Climate & Resilience
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How cities can encourage faster, cheaper rooftop solar
Permitting delays, inconsistent inspections and local utility rules add thousands to rooftop solar costs, pushing installers to avoid certain jurisdictions. Cities can fix that, a new report says.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • April 2, 2026 -
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Cities, states, environmental groups sue EPA over repeal of mercury and air toxics standards
Public health and environmental groups say the rollback puts communities at risk. The EPA says it will cut transportation and energy costs.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated April 1, 2026 -
Explore the Trendline➔
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TrendlineEnergy Codes and Building Performance Standards
Cities are using these levers to meet climate goals and address everything from data centers to building decarbonization.
By Smart Cities Dive staff -
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3 communities find success promoting composting
Stakeholders in three states discussed how local governments can work with composters to maximize diversion in a webinar the Institute for Local Self-Reliance hosted Wednesday.
By Jacob Wallace • March 27, 2026 -
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Extreme heat is here. Here’s how 2 cities plan to deal with it.
From data-driven targeting to cross-agency coordination, Miami-Dade County and Philadelphia are mitigating heat risk with concrete interventions.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 26, 2026 -
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Trump housing order could mean new barriers to federal funding for cities
Local governments may need to ease zoning and environmental rules to stay eligible for federal support, an attorney says.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 25, 2026 -
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Cities struggle to meet drinking water PFAS standards by EPA deadline
Communities are grappling with how to fund removing PFAS “forever chemicals” from their water supplies, experts said during a National League of Cities panel.
By Danielle McLean • March 24, 2026 -
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Cities sue EPA over endangerment finding repeal
A dozen cities and counties join states in challenging EPA’s rescission of a cornerstone climate rule, which leaves cities “to bear the costs of hotter summers, dirtier air, and extreme weather,” Denver’s mayor said.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 20, 2026 -
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Lawsuit claims NCAR changes pose ‘direct threat’ to US security
Restructuring the atmospheric research center would disrupt weather and climate data systems relied on by cities, the military and infrastructure planners, NCAR's parent agency argues.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 17, 2026 -
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Amid nationwide extreme weather, scientists and Colorado leaders fight to save NCAR
Dismantling the National Center for Atmospheric Research will have “severe consequences” for protecting lives and the economy, the American Meteorological Society warned.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 16, 2026 -
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New York needs more time to meet climate goals, Hochul says
“We just need some breathing room,” said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, noting high cost estimates for compliance with the 2030 goal. “My job is dealing in reality. This is the reality I have.”
By Diana DiGangi • March 13, 2026 -
Courtesy of Rhode Island Food Policy Council
EPA properly awarded $1.5B of now-terminated grants, federal watchdog says
The report is further evidence that Community Change Grants should not have been terminated, environmental groups say.
By Jacob Wallace • March 9, 2026 -
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Better weather forecasts, disaster reviews the goal of new federal bills
As emergency managers warn NOAA and National Weather Service cuts threaten public safety, the proposals would further investigate major weather disasters and invest in forecasting technology.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 6, 2026 -
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EPA delays greenhouse gas reporting as it moves to shut down program
Covered entities for the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program will not be required to submit 2025 emissions data until October. By then, the agency may have already repealed the requirement.
By Jacob Wallace • March 5, 2026 -
Courtesy of Ecosave
Brooklyn project shows feasibility of using geothermal in dense urban areas
Although installation costs are higher than for conventional systems, geothermal is cheaper over the long term, project consultants say.
By Robert Freedman • March 4, 2026 -
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Can AI close the language gap in disaster warnings? A federal watchdog raises concerns.
The National Weather Service lacks clear goals and a funding strategy as it attempts to scale AI-powered multilingual alerts, a Government Accountability Office report warns.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • March 2, 2026 -
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US homes are becoming uninsurable, study says. Here are 3 things states can do.
As natural disasters drive up home insurance costs, states are in a position to curb a looming insurability crisis, a Natural Resources Defense Council report says.
By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 25, 2026 -
Permission granted by City of Los Angeles
Before the world arrives for the LA28 Olympics, the goats are going to work
Los Angeles is deploying 500 four-legged landscapers to clear vegetation in the Sepulveda Basin as the city readies for the 2028 summer games.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 25, 2026 -
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4 ways cities can shape data center impact
AI is scaling faster than local codes. Climate Mayors’ new resource aims to help cities navigate hyperscaler expansion and negotiate data center development that strengthens local priorities.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 24, 2026 -
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States sue Energy Department for terminating $8B in clean energy funding
The Trump administration unlawfully bypassed Congress and made politically motivated cuts to programs created through the IRA and IIJA, the lawsuit claims.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 20, 2026 -
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Oregon mandates heat pumps in new housing
The update to the state’s residential energy code could save residents of housing built after the change an average of $125 a month in energy costs, an analysis found.
By Ryan Kushner • Feb. 19, 2026 -
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Environmental groups are suing the EPA for gutting a key climate rule. Cities and states vow to do the same.
California will challenge EPA’s “endangerment finding” repeal in court. The U.S. Conference of Mayors pledges to "fight for policy that addresses climate change with the seriousness that it requires."
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 19, 2026 -
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FEMA must restore $4.5B in resilience grants within weeks, judge rules
A court order requires the agency to outline how it will reverse its termination of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and resume grant announcements.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated March 11, 2026 -
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California DOJ probes civil rights violations in Eaton Fire response
Investigators will examine whether evacuation delays in West Altadena, a historically Black community, reflect discrimination tied to race, age or disability.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Feb. 17, 2026 -
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FEMAFEMA shutdown threatens local reimbursements, training and long-term recovery
As Congress fails to reach a DHS funding deal, emergency managers are bracing for delayed payments, stalled grants and deeper uncertainty in an already strained federal disaster system.
By Robyn Griggs Lawrence • Updated Feb. 23, 2026 -
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Trump administration moves to require 100% domestic materials in EV chargers
Renewable energy advocates say the proposal would further delay the buildout of charging station infrastructure and undermine U.S. competitiveness.
By Nathan Owens • Feb. 13, 2026
