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Mark your calendars: The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon -- America’s premier collegiate competition that challenges students from around the world to design, build and operate highly energy-efficient, solar-powered houses -- will open October 8 in Irvine, California.

The MISMO Residential Standards Governance Committee has announced that it will defer the release of Version 3.4 of the MISMO Reference Model to November 2015. This is a change from the previously announced date of July 2015.

As part of the White House Conference on Aging today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued guidance to better serve and help avoid discrimination to LGBT Americans seeking HUD-assisted or HUD-insured housing. The guidance will help clarify the Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity Rule (Equal Access Rule), which was originally published in 2012.

CPS Energy in San Antonio, Texas, said it has chosen Clean Energy Collective as its vendor for the utility’s first community solar project, according to a July 9 news release. Through the community solar program, residential and commercial electricity customers will be able to purchase panels from the 1.2-megawatt shared facility and receive credits on their electricity bills from CPS Energy.

The Financial Services Housing and Insurance Subcommittee held a hearing today to conduct oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Public and Indian Housing programs.

Teams of specialists from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will offer tips and techniques to lessen the impact of disaster-related property damage at building supply stores in four Arkansas locations beginning Monday, July 13, 2015

This week’s presidential announcement of a new initiative to increase access to solar energy for all Americans, in particular low- and moderate-income communities, is an exciting expansion of IREC’s groundbreaking work in this area, which began in California

This week, the House Appropriations Committee approved their version of the fiscal year (FY) 2016 Agriculture Appropriations bill. The legislation funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The bill totals $20.65 billion in discretionary funding, which is $175 million lower than current levels and $1.1 billion below the President’s budget request

Calling it a “win-win” that will benefit both the economy and environment, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has announced its strong support for HR 3001 – legislation introduced in Congress by Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) that will allow the General Services Administration (GSA) to enter into 30-year renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPA). The GSA is an independent agency which manages and supports the basic functioning of the federal government, including procurement. Under current law, only the U.S. military can enter into power purchase agreements for longer than 10 years. Earlier this year, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) introduced similar legislation.

Consumers Energy will be upgrading electrical infrastructure to improve reliability for its electric customers in the Beadle and Goguac Lake areas of Calhoun County. The company is undertaking major projects to rebuild line sections and begin a new “pole top replacement program” in the area in 2015.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Nadine Gurley of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General (HUD-OIG) and Special Agent in Charge Timothy A. Mowery of the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) made the announcement

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), in her work on rail safety for the District of Columbia and as a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, sent her staff on Wednesday to observe rail car safety training exercises being conducted by the D.C. Fire and EMS Department along the CSX railroad. Norton said that her staff attended the CSX rail car safety training tour and was briefed on safety procedures along the tracks and new mandatory safety requirements for High-Hazard Flammable Trains

USGBC announced today that Jane Henley, former chief executive officer of the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), has come on board as a senior advisor to provide strategic guidance on global market development efforts in Asian markets. Head of the WorldGBC for more than five years, Henley made significant strides in the ongoing international market transformation of the green building industry.

Identifying damage helps determine both the amount and the types of assistance FEMA or other state and federal agencies may provide. There is no fee for the inspection. The inspector does not determine the amount of assistance an applicant will receive.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) yesterday announced a final Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule to equip communities that receive HUD funding with data and tools to help them meet long-standing fair housing obligations in their use of HUD funds. This obligation was intended to ensure that every person in America has the right to fair housing, regardless of their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability or familial status.

On July 8, 2015, the Conference Committee released its recommendations for the FY2016 State Budget(link is external). The Legislature adopted the $38.1 billion budget and sent it to Governor Baker for his consideration. The Governor has ten days to sign or veto portions of the budget.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julian Castro and Acting Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) CEO Eugene Jones, Jr. today opened the second completed phase of Park Boulevard which now totals 475 mixed income housing units, continuing of the revitalization of the Bronzeville community at the former Stateway Gardens public housing site.

On July 8, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) released reports from the five bipartisan working groups the Committee established earlier this year to develop policy options and recommendations for it to consider as part of comprehensive tax reform. The reports focused on individual income, business income, savings and investment, international taxes, and community development and infrastructure.

As part of the Obama Administration’s effort to prepare communities for the impacts of climate change, U. S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has awarded $11.8 million in Tribal Climate Resilience Program funding awards. The funding will help federally recognized tribes and tribally chartered organizations with climate change adaptation and ocean and coastal management planning projects

The Modular Building Institute (MBI) recognizes Modern Building Systems’ Seattle Greyhound Bus Terminal as the July 2015 Modular Building of the Month. This project also won first place in the Permanent Retail & Hospitality category at MBI’s annual Award of Distinction, which are recognized at the association’s annual conference, World of Modular.