Tuesday May 13, 2025
National Policy Call: Connecticut
Join us in May for a Connecticut-focused BDC National Policy Call. Hosted by BDC’s Director of State Mobilization, Matt Casale, this call will feature Connecticut State Rep. Steven Winter, Shannon Laun from the Conservation Law Foundation, and Tom Wiehl, Legal & Regulatory Director at the Connecticut Office of Consumer Counsel. They will examine the past, present, and future of the state’s building decarbonization policy, providing attendees with insights that will help them advance building decarbonization initiatives in their states.
(All Pending)
Recording
Slide Deck
Summary of Event
Tuesday February 25, 2025
National Policy Call: Maryland
BDC’s national policy call featuring Maryland was hosted by BDC’s Brian Jenkins and featured panelists Lauren Urbanek of Baltimore Gas & Electric, Mark Stewart of the Maryland Department of the Environment, and Ashita Gona of RMI. The panelists offered insights and lessons learned from Maryland’s efforts to decarbonize its buildings.
Recording
Slide deck
Summary of Event
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
National Policy Call: New York
After the passage of the historic Utility Thermal Energy Network and Jobs Act (UTENJA) in 2022, New York became the first state in the nation to create a pathway for gas utilities to operate as thermal utilities, decarbonizing buildings by installing pipes for thermal energy networks instead of gas. Today, environmental advocacy organizations, utilities, unions, and other building decarbonization stakeholders are working to shape the implementation of several New York neighborhood-scale zero-emission thermal energy network projects.
This call features Allison Considine from BDC, Commissioner Jeanette Moy from the New York State Office of General Services, Jessica Azulay from the Alliance for a Green Economy (AGREE), Greg Koumoullos from Con Edison, and Brett Thomason from the Enterprise Association of Steamfitters Local 638 as they explore the progress New York is making on the development of utility and non-utility thermal energy networks, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for New York’s neighborhood-scale transition to clean heating and cooling.
Recording
Slide deck
Summary of Event
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
National Policy Call: Minnesota
On the heels of a historic 2023 legislative session, a forthcoming “future of gas” proceeding, a newly established state “green bank,” and a goal to be net zero statewide by 2050, Minnesota is taking crucial steps towards decarbonization. Join us and a panel of policy and environmental justice experts as we dive into wins, challenges, and opportunities to decarbonize the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Recording
Slide deck
Summary of Event
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
National Policy Call: New Jersey
With a statewide GhG reduction goal of 50% by 2030, a recently opened “future of gas” proceeding, and Governor Murphy’s commitment to electrify 400,000 homes and 20,000 commercial spaces by 2030, momentum in New Jersey is building. NJ decarb experts Barb Blumenthal, Stacy Ho Richardson, and Elyse Pivnick discussed the state’s climate policy, regulatory standards, and commitments to environmental justice at BDC’s first national policy call of 2024.
Recording
Slide deck
Summary of Event
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
National Policy Call: Washington
Washington has led the way with state-wide action, from an energy performance standard to first-in-the-nation codes to electrify residential and commercial buildings. That, coupled with a huge supply of carbon-free electricity and strong coalitions across the decarbonization space makes Washington a leader in building decarbonization. This call features learnings from Washington decarbonization experts Laura Feinstein, Fellow, Sightline Institute; Duane Jonlin, Energy Code and Energy Conservation Advisor, City of Seattle; and Steve Gelb, Regional Director of the Northwest, Emerald Cities.
Recording
Slide deck
Summary of Event
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
National Policy Call: Massachusetts
This policy call is a deep dive into the building decarbonization policy landscape in Massachusetts. Paul Ormond, Efficiency Engineer, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources; Ben Butterworth, Director of Climate, Energy and Equity Analysis, Acadia Center, and Nikki Bruno, Vice President of Clean Technologies, Eversource Energy discussed the state’s Clean Heat Standard, its new stretch code, and the Eversource networked geothermal pilot underway in Framingham.
Recording
Slide deck
Summary of Event
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
National Policy Call: Colorado
A panel of experts including Amy Jiron, Director for Building Decarbonization Policy, Colorado Energy Office; Kent Marsh, Vice President for Capital Planning Sustainability & Campus Operations, Colorado Mesa University; Meera Fickling, Senior Climate Policy Analyst, Western Resource Advocates; and Portia Prescott, President, Rocky Mountain NAACP discussed how Colorado is decarbonizing its buildings. The discussion ranged from equitable building decarbonization, geothermal energy, gas infrastructure and gas line allowances, and multiple policies including Clean Heat Plans and financing programs to support building decarbonization.
Recording
Slide deck
Summary of Event
Tuesday, April 25, 2023
National Policy Call: How Frigid Maine Became a National Electrification Leader
The State of Maine is blowing past its goal of installing 100,000 heat pumps by 2025. How has this cold state been able to achieve such resounding success? Dan Burgess, Director of the Maine Governor’s Energy Office, Dana Fischer, Director, Regulatory Strategy Mitsubishi Electric US, Inc – Heating & Cooling, and Scott Libby of Royal River Heat pumps talked to us for an hour to answer that question and more!
Recording
Slide deck
Summary of Event
Tuesday, February 28th 2023
Building Decarbonization Policy in Illinois: Why it matters and why now in Illinois?
Building decarbonization policies, and rumblings about them, are showing up all around the country; and we want to talk about it! This month we spoke with Illinois local experts: Kady McFadden of McFadden Strategies, Christie Hicks from the Environmental Defense Fund, and J.C. Kibbey from the Natural Resource Defense Council about what is happening in Illinois regarding building decarbonization and why it matters.
Recording
Slide deck
Summary of Event