SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Yesterday, the Minnesota House Climate and Energy Committee passed HF 772, authored by Rep. Larry Kraft (DFL - St. Louis Park). The bill would accelerate the existing process of updating commercial energy codes so that every three years energy efficiency requirements would increase. Additionally, the bill requires all new buildings to support carbon-neutral energy by 2036.
“Climate science says we need to be a fully carbon neutral economy by 2050, and to get there we must build better buildings,” said Rep. Kraft. “Within Minnesota, buildings account for 40% of our greenhouse gas emissions, with commercial buildings being almost half of that amount. This bill focuses on new commercial buildings by simply accelerating the existing, established process for updating the commercial energy code while providing a measure of certainty for the Department of Labor and Industry, which maintains our building codes. Buildings are a difficult sector to decarbonize. This is one piece, albeit a key piece, of a complicated puzzle that we’re going to have to keep working on.”
Deputy Commissioner Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Kate Perushek; Managing Director of Buildings for Fresh Energy, Joe Dammel; State Lead of Minnesota Chapter of American Institute of Architects, Tate Walker; and Director of Building and Energy Director of St. Louis Park, Brain Hoffman all testified in support of the bill.
The bill now moves to the House Labor and Industry Committee.
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