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Buildings account for 16% of Howard County climate pollution. Howard County can reduce this pollution by passing healthy-building standards that require new homes to be built with the latest energy efficiency standards and state-of-the-art technologies, such as electric heat pumps and induction stoves. These appliances use less energy, save customers money and protect our air.  Let's not use polluting fossil fuels in homes, schools and churches when we can be "smart from the start."

To learn more about this campaign, visit hococlimateaction.org/electrify-hoco

If you are associated with an organization, please forward this form to your organization leaders and members and urge them to get involved.

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Dear Councilmembers,

It is easy to be numbed by the drumbeat of sobering scientific reports measuring and predicting the coming warming of the atmosphere and the oceans. The most recent emissions report from the UN – in late October – warns that we are on track to reach more than twice the 1.5oC “safe level” of warming by the end of the century. As the report says, “a failure to increase ambition…would put the world on course for a temperature increase of 2.6-3.1°C over the course of this century. This would bring debilitating impacts to people, planet and economies.”

Given the results of the recent presidential election, it will be more important than ever for elected officials at the state and local level to lead on climate change. One of the few direct things that the Howard County government can do to really help slow down climate change is to make sure that new buildings and substantial renovations in the county use efficient electric heat and hot water appliances. In one sense this is a small step, as HoCo By Design projects a very modest amount of residential and commercial buildings in the county in coming years. However, as a model for the rest of the state and the nation, requiring new electric buildings would be a huge step forward.

We (xx organizations and xx constituents) urge you to enact new Howard County building codes that require new buildings and substantial renovations in the county to use electric appliances for heat, hot water and other domestic uses. Doing so would also bring significant health benefits to those who live or work in clean buildings, as well as all of us who breathe Howard County’s air.  It would also save owners and tenants thousands of dollars over time.

The County Executive submitted CB24-2024 to amend the current building codes in April. We encouraged him to include language requiring all-electric buildings, but unfortunately, he chose not to include that language. Therefore, we urge you to amend CB24-2005 to require or strongly encourage electrification of all new buildings and substantial renovations to benefit Howard County residents.

Sincerely,

(the undersigned organizations and Howard County residents)