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11 CCLR 303 (2017)
State and Local Climate Leadership in the Trumpocene

handle is hein.journals/cclr2017 and id is 339 raw text is: State and Local Climate Leadership in the Trumpocene 1 303 State and Local Climate Leadership in the Trumpocene Vicki Arroyo* The Trump Administration's assault on climate change policy has both frustrated and ener- gised leaders at the state and local level. With the announcement of withdrawalfrom the Paris Agreement, the rollback of the Clean PowerPlan, and the reconsideration of US EPA 2022-2025 motor vehicle emissions standards, governors and mayors are pledging to step up efforts in order to help fill the gap in federal leadership. They are building on existing climate, clean energy, and efficiency programs and are often accelerating or expanding their efforts to tran- sition to a lower carbon economy while preparing for the impacts of climate change. Howev- er, their work will be made more challenging by federal rollbacks on climate change and by the Trump Administration's promotion offossil energy production, consumption, and exports. US states and cities are on the front lines of climate change impacts and are already feel- ing the effects of rising seas, more intense storms, searing heatwaves, and more severe droughts, fires, and floods. Governors, mayors, and other officials cite climate impacts their communities are experiencing as one key impetus for urgent action. They also point to the significant opportunities and benefits that come from a shift to cleaner energy.1 This article identifies the steps that leading governors and mayors are taking to move forward on both climate change mitigation and adaptation, and puts these developments in the larger con- text by describing what was already happening before the Trump election. I. From Kyoto to Paris States have long been leaders in growing the clean energy economy. Thirty have renewable energy stan dards or targets on the books that require a certain percentage of electricity come from renewables. These states include both Republican led ('red') and Democratic led ('blue') states.2 Many states also use tax credits to promote alternative energy and fuels. The benefits include local job creation, increased en DOI: 10.21552/cclr/2017/4/6 Vicki Arroyo is Executive Director of Georgetown Climate Center, Professor from Practice and Assistant Dean for Centers & Institutes at Georgetown University Law Center. She is grateful to Research Assistant Nicholas Malin and Institute Associates Annie Bennett and Tanya Abrahamian for research and citation support for this article. For correspondence: <arroyo@law.georgetown.edu> 1 Vivian E Thomson and Vicki Arroyo, 'Upside-down Cooperative Federalism: Climate Change Policymaking and the States' 29 Va Environ Law J 1 (2011). 2 Jocelyn Durkay, 'State Renewable Portfolio Standards and Goals' Nat'l Conf State Legs' (8 January 2017) <http://www.ncsl.org/ ergy independence, and reductions in conventional air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.' In ad dition, twenty six states have required or encouraged programs that promote energy efficiency in build ings and save customers money on heating and cool ing bills, such as weatherization of homes and com mercial buildings.4 The Trump Administration's efforts to roll back progress on climate change are not unprecedented.' Similar challenges occurred in 2001 when President research/energy/renewable-portfoli o-standards.aspx> accessed 22 September 2017. 3 US Dep't Energy, 'Tax Credits, Rebates, & Savings' <https://energy .gov/savings/search> accessed 22 September 2017. 4 Am Council Energy Efficient Econ, 'State Energy Efficiency Re- source Standard (EERS) Activity' Policy Brief 1-2 (9 January 2017) <http://aceee.org/sites/default/files/state-eers-011 7.pdf> accessed 22 September 2017. 5 For context, see Vicki Arroyo, 'Climate Change and US Policy' in Emilio Cerda & Xavier Labandeira (eds), Climate Change Policies Global Challenges and Future Prospects (Edward Elgar Pub Limit- ed, 2010). CCLR 412017

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