Shaheen Applauds Updated Energy Efficiency Standards for Federally Supported Homes

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) applauded action by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to adopt updated Minimum Energy Standards for new single and multifamily federally-backed homes. Previously, federally funded homes were only required to meet energy conservation standards set in 2009. With today’s announcement, new homes must be built to 2021 standards. Shaheen has long fought for these updated standards in order to reduce wasted energy and help Granite State families save money on utilities. 

“Today’s action by HUD and USDA to use the most up-to-date building energy codes for federally-backed homes will mean less heat going out the door and more dollars in Granite Staters’ pockets,” said Senator Shaheen. “Homes built to these new, modern standards will be resilient and more energy efficient helping reduce pollution and save families more than $500 every year on utility costs." 

Shaheen has championed work to secure federal investments in clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives and to lower energy costs across New Hampshire, especially by fighting for updated building energy codes standards. Earlier this year, Shaheen sent a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) urging it to require that new homes with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac meet up-to-date building codes for energy efficiency. 

Shaheen was a lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which made huge investments in clean energy, including $225 million to support the adoption and implementation of updated building energy codes based upon her longstanding bipartisan legislation with Senator Rob Portman. Shaheen also helped secure $1 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act, of which New Hampshire is eligible for nearly $2.5 million to support modern code adoption, implementation, enforcement, training and workforce development. 

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