Congressman August Pfluger of Texas’s 11th district participated in a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy hearing this week to discuss the impact of recent building and energy efficiency standards on housing costs and grid reliability. The hearing addressed concerns that regulations from the Department of Energy (DOE) enacted during the Biden administration have made it more expensive to buy and own homes.
During his questioning, Rep. Pfluger asked Jim Steffes, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Washington Gas, about potential risks if federal facilities such as those at the White House and Pentagon were required to switch from natural gas to an all-electric mandate under Section 433. Steffes responded: “A few risks there, Congressman. Thank you for the question. First, the risk that I see is because energy security in multiple redundant networks to deliver energy is critical. I see a risk in national security and our ability, the country’s ability, to continue to operate when storms come through, when matters that are critical to citizens are dealt with. I also see a fundamental question and challenge around affordability. As federal office buildings are mandated to move down one path and only one path clearly, they’re going to spend more money when they could otherwise use a different technology and solution. We trust strongly that the federal government, the people who run the buildings and operate these facilities, will make the right choices for affordability, for reliability, for security, as well as for safety.”
Pfluger then questioned Buddy Hughes, Chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, about forced electrification in residential construction. Hughes stated: “Well, again, it’s all about the cost. It’s going to drive up costs as we have to change appliances to meet those regulations. The cost of the appliance and the installation. It’s all about the cost. And again, the point’s been made: the best plan in the world isn’t worth anything if the homeowner, if the home buyer, can’t afford it.”
Ben Lieberman from Competitive Enterprise Institute was also asked about DOE rules increasing appliance costs for homeowners. Lieberman said: “It adds to the cost of that first-time home. I should say that the water heaters rule; it actually impacts existing homes a little bit more than new homes because most of those are built with condensing furnaces. But again there’s a cost for existing homeowners but there’s also a cost for new homeowners. I think the biggest single appliance affecting new homes is central air conditioners which have become very very expensive because of this one-two punch of Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency regulations. But almost every room in house has something that’s going up in price and it adds up.”
August Pfluger has served as U.S Representative since 2021 after replacing Mike Conaway https://ballotpedia.org/August_Pfluger_(Texas). He won his seat by defeating Jon Mark Hogg in 2020 with nearly 80% of votes https://www.texastribune.org/2020/11/03/election-results-texas-us-house-district-11/.
The subcommittee hearing highlighted ongoing debates over how federal energy policies may be influencing housing affordability across America.
