H.R. 6264: Path to Affordable Homes Act of 2025

This bill, titled the Path to Affordable Homes Act of 2025, proposes amendments to the Energy Conservation and Production Act, specifically focusing on the process for updating federal building energy efficiency performance standards.

Key Provisions

• The bill requires the Secretary of Energy to assess several specific factors before any updates to the energy efficiency standards are made.
• The Secretary must determine, within one year of new revisions to the ASHRAE Standard or the International Energy Conservation Code, if the updates should be implemented based on:
• Cost-effectiveness of the new requirements.
• Technological feasibility, meaning whether the new technology is available and practical to use.
• Potential effect on electric grid reliability, assessing how changes might impact the stability of electric supply.
• Another aspect the Secretary must evaluate is how well the new requirements directly relate to improving energy efficiency.
• If the proposed amendments would require a building to switch from using fossil fuels to another energy source, this consideration will count as a negative factor, making it less likely for the update to be approved.

Objective

The main goal of this bill is to ensure that updates to energy efficiency standards are made thoughtfully, considering their impact on costs, technology, and energy supply reliability, while also promoting energy efficiency in a deliberate manner.

Impact on Home Affordability

By potentially limiting the need for more costly energy transitions, the bill aims to keep the costs of building and maintaining homes more affordable, reinforcing the notion of integrating energy efficiency within a balanced framework that considers practical energy use.

Implementation Timeline

The bill establishes a timeline for evaluation that stipulates that the Secretary of Energy must act within one year of new standards being approved, thereby creating a structure for timely assessments of potential updates.

Relevant Companies

• None found