New and Forthcoming Model Laws
In July 2026, the Model Climate Laws Initiative (MCLI) published two new model laws:
- A state-level model law that would create a tax credit for clean freight vehicles. Heavy-duty freight trucks and delivery vehicles are a significant contributor of transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, conventional pollutant emissions from these vehicles often have disproportionate local impacts on disadvantaged communities. With the recent termination of federal tax credits, a state's adoption of a similar tax credit will accelerate fleet electrification and advance public health. The MCLI model law would establish a new tax credit for placing an eligible vehicle into service.
The MCLI model state law and accompanying explanatory memo are available here.
- A state-level model law to enable plug-in solar, often referred to as balcony solar. Plug-in solar has the potential to offer a variety of affordability, reliability, and emission reduction benefits for household. Critically, plug-in solar has relatively low upfront cost and does not require access to rooftop space, meaning occupants of apartment buildings and renters can also enjoy these benefits. Existing state regulatory barriers, including related to interconnection and net-metering frameworks, have slowed the adoption of plug-in solar in the U.S. The MCLI model law would remove such barriers. A growing number of states have enacted similar laws to enable and facilitate plug-in solar.
The MCLI model state law and accompanying explanatory memo are available here.
MCLI continues to draft a number of additional model laws for the state and local levels. For example, we expect to soon publish model laws on the following topics:
- Data centers, including regarding nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) between developers and public officials (state law), requirements for new hyperscale data centers to "bring your own new clean energy" (BYONCE) (state law), and policies aimed at reducing data center emissions and other impacts (state and local laws).
- Increasing affordability, such as through utility regulatory and ratemaking reform, to align the interests of consumers and utilities toward the common goal of reducing electric system costs (state law).
- Increasing local community resiliency, such as through establishment of stormwater utility fees and stormwater management funds (local law).
- Greenhouse gas mandatory reporting for individual facilities and fuel suppliers (state law).
- Ensuring that local host communities share in the benefits of project developments, such as through requiring community benefit agreements (CBAs) for renewable energy, data centers, or other major developments (state or local laws).
- Expediting the review and permitting of renewable energy, such as through streamlining the process for permitting distributed solar (local law), reforming a state's environmental review or "mini-NEPA" process (state law), and establishing a utility-scale renewable energy siting process (state law).