National Policy — policy in action

Designers are supported in their efforts to decarbonize housing through An Act To Promote Energy-efficient Affordable Housing, which provides the guidelines and expectation for rigorous levels of energy efficiency in the building of affordable housing.

The design community can help decarbonize commercial and industrial facilities through An Act To Provide Climate Change Transition Assistance for Maine's Energy-intensive Businesses. This Trust provides funding to reduce electricity consumption and increase energy efficiency by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and lowering energy costs.

Product designers can anticipate customers from Maine to buy more efficient appliances. An Act To Establish Appliance Energy and Water Standards effectively adopts California’s appliance energy efficiency standards for products ranging from computers and service lighting to an array of plumbing fixtures.

Maine is the first state to pass a law divesting public funds from oil, gas, and coal companies. This signifies a determined shift away from an economy and infrastructure reliant on fossil fuel and a growing opportunity to design for decarbonization.

Designers can participate in decarbonizing schools with Maine’s Act To Support School Decarbonization, which provides the technological and financial support to help grades K-12 public, private, and charter schools to become carbon neutral.

Maryland became the first state to pursue a $2.5 million loan guarantee program to finance “natural climate solutions,” practices that reduce and store carbon in forests, grasslands, farmland, and wetlands.

Designers can recommend Maryland’s Energy Storage System Grant Program, which issues grants to cover the costs of energy storage systems between $5,000 and $150,000.

Maryland’s Energy and Water Efficiency Standards establish a set of minimum efficiency standards for new products by 2023 which must meet or exceed these standards by 2024. The new standards will affect a wide range of consumer, commercial, and industrial products.

An opportunity for designers to conduct retrofits, Montgomery County is the first county in the nation to establish a building energy performance standard policy. The bill provides technical assistance and sets a minimum energy performance threshold for existing buildings to improve energy performance.

This 2023 proposed amendment to Chapter 25A of the General Laws would require that detached one and two family homes must install a solar energy system capable of generating a minimum of 80 percent of the anticipated average yearly electricity consumption for dwellings of comparable dimensions. While there is some possibility for exemption, non-compliance will result in penalties up to $10,000.

Designers can help actualize An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy, which sets the goal of greenhouse gas reduction targets of 50% by 2030, 75% by 2040, and net-zero by 2050. The bill outlines voluntary energy efficient building codes for municipalities, creates new appliance efficiency standards, and increases investment in renewable energy while protecting Environmental Justice Communities.

Designers can help redesign governmental buildings, public open spaces, vehicles, roads, and highways with the support of Executive Order 594 – Decarbonizing and Minimizing Environmental Impacts of State Government. This order hopes to set an example by investing in decarbonized infrastructure and technology.

These two initiatives can advance Michigan’s electric vehicle infrastructure and workforce landscape. MI Health Climate Plan is the state’s action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition toward economy-wide carbon neutrality in 2050, with interim goals to reduce GHG by 54% from 2005 levels by 2030. Charge Up provides $1.25 million in funding to develop a charging infrastructure along Lake Michigan’s EV Circuit’s route.

Designers can refer to the Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental Justice to guide their projects towards more equitable outcomes that support environmental justice.

Designers have the opportunity to help Ann Arbor achieve its ambitious goal of making the community carbon neutral by 2030, supported by the unanimously adopted A2Zero Climate Action Plan of 2020.

The design community can more readily rely on an infrastructure supportive of decarbonization due to this bill, which requires utilities in the state to provide at least 55% of the electricity from renewables by 2035 and 100% carbon-free sources by 2040.

Minnesota’s Governor released this climate action framework, with millions invested in developing solar energy, promoting electric transportation, improving working lands, carbon storage, and climate adaptation and resilience measures.

Minnesota requires developers of new highways, industrial plants, livestock feedlots and large housing developments to calculate their project’s carbon footprint and consider how to reduce their impact on the climate under an updated environmental review in the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act.

Designers can advocate for incorporating solar through the support of the Mississippi Public Service Commission’s net metering rule, which creates a $3,500 incentive for the installation of rooftop solar with at least 50% of the funds dedicated to low-income customers.

The Building Energy Performance Standard (BEPS) bill seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, drive energy efficiency improvements in buildings, and boost economic growth in St. Louis by requiring buildings larger than 50,000 square feet to meet their set energy performance standard by May 2025, to be reviewed and updated every four years.

Montana Climate Solutions Council provides recommendations to the Governor, legislature, and citizens of Montana. Designers can refer to the 2020 report, which outlines strategies for net greenhouse gas neutrality for average annual electric loads in the state by 2035 and economy-wide by 2050.

Designers can anticipate state-wide decarbonization strategies and recommendations since the Governor established the Montana Climate Solutions Council and joined Montana to the U.S. Climate Alliance through EO 8-2019.