FRAMER Act works to incentivize states to roll back onerous energy codes applied to new home building

By Jeff Crank

Buying a new home in America is a challenge, and it is only made worse by excessive energy and building codes that drive up the costs of construction for home builders and the purchase price for home buyers. 

Look no further than my home state of Colorado, where our state energy and building codes are burdensome, more restrictive than the national standard, and are having a direct impact on the ability for Coloradans to afford a home. In Colorado, 39% of the cost of building a home is due to regulatory requirements, so it’s no wonder why the state is ranked in the top five most expensive in the nation by housing costs.

For example, if you are building a home in Colorado and choose a gas cooktop, often a preferred option for homeowners, you would also be required to install electric stove hookups — even if you never plan to use electricity. This same rule applies to many other fixtures when building a home. These mandated costs are not based on common sense; instead, they are based on naive climate agenda pipe dreams that hurt home affordability.

That’s why I recently introduced the Freeing Residential Affordable Markets from Excess Regulation (FRAMER) Act, which would reduce the cost of home construction and home buying by incentivizing states to roll back onerous energy codes applied to new home building. Under this legislation, states with energy codes more stringent than the federal standard would be required to reimburse home builders for the difference in construction costs for homes built within federal opportunity zones. By reducing the cost burden on home builders, home buyers will see significant cost savings, and in some cases, this would amount to tens of thousands of dollars.

Additionally, the FRAMER Act would require better data collection and transparency into the costs of energy code regulations. The bill would require the Department of Housing and Urban Development to calculate the true cost of these regulations on an updated basis, including state-specific codes. Furthermore, the bill requires any home builder who receives a reimbursement to notify the home buyer how much of that reimbursement was reflected in the final sale price.

We should pursue policies that make it easier for builders to provide affordable homes across the country. The FRAMER Act is designed to do just that.

Jeff Crank serves in the U.S. House of Representative for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District.

_{*The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EnergyPlatform.News.}