Climate-friendly building code kicks in on Friday

A Thurston County judge’s decision means that a climate-friendly building code takes effect in Washington state on Friday.

The state’s new code pushes builders to use electric heat pumps and discourages the burning of fossil fuels.

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It sets energy-efficiency standards so high that only heat pumps can satisfy them — discouraging gas-burning appliances without explicitly banning them.

Building-industry groups argued the new code would drive up the cost of housing and jeopardize construction jobs.

Superior Court Judge Carol Murphy said putting the new regulation on hold could cause harm and that the builders failed to present enough evidence that they would suffer irreparably if it were not put on hold. She rejected the builders’ to suspend the new building code.

She did not rule on the merits of the building industry’s case. A full hearing on the case against the climate-friendly building code is expected later this year.