Local governments play a crucial role in advancing climate solutions, but knowing where to start or how to scale existing efforts can be challenging. Here at GPI, we are committed to supporting local action that leads to impactful outcomes at the state and national levels.
Last year, GPI was honored to support the Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition (WLGCC) in a project funded by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The goal: develop guidance on how Wisconsin local governments can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in ways that are both high impact and feasible within Wisconsin’s legal and regulatory context.
This post describes how we developed this guidance, shares the process for creating two implementation-focused playbooks, and showcases how this work can serve as a blueprint for states across the US.
Identifying local greenhouse gas reduction strategies
In the project’s first stage, we focused on identifying a core set of high-impact strategies Wisconsin local governments can use to reduce emissions.
We began by compiling a database of potential GHG reduction strategies, drawing from existing climate, energy, and sustainability plans already adopted by Wisconsin local governments. This helped us understand what communities were already doing and identify any remaining gaps.
We also looked at national programs we lead or support—like the Sustainable States Network, Charging Smart, and SolSmart—to identify proven, scalable strategies.
Next, we consulted directly with WLGCC members to ensure our recommendations aligned with local needs and priorities. We held a round of focus groups to dig deeper into what would be most helpful to communities.
As a result, we narrowed down the list to six high-impact GHG reduction strategies:
- Reduce vehicle miles traveled
- Electrify transportation
- Decarbonize the grid
- Accelerate distributed energy resource deployment
- Electrify residential, commercial, and institutional buildings
- Improve energy efficiency of residential, commercial, and institutional buildings
Since local governments across Wisconsin vary widely in size, geography, and staff capacity—from small villages to big cities like Milwaukee—it was important for these strategies to be broad and serve as a starting point relevant across the board.
Developing playbooks for transportation electrification and grid decarbonization
Once the list was finalized, we reconvened WLGCC members to identify which strategies were the highest priorities for generating in-depth guidance.
Conversations mainly focused on the sectors with the highest emissions—electricity, buildings, and transportation—while acknowledging that work in other sectors remains important. It was also crucial to tailor the guidance to what’s feasible for Wisconsin local governments and how it fits within Wisconsin’s legal and regulatory context.
Two distinct priorities emerged from those conversations: electrifying transportation and decarbonizing, or “greening,” the grid.
These became the focus of two comprehensive playbooks designed to guide local governments through implementation. Each playbook includes a tiered structure that follows our approach to meet communities where they are, whether they’re just getting started or ready to take the next step.
For example, a local government may begin by promoting existing utility rebates for EV chargers, then move on to adopting more advanced policies like requiring EV-ready infrastructure in new construction. The idea is to make action accessible and scalable.
Building on GPI’s experience and success
This approach builds on GPI’s prior experience and current work with local governments on transportation electrification. Through programs like Charging Smart, we have helped local leaders plan for electric vehicle infrastructure, overcome barriers, and prepare for the future.
Similarly, the grid decarbonization guidance in this project draws on both national and regional efforts, including our MISO Cities and Communities Coalition work, to showcase how governments can advocate for local goals on a state and regional scale.
We were particularly excited to work with WLGCC, as it closely mirrors two peer learning and action networks we facilitate in Minnesota, the Minnesota Cities Climate Coalition, which engages local elected officials on climate and energy policy, and the Community Energy Network, a space for local government staff to collaborate and participate in the state legislative and regulatory sphere.
A decarbonization blueprint beyond Wisconsin
While these tools were developed with Wisconsin’s local governments and regulatory landscape in mind, much of the content is broadly applicable to local governments elsewhere, and the overall approach is highly replicable. States across the country can adopt this model to identify priority strategies, engage communities, and tailor resources to local needs.
At GPI, we believe that local governments are key levers for climate resilience, and that peer networks, shared tools, and scalable strategies are how we unlock that potential.
Stay tuned! We are currently adapting the playbook on transportation electrification for a broader, nationwide audience. If you are interested in learning more about this project or replicating it in your state, reach out to us at [email protected].
