EESI Strongly Supports Energy Efficient Building Codes Amendment

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) issued a statement on March 5, 2020, urging the U.S. Senate to include building energy code provisions in the American Energy Innovation Act (S. 2657). EESI argues that omitting these provisions severely limits the bill's potential for emissions reductions and denies homeowners lower utility bills.

• EESI advocates for the adoption of amendment S. Amdt. 1514, which would integrate Sections 101 and 102 of the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2019 (S. 2137) into the American Energy Innovation Act. This amendment would require the Department of Energy (DOE) to create energy savings targets for building codes using input from code developers and state and local authorities, while providing grants and technical assistance for code adoption, enforcement, and compliance. The adoption of these codes would remain voluntary for local, state, and tribal governments.
• An analysis by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) regarding the Portman-Shaheen bill (S. 2137) and its House counterpart (H.R. 3962) indicates that the legislation could reduce carbon emissions by 1.1 billion metric tons and generate over $41 billion in savings by 2050, primarily through building energy code provisions.
• The building sector is a significant contributor to environmental impact, representing nearly 40 percent of the total energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
• EESI asserts that energy efficiency is a critical tool for climate mitigation because it offers a measurable way to reduce emissions using existing technology, which simplifies the achievement of future climate commitments.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2020). EESI Strongly Supports Energy Efficient Building Codes Amendment. https://www.eesi.org/files/EESI-Media-Statement-Building-Energy-Codes-Amendment-American-Energy-Innovation-Act.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. EESI Strongly Supports Energy Efficient Building Codes Amendment. 2020. https://www.eesi.org/files/EESI-Media-Statement-Building-Energy-Codes-Amendment-American-Energy-Innovation-Act.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=EESI Strongly Supports Energy Efficient Building Codes Amendment |date=5 March 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/EESI-Media-Statement-Building-Energy-Codes-Amendment-American-Energy-Innovation-Act.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2020eesi, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{EESI Strongly Supports Energy Efficient Building Codes Amendment}}, publisher = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/EESI-Media-Statement-Building-Energy-Codes-Amendment-American-Energy-Innovation-Act.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }