Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, unveiled proposals to set up a "retrofitting academy" to train an army of energy advisers as he aired his ambitions to place the city at the forefront of green industry. Johnson also vowed to push ahead with the retrofitting of buildings in London that in one way or another reside in the public sector – believed to be around 25% of all buildings in the capital.

A report compiled by Helena officials and the city's Climate Change Task Force shows that the Capital City's government reduced its energy usage between 2001 and 2007 by 22.1 percent and its carbon dioxide emissions by 18.1 percent. City officials knew the energy-saving changes they'd made in those years - everything from using more efficient light bulbs to installing smarter temperature controls - would make a dent in Helena's energy usage, but they were surprised to learn they'd outpaced the Kyoto Protocol's 20-year goals in less than a third of the time.

Among other "green" initiatives being unveiled by Detroit's mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. are a few standouts, in terms of energy policy. He's creating an Office of Energy and Sustainability within the mayor's office, and a "Green Council" of representatives from city agencies to find ways to improve energy use in city buildings.

The coastal Oregon town of Lincoln City aims to be first in the state to achieve "carbon neutrality" through green energy, efficiency, collaboration with a carbon co-op, and other measures. Their motive is ever-present: the Pacific Ocean, which will rise with global warming. (Daniel Lerch is quoted in this article.)

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) is one of the most promising options in the U.S. energy efficiency portfolio. By combining environmental effectiveness with economic viability and improved competitiveness, CHP is deployable in the near term and can help address current and future U.S. energy needs.

The City Council of Hamilton, Ontario approved $35,000 for the creation of a Community Energy Collaborative to explore the city's energy supply vulnerabilities. The task force will look at economic, social and environmental sustainability and urban planning.

The City of El Paso is entering into a collaboration that will save the city $1.7 million each year in energy. They frame it as the a step toward a green collar economy as well as a way to address climate change.

The final report of the Alachua County Energy Conservation Strategies Commission members delivers a list of recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners that would create an energy efficient and resource resilient community over the next 100 years.

The Regional Transportation District that serves Boulder and Denver, Colo. is finding that the money-saving tactic that has served them well for years -- "locking in" a fixed price for fuel -- is costing them money while the price is low. However, even assuming the price stays low, they're going to come in within their budget because they budgeted for $4 gas and are paying $3.10.

'Combined heat and power' (CHP) plants and 'district heating' systems have been around for well over a hundred years. And yet, only a handful of modern cities and towns have made use of these highly efficient technologies until very recently. Now that we've rediscovered CHP and district heating, what role will they play in retrofitting our economies to rely on local energy?