Local Governments and the Small-town Economics of Green Energy

In a world dominated by polarized media stories and national stalemates, it’s easy to

believe that climate action is always loud, partisan, or absent. Media from all sides suggest a vast and unrelenting divide. But that narrative misses something quiet and powerful. Across the country, from overlooked counties to small conservative towns, a new kind of climate leadership is emerging. A movement founded in simple economics and practical need rather than political ideology. This quiet revolution is being led by township supervisors, county planners, and local officials who want clean water, stable infrastructure, and steady revenue. And they’re making progress without a press release.

Texas is an unlikely poster child for this shift. Generally thought of as a fossil fuel

stronghold, Texas has also become one of the fastest-growing states in renewable energy,

particularly in wind and solar. Between 2019 and 2023, the state’s solar capacity increased

tenfold, much of it in rural counties with deep conservative roots. According to the Financial

Times , over 60% of solar investment flowed into these areas, where farmers and ranchers now lease land to solar companies, generating steady income while maintaining traditional land uses. There were no climate protests or no fiery op-eds. Instead reporters found landowners seeing an opportunity and taking it. It’s long-term thinking rooted in self-interest.

In Michigan’s Montcalm and Midland Counties, historically conservative regions, wind

energy has done more than generate electricity, it has revitalized local government. In one

township, officials used wind revenue to install running water, heating, and air-conditioning in

their town hall for the first time. As reported by the Midland Daily News , many locals initially

opposed wind development, but those attitudes shifted as the benefits became tangible: better services, stronger budgets, and local jobs. These stories are becoming more common, though they rarely make the national news. No headlines scream “Conservative Town Embraces Climate Action.” Instead, local communities are quietly content and profiting off the effects of renewable energy.

This revolution is quiet because it sidesteps the spectacle. In Evanston, Illinois, Mayor

Steve Hagerty, a Republican, led a resolution committing the city to 100% renewable electricity for municipal buildings by 2030. The framing was not about environmental justice or national targets. It was about resilience, reliability, and modernization. Similarly, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, under Mayor Pam Hemminger, adopted a Climate Action Plan centered on electrifying public buses, greening municipal buildings, and updating infrastructure. These were not partisan moves. They were budget decisions, grounded in cost-efficiency and public health. They were also popular.

These stories are united by practicality, not ideology or political beliefs. Local leaders are acting because they have to, and soon. They face extreme weather, aging infrastructure, rising utility costs, and economic instability. Climate action, in this context, is not a political

movement, it’s a way to keep the lights on, the roads clear, and the economy running. These

governments aren’t waiting for permission. They’re moving forward because they understand

that the future is not red or blue—it’s going to be hot, wet, and expensive if nothing is done. In a time defined by apparent polarization, it may be tempting to believe that progress must be politically-driven. But climate solutions are being built one rural turbine, town hall retrofit, and zoning code at a time.

By Peter Maxwell, Guest Blogger