Center of Development Excellence July 2026 Newsletter

Texas Woman’s University’s (TWU) Sustainability Committee includes faculty and staff, working together to support wise resource use through a variety of programs and projects. This year, the Committee partnered with the Information Technology department and local electronic waste (e-waste) recycler Computer Crusher to support their annual e-waste collection, diverting 1,586 pounds of e-waste from the landfill. The Committee has also been involved with efforts around food waste. Chartwell’s, their campus dining partner, began a unique project with the City of Denton to compost food waste from the dining halls, diverting several tons of food from the landfill. Not to be outdone, Lisa Aschenberg, a nutrition PhD student, began composting food waste from their Foods Lab, diverting 69 pounds of food for compost for the lovely Bettye Myers Butterfly Garden.

In the classroom, Dr. Kelly Albus’s Outdoor Water Learning Lab advances sustainability through community-based water research and environmental education and communication. Her lab designs and monitors blue-green infrastructure projects such as rain gardens, using nature to improve flood and drought resilience. Her lab works closely with cities, water districts, regulatory agencies, educators, and volunteers and readies students for the workforce. Albus also developed the optical brightener “tampling” research program, a low-cost method that helps community scientists screen waterways for wastewater contamination together with Texas Stream Team and The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. Albus, a National Geographic Explorer, supports the National Geographic Slingshot Challenge in Texas to help youth communicate environmental solutions through social media and an international video series. TWU students get an applied sustainability experience and the public takes part in environmental problem-solving!

Dr. Behnaz Balmaki advances sustainability by studying the connections among pollinators, plants, agriculture, and environmental change. Her research involving pollinators such as honey bees, native bees, bumblebees, and butterflies, focuses on pollination ecology and analysis, biodiversity, honey quality, and ecosystem health. Balmaki examines which plants pollinators visit across landscapes over time, helping her understand how environmental pressures may affect ecosystem resilience, food security, and agriculture. Her work connects ecology with community health through pollen-related allergy monitoring while her lab gives students hands-on field research experience along with experience in advanced methods such as microscopy, GIS, remote sensing, and AI-driven approaches. Their efforts support conservation, food security, sustainable agriculture, and evidence-based environmental decision-making in North Texas and beyond.

To learn more about Texas Woman’s University’s Sustainability efforts, visit their website at https://twu.edu/sustainability/.

This article was submitted by Dr. Kathleen Davis, Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences at Texas Woman’s University. Original article has been edited for clarity and length.

The North Central Texas Council of Governments is seeking your input on the 2026 Regional Energy Survey. The survey aims to identify updated regional energy management interests, priorities, and capabilities in an effort to provide and create regional energy management strategies and resources. The results of the questionnaire will aid in the development of workshops, webinars, and educational trainings to assist your entity’s energy management needs.

Political subdivisions (excluding school districts), institutes of higher education and state agencies in a nonattainment county or near-nonattainment county who are required under Texas State Law (Senate Bill 898) to annually report energy consumption data to the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) are encouraged to complete the survey. The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete, and can be accessed here

The 2026 FIFA World Cup came to North Texas, and officials across the metroplex worked hard to ensure the event not only met FIFA’s environment and sustainability goals, but also had a long-lasting impact on sustainability in the region. Various cities worked together to ensure North Texas was prepared to face the increasing demand on resources and environmental impacts of the event.

Sustainability efforts were broad reaching, and included initiatives centered around community beautification, appropriate waste management, reduced transportation emissions, and updated infrastructure. Some efforts were new and implemented specifically for the World Cup, such as the ‘bus bridge’ connecting Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington to help reduce ride-share surge pricing. Others, such as DFW International Airports’ composting and biodegradable recycling, built on pre-existing initiatives.

While FIFA matches wrapped up in early July, the goal is for these sustainability efforts to have long term impacts and encourage both venues and visitors to create better habits. Read more about North Texas’s sustainability efforts around the FIFA World Cup here.

In the last year, Texas has seen an explosion of growth in the number of companies seeking to pull large loads of electricity from the grid to power data centers. This growth in Texas-based projects is largely tied to the state’s business-friendly regulatory environment and the relative ease of building the needed energy infrastructure, with the Dallas-Fort Worth region in particular seeing major growth.

Currently, at least 248 data centers are planned to come to Texas. However, there remains uncertainty surrounding the extent of impact this infrastructure will have as detailed site information remains private and less than half of planned projects have shared power use estimates.

Many are concerned with the strain these data centers will place on both energy and water resources, resulting in significant pushback from communities where these facilities are planned. However, the success of this pushback is largely dependent on where the data centers are located. While cities have the power to vote down proposals with their limits, those proposed in unincorporated areas face fewer restrictions, with counties having little power over where or how these projects are built.

In response to the push for stronger regulations surrounding data centers, Governor Greg Abbott has released a series of sweeping regulatory recommendations for the upcoming 2027 legislative session. In a recent letter to state regulators, Abbott outlined a series of proposals designed to put the cost of growth on the corporations building the data centers rather than Texas taxpayers. These recommendations are focused on the infrastructure costs and do not include any proposals to expand local control over data centers.

More information on data centers and their impact on the state can be found here.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has proposed to rescind the requirements for companies to provide certain climate-related information in their registration statements and annual reports. In March of 2024, the SEC approved amendments to its rule under the Securities Act of 1933 and Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to mandate virtually all public companies to disclose climate-related matters such as greenhouse gas emissions, management of climate-related risks, and the financial statement effects of severe weather events. Following various legal challenges, the SEC has now proposed to rescind the climate disclosure rules as they go beyond the scope of the agency’s statutory authority. The complete proposed rule can be found here.

The SEC will be accepting public comments through August 7, 2026 on the proposed rule, which can be submitted through their website.

The Dallas-Fort Worth region is now home to 49 of the Fortune 1000 companies, 24 of which are in the Fortune 500 list. These Fortune 1000 companies span 32 industry sectors and are spread across 11 cities in the metroplex. Dallas holds the largest share by far, with the city being home to 21 of the companies on the list. Irving then ranks second with 11 company headquarters, followed by Plano and Fort Worth with four each. The remaining nine are spread across Frisco, Richardson, Westlake, Southlake, McKinney, Grapevine, and Arlington.

Texas also took the lead for Fortune 500 companies at 57, a previously held title that was lost in 2024, with these companies representing a combined $2.8 trillion in revenue. This not only attracts companies to both DFW and the state but also creates conditions for the businesses already in the region to scale and thrive. More details on the companies in the list can be found here.

The City of Dallas Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability has released their first extreme heat intervention guidebook. The document is designed to be used across city departments to help guide their decisions and strategies. The strategies featured outline ways in which the city can both reduce extreme heat and protect residents as temperatures continue to rise.

Topics include emergency preparation, shaded public spaces, home weatherization, and more. Expanding tree canopy, implementing smart surfaces like green roofs, and adding cooling centers are some of the many ways the city can prepare to beat the heat. The guidebook also includes strategies targeted at residents, such as using blackout curtains to block sunlight and keeping fans running to improve airflow. The variety of strategies illustrates that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and that cross-departmental collaboration and public outreach will be essential to residents and visitors alike. You can read more about the guidebook here, or alternatively review the guidebook here.

The South-Central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource (SPEER) is hosting the Texas Energy Advocates – University Program (TEA-UP) quarterly meeting on July 22, 2026, virtually at 10:00 AM. TEA-UP brings together leaders from universities, local governments, and the energy sector to drive progress in energy efficiency across Texas. Join the meeting and connect with regional partners, hear key updates, and contribute to shaping priorities for 2026–2027. The session will include a roundtable, a featured presentation (TBD), and collaborative discussion focused on advancing education and workforce outcomes.

Education leaders, employers, industry partners, workforce organizations, nonprofits, and community stakeholders engaged in strengthening regional education-to-career pathways are all invited to attend. Registration for the meeting can be found here. More information about the TEA-UP group is available on the SPEER website.

The North Texas Regional Integration of Sustainability Efforts (RISE) Coalition works to engage interested local governments in peer-exchange opportunities to support sustainability and environmental initiatives. RISE Coalition meetings are open to the public; local government staff working on sustainability, environmental, and climate initiatives are encouraged to attend.

The next RISE Coalition meeting is scheduled for July 29, 2026, at 9:30 AM. The meeting will be held online via Microsoft Teams. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP here.

For more information about the RISE Coalition, visit the RISE Coalition committee page. The RISE Coalition committee page provides information about past and upcoming meetings.

The Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects (I-LinCP) is hosting their 2026 Lone Star Sustainability Forum August 5-7, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas. This year’s forum will focus on the built environment with the theme “NEXT-GEN - Looking Ahead. Building Beyond.”

This year’s Forum will explore what’s on the horizon for the built environment: the innovations, technologies, and mindsets that are reshaping how we design, build, and lead. It will provide an engaging platform for diverse perspectives of professionals, do-ers, and visionaries, where collaboration, knowledge sharing, and actionable insights are paramount. Through bold keynotes, interactive panels, and hands-on collaboration, the 2026 Forum will challenge participants to think beyond today’s goals and design for tomorrow’s possibilities.

Registration is now open. For additional information, please visit the 2026 Lone Star Sustainability Forum website.

Keep Waco Beautiful is hosting their 5th annual Green Communities Conference on September 17, 2026, at the Baylor Research Innovation & Collaborative in Waco, Texas. This year’s conference will have a deeper focus on Texas communities, bringing together leaders in energy, water, waste, and infrastructure as they relate to environmental action. Join for a day full of cultivating meaningful conversations around building sustainable and resilient communities in Texas.

Registration is open for both attendees and exhibitors. Since registration is extremely limited this year due to venue capacity, it is recommended that those interested register early. Registration and additional conference details can be found on the Green Communities website.

The Texas Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) has announced the date and location of their 2026 Chapter Conference. This year’s conference will be held in Irving, Texas on October 14-16. This year’s conference will invite participants to reflect on the relationships they build, the communities they serve, and the shared purpose that drives planning professionals. The event will feature sessions showcasing planners, projects, and programs across Texas, as well as recognizing the winners of the 2026 Annual Planning Awards.

APATX is currently accepting session proposals through July 15th, as well as seeking sponsorship applications through August 7th. Submissions for session proposals, sponsorship, and conference registration are available on the APATX26 conference website.

FEMA has published the FY 2024/2025 funding opportunity for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. BRIC is a hazard mitigation program that makes federal funds available to states, U.S. territories, federally recognized Tribal Nations, and local governments for hazard mitigation strategies. Activities include upgrading and modernizing the nation’s infrastructure against growing risks to communities and the need for natural hazard risk mitigation activities to promote resilience for natural hazards.

While the application deadline for states, U.S. territories, and federally recognized tribal nations is July 23, 2026, at 2:00 P.M. CDT, sub-applicants such as local governments, communities, and special districts will need to consult with their state, tribal, or territorial agency to confirm the sub-application deadlines. More details about this opportunity and how to apply can be found on FEMA's website.

Texas House Bill 500, passed during the 89th Legislative Session, appropriated $1.038 billion in funds for water supply and infrastructure projects to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB). This is a one-time opportunity for a limited number of Texas communities to receive grant funding to implement water supply/water infrastructure projects. Once this initial appropriation is provided to communities by August 31, 2027, the TWDB will no longer have these grant funds available to provide financial assistance.

The deadline for submitting a Water Supply and Infrastructure Grant application is Thursday, July 30, at 11:59 p.m. CDT. The application and additional materials can be found on the TWDB website.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced their 2026 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing Program. This program provides competitive awards to:

State, county, and city/ township governments;
Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs); and
Multijurisdictional entities.

to help communities reduce regulatory barriers to affordable housing production and preservation and increase housing affordability. Approximately $50,000,000 in funding is available, and will be awarded based on the Community Development Block Grant framework.
The application deadline is August 3, 2026, at 10:59:59pm CDT. For questions on the NOFO or the application process, please reach out to CDBG-PROHousing@hud.gov. Additional details about this opportunity and the application can be found on the HUD website.

The application has been extended for the Texas Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Program (TxVEMP). Individuals, state and local governments, corporations, and any other legal entity are invited to apply for funding to replace or upgrade vehicles and equipment with electric alternatives.

The following categories are eligible for funding:

Class 8 Local Freight and Port Drayage Trucks
Class 4-8 School Bus, Shuttle Bus, & Transit Buses
Class 4-7 Local Freight Trucks
Airport Ground Support Equipment
Forklift and Port Cargo Handling Equipment
Refueling Infrastructure
Freight Switchers – added as new eligible equipment category

Unless the application period is suspended by TCEQ prior to the deadline, the new deadline has been extended to 5:00 PM CDT on August 31, 2026. Grants are being awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. More information on eligible projects and the application process is available on the program webpage.

The Center of Development Excellence (Center) is a regional program in North Central Texas that is built on collaborative partnerships with a variety of stakeholders including local governments, businesses, private sector professionals and organizations, non-profits, and the public. The Center works to leverage opportunities and funding to create a North Central Texas region that is resilient, sustainable, and provides a high quality of life for residents. To learn more, visit the Center of Development Excellence website.