Intersecting Local and State Roles
While there are some similarities in local and state government, there are important differences in how each can influence place-based energy, climate and land use matters. SLECC has worked with participants to get clearer on these roles and how they intersect. This section is intended to help clarify how state and local stakeholders can work together more effectively by aligning coordination efforts that match, respect, uplift and unlock each other’s capabilities.
What can local leaders do to accelerate place-based progress?
There are nearly 5,000 local and tribal government entities in California, many of which are facilitating profound action on place-based energy, climate and land use issues. Local governments include city and county municipalities, air districts, resource conservation districts, and other special districts, municipal planning organizations, and regional consortiums of local governments such as Regional Energy Networks, Community Choice Aggregators, and regional climate collaboratives. They offer unparalleled administrative advantages including unique authorities, trust, proximity, fiscal management capabilities, and democratic accountability, local, tribal, and regional governments are essential and natural partners in meeting the State of CA’s ambitious energy, climate, and land use goals articulated in policies like Strategic Growth Council’s Council Priority 3 Resolution on Housing, Climate and Equity, California Energy Commission’s 2022 Integrated Energy Policy Report (IEPR), and The California Air Resources Board’s Scoping Plan.
In 2024, an in-person SLECC meeting facilitated an activity which asked 130 attendees to help define what kinds of activities local participants conduct in their communities under three main categories: 1) Public construction, installation and procurement, 2) Community Program Implementation and Outreach, and 3) Policy, Planning and Land Use. The chart below summarizes the local roles and the number of jurisdictions that indicated that they were currently playing that role. These are roles they often play in direct coordination with other place-based community-serving organizations like non-profits, philanthropy, academia, or private service providers.
What can state leaders do to accelerate place-based progress
More than a dozen state agencies play a key role in advancing place-based energy and climate work, either directly or indirectly through coordination with local leaders. In 2025, SLECC conducted a survey and in-person discussion to obtain feedback to inform the framework below. This image illustrates that the state often works independently – or in parallel with local or regional entities – to deploy policy and regulation, implement programs and conduct outreach, or construct, install or procure projects that impact communities. The state can also coordinate with local and regional entities to support their place-based work through mechanisms like financial assistance, technical assistance, policy and regulation, studies and plans, and data access.
The better state and local entities understand each other’s roles, capabilities and stinct constraints, the more constructive we will be at tackling our barriers.