Construction costs have soared recently, at the same time that demand for office space has plummeted. Boston-area developers have expressed concerns about adding additional costs, like requiring buildings to be electrified, but studies have rebutted those arguments. Rebates have made construction without fossil fuel installation less expensive for most new buildings.
Turning away from fossil fuels and constructing more energy-efficient buildings also brings long-term savings, but tenants, not developers, normally reap those benefits.
Cities and towns across Massachusetts have been trying to ban fossil fuels in new buildings for years, since Brookline first proposed such a ban in 2019 but was thwarted by state law. The fossil fuel-free demonstration program, which was included in Massachusetts’ 2022 climate law, created the first path to doing so — but only for 10 cities and towns.
Source: Boston pulls out of a pilot program to ban fossil fuels in buildings
