Good Thing The Village Idiot Left Town!

One of the most sensible energy proposals I've heard has just come out of Austin, Texas where a task force will study possible city code changes that would make all single family homes built by 2015 "Zero-Energy Capable Homes."

Homes would have to be so efficient that they would be "net-zero energy" with the addition of onsite energy generation, such as through photo-voltaics. This level of efficiency is 60% more efficient than homes build to code today. As Austin's Mayor Will Wynn stated, “The cleanest of all energy, of course, is the energy that doesn’t need to be produced."

Austin’s task force is to consist of stakeholders of the residential construction industry, including builders, architects, designers, contractors, affordable housing advocates, as well as energy efficiency and renewable energy advocates. The task force would develop strategies that will be piloted through Austin Energy’s nationally recognized Green Building Program -- cost effective strategies would be incorporated into the City’s Energy Code.

U.S. consumers could save hundreds of billions of dollars on their utility bills over the next 10 to 15 years through greater use of cost-effective energy efficiency. Mayor Wynn serves as chairman of the Energy Committee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors -- maybe other cities will follow his lead.

For more information, see the press release here.

Comments

[PK]

This is really a cool thing. Austin's city leaders and planners are really on board with their strategy for the future.

They do other stuff too. I just read an article that was talking about how people retrofitting their places with solar power can get reimbursed (or something) for about 50-75% of the costs (and they help with finding financing too).

Love the blog!

[TDB]

Will the legislative edicts of Austin send companies and individuals scurrying to other cities so as to avoid the financial burdens of such demagoguery?

Lest you regard me as a crazed oil company-controlled Republican, please know that I have a master's degree in engineering with a specialization in energy conservation and have been active in energy conservation projects for over 25 years.

Legislative mandates that defy or deny fundamental laws of both economics and physics do not solve the deepest global energy problems; innovations and inventions that apply free market economic and basic scientific principles do.