California  passed SB375, which hopes to reducing urban sprawl. USGBC believes SB375 is significant because sprawl is a major drawback to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The USGBC says transportation (primarily automobiles) generates one-third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Green buildings cannot reduce greenhouse gas emissions on their own. Between 1980 and 2000, 1.2 vehicles were added to the roads for every 1 person increase in the population. Also, because of ever-expanding sprawl, most cars are being driven longer distances too.

A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against the city of Albuquerque's green building code. U.S. District Judge Martha Vazquez stopped the city from enforcing the new code, which outlines a host of energy-efficient measures for homes and businesses. She ruled that the code "infringes on an area pre-empted by federal law." Critics believe the green building code is vague and will drive up the cost of replacing home appliances.

The New York Times questioned how badly a recession could hurt cleantech. Investors who pumped tens of billions of dollars into cleantech over the past three years did not expect a serious recession. Yet with one on the horizon, it looks as if heavily funded technologies like wind and solar power could get hit. The obvious danger is a slowdown in venture funding, as pointed out in a leaked Sequoia Capital presentation and a contributor piece from Advanced Technology Ventures’ Todd Kimmel. Companies without funding will struggle to commercialize their products, especially mid-stage cleantech outfits, who need a lot of capital to move from pilot demonstrations to commercial installations.