27/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 27/08/2024 21:06
Investing in America Agenda Will Help Raise the Bar for Energy Efficiency in Buildings Across the Country that will Lower Energy Costs for Americans and Combat Climate Change
WASHINGTON, D.C.- As part of the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced nineteen State and local governments will receive over $240 million to adopt and implement the latest energy efficient or innovative building codes. These improvements will help save residents and commercial building operators money on their utility bills. Analysis from a National Lab shows that building energy codes make the electric grid more resilient and help save lives in climate-fueled extreme heat and cold and during extended power outages. Funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and administered through DOE's Office of State and Community Energy Programs, these grants are part of a suite of support, including formula funding to States and territories from the IRA and additional grants from the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, that DOE is providing to States, localities, territories, Tribes, and their partners to advance both traditional and innovative building energy codes resulting in more resilient, more-efficient, and better buildings across the country.
"State and local governments are taking on advanced, proven solutions that will help save energy bills while making their communities more resilient in the face of climate change - and the Biden-Harris Administration is helping them achieve these goals," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. "DOE is helping jurisdictions move further and faster in implementing stronger codes that will provide Americans safer, healthier, and more comfortable places to live, work, and play.
Existing commercial and multi-family buildings, under the umbrella of an innovative code like a building performance standard, can cut energy costs and greenhouses gas emissions. The National Building Performance Standard Coalition estimates that approximately 25% of commercial buildings fall under a building performance standard, which will improve buildings for almost 74 million people. In addition, homes built to the latest building energy codes (the model energy codes published by the International Code Council or American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Standard 90.1) are nearly 40% more efficient than homes built 15 years ago.
Building upon the groundwork laid by the initial set of selections from DOE's implementation of the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with respect to building energy codes, the 19 selectees funded by the IRA announced today will receive direct technical assistance to support the adoption and implementation of traditional energy codes, zero energy codes, and building performance standards. These grants advance the Biden-Harris Administration's Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments in climate, clean energy, and other areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
The selected projects include:
For a full list of projects, please click here. Selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award or provide funding. Before funding is issued, DOE and the applicants will undergo a negotiation process, and DOE may cancel negotiations and rescind the selection for any reason during that time.
Applications for the second round of competitive funding under the IRA will close on September 13, 2024, and DOE encourages all States and localities with the authority to adopt codes to consider applying. Additional information is available on Infrastructure Exchange under the Record Number DE-RD2-0003056.
This Latest and Zero Building Energy Codes opportunity is a rolling FOA open to states, territories and units of local government that have the authority to adopt building codes. The competitive program is available alongside a Formula Funding opportunity for states and territories to adopt, implement, and enforce the latest and zero building energy codes. This IRA funding opportunity is part of a suite of support, including grants from the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that DOE is providing to jurisdictions and their partners to advance building energy codes.
###