The US Infrastructure Investment and Job Act (IIJA), also commonly referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, passed in 2021, has drawn international attention. It aims to help to rebuild US infrastructure, including transportation networks, broadband, water, power and energy, environmental protection and public works projects. An estimated $1.2 trillion in total funding over ten years will be allocated. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill is the largest funding bill for US infrastructure in the recent history of the United States. This review article will specifically discuss funding allocations for roads and bridges, power and grids, broadband, water infrastructure, airports, environmental protection, ports, Western water infrastructure, electric vehicle charging stations and electric school buses in the new spending of the Infrastructure Investment and Job Act and why these investments are urgently necessary. This article will also briefly discuss the views of think tank experts, the public policy perspectives, the impact on domestic and global arenas of the new spending in the IIJA, and the public policy implications.

Developing “New Quality Productive Forces” (NQPFs) has been accepted as a new theory to accelerate the high-quality development in China. In current, China’s high-quality development mainly relies on the traction of the digital economy. In view of this, developing NQPFs in China’s digital economy sector requires locate and remove some obstacles, such as the insufficient utilization of data, inadequate algorithm regulation, the mismatched supply and demand of regional computing power and the immature market environment. As a solution, it is necessary to allocating data property rights in a market-oriented way, establishing a user-centered algorithm governance system, accelerating the establishment of the national integrated computing network, and maintaining fair competition to optimize the market environment.

Renewable energy is gaining momentum in developing countries as an alternative to non-renewable sources, with rooftop solar power systems emerging as a noteworthy option. These systems have been implemented across various provinces and cities in Vietnam, accompanied by government policies aimed at fostering their adoption. This study, conducted in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam investigates the factors influencing the utilization of rooftop solar power systems by 309 individuals. The research findings, analyzed through the Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) model, reveal that policies encouragement and support, strategic investment costs, product knowledge and experience, perceived benefits assessment, and environmental attitudes collectively serve as predictors for the decision to use rooftop solar power systems. Furthermore, the study delves into mediating and moderating effects between variables within the model. This research not only addresses a knowledge gap but also furnishes policymakers with evidence to chart new directions for encouraging the widespread adoption of solar power systems.

This study explores the application of the co-design approach in participatory planning for the development of Kambo Tourism Village, located at the intersection of urban and rural areas in Indonesia. By combining the Delphi Consensus Method and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the study successfully identified and prioritized key aspects in the planning process, with a primary focus on local community participation. The results indicate that the co-design approach is effective in creating a masterplan that not only aligns with the needs and aspirations of the community but also supports the sustainability and inclusiveness of tourism village development. AHP results reveal that local community participation was assigned the highest priority with a weight of 0.35, followed by stakeholder collaboration with a weight of 0.27. Community participation not only contributed to the creation of a well-structured tourism village masterplan but also enhanced human resource quality and strengthened stakeholder collaboration. The impact of this participatory planning process includes increased national recognition for Kambo Village, the village’s success in receiving awards, and local economic growth. Moreover, the study identified a gap between the calculated and expected weights in the AHP process, highlighting the complexity of aligning diverse stakeholder perspectives. These findings offer both practical and theoretical contributions and open opportunities for further research to address the challenges of participatory planning in the context of tourism villages.

This paper investigates the potential of a concept for the commercial utilization of surplus intermittent wind-generated electricity for municipal district heating based on the development of an electric-driven heat storage. The article is divided into three sections: (1) A review of energy storage systems; (2) Results and calculations after a market analysis based on electricity consumption statistics covering the years 2005–2013; and (3) Technology research and the development of an innovative thermal energy storage (TES) system. The review of energy storage systems introduces the basic principles and state-of-the-art technologies of TES. The market analysis describes the occurrence of excess wind power in Germany, particularly the emergence of failed work and negative electricity rates due to surplus wind power generation. Based on the review, an innovative concept for a prototype of a large-scale underwater sensible heat storage system, which is combined with a latent heat storage system, was developed. The trapezoidal prism-shaped storage system developed possesses a high efficiency factor of 0.98 due to its insulation, large volume, and high rate of energy conversion. Approximate calculations showed that the system would be capable of supplying about 40,000 people with hot water and energy for space heating, which is equivalent to the population of a medium-sized city. Alternatively, around 210,000 inhabitants could be supplied with hot water only. While the consumer´s costs for hot water generation and space heating would be lowered by approximately 20.0–73.4%, the thermal energy storage would generate an estimated annual profit of 3.9 million euros or more (excluding initial costs and maintenance costs).

Luxembourg institutions have the opportunity to reconcile environmental goals with financial stability by implementing Green Fintech solutions, as the banking sector increasingly recognizes the importance of sustainability. This study employs a quantitative approach and analyzes data collected from 150 participants working in the banking industry of Luxembourg. The research aims to assess the consequences of adopting Green Fintech on sustainable development. Banking institutions can boost their financial resilience and mitigate climate-related risks by adopting Green Fintech, which improves their sustainability. The paper emphasizes the importance of Green Fintech in the Luxembourg banking sector for advancing sustainable development goals. To effectively address the increasingly complex environmental concerns, it is crucial to embrace innovative Fintechs.