This study by Warren Karlenzig, author of How Green Is Your City?: The SustainLane City Rankings, ranks the largest 50 US cities by their readiness for $4+ a gallon gas and $100+ barrel oil prices. It considers a variety of factors, including city resident public transit use, city carpooling rates, metro public transit ridership, metro area sprawl, telecommuting, biking and walking-to-work rates, and use of heating oil. This is an update of the May 2008 report.

UK-based ODAC (in cooperation with Post Carbon Institute) has prepared a new report aimed specifically at local government in the UK called Preparing for Peak Oil: Local Authorities and the Energy Crisis.

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) have issued a model by-law to help cities and towns establish reasonable standards for small wind-energy development. This model applies to stand-alone wind facilities up to 60 kilowatts (kW) in capacity.

The Cleveland City Council passed this resolution in June 2008, recognizing the problem of peak oil and calling upon the mayoral administration to collaborate with them in convening a working group to investigate the risk and make recommendations.

On October 27, the council of the town of Chapel Hill passed this resolution, recognizing the challenge of peak oil. The council recognized an obligation to inform the citizens of the potential risks, and directed that the issue be integrated into the Sustainability Committee's Sustainability Work Plan.