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) ongoing efforts to boost opportunity in rural communities, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today awarded six low-interest loans to local governments and community organizations that will spur rural economic development in five states. Secretary Vilsack announced the awards at the Legislative Conference of the National Association of Counties during a seminar with the White House Rural Council.