Most of the 10 states that rely the most on natural gas or propane for heating and cooking have ambitious climate goals.
Some aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as an 80% by 2050. “Combustion emissions produced within these jurisdictions suggest it will not be possible to meet climate goals without immediate and durable action on building fossil fuel use,” according to an article by the Rocky Mountain Institute.
Natural gas along with smaller amounts of oil and propane in buildings accounts for 10% of total US economy-wide emissions. Just 10 large states—most of which are in the Northeast— are responsible for 56% of those emissions.
Switching from fuel oil to gas reduces a home or business’s emissions by about 27%, or around 16% for propane. That’s not enough to reach carbon emission reduction goals. That means homes and businesses will have to switch to electric heat pump technology powered by electricity from renewable sources if states’ climate goals are to be met.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Apr 24, 2017
‘Staggering delays, exorbitant costs’ in New York City library, cultural building construction
Study finds significant problems with how city manages capital projects.
Codes and Standards | Apr 20, 2017
California lawmakers have had little success in attracting sports stadiums
Only one of several attempts has had an impact in recent years.
Codes and Standards | Apr 19, 2017
Dept. of Energy releases updated versions of EnergyPlus and OpenStudio building energy modeling tools
The updated versions include full support for variable speed DX coils, enhanced plant auto-sizing, new fan model, and support for non-rectangular windows.
Codes and Standards | Apr 18, 2017
K-12 school daylighting initiative created to promote best practices
Eneref Institute creates networking group of school administrators for ideas to overcome market obstacles.
Codes and Standards | Apr 17, 2017
OSHA delays enforcing crystalline silica standard in construction industry
Enforcement will begin Sept. 23, three months later than planned.
Codes and Standards | Apr 13, 2017
Former OSHA official publishes safety citations on his own
Under Trump orders, agency had stopped issuing ‘shaming’ press releases on major fines and safety violations.
Codes and Standards | Apr 12, 2017
Trump infrastructure task force suggests arbitration to speed projects
Permitting process could be reduced from 10 years to 2 years under the proposal.
Codes and Standards | Apr 11, 2017
2017 National Energy Codes Conference includes code boot camp, PNC Tower tour
The DOE-sponsored event will be held in Pittsburgh July 17-20.
Codes and Standards | Apr 10, 2017
Congressional hearing on skills gap includes look at construction industry
Strategies to boost ranks of construction workers include mentoring programs, increased safety measures, trade group support, and outreach to school counselors.
Codes and Standards | Apr 6, 2017
Product-specific EPDs seen as key aid to earning green building credits
The product-specific EPDs allow designers to more quickly earn a LEED v4 credit in the Materials & Resources category.