The Path to Affordable Homes Act of 2025 modifies federal rules for building energy efficiency standards by requiring the Department of Energy to consider additional factors before updating building codes. Specifically, when new energy efficiency standards are proposed, the Secretary of Energy must evaluate whether they are cost-effective, technologically feasible, and won't harm the electric grid's reliability. The bill also requires consideration of whether proposed standards would force buildings to switch away from fossil fuels to other energy sources—and critically, treats such fuel-switching requirements as a negative factor working against adoption of the new standards. The legislation applies to updates of federal building energy codes and gives the Secretary one year to make these determinations after new standards are approved. This bill essentially creates a higher bar for implementing stricter energy efficiency rules, particularly those that would move buildings away from natural gas or oil heating systems.
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