Red Tape Hinders Clean Energy Projects, BU Research Shows

Over half of US mayors have seen little to no impact from the Inflation Reduction Act in its first year. This is according to the 2023 Menino Survey of Mayors by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities (IOC). Only 19% of the 118 mayors surveyed reported a significant impact from the act, which allocates nearly $370 billion for clean energy investments.

The survey, which is the tenth annual edition, highlights city leaders’ views on the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, the willingness of their communities to host clean energy installations, and their perceived accountability and control over homelessness.

In the 2022 survey, almost all city leaders expressed concern about local climate impacts. The 2023 survey therefore included questions about clean energy projects resulting from the Inflation Reduction Act.

“We focused on climate change as it’s a pressing issue for mayors. But we also wanted to understand the local implementation of this act,” said Katherine Levine Einstein, one of the survey co-authors.

Figure 1. Impact of the IRA on Communities:

“What impact has the Inflation Reduction Act’s incentives for clean energy technologies had in your community?”

Two major issues with the Inflation Reduction Act’s local implementation were highlighted by mayors: complex grant applications and lack of awareness of subsidies. For example, only 38% of mayors found the grant application process to be straightforward, while 69% felt their residents lacked knowledge about the program.

Mayors also shared their views on the best way to communicate with residents about adopting climate-friendly technologies. 65% believed it was better to highlight other benefits before discussing climate advantages, while 27% felt it was best to emphasize climate benefits first.

Justin Bibb, Mayor of Cleveland, stressed the need for city leaders to do a better job of explaining how climate policy can directly impact people’s lives.

Local regulations concerning land use and construction can also make it difficult for homeowners or builders to pursue clean energy projects, Einstein noted. In the 2023 survey, mayors indicated that some clean energy projects could face opposition from local groups.

The researchers also explored mayors’ views on homelessness and disruptive behavior in public spaces. The responses revealed a major gap between the accountability mayors feel for these issues and the control they believe they have over them.

Figure 2. Mayors’ Perceived Accountability for and Control over Homelessness:

“To what extent do your residents hold you accountable for addressing homelessness in your city? How much control do you think you have over homelessness in your city?”

The survey revealed a similar accountability-control gap concerning public disorder. More than half of the mayors surveyed felt their residents held them accountable, while only 7% felt they had control over the issue.

Despite partisan differences, a majority of mayors from both major political parties showed agreement on several strategies to maintain public order, such as embedding mental health professionals in police responses and periodically cleaning homeless encampments.

Figure 5. Potential Strategies to Maintain Public Order:

“Do you agree or disagree with the following strategies to maintain public order in your city?”

The annual Menino Survey, named after late Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and supported by The Rockefeller Foundation, aims to understand the needs and policy priorities of US mayors. This year’s survey involved 118 mayors from 39 states.