When national leadership falters, or even obstructs progress towards emissions reductions and bold climate action, state and local governments are stepping up and taking the lead. Real change begins at the local level, setting examples for the rest of the country and the world. Check out these inspiring examples of local action:
California’s clean energy innovation
California has long been a leader in renewable energy, and in 2024, 54% of the state’s electricity was renewable or emitted no greenhouse gases. They’re showing that they can keep a grid stable with more and more clean energy: Renewables fulfilled 100% of the state’s electricity demand for up to 10 hours on 98 of 116 days in late winter to early summer. Not only weren’t there any blackouts during that time, thanks to backup battery power, but at their peak the renewables provided up to 162% of the grid’s needs, allowing California to export to neighboring states and fill batteries. Read more about California’s renewable energy momentum here
Vermont’s commitment to clean energy
Vermont passed legislation in 2024 that requires Green Mountain Power, its largest utility, to source 100% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. The state’s smaller utilities will follow by 2035. This has resulted in prioritized investments in local renewable energy projects like community solar, wind initiatives, and residential solar tax incentives. Vermont joins 12 other states with commitments to 100% clean or renewable energy—these 13 states (including Oregon) account for more than 25% of our country’s total electricity consumption.
Chicago’s move toward solar
As of 2025, all of the city’s municipal buildings now use 100% clean power. It takes approximately 700k MW of electricity to power Chicago’s 400 municipal buildings every year—98 fire stations, two airports, and two of the largest water treatment plants in the world—and every one of them is running on renewable energy, thanks to the largest solar farm east of the Mississippi. This cuts the city’s carbon footprint significantly, the equivalent of taking 62k gas-powered cars off the road.