Mulhern Gas v. Rodriguez, the challenge to NYS' All-Electric Buildings Act. Why, yes, I do have some thoughts.

I'm going to keep them to social media and not the blog because frankly the hearth and patio association doesn't deserve that kind of attention.
timesunion.com/state/article/… The legal argument undergirding the complaint alleges preemption by EPCA, which preempts state and local energy energy efficiency and energy use standards. law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42…

Warts and all, it's great to see NYS' building electrification proposals play out in the national press. A few things 🧵 📅 2027 is too slow for the vast majority of buildings. We can do this tomorrow! More than 50 local governments ALREADY have building electrification requirements or gas bans in effect. Don't let the real estate or gas industries tell you we need 5 more years to figure this out.

It's that time of year again... when I shirk my "real work" and celebrate local climate action around the US.

Cities found a new normal in 2021, and while climate action never truly left us, this year it was definitely BACK.

Here are my top 20 local climate wins in 2021. 🧵 1/So much electrification⚡️

While there are dozens of places I could have chosen for this one, I❤️NY. I was thrilled to play even a tiny role in getting this done, and savored the opportunity to work with folks at @weact4ej @nychange @nypirg and more. thecity.nyc/2021/12/15/228…

2020 has been A YEAR, but that's no reason not to toast to all that US cities have done to combat climate change. Cities faced unprecedented challenges, but I forgot how much good stuff the accomplished, too! 🧵

Celebrate, draw inspiration, and tell me what I've missed! (1/x) They partnered strategically: @RideSacRT teamed up with @ridewithvia to offer microtransit for last-mile transit connections. Gaps in last-mile connections derail a connected and equitable transit system. (2x)

https://twitter.com/RideSacRT/status/1216777489143468033

I wanted to like this @awalkerinLA piece more than I did. The headline was written just for me, and the Biden administration *is* really good news for cities & their climate commitments. But there’s much more to why cities haven’t reached their targets.🧵
curbed.com/2020/12/biden-… Few city leaders have argued that they are the one-and-only solution to climate change. Yes, they cite lack of federal leadership on climate - undeniably true now but not untrue at any point in the 2010s. And they point to their nearness to drivers of GHGs and residents’ needs.

The incoming Biden admin has the most ambitious climate plan of any President-elect in history.

What does this mean for cities, who've been leading the charge on climate policy for over a decade?

A lot of good stuff, I hope! 🧵1/12

blogs.law.columbia.edu/climatechange/… First, the new administration can set policies and standards that act as floors for energy and emissions reductions, but that leave cities room to innovate new and more ambitious ways to reduce their GHGs. 2/12

2019 has been kind of a banner year for municipal climate action. In the spirit of year-end reminiscing, here are my top twenty developments at the U.S. cities-law-climate-mitigation nexus. 🧵 in no particular order. 1/22 @ColumbiaClimate @leagueofcities @c40cities @ICLEI_USA @theUSDN @CarbnNtrlCities @RockyMtnInst @WRIRossCities They peaked emissions: 10 U.S. cities have peaked their greenhouse gas emissions. This means that not only are emissions in these cities on the decline, but they can share their hard-earned wisdom with others targeting net zero. More from @c40cities 2/22 c40.org/press_releases…