Cities Climate Law Initiative

51 posts

New Details about the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund & Takeaways for Cities

This week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released preliminary program design details for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) established by Section 60103 of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Specifically, the EPA published two “assistance listings” designed to help potential applicants identify funding opportunities. The publication stops short […]

Sabin Center’s Amy Turner Tapped for NYC Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Board

On December 8, New York City Mayor Eric Adams appointed 26 board members to the New York City Sustainability Advisory Board to guide the city’s long-term resiliency and sustainability goals. Sabin Center senior fellow Amy Turner is among the new board members. The board will advise Chief Climate Officer and […]

New York City’s Local Law 97: REC Mechanism Lacks Additionality; Will Set Price Too Low

By Amy Turner This blog post is adapted from testimony delivered at the New York City Department of Buildings hearing on proposed rule §103-14, Procedures for Reporting on and Complying with Annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Certain Buildings in connection with the City’s building performance standard, Local Law 97. The […]

Cities: EPA Request for Information on Green Banks Established by the Inflation Reduction Act

By Amy Turner On October 21, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) released a request for information (RFI) regarding Section 60103 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), also known as the IRA’s “green bank” provisions. These provisions add a new section 134 to the Clean Air Act establishing a […]

Cities & the Inflation Reduction Act

By Amy Turner On August 16, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (or “IRA”), widely hailed as the most ambitious piece of climate legislation in U.S. history. The bill is sprawling, covering climate and energy topics as diverse as electric vehicles, building decarbonization, clean energy manufacturing and supply chains, […]

Cities Climate Law: A Legal Framework for Local Action in the U.S. Offers Guide for Local Policymakers

Cities around the U.S. have long demonstrated leadership on climate change, with more than 170 of them having set targets to phase out fossil energy and many others committing to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. American cities, towns, counties, and other forms of local government have pioneered path-setting approaches to economy-wide […]

When State Preemption of Local Climate Laws Undermines Equity

By Amy Turner Recent efforts by states to preempt local greenhouse gas or energy requirements have not only stymied climate action, they have also been wielded in an undemocratic way that undermines equity in climate policymaking. State preemption of local law is nothing new, but its impact on procedural equity […]

What Biden’s Climate Plans Might Mean for Cities

By Amy Turner The election dust has mostly settled, and with its drawn out conclusion has come much speculation about potential climate policy in a new Biden administration, particularly in light of President-elect Joseph Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris designating climate change as one of their four policy priorities. […]