Amid efforts to reduce carbon emissions, Tony Evers` administration eyes Wisconsin building codes

In the story of climate change, smokestacks and tailpipes are the stock villains, spewing carbon dioxide into the air.

Often overlooked are homes, offices and other buildings — which require electricity and natural gas to heat, cool and light — that account for nearly a third of all energy consumption and an even larger share of heat-trapping gases.

With new technologies it’s now possible to build structures that require far less energy — and in some cases, no fossil fuels — to operate, but building codes, which establish minimum standards, have yet to catch up, especially in states like Wisconsin where many of the energy efficiency standards are nearly a decade behind the newest model codes.
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Ken Notes: There are several great options for new building, but mandates are not the answer. The architects, contractors, and developers are aware of the new technologies and are incorporating them into new buildings. If we try to mandate a zero carbon environment we will create push-back from an industry that doing far more good than harm. Lets work together on this and get this done rather than create legislation that gets in the way of actual progress. I would point to power companies that can NOT shut down coal plants because of legislation that makes it too expensive to do so.