{"id":6600,"date":"2022-10-24T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T18:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/?p=6600"},"modified":"2022-11-14T18:33:16","modified_gmt":"2022-11-15T02:33:16","slug":"natural-gas-on-the-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/natural-gas-on-the-line\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Code Council Takes Aim at Natural Gas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img data-src=\"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/vote-natural-gas.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/vote-natural-gas.png 597w, https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/vote-natural-gas-480x374.png 480w\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"597\" height=\"465\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"natural gas\" class=\"wp-image-6602 lazyload\" title=\"\"  sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 597px, 100vw\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"597\" height=\"465\" src=\"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/vote-natural-gas.png\" alt=\"natural gas\" class=\"wp-image-6602\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/vote-natural-gas.png 597w, https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/vote-natural-gas-480x374.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 597px, 100vw\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The&nbsp;Washington State Building Code Council&nbsp;(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sbcc.wa.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SBCC<\/a>) is planning to pass the country&#8217;s most stringent and most expensive package of building codes. At a series of hearings in late September and mid-October, members urged them to consider the high costs associated with these codes and their effect on homeownership in our state. A coalition of energy companies, unions, real estate professionals and others joined in voicing concern. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-heading\">Natural Gas on the Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What&#8217;s at Stake?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Based on a membership poll and national data on the&nbsp;cost of electrifying homes, the Building Industry Association of Washington (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biaw.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BIAW<\/a>) estimates this code package will increase the price of a new home by a&nbsp;minimum of $24,070.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The proposals require heat pumps as the preferred source for space and water heating in all new homes, increasing the cost of a new home by $8,350. If adopted, home builders will lose the ability to&nbsp;cost-effectively&nbsp;install natural gas in new homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-src=\"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Screenshot-2022-10-21-214401-1024x471.png\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6605 lazyload\" width=\"709\" height=\"326\" title=\"\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Screenshot-2022-10-21-214401-1024x471.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6605\" width=\"709\" height=\"326\" title=\"\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Absent the ability to service natural gas water heaters and furnaces in new housing, natural gas companies lack the incentive to run gas lines to new developments,&#8221; said BIAW President Joseph Irons in a news release issued before the hearings. &#8220;New homeowners are not only losing the benefit of a cost-effective and reliable heat source. They will now pay exponentially more to have a natural gas range or fireplace\u2014if they can even have it at all.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Existing homeowners will also have to upgrade their current HVAC systems to heat pumps if they increase the size of their original HVAC equipment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-full\"><img data-src=\"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Screenshot-2022-10-21-214244.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Screenshot-2022-10-21-214244.png 593w, https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Screenshot-2022-10-21-214244-480x317.png 480w\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"593\" height=\"392\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"natural gas\" class=\"wp-image-6604 lazyload\" title=\"\"  sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 593px, 100vw\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"593\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Screenshot-2022-10-21-214244.png\" alt=\"natural gas\" class=\"wp-image-6604\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Screenshot-2022-10-21-214244.png 593w, https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Screenshot-2022-10-21-214244-480x317.png 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 593px, 100vw\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Widespread Concerns<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The proposals affect not only home prices. Energy officials have warned that the state&#8217;s energy grid cannot handle this new load, especially considering the state&#8217;s recent ban on new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. The state also lacks the trained electricians and other skilled workers needed to accommodate these mandates, and training can take years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Happens Next?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SBCC will evaluate public comments on Oct. 21, then vote on code proposals Nov. 4 and possibly on Nov. 18 (as needed). Any adopted changes will go into effect on July 1, 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you&#8217;d like more information or to get more involved, please contact Policy and Research Manager Andrea Smith at (360) 352-7800 x 114 or <a href=\"mailto:andreas@biaw.com\" data-type=\"mailto\" data-id=\"mailto:andreas@biaw.com\">andreas@biaw.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The&nbsp;Washington State Building Code Council&nbsp;(SBCC) is planning to pass the country&#8217;s most stringent and most expensive package of building codes. At a series of hearings in late September and mid-October, members urged them to consider the high costs associated with these codes and their effect on homeownership in our state. A coalition of energy companies, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6602,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1673],"tags":[152,206,1710,1712,1711,1709,1707,22,19,113,1708,1714],"class_list":["post-6600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-legislation","tag-builders","tag-contractors","tag-crafters","tag-heat-pump","tag-homebuying","tag-homeowners","tag-legislation","tag-master-builders","tag-mba-pierce","tag-master-builders-association-pierce-county","tag-natural-gas","tag-patriotism"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6600"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6600\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6660,"href":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6600\/revisions\/6660"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/masterbuilderspierce.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}