The “Clean New Buildings Climate Act” – CB5-2023 – would determine the county building code changes needed to end the burning of fossil fuels in new buildings and major renovations. This report would be in advance of the next round of building code revisions, in the spring of 2024.
In a state – Maryland – committed to a carbon-free electrical grid in coming years, the Howard County bill guarantees that almost all new buildings will be equipped with electric hot water systems and heat pumps for space heating and cooling, creating a zero-greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions future.