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Clark County homebuilders decry timing of new energy standards, say home prices will go up
Published: January 28, 2021, 6:06am
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3 Photos A worker lends a hand at a house under construction in the Felida Overlook neighborhood Wednesday morning. A set of energy code updates is set to take effect Feb. 1, and builders have expressed concern that the new rules could drive up construction costs at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has already pushed up home prices. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian) Photo Gallery
Vancouver-area homebuilders say a new round of energy-efficiency standards could add $15,000 or more to the price of new houses, according to the Building Industry Association of Clark County. The timing appears to be their biggest complaint.
Residential GHG emissions are among the smallest sector of the economy according to the EPA
Legislation developed by Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s office could substantially reduce and potentially eliminate natural gas utilities’ ability to deliver energy to homes and businesses over the next 30 years. It would require homeowners to modify existing homes to electric heat and electric hot water by 2050.
Washington House Bill 1084, the Healthy Homes and Clean Buildings Act, would require all new construction in Washington to be zero-carbon by 2030. It would further seek to eliminate fossil fuel consumption in existing buildings by 2050, according to a Dec. 15, 2020 policy brief from Inslee’s office. The legislative text would provide a roadmap to phasing out gas utility service in Washington through changes to state code, regulatory mechanisms and incentives.