Category: Infrastructure & the West

California will prohibit the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. But charging-station infrastructure takes time to develop. Already, some places are in danger of being left out, perpetuating historical disparities. Can supporters of a green future avoid the mistakes of the past?Continue readingEV Charging Stations Multiply, But Are Often Out of Reach for Disadvantaged Populations

Taking down four dams in Oregon and California would be a coup for advocates of dam removal. It could also mark the moment when their movement rediscovers a more realistic goal: bringing restoration into balance with human needs.Continue readingThe Winners, the Losers, and the Landscape That Might Emerge If the Klamath River Dams Disappear

Two decades into the 21st Century, broadband internet access still falls short of reaching tens of millions of Americans — especially in hilly and remote parts of the rural West. But local initiatives and creative uses of technology are slowly helping close the divide.Continue readingBy Land or Sky, Rural Western Communities Seek an Elusive Good: Broadband Internet Access

In 1919, a difficult cross-country trek made the case for better roads in the West. The roads came, but a hundred years later, Central Nevada may be as isolated as ever.Continue readingU.S. Route 50 Was the Best Way to the Pacific; Now, It’s a Road to the Past

Green power source or fish killer? As older dams around the West come up for relicensing, their owners know that they’ll have to spend heavily to fix problems, while new energy sources are getting cheaper.Continue readingAs Relicensing Looms, Aging Dams Face a Reckoning