Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker recently created the Commission on Clean Heat that will set targets for buildings to reduce emissions from heating fuels.
The board, the first such body in the nation, will further the state’s ambitious plans to reduce carbon emissions. The state has lacked specific pathways to achieve its goals, particularly regarding the heating of buildings.
According to a recent report by the Boston Globe, Massachusetts has been converting just hundreds of homes to electric heat per year when its climate plan called for 100,000 a year. Affordable housing officials will be included on the commission in an effort to make the transition from gas and oil heat to electric more equitable for those of modest means.
Nearly one-third of Massachusetts’ greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings. The commission is expected to establish a cap on emissions from heating fuels similar to what the state has done in the power sector.
Related Stories
| Feb 20, 2013
ANSI/CRRC Cool Roof Standard has been approved
The Cool Roof Rating Council says the American National Standards Institute has given final approval of its ANSI/CRRC-1-2012 Standard after a two-year public review process.
| Feb 20, 2013
Group of West Coast civil engineers developing building standards for tsunamis
A group of civil engineers from around the western U.S. is developing additions to the building code to address the threat of a tsunami.
| Feb 20, 2013
Higher standards, efficiency programs keys to 40% energy usage reduction in commercial buildings since 1980
Commercial buildings have seen a drop in their energy intensity of more than 40% since 1980, according to a recent report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance and the Business Council for Sustainable Energy.
| Feb 12, 2013
Higher education institutions providing leadership on sustainability
More than 665 U.S. colleges and universities have publicly committed to pursue net-zero carbon emissions.
| Feb 12, 2013
ASHRAE publishes protocols for performance measurement
ASHRAE has published “Performance Measurement Procedures for Commercial Buildings: Best Practices Guide,” a how-to guide for continuously evaluating and improving the performance of commercial buildings throughout their service life.
| Feb 12, 2013
California resolves ADA inconsistencies with 2013 building code
The recently adopted 2013 California Building Code (CBC) revisions bring the state code in line with the federal Americans With Disabilities Act 2010.
| Feb 12, 2013
Bullitt Foundation says Living Building Challenge can only be met after code change
The 50,000 sf Bullitt Center in Seattle is being constructed to be the greenest, most energy-efficient commercial building in the world, and meet the ambitious goals of the Living Building Challenge.
| Feb 12, 2013
Tilt-Up Concrete Assn. offers technical advice on 2012 International Energy Code
The Tilt-Up Concrete Association (TCA) says it can be a major industry resource in helping designers adhere to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).
| Feb 8, 2013
WDMA releases national policy agenda for windows, doors, skylights
Document urges a regulatory stance that will support manufacturing, including favorable building codes and tax policy.
| Feb 6, 2013
Green-roofing bills approved by New Jersey's state Assembly
Two bills that would require installation of green and blue roofs on new government buildings received overwhelming approval from the state Assembly in New Jersey.