Op-ed: Keep housing affordable in Chaffee County

Stricter standards often equate to steeper prices – especially in Chaffee County. Next week, county officials have the chance to remain committed to affordable housing options for local residents. They are considering a new “electric-preferred” building code that goes beyond what the state of Colorado requires and would create stricter local standards than those used elsewhere in the state. These strict codes would stretch the wallets of many Coloradans.

The new codes would come with higher costs. Many homeowners rely on natural gas for space and water heating for the sake of lower annual energy bills in the colder Colorado climate. Approximately 70% of Colorado households depend upon natural gas for heating. The proposed code would make natural gas homes more expensive to build and renovate, by requiring stricter emission standards than those applied to all electric homes. These cost increases would happen despite real challenges of an all-electric home’s affordability, reliability, energy performance and total emissions calculation.

Read the full article at The Mountain Mail.