By Kathie Barstnar and Tony Milo | Commentary, Denver Gazette
Progress should not come at the expense of affordability. As Colorado moves toward a lower-carbon future, families and businesses deserve energy options that are reliable, cost-effective, and reflect their needs, not a one-size-fits-all approach. Choice and balance should guide this transition, not rising bills and reduced options.
As organizations working to meet Colorado’s growing housing and economic development needs, we see firsthand how rising construction costs and added building requirements are making it harder to deliver buildings and homes that small businesses and working families can afford. The housing affordability crisis is getting worse, and we must implement policies that support Coloradans working to make ends meet.
The causes of this crisis are complex, but energy regulations, especially building energy codes, are increasingly driving residential and commercial building prices up. If policymakers are serious about addressing affordability, they must consider how energy codes and electrification mandates will affect the cost to build and retrofit existing homes and buildings in Colorado. Colorado renters, homeowners, and business owners will ultimately feel that financial burden.
In recent years, state and certain local regulatory bodies have pushed for stricter building codes that heavily favor electricity and ignore fuel choice, common-sense pathways, and consumer preferences for increased energy efficiency and affordable energy. This limits energy choice for Colorado homeowners and building owners and creates unintended barriers to development. If we want to prioritize the creation of more affordable housing and commercial buildings in this state, natural gas is a low-cost, reliable energy source that must remain in our energy mix.
The cost impact of stricter energy codes cannot be overstated. Building under the proposed new codes in Colorado may add additional costs between $6,450 and $22,352 per new home. When entry-level homes are already difficult to build under $500,000 throughout Colorado, adding tens of thousands more in construction costs makes houses unaffordable for many. And rather than encouraging energy efficiency, these high up-front costs may drive more buyers toward older, less efficient homes that do not carry the same price tag — undermining the very energy and climate goals these codes aim to achieve.
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Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.