Building Codes Assistance Project

On April 10 2008, Alliance to Save Energy President Kateri Callahan and Director of Policy Lowell Ungar participated in two congressional briefings about building energy codes as a response to climate change on Capital Hill. These briefings were hosted by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

Building energy codes are a key tool in reducing the two-fifths of U.S. energy use and greenhouse gas emissions that are contributed by buildings, and thus are a key part of our national energy policy. While codes are set by state and local governments, they rely on assistance from national organizations and the U.S. Department of Energy. An important provision in the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act would set national targets for code improvements of 30% savings starting in 2010 and 50% savings starting in 2020. If fully implemented, such improvements could avoid 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions through 2050.

For more information and copies of the presentations please consult the Alliance to Save Energy Website.