By Naghmana Sherazi
A couple weeks ago, we informed you about taking action on HB 1767 - a bill that would have offered incentives for consumers to switch to an electric source rather than fossil fuels, and we are grateful for all of you who reached out in support. Unfortunately, that bill is not moving forward. Things move quickly in Olympia, so here is an update on WA Energy Code Bills and another way for you to get involved:
Our State Building Code Council (SBCC) has an opportunity to start addressing one of the fastest-growing sources of climate pollution: the pollution from our buildings, mostly due to the use of fracked gas in furnaces, boilers, and water heaters. This opportunity to update and improve our building energy codes to incorporate the latest technologies comes up only once every three years! We need to urge the State Building Code Council to adopt strong state energy codes that lead to safer, cleaner electric buildings.
The public comment period is open now through March 11, 2022, and a broad range of voices from across the state is needed to show strong support for these energy code proposals that will help Washington move away from fossil fuels in new commercial buildings. Voices from everywhere around the state are especially critical.
Our friends at Climate Solutions are collecting individual comments. You can show your support by submitting an individual comment here:
If you have any questions, please reach out to me, Naghmana Sherazi, at nsherazi@landscouncil.org.