flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Existing laws may be restricting efforts to cut carbon emissions

Codes and Standards

Existing laws may be restricting efforts to cut carbon emissions

Outdated policies favor fossil fuels.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | August 19, 2020

Municipalities attempting to enact new laws to cut carbon emissions are being restrained in some cases by existing laws that favor fossil fuels.

For example, the town of Brookline, Mass., enacted at ban on natural gas and oil heating systems and cooking appliances using fossil fuels in new buildings. But, the state’s attorney general overturned the law, citing the town’s lack of authority to create their own building permitting rules or to control the piping installed in buildings.

Though the attorney general supports the town’s carbon-cutting goal, she said that municipalities cannot legally override the state’s Department of Public Utilities on this issue. Environmental advocates say regulations and laws such as the one cited in the Bay State will have to be revisited to advance carbon-emission reduction policies.

New York State has a policy that guarantees access to natural gas service to all residents in areas where it is available. California’s Natural Gas Act requires the state’s energy planning agency to issue a report every four years that identifies strategies to maximize the benefits of natural gas. These laws may make it more difficult to fully electrify new buildings.

Related Stories

Codes and Standards | Jan 13, 2020

Kansas City is first in nation to offer free public transportation

Aim is to increase mobility to spur more economic activity.

Codes and Standards | Jan 9, 2020

Dept. of Defense will require beefed up cybersecurity standards in January

All contractors will have to demonstrate secure practices.

Codes and Standards | Jan 8, 2020

2019 Oregon Zero Energy Ready commercial code will boost efficiency by 14%

ASHRAE 90.1 is the basis for new code that went into effect Oct. 1.

Codes and Standards | Jan 8, 2020

Energy efficiency initiatives have significantly cut energy consumption per square foot

Lighting and space heating fell by more than 600 trillion Btu from 2003 to 2012.

Building Technology | Jan 7, 2020

Tariff whiplash for bifacial solar modules

Bifacial solar systems offer many advantages over traditional systems.

Codes and Standards | Jan 7, 2020

New certification program for rigid core luxury vinyl tile

ASSURE CERTIFIED to establish industry-wide quality standards.

Codes and Standards | Jan 7, 2020

Boston’s beefed up wetlands ordinance will limit development

Conservation commission must consider future climate impacts when assessing new projects.

Codes and Standards | Jan 6, 2020

States pick up the slack in efficiency policy as federal government lags

With climate change deniers setting policy in Trump Administration, progress continues in statehouses.

Codes and Standards | Jan 6, 2020

OSHA plans multiple revisions to rules impacting construction industry in 2020

Cranes and derricks, welding in confined spaces, beryllium exposure, and more on docket.

Codes and Standards | Jan 3, 2020

Labor supply and capability of workers worry contractors

Three out of four firms plan to add workers in 2020.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Sustainability

Grimshaw launches free online tool to help accelerate decarbonization of buildings

Minoro, an online platform to help accelerate the decarbonization of buildings, was recently launched by architecture firm Grimshaw, in collaboration with more than 20 supporting organizations including World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), RIBA, Architecture 2030, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and several national Green Building Councils from across the globe.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021

Â