In Focus

Election 2024:
Where Candidates for Congress Stand
California​
34th DISTRICT
​
​David Kim
Democratic
U.S. House, California 34
1. WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS THAT CONGRESS CAN HELP TO REDUCE THE ENERGY AND WATER CONSUMPTION OF BUILDINGS TO HELP MAKE THEM MORE SUSTAINABLE?
Congress can take several steps to help reduce energy and water consumption in buildings and make them more sustainable:
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Establish and Enhance Building Codes: Congress can promote the adoption of stringent, performance-based energy building codes across states and localities. By providing incentives or mandating the most up-to-date energy efficiency standards, Congress can ensure new constructions and major renovations are more sustainable.
Expand Incentive Programs: Providing financial incentives, such as tax credits, rebates, and grants for homeowners, businesses, and developers who invest in energy-efficient technologies and materials, can significantly reduce consumption. This can include everything from improved insulation and windows to energy-efficient appliances and lighting systems.
Support Retrofits of Existing Buildings: Congress can allocate funding for retrofitting older buildings with modern energy-efficient technologies and systems. Prioritizing retrofits in underserved communities can also address equity concerns and ensure all Americans benefit from reduced utility costs and healthier living environments.
Promote Water Efficiency Standards: Developing and enforcing water efficiency standards for appliances and plumbing fixtures in both residential and commercial buildings can help reduce water consumption. Encouraging the use of recycled water and rainwater harvesting systems can also play a significant role in sustainable water management.
Federal Building Standards: Mandating that federal buildings meet aggressive energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets can serve as a model for state and local governments and the private sector, demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of sustainable practices.
Research and Innovation: Congress can increase funding for research into new technologies, materials, and practices that enhance building sustainability. This includes technologies that reduce energy consumption and improve water use efficiency, as well as innovations that address public health and safety concerns, such as better air filtration systems.
2. WHICH SUSTAINABLE BUILDING POLICIES DO YOU SUPPORT AND WOULD WORK TO ENACT IF ELECTED?
a. Set benchmarking requirements for commercial buildings and encourage cities and states to adopt performance-based standards for buildings
b. Provide rebates to homeowners who invest in energy efficiency improvements
c. Provide incentives to states and localities to adopt the most up-to-date energy building codes
d. Renew and expand tax incentives for energy efficient buildings
e. Require federal buildings to meet aggressive energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets
f. Provide support to states and localities to make buildings more resilient from natural hazards and disasters
h. Conduct research into the most promising technologies, products and materials that improve occupant health and reduce transmission of contagious disease while saving energy
i. Support programs or incentives to accelerate the electrification of buildings.
3. IF ELECTED, WHAT STEPS WILL YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT ALL AMERICANS, REGARDLESS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, ARE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS?
To ensure all Americans benefit from healthy and sustainable buildings, I would:
Prioritize Investments in Underserved Communities: Advocate for federal funding and grants to be directed toward retrofitting and improving buildings in low-income and underserved areas. This ensures these communities are not left behind in the transition to sustainable building practices.
Expand Access to Rebates and Incentives: Ensure that rebate and incentive programs are accessible to all, including low-income homeowners and renters. This could involve sliding scale rebates based on income levels or targeted grants for those who cannot afford upfront costs.
Support Renters and Low-Income Housing Programs: Develop policies that encourage landlords and housing authorities to make energy efficiency improvements in rental properties, particularly in low-income housing. This could include tax credits or grants for landlords who retrofit their properties.
Promote Community-Based Programs: Support programs that provide education and resources on energy efficiency and sustainability to communities. This could include partnerships with local organizations, utility companies, and schools to provide workshops and information sessions.
Ensure Equitable Access to Financing: Work to expand access to affordable financing options, such as low-interest loans or on-bill financing, for energy-efficient home improvements. These programs can help those with limited financial resources make necessary upgrades.
4. IF ELECTED, WHAT STEPS WILL YOU TAKE TO TRAIN AND PREPARE PEOPLE FOR CLEAN ENERGY JOBS THAT ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS AND BUILDING COMPONENTS?
I would take the following steps to prepare people for clean energy jobs:
Promote Vocational Training Programs: Advocate for increased funding for vocational training and apprenticeships focused on clean energy technologies and sustainable building practices. This includes partnerships with community colleges, trade schools, and labor unions.
Support Workforce Development Grants: Work to establish or expand federal grants for workforce development programs that specifically target clean energy and sustainable building sectors. This would help create a pipeline of skilled workers ready to meet the demands of a growing industry.
Facilitate Public-Private Partnerships: Encourage partnerships between the government, educational institutions, and the private sector to develop training programs that align with industry needs. This ensures the workforce is prepared for the jobs being created.
Focus on Equity in Job Training: Ensure that training programs are accessible to all, with a focus on including underrepresented communities, women, and minorities. This can be achieved by providing scholarships, transportation assistance, and childcare for those participating in training programs.
Encourage Green Job Corps: Advocate for the creation of a Green Job Corps that would provide training and employment opportunities in sustainable building and clean energy projects, particularly targeting young adults and those transitioning from other industries.
5. ARE YOU WILLING TO WORK WITH THE BUILDING SECTOR TO MAKE SURE THAT TRANSFORMING BUILDINGS IS PART OF THE POLICY DEBATE IN CONGRESS, INCLUDING JOINING CAUCUSES THAT ADVOCATE FOR SUSTAINABLE BUILDING POLICIES? IF YES, HOW WILL YOU DO THAT?
Yes, I am committed to working with the building sector to ensure that transforming buildings is a significant part of the policy debate in Congress. I would:
Join Relevant Caucuses: Actively participate in or join congressional caucuses that advocate for sustainable building policies, such as the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) or the Green Buildings Caucus.
Facilitate Stakeholder Engagement: Host regular meetings and roundtables with stakeholders from the building sector, including architects, engineers, builders, environmental organizations, and labor unions, to discuss and develop sustainable building policies.
Advocate for Comprehensive Legislation: Push for comprehensive federal legislation that supports sustainable building practices, incentivizes green construction, and sets national standards for energy and water efficiency.
Champion Best Practices: Use his platform to highlight best practices in sustainable building and encourage their adoption across federal, state, and local governments, as well as in the private sector.
6. DO YOU HAVE ANY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES RELATED TO SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS (E.G., SUPPORTING LEGISLATION IN ELECTED OFFICE, MADE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS TO A HOME, OFFICE, COMMUNITY-WIDE, ETC.)?
I have been a consistent advocate for sustainability throughout my career. While I may not have specific legislative experience related to sustainable buildings, I have:
Advocated for Community-Oriented Solutions: Supported initiatives that focus on sustainability and energy efficiency at the community level, including advocating for green spaces, urban gardens, and sustainable infrastructure projects that benefit underserved communities.
Promoted Sustainable Practices in Professional and Personal Life: Integrated sustainable practices into my professional workspaces and encouraged colleagues to adopt energy-saving measures. Additionally, I have made energy efficiency improvements to my own home, such as installing energy-efficient lighting and appliances, and advocating for sustainable practices within my community.
47th DISTRICT
​
​Dave Min
Democratic
U.S. House, California 47
1. WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS THAT CONGRESS CAN HELP TO REDUCE THE ENERGY AND WATER CONSUMPTION OF BUILDINGS TO HELP MAKE THEM MORE SUSTAINABLE?
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As we have seen with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Congress can have a big impact on reducing the energy consumption of buildings by providing tax incentives to spur both the retrofitting of existing buildings to higher energy efficiency standards and the adherence to these higher standards in new building projects. While the IRA provides a great framework for fostering investment in clean buildings, Congress needs to continue to push for additional funding for these programs.
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2. WHICH SUSTAINABLE BUILDING POLICIES DO YOU SUPPORT AND WOULD WORK TO ENACT IF ELECTED?
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a. Set benchmarking requirements for commercial buildings and encourage cities and states to adopt performance-based standards for buildings
b. Provide rebates to homeowners who invest in energy efficiency improvements
c. Provide incentives to states and localities to adopt the most up-to-date energy building codes
d. Renew and expand tax incentives for energy efficient buildings
e. Require federal buildings to meet aggressive energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets
f. Provide support to states and localities to make buildings more resilient from natural hazards and disasters
h. Conduct research into the most promising technologies, products and materials that improve occupant health and reduce transmission of contagious disease while saving energy
i. Support programs or incentives to accelerate the electrification of buildings.
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3. IF ELECTED, WHAT STEPS WILL YOU TAKE TO ENSURE THAT ALL AMERICANS, REGARDLESS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, ARE ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS?
If elected, I will support efforts to lower the barrier to entry for access to sustainable buildings. I would do this by supporting and increasing efforts such as the HUD Green & Resilient Retrofit Program, to specifically reserve funding to incentivize the retrofitting of multifamily affordable housing units.
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4. IF ELECTED, WHAT STEPS WILL YOU TAKE TO TRAIN AND PREPARE PEOPLE FOR CLEAN ENERGY JOBS THAT ADVANCE SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS AND BUILDING COMPONENTS?
The first and most important thing we can do is to continue to create high-paying jobs in clean energy infrastructure deployment, and so doubling down on the successful investments from IRA and BIF is important. We still have massive infrastructure needs, especially if we want to quickly transition to a decarbonized economy, and we can start to backfill those needs while creating millions of good-paying jobs. At the same time, we need to ensure that we are transitioning over workers with particularized skills to projects that can benefit from those skills. For example, pipe workers can and should be transitioned from oil pipelines to hydrogen pipelines. And for workers who may be displaced, such as oil rig workers, we should make massive investments in retraining them and redeploying them. To do so, we need to bring labor groups, environmental groups, and clean technology leaders together to generate plans of action that address the concerns of each major player. It’s essential that we transition to a clean energy economy and investing in workforce development in the sustainable building industry is a big part of that.
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5. ARE YOU WILLING TO WORK WITH THE BUILDING SECTOR TO MAKE SURE THAT TRANSFORMING BUILDINGS IS PART OF THE POLICY DEBATE IN CONGRESS, INCLUDING JOINING CAUCUSES THAT ADVOCATE FOR SUSTAINABLE BUILDING POLICIES? IF YES, HOW WILL YOU DO THAT?
If elected to Congress, I would seek to join the Sustainable Energy & Environment Coalition and take a vocal role in continuing my record of advocating for clean energy and building practices in the California State Senate to the House of Representatives.
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6. DO YOU HAVE ANY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES RELATED TO SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS (E.G., SUPPORTING LEGISLATION IN ELECTED OFFICE, MADE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS TO A HOME, OFFICE, COMMUNITY-WIDE, ETC.)?
In the California State Senate, I authored legislation, which is currently on the Governor’s desk awaiting his signature, to speed up the transition to all-electric utility provision by authorizing up to 30 pilot projects across the state where utilities can transition away from the costly investments in aging natural gas infrastructure and instead provide all electric energy and heating. In addition, I voted “yes” in committee to advance the 2023 “Pathway to Clean Energy Buildings” act, that, if it was passed, would have required the California Energy Commission to implement an emissions reduction plan for the development sector and also require the state to prioritize workforce development programs specific to energy-efficient building practices. It would have also made significant efforts to increase access to clean buildings for low-income households and communities.
BuildingAction does not endorse candidates in primary or general elections. Nothing in this report should be construed as support or opposition to any candidate. Candidates and parties are listed alphabetically. BuildingAction made every effort to report on candidates’ positions accurately; any mistakes or omissions were inadvertent. Please email info@agoragov.com with any suggested corrections.)