Sustainable Energy Policy and Local Governance: Development Interests, Form of Government and Partisan Elections
29 Pages Posted: 19 Jul 2010 Last revised: 6 Dec 2013
Date Written: 2010
Abstract
Local governments have a substantial stake in energy efficiency and climate protection. Urban areas are significant contributors to climate change and are also particularly vulnerable to its effects. By some estimates, more than three-fourths of global carbon emissions come from cities. Although the territory covered by municipal governments accounts for only a tiny portion of the United States’ total land area, almost two-thirds of the American people, over 175 million, reside in cities. In addition, municipal governments have tools to directly address energy efficiency, conservation, and carbon emissions through their well-established role in regulating land use and development. Collectively, local governments can contribute meaningfully to U.S. climate change mitigation by reducing emissions within their well-accepted domains of authority and responsibility. City governments in particular have an array of powers and functions that make them well-suited to play a lead role in climate protection and energy management. This strategic role was acknowledged in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 which set aside $1.9 for local governments and established the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. Local governments in the U.S. are increasingly active in promoting energy efficiency and sustainability both in their governmental operations and in the wider community. The U.S. Conference of Mayors recently announced that over 1,000 cities have signed their Climate Protection Agreement promising to substantially increase energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions. The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) has an initiative with over 1,200 municipalities worldwide agreeing to measure and report carbon reduction. Considering the obvious importance and dramatically increased reliance on local governments to handle energy and climate issues, the literature is surprisingly reticent in theorizing about the politics of local energy policy.
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