Unpublished Paper
Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the Fields of Land Use and Zoning
(2021)
Abstract
Legal pathways exist for state and local land use and zoning practitioners to contribute to the fight against climate change. The project Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization (LPDD.org) drafts original model laws and legal documents, and also catalogs existing laws and best practices, which each address over 1,000 recommendations made in the 2019 text, Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the United States. From this exhaustive resource, the authors survey opportunities for state and local practitioners to use the tools of land use and zoning to affect energy production, building performance, and transportation emissions. On the energy front, land use considerations are critical for the efficient siting of large-scale renewable energy, as well as permitting smaller, distributed resources at the site of the utility customer. In building codes, practitioners should be aware of emerging tools like building energy performance standards, natural gas bans, net zero requirements, and electrification incentives. In the field of transportation, practitioners should be cognizant of tools to expand access to EV charging infrastructure, as well as tools to make neighborhoods denser, more walkable, and ultimately require fewer vehicle miles traveled.
Keywords
- deep decarbonization,
- GHG emissions,
- electricity,
- climate change,
- land use,
- zoning,
- local government,
- state government,
- renewable energy,
- distributed energy,
- net zero,
- building codes,
- electric vehicles,
- charging infrastructure,
- walkability,
- siting,
- permitting,
- vehicle miles traveled
Disciplines
- Law and
- Environmental Law
Publication Date
2021
Citation Information
Jordan Gerow, Michael B. Gerrard and John C. Dernbach. "Legal Pathways to Deep Decarbonization in the Fields of Land Use and Zoning" (2021) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/john_dernbach/167/