The Biden administration finalized a rule Wednesday that bans the use of natural gas in new federal buildings.
The Department of Energy (DOE) announced the final rule, which requires federal agencies to “phase out” and ultimately eliminate the on-site use of fossil fuels starting in 2030. New federal buildings constructed after 2030 will not be allowed to have the natural gas hookups required to power gas stoves and other appliances under the final rule.
“The Biden-Harris Administration is practicing what we preach,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said of her agency’s rule. “Just as we are helping households and businesses across the nation save money by saving energy, we are doing the same in our own federal buildings.”
Ahead of the 2030 mandate, the rule will require new buildings and those undergoing significant renovation between 2025 and 2029 to reduce fossil fuel use by 90%, according to the DOE.
The Biden DOE has regulated aggressively to push more energy efficient appliances, which are often more expensive up front and powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels. The DOE and other agencies have pushed regulations targeting items like lightbulbs, portable generators, pool pump motors, water heaters and furnaces under the watch of Granholm and President Joe Biden.
The agency also has billions of dollars to spend on consumer rebate programs for those who would like to replace their existing eligible appliances with the administration’s preferred energy efficient alternatives, and it has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to work with state and municipal governments to craft building codes designed to decarbonize buildings.
Earlier in April, the DOE published a report detailing its long-term vision for sharply reducing the emissions of America’s entire building stock over the coming decades. Among other means, the report highlighted electric appliances, “smart control systems” that moderate energy demand and advancement of the administration’s electric vehicle (EV) agenda as key tools to realize its goal of reducing building emissions by 75% by 2050 relative to 2005 levels to fight climate change.
Over the next three decades, the DOE projects that the rule announced Wednesday will reduce emissions by an amount comparable to what 310,000 homes generate in a year.
Neither the White House nor the DOE responded immediately to requests for comment.
