Biden administration pushes steps to lower US building sector GHG emissions

As a battle plays out across the country over the future of natural gas use in buildings, the Biden administration rolled out a slew of initiatives May 17 designed to help spur building electrification, improve efficiency and lower carbon emissions from the building sector.

In announcing the steps, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm emphasized that residential and commercial buildings account for more than one-third of annual US carbon pollution.

New initiatives include plans for building performance standards for the federal government; partnerships and pilot programs to help electrify and modernize new and existing buildings; research to support innovative heating and cooling systems; energy efficiency standards to advance heat pump technology; and a $30 million investment through the Department of Energy in workforce training to enable high performance buildings.

"With our enormous building footprint, the federal government is in a unique place to lead by example," General Service Administration Acting Administrator Katy Kale said during a White House roundtable to unveil the new steps. GSA building assets total 186 million square feet, with even more space leased by the federal government, she noted.

Performance standards

Among the initiatives, the White House Council on Environmental Quality will lead an interagency effort with the DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency to develop building performance standards for the federal government. The standards will establish metrics, targets and tracking methods to reach federal carbon emission goals, with performance milestones and resources identified to help agencies, Kale said.

"We are going to show you our values, and we're going to show you that it's going to save us a ton of money," said Gina McCarthy, White House national climate adviser, during the event.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said his agency's new Energy Star standards will aim to advance energy efficient heat pump technology for residential water heaters and for heating/cooling equipment.

"These specifications along with leveraging the Energy Star label and our extensive network of partners will set the stage for providing every American household with access to clean, affordable heat and water cooling, even when temperatures are very low," Regan said, touting the potential for savings to grow to $11 billion a year and avoidance of one-third of direct GHG emissions for US homes and apartments.

Setting sights on current use of fossil fuels, Regan said a new Energy Star home upgrade program also will seek to accelerate energy efficiency and electrification retrofits in existing homes.

"A key focus of this effort will be underserved households that suffer the highest energy burden," Regan said. "We want to accelerate emerging business models that can deliver at a scale to these overburdened communities."

According to CEQ chair Brenda Mallory, the White House also plans a series of stakeholder engagement roundtables to focus on a national building modernization strategy.

At DOE, Granholm unveiled the Initiative for Better Energy, Emissions and Equity (E3) to advance research, development and deployment of clean heating and cooling systems such as heat pumps and advanced water heaters.

And, in an effort to collaborate with industry to decarbonize buildings, DOE unveiled a pilot project to work with commercial, industrial and multifamily organizations to demonstrate real world successes and share those with the market.

Gas ban backdrop

The administration's initiatives come as debate has rippled across the country over environmentalists' efforts to accelerate a shift off of natural gas use in buildings to lower carbon emissions by supporting local bans on gas use in new construction.

There are at least six states where local governments or the state has passed a gas ban, electrification code or restriction on new building gas use. New buildings in these jurisdictions would not contain natural gas piping or fossil fuel boilers, and would instead rely on electric-powered heating systems like air-source heat pumps and induction stoves.

That effort has drawn opposition from the gas sector, which has emphasized the importance of maintaining choice and affordability for customers, amid the potential crimp on future gas demand.

US residential and commercial gas demand was 24.7 Bcf/d in 2020, making up 29% of total domestic gas demand, down from 38% of the whole in 2010, according to S&P Global Platts Analytics.

Pushing back on gas ban campaigns, more than a dozen states have passed laws barring local governments from restricting gas use in buildings.

The American Gas Association has argued that policies should "recognize that improving energy efficiency in residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, and other natural gas applications is a cornerstone strategy in reducing greenhouse gas emissions." In response to the administration's latest steps, the trade group said gas utilities were "looking to partner with the administration on a pathway to a clean energy future with a focus on innovation not elimination."

Among other steps unveiled May 17, the EPA also said Energy Star will expand to cover electric vehicle chargers used in commercial settings. It also committed to expanding partnership programs for new homes as well as for commercial buildings by launching zero-carbon building recognition. For state and local governments, it is developing new tools and resources for building energy efficiency and decarbonization.

Separately, GSA and the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory said they are releasing a blueprint for integrating grid-interactive, efficient technologies into building renovation and improvement projects.