Buildings are the second largest and growing source of greenhouse gas pollution in Oregon making the ReBuilding Task Force a major climate priority. This bill started out as the Reach Code Bill which was unfinished business from previous sessions. Reach Code would have given authority to municipalities to opt for a 10% high energy efficiency standard for new buildings. During the 2022 short session, legislators and advocates agreed that we needed much larger, more comprehensive building policies to reduce greenhouse gas pollution from new and existing buildings in Oregon––which is how the Resilient Efficient Building Task Force, also known as the ReBuilding Task Force, came into existence. The Task Force brings together diverse stakeholders, including labor, gas companies, Public Utility Commissions, home builders and developers, and climate and environmental justice groups to create a report to help legislators develop strong, comprehensive policies for clean, safe, healthy and resilient buildings for the 2023 legislative session.
