As predicted, energy prices are soaring. Transportation fuels are getting the most traction, with gas exceeding $4/gallon, but increased fuels prices also affect heating and cooling of buildings. It’s a little known fact that buildings account for 40% of all the energy used in the United States, as well as 40% of all carbon emissions.    

So what is happening in Congress to affect change? There has been some activity this year that could make a difference.

The Senate debated a bill that includes:

In the House, while no comprehensive legislation is to be considered this year, a number of position papers have been released on climate change. However, Edward Markey (D-MA), who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, has announced his own proposal on climate change that includes carbon emission cap-auction-and-trade programs.

More importantly though are the activities that will eventually come out of the ‘‘Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.” Some of the issues affecting NFRC that we should see shortly include:

• Increased energy efficiency requirements for federal buildings
• An increase in energy code requirements for manufactured housing, including meeting the most recent version of the International Energy Conservation Code.
• A “Zero Net Energy Commercial Building Initiative.” These buildings are defined as a high-performance commercial building that are designed, constructed, and operated to require a greatly reduced quantity of energy; meet the balance of energy needs from sources of energy that do not produce greenhouse gases; and are economically viable.
• The promotion of “High-Performance Green Buildings,” including the formation and funding of a high-performance green building partnership consortium. These buildings are so defined that during their life-cycle they:
  • reduce energy, water, and material resource use;
  • improve indoor environmental quality, including reducing indoor pollution, improving thermal comfort, and improving lighting and acoustic environments that affect occupant health and productivity;
  • reduce negative impacts on the environment throughout the life-cycle of the building, including air and water pollution and waste generation;
  • increase the use of environmentally preferable products, including bio-based, recycled content, and non-toxic products with lower lifecycle impacts;
  • increase reuse and recycling opportunities;
  • integrate systems in the building;
  • reduce the environmental and energy impacts of transportation through building location and site design that support a full range of transportation choices for users of the building; and
  • consider indoor and outdoor effects of the building on human health and the environment, including improvements in worker productivity and the life-cycle impacts of building materials and operations.

You can trust that NFRC will keep our stakeholders concerns at the forefront. If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at info@nfrc.org.