At least 30 major U.S. cities have adopted stricter building energy codes since 2017, according to the 2019 City Clean Energy Scorecard released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
Since 2017, nine cities adopted more energy efficient building energy codes: Las Vegas, Mesa, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Reno, San Antonio, St. Louis, and Tucson. Five cities successfully advocated for their states to adopt more stringent standards: Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Seattle.
Another eight cities adopted efficiency requirements for existing buildings: Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, New York, Reno, Salt Lake City, San José, and Washington, D.C. These changes will help address climate change, as residential and commercial buildings account for about 36% of total energy-related carbon dioxide emissions each year, ACEEE says.
Six states—Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—adopted updated codes that strengthened codes in 15 Scorecard cities. Three cities in the Northeast—Boston, New York, and Worcester, Mass., have all adopted stretch codes that go beyond baseline state codes.
Related Stories
Legislation | Aug 19, 2016
California lawmakers may take action to address contractor negligence
An assembly committee heard testimony on deadly balcony collapse that occurred last year.
Energy Efficiency | Aug 17, 2016
Investor Confidence Project aimed at raising trustworthiness on energy efficiency projects
The new initiative screens projects to see if they are investor-ready.
Standards | Aug 17, 2016
U.K.’S BREEAM green building standard enters U.S. market
The standard is touted as a cost-effective alternative to LEED.
Standards | Aug 16, 2016
Standard for conducting, reporting energy audits open for review
A joint ASHRAE/ACCA proposal seeks comments from industry professionals.
Legislation | Aug 10, 2016
Calif. bill would speed up environmental lawsuits on certain projects
A nine-month limit has been proposed for some $100 million-plus projects.
Resiliency | Aug 10, 2016
White House pushes for better finance strategies for disaster mitigation and resilience
The move highlights innovative insurance, mortgage, tax, and finance-based strategies.
Regulations | Aug 9, 2016
New trend eases parking requirements for U.S. cities
Transit-oriented development and affordable housing are spurring the movement.
Regulations | Aug 8, 2016
EPA toughens rules to reduce formaldehyde exposure from composite wood products
Products will now have to be labeled as compliant to the new rules.
Regulations | Aug 5, 2016
Stop-work orders in New York City up sharply this year
The orders come after a rise in the number of deadly accidents that have occurred in the past few years.
Sustainability | Aug 4, 2016
S.F. Bay Area voters approve first-of-its-kind tax to fight impact of climate change
The funds from the tax will be used to restore wetlands
