The next four years are shaping up to be tough for the US renewable energy sector, and this week lawmakers in Wyoming proposed a bill that would ban selling wind and solar power in the state. Meanwhile, China ordered the closure of over 100 coal power plants to improve air quality and reduce fossil fuel use. SolarWindow is working to transform the way we power our buildings, and they just debuted a new kind of flexible glass that generates clean energy. Sierra Nevada installed a massive 1-MWh Tesla Powerpack at its Chico, California brewery, and Snohetta unveiled plans for an office that could produce more energy than it consumes in Norway.

The world's first floating city is now one step closer to reality, as San Francisco's Seasteading Institute has signed a memorandum of understanding with French Polynesia. It's probably a good thing that floating cities are in the works: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration just announced that global temperatures hit a record high for the third year in a row. In other design and tech news, George Lucas officially selected Los Angeles to host his $1 billion art museum. And in an Inhabitat exclusive we shared one Colorado man's journey to build the state's most energy-efficient home.