Major energy bill missing key provisions to reduce emissions: energy-efficient building codes

The author contends that the American Energy Innovation Act (AEIA) contains a critical gap due to the removal of building-code provisions from the Portman-Shaheen legislation. According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), these missing provisions—Sections 101 and 102—would have saved Americans over $41 billion and reduced carbon emissions by 1.1 billion metric tons by 2050. The document rejects claims by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) that energy-efficient codes make housing unaffordable, arguing instead that lower monthly utility bills improve long-term affordability and that such codes enhance building safety and resilience against extreme weather.

• The American Energy Innovation Act (AEIA) (S. 2657) is positioned to be the first major energy policy bill since the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, incorporating parts of the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2019 (Portman-Shaheen).
• Sections 101 and 102 of the Portman-Shaheen legislation, which focus on energy efficiency and cost-effective implementation of building codes, were removed from the AEIA following opposition from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
• Analysis by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) indicates that the omitted building-code provisions would have the most significant impact on energy efficiency, potentially reducing carbon emissions by 1.1 billion metric tons and saving over $41 billion through 2050.
• Residential and commercial buildings are responsible for nearly 40 percent of the total energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.
• The document asserts that energy-efficient construction improves housing affordability by lowering monthly utility bills and increases building durability during extreme weather events.
• The missing provisions would have provided resources for state and local governments to pursue ambitious goals, including net-zero energy (NZE) buildings, which the Department of Energy (DOE) defines as buildings producing enough renewable energy to meet their own annual consumption.

APA

Vaughan, E. (2020). Major energy bill missing key provisions to reduce emissions: energy-efficient building codes. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/major-energy-bill-missing-key-provisions-to-reduce-emissions-energy-efficient-building-codes

Chicago

Vaughan, Ellen. Major energy bill missing key provisions to reduce emissions: energy-efficient building codes. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2020. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/major-energy-bill-missing-key-provisions-to-reduce-emissions-energy-efficient-building-codes.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Vaughan |first1=Ellen |title=Major energy bill missing key provisions to reduce emissions: energy-efficient building codes |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=2 March 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/major-energy-bill-missing-key-provisions-to-reduce-emissions-energy-efficient-building-codes |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{vaughan2020major, author = {Vaughan, Ellen}, title = {{Major energy bill missing key provisions to reduce emissions: energy-efficient building codes}}, publisher = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/major-energy-bill-missing-key-provisions-to-reduce-emissions-energy-efficient-building-codes}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }