Portman proposes building codes amendment to pending energy bill

U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) on March 5 proposed a bipartisan amendment to larger energy legislation currently under consideration on the floor of the U.S. Senate that would establish greater energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness in building codes.

“This bipartisan amendment will ensure that American consumers see the significant savings on their energy bills that they deserve from homes and buildings across America that are built in a more energy-efficient manner,” Sen. Portman said.

The senator introduced Senate Amendment (S.Amdt.) 1514 with cosponsor U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to include the voluntary building codes sections of their legislation, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2019, S. 2137, to the overall larger bill under Senate consideration on March 10, the Advanced Geothermal Innovation Leadership (AGILE) Act of 2019, S. 2657.

S.Amdt. 1514 would allow the construction of new homes and buildings to voluntarily be more energy-efficient without any mandates, according to a summary provided by Sen. Portman’s office.

The provisions in the amendment were included in the Portman-Shaheen energy efficiency measure that most recently was approved in September 2019 by the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee by a vote of 85-12, according to Sen. Portman’s office.

The building codes provision has been endorsed by a broad range of stakeholders, who praised its benefits, which include saving consumers $41.4 billion on their energy bills; reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 1.18 billion metric tons; and saving 28 quadrillion Btu of energy, according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

“Our amendment, while not mandatory for any state, local government or tribe, would protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions equivalent to taking 3.1 million cars off the road each year for 30 years,” said Sen. Portman. “I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan amendment to lower energy costs for consumers while protecting our environment.”