clean-buildings

November 19, 2024

Today, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the final round of funding for the Inflation Reduction Act’s Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP), marking the delivery of more than $1.4 billion to provide clean, energy-efficient housing upgrades for low-income communities, veterans, and people with disabilities.

July 22, 2024

Denver, Colo. – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Colorado and the Denver Regional Council of Governments were awarded $328 million in funding from the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program. 

June 25, 2024

HARTFORD, CT. – The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) released a Decarbonization Study exploring possible replacements for the Capitol Area System, a three-decade-old energy plant with a history of polluting Hartford’s air. The report follows years of advocacy by local environmental and climate justice groups to replace the facility with a 100 percent clean, renewable energy alternative.

April 24, 2024

“Everyone wins” under Clean Energy for New Federal Buildings and Major Renovations of Federal Buildings standard

March 21, 2024

The International Code Council (ICC) announced yesterday that the final version of its new commercial and residential energy codes will not include widely popular and expert-backed provisions that would have reduced energy waste and pollution.

January 29, 2024

Today, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a final energy efficiency standard for stoves. The new standards will take effect in 2028 and, according to DOE, are projected to save Americans approximately $1.6 billion on their utility bills over 30 years.

August 7, 2023

Washington, DC - Sierra Club members and supporters submitted more than 6,000 comments urging the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to finalize and implement a policy determination to update building energy codes for renters in low-income housing, which could save residents over 35% in energy costs.

January 26, 2023

BOSTON, MA --  At her first State of the City address last night, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced she will be signing an Executive Order requiring all new municipal buildings and major renovations, including schools, to be fossil-fuel free.

January 10, 2023

ALBANY, NY -- Governor Hochul released new policy goals at her State of the State address on Tuesday that would further implement the landmark Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). This nation-leading climate law commits New York State to a zero emissions grid by 2040 and near carbon neutrality by 2050. In December, the Climate Action Council released the final scoping plan for enacting regulations that retains many of the strong recommendations that emerged from the Advisory Panels and the public comment process.

January 9, 2023

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a recall for thousands of gas ranges due to a serious concern about carbon monoxide poisoning from the oven compartment. This recall underscores the need for CPSC to enact rules to ensure the safety of new gas stoves, an effort that the agency says it is exploring.

December 20, 2022

WASHINGTON, DC – The DC Council today passed legislation requiring that all new and substantially renovated DC government buildings meet net zero energy standards, meaning the buildings are highly energy efficient, maximize on-site renewable energy generation, and do not use fossil fuels. The legislation helps implement the Climate Commitment Act, which requires the DC government to be carbon neutral in its operations by 2040. 

December 19, 2022

MANHATTAN, NY -- Today, New York’s Climate Action Council (CAC) will vote on the Final Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) Scoping Plan. Following the passage of the CLCPA, Advisory Panels with diverse sector-specific expertise were appointed in 2020 to draft recommendations for the strategies necessary for New York to decarbonize and meet the mandates of the Climate Act.