The U.S. Conference of Mayors Resolves to Support 100% Renewable Energy

In the tradition of Infrastructure Week (and the even-more-obscure Tech Week), Monday kicks off Energy Week at the White House: five days of events focused on America’s quest for “energy dominance.” That’s code for lifting caps on pumping and burning fossil fuels, based on President Trump’s policies to date—e.g., dismantling the Clean Power Plan, repealing regulations on mountaintop removal mining and marine drilling, and backing out of the Paris climate accord.

Meanwhile, as the rest of the country is focused intently on the healthcare showdown on Congress (or on the Supreme Court’s travel ban decision), cities are swinging back at Trump’s oil and gas-fueled vision for the future. Today, the U.S. Conference of Mayors officially endorsed local-level progress toward 100-percent clean and renewable energy sources. Leaders from more than 250 cities approved a resolution supporting a transition to wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric power by 2035, with an eye on job creation and environmental justice. Remarkably, in addition to calling out fossil fuels, the resolution specifically excludes coal plants, nuclear power, and dams.