Both sides cite affordability as energy efficiency proposal hits resistance in committee

With proponents and opponents both framing the debate as an affordability issue, a proposal to repeal stepped up residential energy-efficiency standards stalled Tuesday.

Sponsored by Rep. Shane Mekeland (R-Clear Lake), HF3545, as amended, would repeal the state’s schedule for increasingly stringent residential energy codes from 2026 to 2038. Under current law, those codes are designed to bring new homes to a 70% reduction in net energy use compared to 2006.

In its place, the Department of Labor and Industry would be directed to adopt the efficiency standards contained in each new edition of the national International Energy Conservation Code beginning in 2026.

Rep. Shane Mekeland

The bill did not advance on a 7-7 party-line vote by the House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee.

Citing a report that the median age of first-time homebuyers rose from 38 to 40 in one year, Mekeland said too many Minnesotans are shut out of homeownership and state mandates are part of the problem. He’s all for people choosing more energy-efficient options, but escalating efficiency requirements would add substantial costs and delays, something he said he has seen firsthand working in the trades.

Industry representatives said stronger codes have caused months-long permitting delays in states such as Washington and Colorado, and that enforcement in Minnesota is uneven, with 66 counties conducting no inspections of structural, framing, or energy-code items.

Opponents counter that the existing framework “shuts the door” on energy inefficiency, not on homeownership. They said upfront costs are offset by long-term utility savings, lower insurance rates, healthier indoor environments, and more resilient communities. Rep. Emma Greenman (DFL-Mpls) pointed to examples from Pennsylvania, where she said initial cost increases faded quickly.

Minnesota’s climate warrants more locally tailored standards, opponents add, and that relying solely on the national code would apply the same rules to Minnesota as Arkansas. The best time to include efficiency, they say, is during construction when improvements are far cheaper than retrofits.