Communities

Many governors, mayors, and town boards are pledging to move their communities to 100% renewable and searching for wind, solar and hydropower opportunities to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. East Hampton, in New York State, is moving towards bringing wind turbines 30 miles off-shore whereas Palm Springs has already entirely electrified its entire community through an immense wind farm. Many communities are recognizing that their communities are going to have to make changes in order to mitigate their particular climate impact and adapt to the climate change consequences coming their way. This is called resilience. They are mitigating and adapting through green architecture, electric transportation and charging stations; battery storage, creating Community Choice Aggregation plans, rethinking ways to conserve, switching out light bulbs, altering building codes and planting trees. This includes planning public spaces to withstand sea level rise and rethinking their waste disposal and recycling.

This section takes a look at what individual towns, cities and states are doing as they prepare for climate change consequences. A number of states have passed significant energy legislation with 100% energy goals and others are moving in that direction.

US cities, towns and municipalities are equally motivated: over 139 cities, and twelve counties have already adopted ambitious 100% clean energy goals but few have achieved it. Six additional cities — Aspen CO, Burlington, Georgetown, Greensburg KS, Rock Port MO, and Kodiak Island — have already hit their targets, generating 100% of their energy from clean, non-polluting and renewable sources…In 2008, Rock Port, MO became the first city that could claim to get all its power from wind.

In partnership with the global covenant of mayors, Google has begun estimating carbon pollution from cities around the world, as a way for leaders to focus and improve local climate programs. Two of the cities, including Pittsburgh, Pa. and Mountain View, California, are in the US so far.

CURRENT NEWS

Bloomberg

Hedge Fund Manager Seeks Alpha in Strong El Niño Trades

By Gautam Naik and Others 09/17/26

Traders are betting on markets mispricing the consequences of a super-El Niño and they’re moving to take advantage.

The New York Times

In an Age of Perpetual Climate Disaster, Rebuilding Is the Wrong Goal

By David Wallace-Wells 09/04/26

This spring, the Southeast was on fire. Ninety-five percent of the region was in severe drought, and in parts of Georgia and the Carolinas what was burning was what’s called the “blowdown” from Hurricane Helene…

Inside Climate News

New York’s Power Grid Struggles to Handle the Heat

By Lauren Dalban 08/26/26

When nearly 10,000 people in Southeast Queens lost power during a July heatwave, Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on residents to keep their air conditioners at 78 degrees to reduce the pressure on the grid. The…

The Atlantic

America’s Rural Lands Are Burning

By Nancy Walecki 08/18/26

The summer of 2026 has been one of extraordinary fires. In Europe, they have burned hundreds of thousands of acres in France and Spain and destroyed homes across England; they killed 13 people in Spain…

DeSmog

Inside the Grassroots Revolt Against Carbon Capture Pipelines

By Taylor Noakes 08/05/26

Dr. Amil Shapka was having a quiet day in the rural Alberta community of St. Paul when a worried neighbour showed up at his doorstep. The man, a senior citizen, had been approached by agents…

The Washington Post

Colorado residents are ratting out neighbors over water use during drought

By Annie Gowen 07/29/26

As Colorado dries up in a historic drought, scofflaws violating water restrictions have sparked tension throughout the state’s largest metropolitan area, turning residential streets into checkerboards of virtue and vice. The emerald green lawns of…

Yale.edu

How Local Governments Can Use Communication to Drive Climate Action

By Monica Dwight and Others 07/23/26

When a hurricane threatens a community, government officials have a responsibility to communicate accurate information about the hazard and provide guidance to community members on how to stay safe. Further, they should educate the public…

Inside Climate News

Data Center Forecasts Keep Climbing and So Does Public Opposition. Something Has to Give.

By Dan Gearino 07/23/26

Forecasts of U.S. data center growth defy belief—and common sense. “The math isn’t mathing,” as many observers have said.

E+ELeader

Who Owns the Future: Community Power in the Age of AI

By Phillip Bruner 07/20/26

When the first-quarter numbers on America's data center backlash arrived this spring, they showed that at least 20 proposed data centers were canceled after local opposition in the first three months of 2026, a record…

Volts

Making sense of the data center backlash

By David Roberts 07/20/26

Data center moratoriums now span 38 states, more than 120 of them, holding up $130 billion in projects. On this episode of Volts, cross-posted with Energy Empire, David Roberts talks with hosts Jigar Shah and…

Project Drawdown

Data centers can’t come at the cost of community health and climate solutions

By Amanda D. Smith 07/14/26

You’ve likely heard that artificial intelligence is changing the landscape of work. But you may not have seen how the facilities that provide the infrastructure for AI are literally changing the landscape unless you’re in…

E&E News

Amid stark opposition, data center developers think twice about Florida

By Kylie Williams 06/29/26

Florida’s pro-business aura and the AI-driven data center boom across the South seem like a perfect match on paper. The only problem: Communities statewide are not on board.

Fema

Community Disaster Resilience Zones

09/08/23

Community Disaster Resilience Zones will build disaster resilience across the nation by driving federal, public and private resources to the most at-risk and in-need jurisdictions.

Politicopro

FEMA gives special status to 500 climate-vulnerable neighborhoods

09/07/23

Nearly 500 U.S. neighborhoods vulnerable to climate change have been selected to receive special help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and potentially other federal agencies, FEMA said Wednesday.

CBRE

North American City Sustainability Study 2023

08/01/23

The impact of climate change is top of mind for real estate investors and occupiers. Nearly 70% of the more than 500 commercial real estate professionals participating in a recent CBRE global survey cited reducing…

Elemental Green

5 Ways Community Solar Empowers Solar for All

07/06/23

Solar power is a long-lasting and cost-cutting renewable energy solution, but installing a home solar panel system isn’t feasible for everyone. Luckily, the benefits of solar aren’t limited to those who have panels on their…

Whitehouse.gov

FACT SHEET: The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Releases New Resources to Advance Climate Science and Support Decision Making

03/22/23

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is releasing new resources to advance climate science and knowledge, and to support leaders at every level of government in managing the impacts of climate…

The Solutions Project

03/07/21

The Solutions Project is an organization first conceived in 2011 by prominent figures in science, business and the entertainment media with the goal of utilizing the combined efforts of individuals in the fields of science,…

Implementing the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act: A Virtual Roundtable Series

01/18/21

States and municipalities are learning from each other in a series of stunning webinars focusing on specific solutions. Although designed to illuminate New York’s 2019 landmark climate law, they are fascinating for everyone, experts and…

Community Resilience Indicator Analysis

10/01/20

County-Level Analysis of Commonly Used Indicators from Peer-Reviewed Research, 2019 update

Climate Emergency, Urban Opportunity

10/01/20

A new report from the Coalition for Urban Transitions finds that leadership from national governments is essential for achieving equitable and sustainable economic development in cities.

Cooling Emissions and Policy Synthesis Report

10/01/20

Action under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Destroy the Ozone Layer (Montreal Protocol) will phase-down the production and use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and could avoid up to 0.4°C of global…

Earth Overshoot Day – Cities

08/27/20

The global campaign for sustainability will be won, or lost, in cities. Between 70% and 80% of all people are expected to live in urban areas by 2050. Consequently, smart city planning and urban development…

U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit

About the Climate Resilience Toolkit

06/08/20

The U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit provides scientific tools, information, and expertise to help people manage their climate-related risks and opportunities, and improve their resilience to extreme events. The site is designed to serve interested citizens,…

Sierra Club

2018 Case Study Report

02/20/20

Cities are ready for 100% clean energy.

Moving Towards 100% Renewable Energy: Drivers Behind City Policies and Pledges

02/12/20

As the United States federal government retreats from energy and environmental regulation, local and regional efforts across the U.S. are scaling up. Cities, in particular, are intensifying their commitments to fight climate change and are…

OnePlanet

01/03/20

To partner with indigenous and traditional communities to build a more sustainable, empowered, and just future through community-based projects, outreach, and technical assistance.

C40 Cities

11/26/19

Cities are where the future happens first. The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group connects more than 90 of the world’s greatest cities, representing over 650 million people and one quarter of the global economy. Created…

US Climate Alliance

11/26/19

In response to the U.S. federal government’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, Governors Andrew Cuomo, Jay Inslee, and Jerry Brown launched the United States Climate Alliance – a bipartisan coalition…

Resilient Communities For America

11/26/19

Resilient Communities for America (RC4A) champions the leadership of hundreds of local elected officials who are committed to creating more prepared communities that can bounce back from extreme weather, energy, and economic challenges. A strong…

RMI

How Cities Can Improve Homes

10/22/19

While reducing energy use in residential buildings plays a key role in meeting these goals, historically, this has been a hard sector to tackle. Residential buildings are decentralized, which makes it difficult to implement programs…

Zero Net Energy Buildings with Zero Net Added Cost

10/22/19

Would you consider making your next home or building project a zero energy project? If the net added cost to you was also zero, would you be more interested? Most people would. It’s possible to…

American Cities Climate Challenge

07/01/19

The American Cities Climate Challenge is an unprecedented opportunity for 25 ambitious cities to significantly deepen and accelerate their efforts to tackle climate change and promote a sustainable future for their residents. As Climate Challenge winners,…

Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate Change

05/28/19

Co-chaired by Maros Sefcovic and Michael Bloomberg, The Global Covenant of Mayors serves cities and local governments by mobilizing and supporting ambitious, measurable, planned climate and energy action in their communities by working with city/regional…

100% Commitments in Cities, Counties, & States

04/05/19

Across the U.S. over 90 cities, more than ten counties and two states, have already adopted ambitious 100% clean energy goals. Six cities in the U.S.--Aspen, Burlington, Georgetown, Greensburg, Rock port, and Kodiak Island--have already…

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MORE NEWS

Center For American Progress

How Trump’s Cuts to FEMA and NWS Are Leaving Communities Defenseless Against Extreme Weather Disasters

By Margaret Cooney and Levon Lespier 06/10/26

Federal agencies help Americans prepare for, survive, and recover from extreme weather disasters, but the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Weather Service, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and Federal Emergency Management Agency weaken that lifeline…

The Climate Reality Project

We believe there’s a better future ahead, powered by clean energy. Our global network of 4.5 million is working to build it.

06/05/26

At Climate Reality, we recruit, train, and mobilize people of all ages and backgrounds to work for just climate solutions that speed the global transition from dirty fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy.

npr

Climate Solutions Week On npr

05/28/26

As the federal government halts plans to address climate change, states, cities, regions, and even neighborhoods are trying to fill the gap, by cutting climate pollution and adapting to extreme weather. NPR is dedicating a…

Talking Climate

Would you live in this net-zero community?

By Katharine Hayhoe 05/22/26

One of the biggest challenges in climate action is imagining what a better future could actually look like: especially when solutions are so often framed as sacrifices that require loss, instead of opportunities to benefit…

Iop Science

Neighborhood privilege and environmental conditions in urban parks: an analysis across the 24 most populated urban areas in the United States

By Greta K Martin and Others 04/28/26

Urban greenspaces (e.g. parks) are associated with improved mental and physical health through three key pathways: reducing environmental harm (i.e. less heat, noise, and air pollution), restoring capacities (i.e. improved restoration and reduced stress), and…

Trellis

How companies can support Indigenous communities in carbon markets

By Lucy Almond 07/16/25

We might forget it, but it’s true: By absorbing carbon from the atmosphere, the world’s forests and oceans shield us from the consequences of our emissions.

Americanprogress

The Lasting Threat of Trump’s Cuts to NOAA and NWS on American Communities

By Margaret Cooney and Cody Hankerson 07/10/25

Over the Fourth of July weekend, heavy rainfall led to devastating and catastrophic flooding across six Central Texas counties. More than 100 people have died, with hundreds more reported as still missing. The flood has…

Resilience

The aftermath of floods, hurricanes and other disasters can be hardest on older rural Americans – here’s how families and neighbors can help

By Lori Hunter 07/09/25

Hurricanes, tornadoes and other extreme weather do not distinguish between urban and rural boundaries. But when a disaster strikes, there are big differences in how well people are able to respond and recover – and…

Electrify Now

Community Solar – The Best Kept Secret in Renewable Energy

06/30/25

Community Solar is a great way to get the benefits of rooftop solar without the upfront investment. Where it's available, anyone with an electric bill can sign up—if you rent your home, or have a…

The New York Times

How to Shop for a Home That Won’t Be Upended by Climate Change

By Ron Lieber and Tara Siegel Bernard 03/18/25

Deciding where to live has always been a high-stakes financial decision, but a changing climate makes it even more critical.Just ask any of the millions of Americans who have already experienced the destruction that a…

The New York Times

How Can I Lower My Climate Risk When Buying a House?

By Christopher Flavelle 02/24/25

A question we get from readers more and more is some version of this: How should the growing risks from climate change affect my decision to buy a house? Or, if I buy a house,…

Politico

USDA ordered to scrub climate change from websites

By Zack Colman and Marcia Brown 01/31/25

Agriculture Department employees have been ordered to delete landing pages discussing climate change across agency websites and document climate change references for further review, according to an internal email obtained by POLITICO.

The Washington Post

How federal agencies have already changed their websites under Trump

By Jeremy B. Merrill and Others 01/31/25

President Donald Trump has moved swiftly to implement his policies across the federal government mainly with sweeping executive orders. His administration has been particularly focused on removing any references to diversity, equity and inclusion from…

The Washington Post

See if your city is poised to bounce back from the next climate disaster

By Michael J. Coren, Naema Ahmed and Kevin Crowe 11/20/24

Most people think about good schools, safe streets or desirable jobs when considering where to live. As climate risks inexorably rise, how well your community bounces back from a climate-related disaster — or even a…

The Washington Post

Everyone’s ignoring these investors’ warnings on climate risk. You shouldn’t.

By Michael J. Coren 11/05/24

Three years ago, Owen Woolcock was on Zoom trying to convince a real estate investor to swap some of his buildings in the New York City area for properties in cities around the Great Lakes.

Globe Newswire

Streetleaf Illuminates in California, Bringing Solar-Powered Streetlights to Moreno Valley

09/18/24

Streetleaf, the leading provider of solar-powered streetlight services in the United States, today announced that the company now has a footprint in California. The company is illuminating streets in Moreno Valley, California, through the recently…

U.S. Department of The Treasury

Analysis of the First Year of the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program: Building an Inclusive and Affordable Clean Energy Economy

09/04/24

The Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program (the Program) is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda – a transformative set of investments designed to create jobs, lower costs for American families, and spur…

Heatmap News

The Biochar King of Minneapolis

By Emily Pontecorvo 07/05/24

Minneapolis may be the only city in the country with a carbon sequestration program manager on staff. Now, Jim Doten — who holds that title — is about to realize his dream of starting up…

Hoboken establishes new department to wage its own war against climate change

By Ron Zeitlinger 01/11/24

People are always complaining about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it. Until now, sort of.

The Washington Post

Why people don’t have to pay anything for electricity in this Florida community

By Nicolas Rivero 01/06/24

In this Florida development, no one pays an electricity bill. It’s not because of subsidies, but by design: All of the 86 homes built or planned in Hunters Point, a residential development about an hour…

The Washington Post

How the suburbs could become 15-minute cities

By Michael J. Coren 11/28/23

Cities are in a hurry. Many are declaring themselves 15-minute metros, promising access to housing, shopping, schools and jobs within a 15-minute-or-so walk, bike or transit ride. And who wouldn’t want to live nearly next…

Good News Network

First Fully-Electric MLS Soccer Stadium Being Built in New York City Could Transform the Whole Neighborhood

By Andy Corbley 11/28/23

New York City Football Club (NYCFC) recently revealed their proposal for a new soccer stadium in Willets Point, Queens, that would be totally electric, partly run on green energy, and built with recycled materials that…

Utilitydive

Plans to get an entire block off the natural gas system take shape in one California city

By Ysabelle Kempe 11/27/23

Underfoot in our cities lies a mammoth network of pipelines, delivering natural gas to millions of homes and businesses. In one small California city, plans are afoot to pare back this system: Albany, in the…

Aspen Public Radio

As communities face climate change, CORE and CLEER help them transition to clean energy

By Eleanor Bennett 10/26/23

Transitioning to renewable energy sources and improving energy efficiency is a crucial part of addressing climate change. But climate scientists and advocates say that the transition can be complicated, especially in communities that rely on…

Yale Climate Connections

How does climate change threaten your neighborhood? A new map has the details.

By Kate Yoder 10/12/23

If you’ve been wondering what climate change means for your neighborhood, you’re in luck. The most detailed interactive map yet of the United States’ vulnerability to dangers such as fire, flooding, and pollution was released…

The New York Times

How to cool down a city

By Pablo Robles, Josh Holder and Jeremy White 09/18/23

Singapore’s prime minister has described climate change as “life and death.” He has reason to worry: Stifling temperatures and humidity already last all year, and the city-state has warmed at twice the global average over…

clean energy states alliance

Strengthening a Minnesota Community with Solar and Resilience

By Gabe Epstein 07/06/23

Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood is a community of approximately 6,000 residents, most of whom have a household income of less than $35,000 annually. To support economic stability and energy resilience in this neighborhood, Duluth-based nonprofit…

Bloomberg

Cities Must Be Redesigned for a Future of Extreme Heat

By Akshat Rathi and Oscar Boyd 05/18/23

On this week’s Zero, Akshat Rathi talks to Eleni Myrivili, global chief heat officer for UN Habitat, about how cities can better cope with heat waves. By 2050, almost 70% of the world’s population will…

Los Angeles Times

Two weeks until California slashes rooftop solar incentives

By Sammy Roth 03/30/23

It’s been nearly a decade since California lawmakers ordered the state’s Public Utilities Commission to revamp a rooftop solar incentive program called net metering. In two weeks, we’ll finally begin to see the consequences of…

The New York Times

He Wanted to Unclog Cities. Now He’s ‘Public Enemy No. 1.’

By Tiffany Hsu 03/28/23

For most of his 40-year career, Carlos Moreno, a scientist and business professor in Paris, worked in relative peace.

E&E News

‘They’re not ready’: Cities scramble to implement climate law

By Timothy Cama 02/09/23

The landmark climate change law passed last year relies heavily on cities and towns to implement some key provisions, but some aren’t yet ready to take on the challenge. City governments, still battered by the…

The Grist

Can cities eliminate heat-related deaths in a warming world? Phoenix is trying

By Emma Loewe 01/24/23

Regional Carrillo could walk to his last job in five minutes. In most places, it would be a pleasant commute. But in Phoenix, where summer days routinely top 110 degrees Fahrenheit (and can feel like…

Wired

Why Not Cover Ugly Parking Lots With Solar Panels?

By William Ralston 01/23/23

A BACKLASH AGAINST industrial-size solar farms is brewing. At least 75 big solar projects were vetoed across the United States last year, compared to 19 in 2021. And between January 2021 and July 2022, planning…

Grist

A California town’s wastewater is helping it battle drought

By Naoki Nitta 01/23/23

Standing under a shady tree drooping with pomegranates late last year, Brad Simmons, a retired metal fabricator who has lived in Healdsburg, California, for 57 years, showed off his backyard orchard. Along with the apple,…

The Grist

How to build a better bike-share program

By Gabriela Aoun Angueira 01/20/23

Geoff Coats still remembers how he felt when, in May 2020, all 1,350 bicycles in New Orleans’s popular bike-share program vanished.

United States Conference of Mayors

NEW REPORT: U.S. Conference of Mayors in Partnership with Wells Fargo Release Report on Effective Solutions for Climate Resilience

By Sara Durr 01/19/23

Today, the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) along with the Wells Fargo Institute for Sustainable Finance released a new report “Investing in Resilient and Equitable Neighborhoods,” which highlights focus areas, best practices and strategies…

Energy.gov

DOE Launches $10 Million Prize to Accelerate Community Solar in Underrepresented Communities

01/19/23

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP) today launched a slate of initiatives to support the deployment of equitable community solar projects and recognized projects exemplifying best practices in community solar.…

Inhabitat

The best and worst US states for climate change

By Inaara Thawer 12/27/22

A recent study by Wise Voter set out to compare how each U.S. state is coping with the growing climate crisis. Each state was ranked based on five environmental factors. These were Carbon Emissions, the…

Policy Genius

The best and worst cities for climate change in 2023

By Logan Sachon and Pat Howard 12/22/22

The climate is changing, and it’s happening faster and with more dangerous consequences in some cities.

The New York Times

The climate impact of your neighborhood, mapped

By Nadja Popovich, Mira Rojanasakul and Brad Plumer 12/13/22

New data shared with The New York Times reveals stark disparities in how different U.S. households contribute to climate change. Looking at America’s cities, a pattern emerges.

Cory Booker

Booker, Huffman, Merkley, Lowenthal Introduce Legislation to Address Plastic Production Crisis

12/01/22

Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA-2nd), together with U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative Alan Lowenthal (D-CA-47th), introduced the Protecting Communities from Plastics Act, legislation that addresses the plastic…

Safe Cities

BRIEFING NOTE: Why getting off methane gas is right for communities

10/24/22

The growing SAFE Cities movement of local governments working to stop the expansion of all types of fossil fuel infrastructure. This includes building electrification, especially in new buildings, in the US and Canada.

National Trust For Historic Preservation

A Closer Look at Six ‘11 Most’ Sites Affected by Climate Change

By Samantha de Leon 10/19/22

From cities to harbors to cemeteries, the impacts of climate change have the potential to affect all types of historic resources. The approaches to adapting to these challenges are not simple, and require preservationists to…

The Washington Post

More Americans are moving into hurricane zones even as climate risks mount

By Anna Phillips 10/01/22

Officials in Charleston, S.C., are clear that climate change poses an existential threat. They are working on plans to build a $1.1 billion sea wall that would protect historic homes from the increasingly powerful hurricanes…

Bloomberg

Mapping the coolest spots inside the world’s sweltering cities

By Laura Millan, Hayley Warren and Jeremy Scott Diamond 08/04/22

The cement, glass and steel that give shape to urban life have also turned modern cities into dangerous heat sinks. Scorching sunlight gets absorbed, stored and slowly emitted in a bubble of warmth that can…

Utilitydive

Inside Ithaca’s plan to electrify 6,000 buildings and grow a regional green workforce using private equity funds

By Robert Walton 06/02/22

Ithaca is known for its progressive politics — in the 90s the city pioneered a time-based currency to inspire local spending, for example. But the decarbonization plan is among its most ambitious efforts, according to…

Rocket Mortgage

How Does Climate Change Affect Real Estate Prices?

By Andrew Dehan 02/27/22

Whether you notice it or not, climate change is affecting the world around us. From droughts to fires to rising amounts of hurricanes, we’re noticing how our world is changing. These changes are causing shifts…

The Conversation

Cities worldwide aren’t adapting to climate change quickly enough

By John Rennie Short 10/20/21

Climate change is magnifying threats such as flooding, wildfires, tropical storms and drought. In 2020 the U.S. experienced a record-breaking 22 weather and climate disasters that each caused at least US$1 billion in damage. So…

TreeHugger

A New Tool to Balance Clean Energy and Wildlife Habitats in Maine

By David M. Kuchta 10/13/21

As we face the dual crises of climate change1 and biodiversity loss,2 a new digital tool helps expand virtually carbon-free energy without sacrificing the wildlife habitats that support biodiversity. In Maine, the innovative Renewable Energy…

The New York Times

Climate Change Is Bankrupting America’s Small Towns

By Christopher Flavelle 09/02/21

It’s been almost five years since Hurricane Matthew flooded this small town on the coastal plain of North Carolina. But somehow, the damage keeps getting worse.

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COMMUNITIES

COMMUNITIES

CITY, COUNTY, TOWN & STATE PLANS

CURRENT NEWS

KEY RESOURCES

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