EESI Strongly Supports Energy Efficient Building Codes Amendment

EESI supports the addition of an amendment (S. Amdt. 1514) to the American Energy Innovation Act that would incorporate energy savings targets and technical assistance for building codes. The organization asserts that without these provisions, the bill's potential for emissions reductions is severely limited, noting that the building sector accounts for nearly 40 percent of total U.S. energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

• 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 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 local, state, and tribal authorities, while providing grants and technical assistance for code compliance and enforcement.
• The building sector is a major contributor to environmental impact, representing nearly 40 percent of the total energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
• An analysis by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) regarding the Portman-Shaheen bill (and its House equivalent H.R. 3962) suggests 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.
• EESI contends that energy efficiency is the most accessible method for achieving measurable emissions reductions and that the absence of building energy code provisions in the current Senate energy bill unacceptably limits its climate benefits.

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} }