'The US government has checked out on renewables': can cities fill the gap?

Burlington, the first US city to run entirely on clean power, is inspiring other cities to make progress on climate change

Burlington in Vermont has already given the world Ben & Jerry's ice cream and provided the political launchpad for Bernie Sanders. Now the city's successful switch to 100% renewable electricity is spurring US mayors to fill the gaping void on climate change action left by the Trump administration.

Burlington didn't make a fuss when it switched on a new hydropower plant in late 2014 and became the first US city to run entirely on clean power. "We didn't have parades. I don't know why in retrospect we didn't make more of it," says Miro Weinberger, the wire-haired mayor of Burlington.