Latest news
A federal judge granted summary judgment to Oak Park, Illinois, upholding its 2023 ordinance banning gas appliances in new construction. The court found no conflict with the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as the ordinance regulates energy type, not efficiency standards. The ruling contrasts with a 2024 settlement in Berkeley, California, and adds to a legal split that may reach the U.S. Supreme Court.
A New York City bill, supported by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, seeks to ban facial recognition technology in public-facing facilities such as restaurants, entertainment venues, and stores. The legislation would require consent for any biometric surveillance and allow individuals to sue over improper data collection. Critics point to Madison Square Garden's use of the technology as a key example of potential abuse.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) released a survey on Tuesday showing skilled labor demand has almost doubled over the past three years, partly due to AI-related infrastructure. The survey of 326 skilled trades workers and facility managers indicates that AI is both a cause of labor shortages and a potential solution, as workers increasingly use AI tools to meet code requirements and streamline tasks.
When a hurricane threatens, hotels become shelters and recovery hubs. To remain operational, annual property inspections are critical. This article covers essential checks for roofs, rooftop equipment, windows, PTAC units, and exterior doors, emphasizing early maintenance to prevent costly failures.
SpaceX's Terafab in Texas will rely on a gigawatt-scale natural gas plant and batteries, not solar, due to the strict power quality requirements of chip manufacturing, according to analysts and company documents.
In mid-July 2026, severe air pollution hit the Midwest and Eastern United States, raising concerns about climate change intensifying extreme weather. Lawyers point out that such events may trigger employer obligations under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), although no clear upward trend in leave requests has been observed yet. However, indirect effects such as chronic illnesses, mental health issues, and family caregiving cannot be overlooked. Experts advise employers to strengthen monitoring, training, and policy adjustments.
During second-quarter 2026 earnings calls, executives from major commercial real estate service providers and building system manufacturers highlighted robust demand for high-performing assets and comprehensive thermal and electrical management solutions. Prime office assets and data centers emerged as key strengths, with data center work now comprising a quarter of Cushman & Wakefield's integrated facilities management pipeline and over half of CBRE's data center revenue from downstream services. Companies like Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Schneider Electric, and Trane attributed sales growth to data center success, while Johnson Controls CEO Joakim Weidemanis declared 'this is the age of thermal management.'
Trane Technologies and Eaton today jointly released a medium-voltage DC reference design for data centers, claiming it can reduce copper usage by up to 80%, lower installation costs by 30%, and improve energy efficiency by up to 15% compared to traditional low-voltage solutions. The design is compatible with the NVIDIA Omniverse DSX blueprint, aiming to simplify the coordinated deployment of power, cooling, and control in AI data centers.
Due to a surge in lithium battery usage and the absence of national standards, Mayo Clinic independently developed full-lifecycle safety protocols covering procurement, use, charging, storage, and disposal. Representatives shared this iterative, multi-departmental process at the ASHE Healthcare Facilities Innovation Conference, noting that current battery management faces challenges such as fragmented responsibilities.
With electricity prices climbing and long-term demand shifts from data centers and electrification, facilities managers are under pressure to cut costs. NORESCO experts Kevin McCarthy and Jeff Ottaviano explain why starting with retro-commissioning and energy audits — rather than jumping straight to large-scale generation — can make the energy challenge more manageable, and how financing structures like ESPC, P3 and EaaS can support bigger upgrades.