August 23, 2022
Twenty-six health, environmental, and consumer protection groups formally petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today to protect public health from dangerous outdoor air pollution fossil fuel-fired heating appliances.
clean-buildings
August 17, 2022
Eugene, OR — Today, six Oregon elected officials and more than 30 organizations submitted a petition calling on the Oregon Department of Justice and Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to investigate the state’s largest methane gas utility, NW Natural, for deceptive advertising practices, including falsely promoting methane gas as a climate solution, misleading the public on its energy investments, and advertising pro-gas materials to school children.
August 16, 2022
Boston – Today, Mayor Michelle Wu announced that she will file a home rule petition that will allow Boston to set building standards eliminating the use of fossil fuels in new buildings and major renovations. The petition would include the city of Boston in the state’s 10-municipality pilot program recently enacted in Bill H.5060, An Act driving clean energy and offshore wind. The pilot allows cities and towns to develop local ordinances that restrict or prohibit the use of fossil fuels in new buildings or major renovation projects, including through building permitting.
August 1, 2022
WASHINGTON, DC – DC Mayor Muriel Bowser signed groundbreaking legislation to transition new buildings and DC government operations off fossil fuels.
Mayor Bowser signed into law the Clean Energy DC Building Code Act, requiring that by 2026, all new buildings in DC are net-zero energy and produce the energy they use on-site from renewable sources. The bill expressly prohibits the combustion of dirty fuels in buildings, including fracked gas and fossil gas alternatives from sources like animal manure.
July 14, 2022
The Sierra Club applauds the Council of the District of Columbia for voting unanimously to start transitioning DC off fossil fuels and toward clean and efficient electric systems in new buildings.
April 22, 2022
OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Building Code Council voted 11-3 today to adopt a new statewide commercial and multifamily building energy code that will be the strongest, most climate-friendly in the country by driving the transition to clean electricity for space and water heating. This major win for clean energy coincides with President Joe Biden’s Earth Day Seattle visit where he discussed the infrastructure bill and clean energy.
April 15, 2022
The Massachusetts Sierra Club applauds the state Senate for passing a climate bill last night that would take steps to create incentives, investments, and targets necessary to meet the state’s goals for clean energy and transportation.
April 7, 2022
Today, the Massachusetts Senate released its climate bill, moving forward many policies the Sierra Club has been advocating for to advance clean energy and clean transportation.
March 14, 2022
The Maryland State Senate passed a climate solutions bill that will cut carbon pollution by 60% by 2030, and begin to reduce pollution from buildings and homes by shifting away from using fossil fuels for heating.
December 8, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today, President Biden announced an executive order to greatly reduce the federal government’s climate pollution. This order serves as a critical first step to cutting pollution from the government’s own vehicles, buildings, electricity usage, and construction materials while supporting family-sustaining manufacturing jobs.
September 22, 2021
Boston, MA — Boston City Council voted unanimously today to approve amendments to the Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO), requiring buildings over 20,000 square feet to meet a performance standard which lays out a mandated path for buildings to become carbon-free by 2050.
September 13, 2021
Washington, D.C. - Today the Energy and Commerce Committee of the U.S House of Representatives began its mark-up of budget reconciliation language, which includes a Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP), a fee on methane polluters, funding for electric vehicles, environmental justice block grants, building electrification and energy efficiency. The committee is expected to send the bill to the full House in the coming days.