Environment, Energy & Land Use
Latest News
Featured Initiative
Rural Energy Academy
NACo’s Rural Energy Academy empowers county leaders with the information and support needed to make energy decisions that work best for their communities.
FAA-NACo Airport Land Use Compatibility
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. - 4:300 p.m. ET
Counties play a crucial role in our nation’s aviation system, owning and operating hundreds of airports across the country. And even in places where the county may not own the airport, county planning departments and development organizations work to maximize the value of this asset to the community’s economic and overall wellbeing. Join NACo and staff from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Airports Planning and Programming to learn more about the FAA’s “Advisory Circular on Airport Land Use Compatibility Planning,” which will enable counties work smarter to integrate airports into broader planning efforts for land use, economic development and more. FAA staff will also be available to answer questions from county leaders about planning needs in their community and how the Advisory Circular can guide those efforts.
Speakers:
- Jacqueline Essick, Associate Director, Jacobsen|Daniels
- Amber McNair, Founder & Principal Investigator, AV McNair, LLC
- Michael (Mike) Hines, Manager of Airports Planning and Environmental Division, FAA
- Jean Wolfers-Lawrence, Manager of Environmental Planning Branch, FAA
Resource Spotlight
Legislative Analysis: Impact of PFAS Regulations on Counties
NACo's analysis provides an in-depth examination of current and proposed regulations on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their implications for county governments.
Rural Energy Academy
NACo’s Rural Energy Academy empowers county leaders with the information and support needed to make energy decisions that work best for their communities.
Energizing Counties
NACo empowers counties with the tools and resources needed to consider and facilitate energy projects best suited for local communities. NACo is developing resources and tailored guidance to assist local governments in navigating the opportunities and challenges of different energy industries.
Resilient Counties Initiative
NACo works to strengthen county resiliency by building leadership capacity to identify and manage risk, and allow counties to become more flexible and responsive.
Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities
The Building Resilient Economies in Coal Communities initiative connects coal communities, supports local leaders and builds capacity in under-resourced communities to advance new approaches and projects for economic diversification.
SolSmart
SolSmart is a national program that helps cities, towns, counties and regional organizations become solar energy ready.
Military Communities Resource Hub
The U.S. Department of Defense Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative Program helps manage encroachment and incompatible development near military installations. The program forms partnerships that protect military operations from restrictive development and strengthens long-term relationships between the Department of Defense and counties.
