Energy Department Says 2024 Efficiency Code Would Raise New-Home Costs by Up to $14,000

Energy Department officials said Friday that updated green building codes would add as much as $14,000 to the cost of a single-family home. A new DOE analysis found that adoption of the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code would increase residential construction costs by more than $9.2 billion annually compared with 2006 code levels.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated that American families should not be forced to pay more for a home because of nonsensical energy-related mandates.

He added that climate activists have pushed regulations that increase housing costs, reduce consumer choice, and make it harder for Americans to build and own a home. The IECC is a model building code developed by the International Code Council that sets standards for walls, lighting, windows, doors, ducts, and air conditioning in new residential and commercial construction.

Under the Energy Conservation and Production Act, the DOE must consider new IECC codes and update federal standards if needed, while states are required to consider adopting some version of the codes.

The DOE asked the International Code Council in February to limit the scope of the green codes and avoid recommendations on specific fuel types, appliance standards, or gas bans. In April, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Agriculture Department repealed a prior policy that would have required federally backed mortgages to meet updated energy efficiency codes.

Most states have not adopted the 2024 version and continue to use older codes or their own standards.