The Biden administration is under pressure to adopt a policy that would cut household energy bills by requiring millions of new homes to have efficient heating and cooling systems.
Eight Democratic senators urged a senior Biden housing official Monday to “move quickly” to finalize the policy, which could transform the nation’s housing market by requiring some new homes to include the most energy-efficient appliances and materials.
The standards would boost the housing market “by reducing wasted energy, improving health outcomes, and lowering costs for both renters and homeowners,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and seven colleagues wrote in a letter.
The request comes five months after Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra Thompson raised expectations that the policy would gain momentum after saying her agency expected to release recommendations in June.
