  Nonlocal gravity (NLG), a classical extension of Einstein's theory of
gravitation, has been studied mainly in linearized form. In particular,
nonlinearities have thus far prevented the treatment of cosmological models in
NLG. In this essay, we discuss the local limit of NLG and apply this limit to
the expanding homogenous and isotropic universe. The theory only allows
spatially flat cosmological models; furthermore, de Sitter spacetime is
forbidden. The components of the model will have different dynamics with
respect to cosmic time as compared to the standard $\Lambda$CDM model;
specifically, instead of the cosmological constant, the modified flat model of
cosmology involves a dynamic dark energy component in order to account for the
accelerated phase of the expansion of the universe.
