Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero has joined other mayors and more than 50 city and county governments from 28 states, in partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities, in signing an amicus brief explaining why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan is critical to the safety and economic security of local communities across the United States.

The brief was authored by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School and filed today in federal court.

The signatories represent a diverse geographic, economic and political mix. In all, the signatories represent 51 localities – home to more than 18 million Americans – and more than 19,000 additional cities, villages and towns that are part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and National League of Cities networks.

The local government amicus brief recognizes and builds on strong demand for climate action by cities and counties, viewing the Clean Power Plan as a “legally necessary step toward addressing the extraordinary threat posed by climate change.”

To read the brief or for more explanation from the nation’s mayors, visit https://web.law.columbia.edu/climate-change/document-login/document-access.

Mayor Rogero also noted that clean power means jobs and economic growth.

“Clean energy jobs are some of the fastest-growing in Tennessee – nearly triple the state’s overall employment growth,” Mayor Rogero said. “There’s opportunity in the Clean Power Plan to further accelerate job creation in energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. These are the energy jobs of the future. The City of Knoxville looks forward to working with state officials and utilities as they develop their plan for compliance.”

According to researchers, East Tennessee will experience more extreme weather as climate changes. Scientists, including those working at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, predict warmer temperatures – more days above 95 degrees and fewer days below 65 degrees – as well as more frequent extreme rain events and periods of no rain.

The City of Knoxville is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by the year 2020. Since 2005, emissions of City operations have dropped by 13 percent. At the community level, emissions are down nearly 8 percent.

Programs like the Knoxville Extreme Energy Makeover will help reduce energy bills for 1,200 Knoxville families while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. KEEM is a $15 million TVA-funded program; the KEEM Team is led by the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee in partnership with the City of Knoxville, Knoxville Utilities Board and the Alliance to Save Energy.