Since oil prices started climbing beyond 15-year highs in 2004, a growing number of municipal and regional agencies have acted to address the threat of peak oil. These actions have included internal vulnerability studies, internal policy assessments, community vulnerability task forces, and related resolutions and ordinances.

Help us keep this list current and accurate! Please send any updates or new information to Post Carbon Cities Program Manager Daniel Lerch. (See below for notes on citizen group efforts, as well as efforts outside the U.S. and Canada.)

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Smaller markers mean that action is underway within the government body, but nothing has been officially endorsed yet.
	Town or city	County or region	State or province

States/Provinces

Connecticut (US: pop. 3,405,565)

• June 12, 2008 the act was signed into law by the governor, and the task force members appointed.
  
• On May 7 2008, the state legislature passed HB 5724, which creates a create an energy scarcity and sustainability task force, to require the Office of Policy and Management to assess all state agencies with regard to petroleum use and to establish a grant program for municipalities to plan for energy scarcity and cost increases.
   » Nov 2007 report on peak oil by the Peak Oil and Natural Gas Caucus.

Minnesota (US: pop. 5,167,101)

• As of 15 May 2008, HF0995 was approved by both houses of the Minnesota Legislature. The resolution urges the Governor of Minnesota to "prepare a plan of response and preparation to meet the challenges of Peak Oil." It was introduced and championed by State Representative Bill Hilty.

Regions

Southern California Assoc. of Governments (SCAG) (California, US: pop. 17,797,500)

• Hosted Southern California Energy Conference 10 March 2006 on the global peaking of oil and natural gas production, mitigation measures and alternatives.
• Include energy issues in their 2008 Regional Comprehensive Plan, currently in draft form.

Metro regional government, Portland (Oregon, US: pop. 1,374,500)

• Released policy white paper 18 April 2006, identifying "future oil supply uncertainty" as a timely risk management issue, and establishing a basis for Metro to consider possible policy and program responses.
• http://www.metro-region.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=18951

Alachua County (Florida, US: pop. 227,120)

• In March 2007, the county created the Energy Conservation Strategies Commission (ECSC), charged with reviewing the potential effects of global oil decline and recommending actions the County can take. The Commission is scheduled to release a report by September 2008.
• RESOLUTION: Alachua County (FL) Board of County Commissioners Resolution 07-18, creating ECSC
• ECSC members share data online

Whatcom County (Washington, US: pop. 185,953)

• The city of Bellingham and Whatcom County created a joint task force, passing resolutions on 19 May (Bellingham) and 20 May (Whatcom Cty). Both bodies passed the resolution unanimously.

Cities/towns

Originally excerpted from Lerch, D. (2007) Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Supply Uncertainty. Sebastopol, Calif.: Post Carbon Press.

Related information:

• data on jurisdictions in the U.K., Europe and Australia forthcoming in 2008
• data on jurisdictions in the process of preparing peak oil responses forthcoming in 2008
• many citizen groups are actively working to encourage action on peak oil by their own local governments; lists of these groups available at http://www.relocalize.net/groups and http://oilawareness.meetup.com/.