--- title: Climate Change: These 10 Cities Are Leading on Clean Energy description: Cities large and small are leading the charge on the country's transition to clean energy, driven by a variety of concerns canonical: https://time.com/4446667/cities-clean-energy-climate-change/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-08-10T21:02:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T23:53:16.570Z article:section: Science og:title: Climate Change: These 10 Cities Are Leading on Clean Energy og:description: Cities large and small are leading the charge on the country's transition to clean energy, driven by a variety of concerns og:url: https://time.com/4446667/cities-clean-energy-climate-change/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4576f1f928b252e4/6988a1efcf40a87b51c446d5/solar-panels-empire-state-building-new-york.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2121 og:image:height: 1193 og:image:alt: solar panels empire state building new yor og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Climate Change: These 10 Cities Are Leading on Clean Energy twitter:description: Cities large and small are leading the charge on the country's transition to clean energy, driven by a variety of concerns twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4576f1f928b252e4/6988a1efcf40a87b51c446d5/solar-panels-empire-state-building-new-york.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Exclusive: Why These Cities Are Leading on Clean Energy > Sponsored content. 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Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=cc96766f-9b1a-439c-b099-f2239f6e5f65&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Aug 10, 2016 9:02 PM UTC  Solar Panels in New York City Solar Panels in New York City Neil Beckerman—Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Aug 10, 2016 9:02 PM UTC Cities large and small are leading the charge on the country’s transition to clean energy, driven by concerns that range from air pollution to the need to create jobs, according to a new [report](http://sc.org/10-case-studies) from the Sierra Club. The report, part of the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign that is pushing cities to transition to 100% renewable energy, underscores the [role urban areas play](http://time.com/4052920/cities-climate-change/) in addressing climate change. Cities produce more than 60% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, according to a United Nations [report](http://unhabitat.org/urban-themes/climate-change/), and which makes urban zones a key point of leveraging fighting global warming. But addressing climate change is often not the reason that cities accelerate their push to clean energy, according to the Sierra Club. In San Diego, one of the country’s most conservative big cities, a Republican mayor committed to transitioning to clean energy by citing how the commitment will help expand the city’s clean tech sector. Leaders in Aspen, Colorado cited climate change’s effect on the local economy: global warming has detracted from the local ski industry. **Read More:** [What Do Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Think About Science? Researchers Want to Know](http://time.com/4445585/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-science-climate-change/) “No two cities will do this for the same reasons or get there the same ways,” says Jodie Van Horn, director of the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign. “Cities are the canaries in the coal mine for the fossil fuel industry as they move to 100% clean energy, so will the country.” The cities in the report show the many different ways urban areas are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of the cities’ plans include promoting energy efficiency. Some programs focus on requiring more efficient components in buildings while seeking to change behavior through public awareness campaigns. Some cities located in areas with abundant resources like wind and sun—such as Georgetown, TX—have focused largely on switching to renewables, as much for the economy as for the environment. **Read More**: [Scientists Are Making Stronger Links Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather](http://time.com/4255428/climate-change-extreme-weather/) “I’m probably the further thing from an Al Gore clone you could find,” says Jim Briggs, Georgetown’s interim city manager in a statement. But “we did \[wind and solar\] to get a competitive rate.” City’s energy policies play a significant role in countries across the globe, but they will be particularly important in the U.S., where local authorities wield significant control over energy and environmental regulation. They’ll need to pick up the slack while President Obama’s [Clean Power Plan](http://time.com/3981535/white-house-clean-power-plan/), which sets standards for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in individuals states, remains on hold [pending review by the Supreme Court](http://time.com/4215597/clean-power-plan-supreme-court/). Other cities listed in the report include Burlington, Vt., East Hampton, N.Y., Grand Rapids, Mich., Greensburg, Kan., Rochester, Minn., San Jose, Calif., and San Francisco, Calif. 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