Featured Legal Tools & Projects
The Smart Surfaces Policy Tracker is a searchable database of U.S. policies promoting cool, green, and permeable surfaces, trees, solar, and other strategies that reduce extreme heat and flooding and strengthen urban resilience. It helps policymakers identify and compare approaches from jurisdictions across the country.
Publications
Urban Climate Law Michael Burger and Amy E. Turner (October 2023)
2023-2026
Climate Preemption and Fossil Fuel Entrenchment Vincent M. Nolette (January 2026)
Navigating State Law in Local Climate Action Vincent M. Nolette, Daniel J. Metzger, Olivia N. Guarna & Amy E. Turner (January 2026)
Legal Models for Public-Private City Greening Partnerships Daniel J. Metzger (October 2025)
Cities, E-Commerce & Public Health: 3 Legal Pathways to Limiting Freight Vehicle Emissions Amy E. Turner (June 2024)
The Legal Case for Equity in Local Climate Action Planning Amy E. Turner (October 2023)
All Cities-related research & publications can be found here.
2023-2026
A Closer Look at Two Recent Decisions Electrifying the Building Decarbonization World Daniel J. Metzger (July 2026)
Data Center Regulation: What Local Governments Should Know about Large-Load Tariffs and Clean Transition Tariffs Vincent M. Nolette (June 2026)
Community Benefits Agreements and Data Center Development Vincent M. Nolette (May 2026)
Local Moratoria Against Data Center Construction: Considerations for Municipal Governments Daniel J. Metzger (May 2026)
Two More Courts Uphold Building Decarbonization Laws, Rejecting EPCA Preemption Vincent M. Nolette (April 2026)
Uncertain Remedies for Frozen Federal Climate Funding Vincent M. Nolette & Romany Webb (March 2026)
Housing Reform Without Preemption Daniel J. Metzger (March 2026)
Sabin Center and Local Government Partners File Comment Letter in Light-Duty CAFE Standards Rulemaking Amy E. Turner & Daniel J. Metzger (January 2026)
New Sabin Center Report and Online Resource: Navigating State Law in Local Climate Action Vincent M. Nolette, Daniel J. Metzger, Olivia N. Guarna & Amy E. Turner (January 2026)
Uncertain Remedies for Frozen Federal Climate Funding Vincent M. Nolette & Romany Webb (March 2026)
Supreme Court Signals Challenges to Federal Grant Terminations are Contract Disputes Vincent M. Nolette (October 2025)
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Considerations for Cities and Community Partners Amy E. Turner (July 2025)
The End of Nationwide Injunctions for Federal Funding Award Terminations Amy E. Turner (July 2025)
100 Days of Trump 2.0: Considerations for Cities and Community Partners Amy E. Turner (April 2025)
Inside a Texas Showdown Over Cities’ Role in Adapting to Climate Change Daniel J. Metzger (April 2025)
Solar for All Implementation in 2025 Vincent M. Nolette (April 2025)
Cancelling the Buy Clean Program Will Not Cancel Low Embodied Carbon Construction Daniel J. Metzger (March 2025)
Legal Issues and Next Steps for Federal Awardees Amy E. Turner & Romany Webb (January 2025)
Seattle, King County & Nonprofits Challenge Washington’s Ballot Initiative Preempting Local Efforts to Phase Out Natural Gas Amy E. Turner (December 2024)
Cities, Climate & Trump: An Early Research Agenda Amy E. Turner (November 2024)
A Missed Opportunity to Decarbonize Municipal & Nonprofit Buildings: Section 179D Tax Deduction Amy E. Turner (September 2024)
This Is How We Solve a Heat Crisis Daniel J. Metzger (with Greg Kats) (August 2024)
The National Heat Strategy is a Strong First Step Daniel J. Metzger (August 2024)
So Your CPRG Application Didn’t Get Funded Amy E. Turner & Vincent M. Nolette (August 2024)
In a Devolving Legal and Political Landscape, Cities are the Federal Government’s Secret Weapon on Climate Amy E. Turner (July 2024)
Cities and the IRA’s Green Banks: Strategies for Engagement Amy E. Turner (May 2024)
IECC Appeals Could Undermine Electrification Requirements in New Construction Daniel J. Metzger (March 2024)
Inflation Reduction Act: Implementation Gaps for Local Governments & How to Close Them Amy E. Turner (May 2023)
All Cities-related blog posts on the Climate Law Blog can be found here.
Media
2023-2026
- What upholding NY gas bans means for the US building electrification movement S&P Market Intelligence (July 14, 2026)
- Capital control: States strip power from cities, counties E&E ClimateWire (April 15, 2026)
- Trump housing order could mean new barriers to federal funding for cities Smart Cities Dive (March 25, 2026)
- Cities and states split on EPA proposal to repeal endangerment finding, Utility Dive (Sept. 25, 2025)
- Young People Suing Trump Over Climate Have Their Day in Federal Court N.Y. Times (Sept. 15, 2025)
- What are 'cool roofs,' and how do they work? On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti (Aug. 6, 2025)
- EPA’s move to gut key climate regulation raises stakes for city leaders Smart Cities Dive (July 30, 2025)
- Amid Paused Solar Funding, EPA Floats Workforce Reductions Inside Climate News (January 31, 2025)
- School districts race to invest in cooling solutions as classrooms and playgrounds heat up, Washington Post (September 8, 2024).
- Urban communities that lack shade sizzle when it’s hot. Trees are a climate change solution, AP News (Sept. 28, 2024)
- We’ve been here before’: What Trump’s win could mean for local climate action Smart Cities Dive (Nov. 20, 2024)
- Berkeley’s gas ban was blocked in court. Now a new plan has emerged Canary Media (Sept. 4, 2024)
- New York City Tenants Are Entitled to Heat. What About Air-Conditioning? N.Y. Times (July 17, 2024)
- A major fossil fuel group has a plan to sue Denver over its climate-minded building policies Colorado Public Radio (July 1, 2024)
- Gas bans are being challenged across the country. Mass. could be next Boston Globe (May 29, 2024)
- 3 Key Measures U.S. Cities Can Adopt To Advance Net-Zero Initiatives Forbes (Feb. 19, 2024)
- Berkeley's gas ban is all but dead. What does that mean for other cities? (Jan. 5, 2024)
- Downtown resident sues over congestion pricing, claiming MTA plan will clog West Side Highway Gothamist (Dec. 25, 2023)
- Editorial: New York banned gas from new buildings. Why not California? L.A. Times (May 8, 2023)
