Energy: building standards: passive house standards.

Assembly Member Ward, with coauthors Boerner and Schultz, directs the California Energy Commission to undertake a climate-zone–specific evaluation of passive house energy efficiency standards. The new duty requires the commission to assess cost-effectiveness by climate zone using metrics it adopts, such as long-term system cost, and to consider the two passive house energy models currently required for certification. The analysis compares passive house construction with existing construction under the state’s energy standards and a report detailing findings and recommendations must be submitted to the Legislature by July 1, 2028; the reporting obligation is inoperative on January 1, 2032, and the report must be prepared in compliance with specified Government Code provisions.

The measure adds a new statutory requirement to the Public Resources Code, creating an evaluative framework rather than directly altering building standards. It requires the Commission to evaluate the use of the two passive house models and to assess cost-effectiveness of passive house construction relative to existing construction under Title 24, Part 6, while ensuring the analysis aligns with the commission’s cost-effectiveness evaluation framework in the applicable law. The report’s preparation is conditioned on compliance with Government Code provisions governing format and sunset timing.

Implementation contemplates a multi-year analytic effort by the Commission, with a formal report due by mid-2028 and the duty expiring in early 2032 unless extended by future legislation. The measure does not itself provide an appropriation; fiscal considerations are subject to review by the Fiscal Committee, and any subsequent funding decisions would rely on the Legislature’s budget processes and the Commission’s resource planning.

Stakeholders likely to engage include the California Energy Commission, builders and developers affected by passive house standards, passive house certifying bodies, and policymakers who will receive and evaluate the resulting findings. The framework relies on existing regulatory structures for Title 24 and cost-effectiveness analysis, and the report will be aligned with Government Code reporting requirements and sunset mechanics, situating the measure within the state’s ongoing approach to energy efficiency standards and regulatory review.