"Boosting Building Resilience: Biden's $90M Investment to Tackle Climate Disasters and Extreme Heat"
The Biden administration is set to award $90 million in grants to help cities, states, tribes, and organizations implement stronger building codes to make structures more energy-efficient and resilient to extreme weather events. The funding, distributed by the Energy Department, aims to address the increasing frequency of weather disasters fueled by climate change. The grants will support 27 projects in 26 states and the District of Columbia, with a focus on implementing modernized energy codes that can save households on utility bills. While the federal government cannot mandate building codes, the administration hopes to encourage states and municipalities to adopt updated codes through financial incentives. The United States' buildings are responsible for about 35% of the nation's carbon emissions, and updated building energy codes are projected to reduce carbon emissions by 900 million metric tons from 2010 to 2040.