U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) requested information regarding recent funding announcements by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to incentivize the adoption of international building energy codes that she says will increase housing prices and utility bills across the country.
Such codes are laws and regulations that set minimum requirements for commercial and residential building construction to address structural, plumbing, electrical, ventilation, energy efficiency, and related requirements, according to a March 27 letter Rep. McMorris Rodgers and U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) sent to DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm.
“In the U.S., building codes are predominately and appropriately regulated by state and local jurisdictions — not the federal government,” they wrote, citing two announcements by DOE on Sept. 19, 2023, and Dec. 18, 2023, for a $400 million program and a new $530 million program to implement new building energy codes.
Both programs could increase housing prices and utility bills for Americans, wrote the lawmakers, who called the DOE announcements the latest rush-to-green policy being implemented by the Biden administration to appease its radical environmental allies.
“State and local governments should not be forced to adopt international energy codes that set efficiency requirements, ban the use of natural gas, or require expensive electrification retrofits for appliances and electric vehicle charging,” wrote Rep. McMorris Rodgers and her colleague.
“We are concerned that the DOE’s building codes grant programs will exacerbate the current housing affordability crisis and limit energy choices for the American people by encouraging the adoption of such one-size-fits-all building codes that are not appropriate or cost-effective for all income levels and regions of the country,” they added.
Rep. McMorris Rodgers and Rep. Duncan wrote they are also concerned that the grant programs will encourage a so-called “zero-energy” building code that would effectively ban the use of fossil fuels in favor of more expensive and less reliable electric options.
The members requested that Granholm answer several questions by April 10 regarding a review by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, which the congresswoman chairs, of the DOE’s statutory authorities and responsibilities relating to building energy codes.