Clean Power Plan Opportunities for Energy Efficiency in Affordable Housing
A new federal rule requires states to reduce certain carbon emissions. The Clean Power Plan creates an historic opportunity to increase energy efficiency in affordable rental housing, because those investments will provide a cost-effective way to meet the new requirements.
On August 3, 2015 President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the Clean Power Plan (CPP), an effort to combat climate change by reducing carbon pollution from existing power plants. The CPP requires each state to reduce carbon emissions by a prescribed amount.1 States can choose from a variety of strategies to meet their emission reduction requirement. Energy efficiency lowers carbon emissions by reducing the demand for electricity generation and is the most affordable option states have to meet their requirements.
This primer explores ways for individuals and organizations in the affordable housing community to advocate for the inclusion of energy efficiency and affordable housing in state carbon reduction strategies.
