EESI, APA Launch Planners Energy and Climate Database

The American Planning Association (APA) and the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) are pleased to announce the launch of the Planners Energy and Climate Database, an online tool to help planners, policymakers, and allied professionals find information relevant to addressing energy and climate issues at the local, regional, and state level. The database features more than 150 resources to help communities improve energy efficiency, expand renewable energy sources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and prepare for the impacts of climate change. More entries are being added regularly.

Users can search information by topic, planning tool, state, region, community size, or keyword. We invite you to explore the database, give us your feedback, and suggest resources to add to the database. We are especially interested in hearing from planning practitioners regarding examples of local and regional efforts to address energy and climate issues--including plans, studies, projects, programs, ordinances, and policies. General resources are also welcome.

Go to the Planning for a New Energy and Climate Future main page

A companion report is being planned for release later this fall through APA's Planning Advisory Service (PAS). The report will address key challenges and opportunities facing local communities and provide a practical guide to help planners integrate energy and climate issues into their work. A recent article published in PAS Memo provides a preview of the forthcoming report.

We welcome comments and suggestions regarding specific issues that, from your experience, are particularly important for planners to address. Comments may be sent to energy [at] planning.org.

Both the database and the report are part of a joint APA-EESI project to help planners play a leadership role on energy and climate issues in their communities and integrate these issues into planning practice. Funding for this research project has been provided by the Surdna Foundation, George Gund Foundation, and APA's Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy Division.

For more information about the project, please visit www.planning.org/research/energy and www.eesi.org/apa .

To receive future project updates, join the Planners Energy and Climate Network by emailing your name, affiliation, and contact information to planning [at] eesi.org.