With a combined punch of a global pandemic and economic recession, 2020 and 2021 have brought unprecedented challenges to cities and businesses across the United States. Cities have struggled to provide basic resources and services, while businesses have had to adapt to new environments as social distancing and working from home became the norm. And these challenges came on top of increasing climate change impacts.

Despite these challenges, partnerships between cities and the private sector to address the impact of climate change not only continued, but grew. The case studies in this document highlight how cooperation among cities and companies can lead to promising, cost-effective programs that support our goals in reducing the impact of climate change.

Case Studies

• The Blue Horizon Project: A Cleaner Energy Future for Asheville Residents: A collaboration between the City of Asheville, Buncombe County, and Duke Energy, the Blue Horizons project promoted demand-side management and energy efficiency to defer investment in a new natural gas combustion turbine “peaker” plant.
• A Building Energy Performance Standard in St. Louis: In May 2020, through an extensive community engagement process, the city adopted a Building Energy Performance Standard to significantly reduce the energy use of municipal, commercial, institutional, and residential buildings 50,000 square feet and larger.
• St. Louis Solar Workforce Development Pilot: In late 2020, amid the global pandemic and economic downturn, the city of St. Louis launched its Solar Workforce Development pilot program to train a cohort of local residents to help them participate in the burgeoning green economy.
• St. Petersburg’s Clean Energy Future: St. Petersburg’s Clean Energy Roadmap includes a focus on enhancing and electrifying transportation. The city is pursuing a Complete Streets Policy, expanding public and active transportation options, partnering with Duke Energy Florida (DEF) to improve electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, and supporting EV adoption in the region.
• West Sacramento On-Demand Rideshare: In 2018, West Sacramento deployed an innovative rideshare service in partnership with Via Transportation Inc. offering community members an affordable, accessible, and sustainable mobility option for trips within the city.