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FERC Adopts Improvements to Critical Infrastructure Protection Standards
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) acted today to improve the cyber security of the bulk electric system by approving revisions to seven critical infrastructure protection (CIP) Reliability Standards, including requirements for personnel and training, physical security of the bulk electric system’s cyber systems and information protection.
Energy Department Announces 16 Collegiate Teams to Compete in Solar Decathlon 2017
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the 16 collegiate teams selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2017 competition. The teams, from colleges and universities across the United States and around the world, will now begin the nearly two-year process of building solar-powered houses that are affordable, innovative and highly energy-efficient
EPA Assisting Selma with Financial Planning for Water Infrastructure
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today it is providing a total of $50,000 in financial and technical guidance to help Selma, AL invest in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. EPA’s new Water Community Assistance for Resiliency and Excellence (WaterCARE) program will assist the community in developing robust and resilient finance strategies for water infrastructure that meets long-term needs
OPHELIA BASGAL TO RETIRE AS HUD’S PACIFIC/HAWAII REGIONAL DIRECTOR
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced that at the end of February, Ophelia Basgal is retiring from federal service after nearly 40 years of work to promote affordable housing and community development across the nation and throughout the Department’s Pacific/Hawaii region.
HUD AND CENSUS BUREAU ANNOUNCE NEW RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IN DECEMBER
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential construction statistics for December 2015
HUD OFFERS APPROXIMATELY $15 MILLION IN GRANTS TO TEST A NEW APPROACH TO HELP...
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced it is making approximately $15 million available to test a promising housing and services model for low-income seniors to age in their own homes and delay or avoid the need for nursing home care. Read HUD’s Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).
U.S. Deputy Commerce Secretary Bruce Andrews Announces Delegation to Join Business Development Trade Mission...
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Bruce Andrews today announced he will lead a delegation of 18 American companies on a Smart Cities Infrastructure Business Development Mission to India from February 8-12, 2016, with stops in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Lee Zak and Vice President of Global Business Development at the Export-Import Bank Ray Ellis will also participate in the mission
Energy Department Announces $18 Million to Develop Solar Energy Storage Solutions, Boost Grid Resiliency
As part of the Energy Department’s Grid Modernization Initiative announced by Secretary Ernest Moniz last week to improve the resiliency, reliability and security of the nation’s electrical power grid, DOE today announced $18 million in funding forsix new projects across the United States. These projects will enable the development and demonstration of integrated, scalable, and cost-effective solar technologies that incorporate energy storage to power American homes after the sun sets or when clouds are overhead.
President Obama Begins Moratorium on Affordable Energy
Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) issued the following statement on the Obama Administration’s coal lease moratorium on Federal lands. “Yep, there they go again. Americans now know the ‘all-of-the-above’ energy agenda the President repeatedly claimed to support was an election year lie.
EPA, Southern Co. and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Recognize Five Star and Urban...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Southern Company met with 2014 Five Star and Urban Waters Program awardees to recognize and highlight their work to restore streams and watersheds
Justice Department Files Proposed Settlement of Fair Housing Act Lawsuit Against Landord for Housing...
The Justice Department filed a proposed settlement of a lawsuit alleging that a Waunakee, Wisconsin, landlord and apartment complex owner violated the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against two residents of Applewood Apartments based on disability
Performance Improvements for Factory-Built Homes
The ARIES Collaborative, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Building America research team, recently developed and evaluated methods to reduce energy use in factory-built housing, as compared to best practice HUD-code construction. The results of this research prove that it is technically feasible to construct factory-built homes to be up to 50% more energy efficient for nominal increased cost.
VA Announces Availability of $300 Million for Existing SSVF Grantees
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the availability of funds for supportive services grants under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Program. Applications for supportive services grants under the SSVF Program must be received by the SSVF Program Office by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Feb. 5, 2016.
DOE Announces $11 Million for Seven New Projects to Test New Options for Optimal...
The Energy Department’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) today announced $11 million in funding for seven transformational projects that will develop realistic, open-access models and data repositories to aid in improving the U.S. electric grid. ARPA-E’s new program, Generating Realistic Information for the Development of Distribution and Transmission Algorithms (GRID DATA), follows the release of DOE’s comprehensive new Grid Modernization Multi-Year
DOE Announces New Projects to Modernize America’s Electric Grid
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced up to $220 million in new funding for a consortium of DOE national laboratories and partners to support critical research and development over the next three years to help modernize our nation's electrical power grid. The secretary also announced the release of DOE's comprehensive new Grid Modernization Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP), a blueprint for the Department's research, development, and demonstration agenda to enable a modernized grid
Apartment Markets Recede in the January NMHC Quarterly Survey
All four indexes in the January 2015 National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) Quarterly Survey of Apartment Market Conditions fell below the breakeven level of 50, indicating a decline over the past quarter. The last time Market Tightness (47), Sales Volume (46), Equity Financing (46) and Debt Financing (37) all landed below 50 was in October 2013.
SAVE THE DATE AND NOMINATE CANDIDATES FOR DOJ’S 2016 SUNSHINE WEEK AWARDS
The Department of Justice is proud to announce that we will once again commemorate the start of Sunshine Week with a kickoff event on Monday morning, March 14, 2016. To help us prepare for this event, OIP is seeking nominations for this year’s Sunshine Week FOIA Awards
HUD FILES CHARGE ALLEGING CALIFORNIA FORECLOSURE RESCUE COMPANIES SCAMMED HISPANIC HOMEOWNERS
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it is charging three Modesto, California, home loan modification companies and nine of their agents with violating the Fair Housing Act by targeting Hispanic homeowners for illegal or unfair loan audit and loan modification assistance because of their national origin
ALTA Members Play Important Role in Preventing Illegal Purchase of Real Estate
The American Land Title Association (ALTA), the national trade association of the land title insurance industry, released the following statement in response to the United States Department of Treasury Financial Crime Enforcement Network’s (FinCEN) Geographic Targeting Orders (GTO) announced today
Amidst Continued Strong Capital Flows In Europe, the Real Estate Industry Focuses on Contending...
Rapidly changing demands of occupiers and the disruptive forces of technology, demographics, social change, and rapid urbanisation are permeating the European real estate value chain, according to Emerging Trends in Real Estate® Europe 2016: Beyond the Capital, a forecast published jointly by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and PwC.










