Wow, we are at the end of the year already. What a year it has been. To sum it up, and bring a little joy to your inbox, we’ve got our annual Wrapped: Building Decarb Edition blog for your pleasure. During a year like this, I found it really refreshing to review all the progress we have all made.
If you are also looking for some joy in your mailbox, don’t miss out on The Clean Green Neighborhood. While we call this a children’s book, I can attest that it is bringing joy to adults as well.
Finally, if you missed our conversation with Daan Walter from Ember about The [Building] Electrification Imperative, I highly recommend you give it a listen. It really is a great way to boost your energy for decarbonization in 2026.
I hope you all have a lovely holiday season, whether you are spending it with family and friends or simply taking a break for reflection. Our movement is filled with truly fantastic people, and I’m so thankful to be doing this work with you all.
Congratulations, folks, we’ve just completed another trip around the sun! Glad you’re still on board. Next stop: 2026. This has been a defining year for the building decarbonization movement that can be punctuated by a keyword: affordability. As we look toward 2026, nothing is more motivating than progress. And we’ve made plenty of progress this year. So let’s take a look at the greatest hits of 2025, reflect on our wins, and prepare the path for a more affordable 2026.
We invite you to join us for our monthly California building decarbonization policy discussion! Learn about legislation, regulation, and what’s on the climate policy horizon as our coalition works to advance neighborhood-scale decarbonization, statewide healthy air standards, and energy affordability.
The Building Decarbonization Coalition released a statement in response to New York State’s delay in implementing the All-Electric Buildings Act:
“We are deeply discouraged by this unnecessary delay, and look forward to this appeal being resolved in a timely manner so this cost-saving, common-sense affordability and clean energy measure can move forward. Every day of inaction slows progress toward safer and more affordable new homes and buildings.”
There are two key races in the energy transition: the renewables race to generate electricity, and the electrification race to supply final energy demand for heat, mobility, and other services. On our latest BDC Presents – The [Building] Electrification Imperative webinar with Ember’s Daan Walter, we discussed why electrification is the more consequential race today.
Imagine living in a neighborhood where the air is healthy, the buildings are safe and efficient, and the energy is clean. That’s what our new book, The Clean Green Neighborhood, is all about: shifting to clean energy to transform the places where we learn, work, and play into healthier, more resilient spaces that we all deserve to live in.
Heat Pumps and Rising Electricity Costs: What Are the Tradeoffs? ACHR News With heat pumps having outsold furnaces for the third year in a row, gas prices having increased 40% since 2019, and gas utilities planning on spending hundreds of billions of dollars to replace leak-prone gas pipes over the coming years (and passing those costs on to their customers) BDC’s Panama Bartholomy does not expect electricity prices to dampen consumers' rising demand for heat pumps.
A major networked geothermal project gets underway in Connecticut Canary Media The city of New Haven, Connecticut, is building a geothermal energy network to provide efficient, clean heating and cooling to the city’s train station and a new public housing complex. BDC’s Jess Silber-Byrne notes that the network—and others like it—use a mature technology that has already proven it can lower energy costs while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Geothermal networks let cities warm and cool as one Nature BDC’s Allison Considine explains how thermal energy networks' high heating and cooling efficiency can help reduce stress on the grid and free up funds that would otherwise be spent on replacing leak-prone gas pipelines to be used for long-term electrification solutions.
Hochul pauses all-electric building mandate Capitol Pressroom Pausing implementation of New York’s All Electric Buildings Act will delay the delivery of clean, affordable energy to New Yorkers, because all-electric buildings save people money upfront and over the long term, BDC’s Allison Considine tells WNYC’s Capitol Pressroom host David Lombardo.
The Heat Pump Push: 10 States Team Up to Electrify America’s Homes ACHR News The recommendations in NESCAUM’s Multistate Action Plan will help states “decarbonize their buildings in a way that grows their economies, creates local jobs, reduces energy costs, and delivers their residents comfortable buildings with modern, clean heating and cooling equipment,” says BDC’s Matt Casale.
Practical, Scalable Solutions to Heat Pump Adoption Barriers Heat Pumped BDC is cited as an organization that is “developing tools, programs, and resources that make heat pump adoption more accessible” and “shifting the cultural narrative around electrification so that clean electric homes feel desirable, not just responsible.”
POLICY UPDATES
Each month, BDC summarizes key building decarbonization policy-related news from the states in which we currently work. For more details on policy-related news in each state, visit the state’s policy page by clicking the "Learn More" button beneath the state’s summary.
California
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved a $115 million investment over the next six years to expand access to 120-volt window heat pumps and induction stoves through the California Market Transformation Administrator. The CPUC also approved Southern California Edison’s Tariff On-Bill Pilot, launching in 2026, which will cover upfront installation costs for heat pumps and recoup them through a meter-based charge that cannot exceed a customer’s annual energy savings. Together, these initiatives will expand the health, comfort, and cost-saving benefits of clean energy technologies by making them more affordable and accessible for renters and low-income households across California.
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission recently decided that the state’s investor-owned gas utilities must cut their carbon pollution emissions by 41% from 2015 levels by 2035, making the state a model for the nation in mandating ambitious emissions cuts for its gas utilities. This new target sets the state firmly on a path to decarbonize completely by 2050.
BDC submitted a comprehensive response to the Maryland Energy Administration's Request for Information on the Ground Source Heat Pump Residential New Construction Incentive Pilot on October 31, providing recommendations on market capacity, incentive structures, and equity considerations for low- to moderate-income communities. The Maryland Commission on Climate Change finalized its 2025 Annual Report, directing the Maryland Energy Administration, the Maryland Department of the Environment, and other state agencies to develop a comprehensive heat pump market transformation roadmap aligned with the state’s Climate Pollution Reduction Plan. Meanwhile, EmPOWER Future Programming Work Groups continue deliberations on greenhouse gas reduction goals, with potential policy direction on gas equipment incentives expected by year-end.
Implementation of New York’s All Electric Buildings Act was delayed while the state awaits a decision on an appeal of a July 2025 district court ruling that upheld the law. The New York Energy Planning Board reported that it received more than 15,000 public comments on its forthcoming State Energy Plan, which is expected to be out by the end of this year. BDC joined more than 175 organizations on this year’s Building Electrification Equity Platform (BEEP) letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul. The BEEP letter outlines urgent priorities to decarbonize the buildings sector and reduce the cost of energy for low- to moderate-income households, including the Governor signing the repeal of the 100-foot rule and continued investment in the EmPower+ program. BDC joined several partners to file comments with the Public Service Commission advocating for a coordinated and regional approach to Residential Weatherization Programs.
Furthering our commitment to knowledge sharing, we are excited to continue our "Report Roundup" segment, which highlights insightful reports from other organizations in the building decarbonization movement.
Integrating Indoor and Outdoor Nitrogen Dioxide Exposures in US Homes Nationally by ZIP Code Stanford University, December 2025 This report integrates indoor and outdoor nitrogen dioxide exposures and finds that gas and propane stoves account for one-quarter of nitrogen dioxide exposure. It also demonstrates that total exposure to nitrogen dioxide can be significantly reduced by switching from a gas stove to electric cooking options.
Overcharged: The Rules of the Electricity Affordability Crisis Climate & Community Institute, October 2025 Nearly a quarter of adults in the United States cannot pay their power bills, and this report identifies how the existing utility structure does not benefit working people nor encourage affordable decarbonization. To swiftly accelerate a just transition, the report provides six recommendations on how to restore and expand the public’s control over crucial energy systems.
All-Electric Building Act: The Impact of the AEBA on New York State’s Grid Switchbox, October 2025 The All-Electric Building Act (AEBA) was set to take effect in January 2026, but concerns over grid reliability were raised. This report models and analyzes the potential impact of the AEBA on the grid and finds that the AEBA would increase electricity use from buildings in the winter, when there is more capacity, and would not contribute to short-term reliability risks.
