A deadline of January 31 is looming for programs at the state level that may be eligible for federal grants to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The grants are available as a result of the big $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act approved by Congress late last year.
That legislation provides up to $225 million in grants, to be accessed during the next four years. The funding is coming through the Energy Department’s Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation program.
According to the guidelines of the program, states will be eligible for grant funding that can then be spent on updating energy codes, conducting studies and training programs, among other endeavors.
A second federal energy initiative is seeing a much larger $1 billion approved in the Inflation Reduction Act, which received Congressional approval last August. That program is for state and local governments adopting the most recent energy codes, otherwise known as the 2021 International Energy Conservation Codes.
Both federal grant programs envision state governments partnering not only with local government, but also individual home builders, and professional industry associations.
A press release issued by the National Association of Home Builders cautions that usage of the Inflation Reduction Act grants is somewhat restrictive, while lauding what’s available in the Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation program.
“Updating to any newer energy code will result in higher construction costs and higher home prices. And most of the additional requirements do not pay for themselves over time,” says the NAHB, before adding: “But if a state still wants to take advantage of the grant programs, one is far better than the other.”
By Garry Boulard
