Government Affairs Updates (2025)

Postings from Local / State / Federal Organizations are approved by the Chapter President. For further government activity posts / outreach activities, please feel free to contact David Cotton c192gac@ashrae.net (GAC Chair) or Rex Camit c192gacc@ashrae.net (GAC Co-Chair).

As of December 18, 2025

GOVERNMENT OUTREACH:
ASHRAE Participates in Congressional Data Centers Briefing

On December 8, Marcus Hassen, Chair of the ASHRAE Standard 90.4, Energy Standards for Data Centers Project Committee, presented at a Congressional briefing entitled “The Data Center Boom: Growth & Sustainability Considerations.” Hosted by the Green Building Initiative, the session explored the rapid growth of U.S. data centers, along with the economic opportunities, infrastructure challenges, and sustainability considerations shaping this critical sector. Hassen discussed how ASHRAE Standard 90.4 and the resources of ASHRAE Technical Committee 9.9 have become foundational to how data centers are designed, operated, and optimized for resilience, sustainability, and performance, and in guiding stakeholders to navigate instances where tradeoffs around these issues emerge. More data center resources from ASHRAE are available here.

GLOBAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS:
EU Provisionally Agrees to 90% Greenhouse Gas
Emissions Reduction by 2040

On December 10, the European Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement to amend the existing European Climate Law by creating a new intermediate target of a 90% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 1990 levels, by 2040. The final target is climate neutrality by 2050. The new agreement also includes allowances for international carbon credits starting in 2036, which could cover up to 5% of the emissions reductions in the 2040 target, and potentially a pilot program post-2030 to help develop a market for high-quality international credits. The agreement is provisional and has not yet been formally adopted.
 

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Legislation to Modify DOE Building Energy Code
Updates Introduced

On November 21, Representative John James (MI-10) introduced H.R. 6264, “the Path to Affordable Homes Act.” The legislation would change considerations the Department of Energy (DOE) to must make when reviewing updates to national model energy codes such as the International Energy Conservation Code and ASHRAE Standard 90.1. Under current law, DOE is required to analyze and determine whether a new edition of model energy code or consensus-based energy standard will improve energy efficiency. This legislation would require DOE to also consider five new criteria before a determination is made: cost-effectiveness, direct relation to energy efficiency, technological feasibility, grid reliability, and fuel neutrality. More information on the legislation can be found here.
 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS:
Federal Judge Reinstates BRIC Funding 

On December 11, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully terminated the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. The ruling blocks the administration from cancelling the program without the approval of Congress and orders FEMA to promptly take all steps necessary to reverse its termination. The Trump administration announced the cancellation in April, halting the distribution of funds to existing recipients. The BRIC program is the largest pre-disaster mitigation program, providing federal grants to states, tribes, and local governments for projects that reduce risks from natural disasters.

STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS:
American Lung Association Recommends ASHRAE
Standard 62.1 in Schools IAQ Report

In early December, the American Lung Association issued a report on state policies regarding indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools. The report provides a summary of current policies as well as recommendations for state and local governments, and public health officials. The recommendations include the adoption of ASHRAE Standard 62.1, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, for use in all schools, along with a comprehensive IAQ plan and other actions to mitigate exposure to pollutants and contaminants in school buildings.

As of September 20, 2025

GOVERNMENT OUTREACH:

ASHRAE Sends Letters to House Energy and
Commerce Committee

On November 18, ASHRAE President Bill McQuade sent three letters to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy supporting energy building codes, mechanical insulation, and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). The letters, which will be included in the official congressional record for the subcommittee’s hearing titled, “Markup of Eight Bills to Reform Appliance and Building Policies” include:

  • Letter of support for H.R. 3474, “Federal Mechanical Insulation Act”: This legislation clarifies that mechanical insulation property is an energy efficiency measure that can be included in energy audits of federal buildings. It references ASHRAE Standard 90.1 as the minimum standard to meet in the definition of “Mechanical Insulation Property”The letter can be found here.
  • Letter of support for H.R. 1355, “Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act”: This legislation reauthorizes the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) and reforms the program to increase the cap cost on units. The increase would enable deeper energy savings and grow the HVAC workforce. The letter can be found here.
  • Testimony -This testimony supports building energy codes and explains the benefits of voluntary consensus energy standards, including ASHRAE Standard 90.1. The letter offers to work with the committee to advance shared the goals of improving resiliency, reducing peak grid demand, and saving the government and taxpayers money. The letter can be found here.

All eight bills, including the two supported by ASHRAE, successfully passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy.

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:

House Energy and Commerce Committee Holds
Markup on Buildings Legislation

On November 19, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing titled, “Markup of Eight Bills to Reform Appliance and Building Policies”. The eight pieces of legislation relate to weatherization, energy building codes, Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) reform, and mechanical insulation. The subcommittee passed these eight pieces of legislation:

 To watch a recording of the hearing, click here. 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS:

HUD Extends Compliance Dates for Energy
Efficiency Standards 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) extended, for the second time, the compliance date for energy efficiency standards for new construction of HUD- and USDA-financed housing from November 10, 2025, to May 28, 2026. The additional delay provides more time for the agency to consider public comments received in response to a notice for comment published in July. HUD and USDA previously finalized this rule in April 2024, which adopts the 2021 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the 2019 edition of ASHRAE Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings as the minimum energy standards for new construction of buildings in programs covered by section 109 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act of 1990. More information on the rule can be found here.

OTHER NEWS AND EVENTS:

ASHRAE Accepting Applications for 2026 Washington Internship

ASHRAE is accepting applications for the Washington Internship for Students of Engineering (WISE) program for its summer 2026 session. ASHRAE will host an outstanding undergraduate or graduate engineering student to spend 9 weeks in Washington, D.C. as part of this program. During the internship, the selected student will join 8 to 12 of their peers (sponsored by other organizations) to learn how government officials make decisions on complex technological issues and how engineers can contribute to legislative and regulatory public policy decisions. The students will then write an in-depth research paper on a relevant technology issue and assess potential policy responses. Applications are due January 30, 2026. For more information on the program and to apply, click here.

As of September 6, 2025

GOVERNMENT OUTREACH:

Oregon, New Jersey, and Michigan ASHRAE Members: Ask Congress to Defend the Energy Codes Workforce

On September 30, the Department of Energy formally announced the termination of 321 grants, totaling roughly $7.5 billion, that were primarily intended to support energy projects. Shortly after, a second list of proposed cuts leaked. On this list, and slated for elimination, is a $2.8 million “Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation” (RECI) grant ASHRAE secured to develop and deliver free energy standards and codes trainings, along with workforce development courses in New Jersey, Oregon, and Michigan over a three-year period. This federal investment in these states is designed to grow the energy workforce, develop a pipeline of experts capable of training American workers on building codes and standards, and ensure officials are well equipped to implement energy codes including ASHRAE Standard 90.1, Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. Congress has multiple avenues to defend this federal investment in Oregon, New Jersey, and Michigan. ASHRAE members in these states can use our VoterVoice tool to email their members of Congress.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS:

DOE Proposes to Accelerate Energy Connections to Data Centers

On October 24, Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE), Chris Wright, directed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to initiate rulemaking procedures with a proposed rule to rapidly accelerate the interconnection of large loads, including data centers. The proposed rule would allow customers to file joint, co-located load and generation interconnection requests. The administration argues this is necessary to address the unprecedented electricity demand associated with data centers and for the U.S. to remain a leader in technological innovation. More information on the proposed rule can be found here.

STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS:

15 Governors Announce New Non-Partisan State Public Health Alliance

On October 30, the Illinois legislature passed major energy legislation focused on strengthening the grid and reducing electricity bills. SB 25, “the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act,” creates a new integrated planning process for utilities to better address increasing electricity demand, lifts a ban on new nuclear power, and includes new incentives for energy storage projects that are similar to existing state incentives for renewable sources. The bill also requires large utilities to create programs for virtual power plants, which are networks that can centrally coordinate power from distributed resources like solar panels and batteries, allowing a more flexible response to spikes in energy demand. Gov. JB Pritzker indicated that he will sign the bill into law. Illinois is not alone in considering virtual power plants to help meet energy demands: Virginia has a new law requiring the state’s electric utility to create a virtual power plant program, and a similar bill in California was vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom after passing the legislature.

As of August 2025

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Climate Change Consensus

On July 29, the same day as EPA shared a proposal to rescind the Endangerment Finding, the Department of Energy (DOE) published a report that challenges the scientific consensus on the climate impacts of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Among other criticisms of that consensus, the report, entitled “A Critical Review of Impacts of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on the U.S. Climate” argues that elevated concentrations of Carbon Dioxide benefits society through increased agricultural productivity, that leading climate models are flawed, and that extreme weather events are neither increasing in frequency nor tied to global climate trends. As evidenced by the Society’s 2025-26 Public Policy Priorities, ASHRAE remains committed to decarbonizing the built environment.

U.S. CONGRESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Renew America’s Schools Program Funds Illegally Blocked

On July 31, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) shared a finding that the Department of Energy (DOE) illegally blocked funds for the Renew America’s Schools program earlier this year. The $500 million program helps schools make energy upgrades to decrease energy use and costs, improve indoor air quality, and foster healthier learning environments. The GAO found that DOE violated the Impoundment Control Act which ensures that legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President is faithfully executed. More information on the report can be found here.