April 21, 2025

TO: The Honorable Elizabeth Walsh, Chairperson, Howard County Council and members of the Council.
FROM: Laura Mettle, President, League of Women Voters of Howard County

RE: Testimony In FAVOR of AMENDING Council Bill 24-2025, Adopting Howard County Building Code

The League of Women Voters of Howard County is a member of Electrify HoCo - Electrify Our Future Coalition. We supported CB5-2023, Clean New Buildings Climate Act, passed by the Council in March of 2023, which specifies a goal for Howard County to phase out the use of fossil fuels in new construction in order to achieve net-zero energy use by 2045.

In view of the Council’s 2023 decision, It would seem that language supporting the previously adopted energy goals would be incorporated into the new Howard County Building Code. Unfortunately, that language was omitted from the draft bill under consideration. The County Executive’s April 2024 report on adopting new building codes to support decarbonization included model language from the International Codes Council to incorporate into revised building codes. Please amend the bill to include language specifying building standards that maximize energy efficiency and minimize the use of fossil fuels to improve air quality and lower energy costs.

We are aware that some parties hesitate to limit consumer choices by banning the use of natural gas in new construction in Howard County. At present, natural gas is not available everywhere in the county; large swaths of land do not provide access to natural gas. The homes in those areas are fully electric, and their owners may enjoy the benefits of significant monetary savings by using modern electric heat pumps instead of natural gas or oil to heat their homes and water. (The cost of gas is likely to increase, as imports from overseas supply almost all the natural gas used in Maryland). The owners of those homes may also avoid the serious respiratory health issues, including asthma, that correlate with the use of natural gas in the home.

While you are updating the Howard County Building Code, please also give serious consideration to requiring new multi-family housing units to incorporate a new set of universal design standards to accommodate residents who need to use wheelchairs.