May 23, 2024
Arlington, Va.— NEMA Director of Regulatory and Industry Affairs Todd Sims issued the following statement after yesterday’s House Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security’s hearing on Green Building Policies: Jeopardizing the American Dream of Homeownership:
“NEMA is proud of our century-long history as a Standards Development Organization (SDO), leading on code development, adoption, and energy efficiency in the building sector. NEMA members manufacture products that contribute to the construction of safe, efficient, and resilient homes and businesses in communities across the United States.
“The adoption of thoughtful, modern building codes is consistent with the American dream of affordable home ownership. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently finalized the updating of their energy code requirements for federally-assisted housing. In their determination, HUD and USDA’s current energy codes for single-family homes create a positive cash flow in less than two years, with net savings for households reaching nearly $400 annually and more than $15,000 over the span of a typical mortgage. “
“According to the National Institute of Building Sciences, adopting the latest building codes would save $11 for every dollar invested. Building codes keep energy bills low for American families, increase energy efficiency, and improve resilience in the face of increasing environmental stressors.
“In short, living in a home with outdated building codes will cost American families more over a longer period of time and will increase exposure to extreme weather events. We urge the committee to recognize the wide geographic variation in energy code adoption across the country and review the benefits of developing, adopting, and implementing modern building codes, such as the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and forthcoming 2024 IECC that promote safety and resiliency, set energy efficiency minimums, and preserve customer choice in communities across the United States.
“In addition, we encourage Congress to continue to support the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program, protect related tax provisions in any future tax reform package, and pass common-sense, bipartisan legislation that encourages SDOs to continue their important work on codes and standards.”