Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed new legislation into law Friday creating statewide minimum energy efficiency standards for new homes.
The product of years of negotiations, House Bill 3987—the Energy Efficient Building Act—brings Illinois in line with the latest International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for new residential construction, updated automatically every three years. The Energy Efficient Building Act represented an agreement between environmental groups, architects, and Illinois homebuilders.
“This bill will increase the energy efficiency standards for new and renovated homes, and ultimately reduce our carbon footprint,” said Governor Quinn. “It is important here in Illinois that we make a commitment to thinking and acting green, and this important legislation will help us carry out that mission.”
The bill passed the House by an 89 to 28 margin on the last day of session in May after passing the Senate by a 48 to 8 margin one day earlier.
The environmental benefits of this legislation are significant. 10% of all energy used worldwide is used to power U.S. buildings, creating a tremendous burden on power plants nationwide—especially in Illinois, where carbon emissions from the electricity generation sector are up 53% since 1990. But a 2007 study prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy found that having Illinois update to the latest IECC standards could reduce CO2 emissions by 12.8 million tons by 2020.
“Energy efficiency standards for new residential construction are a win-win for our environment and the economy,” said Brian Granahan of Environment Illinois. “This legislation will put money in the pockets of new homeowners and help reduce our contribution to global warming. We’re delighted that Governor Quinn is taking Illinois forward to a cleaner, more energy-efficiency future and we thank him for his leadership.”
In Other State News…
Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD) announced the issuance of draft pollution permits for a coal-fired power plant that has been proposed in Washington County.
"We are disappointed that energy and utility companies in Georgia continue to sink more money into outdated and dirty energy sources like Plant Washington," Jennette Gayer of Environment Georgia, said in a statement. "We could create more green jobs and not pollute our air and water resources by embracing energy efficiency and renewable power like solar, wind and biomass. Unemployment in our state is at an all time high and we need to get Georgia back on the path to a Clean Energy Economy.”
The announcement came out on the same day as an energy efficiency report by Georgia Tech showing how energy efficiency could entirely offset the need to expand electric generation capacity in the South through the year 2020. That report can be read a the link below.
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