Passive House Makes Waves in California
with AB 368

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 368, titled “Energy: building standards: passive house standards,” into law on October 1st. The law directs the California Energy Commission (CEC) to study Passive House standards by climate zone, using California’s metric of long-term system cost, and report its findings to the state legislature by July 2028.

Sponsored by Assemblymember Chris Ward and Cosponsored by Assemblymembers Tasha Boerner Horvath and Nick Schultz, it passed the chamber by a vote of 79 Yea, 0 Nay, and 1 Abstention, before being signed into law.

We are encouraged to see this step toward a better understanding of Passive House and what we believe will be its impactful implementation.

This recognition was hard-fought, with years of Passive House activity in the state. We’d like to recognize Rob Haw and Climate Action California for taking the lead and driving this effort forward with determination and clarity of purpose. Their leadership was instrumental in making AB 368 a reality, along with members of our chapter, Passive House California, our Policy Director, Bronwyn Barry, and many Passive House volunteers within the network, such as Brian Pearson, Rob Nicely, Graham Irwin, Andrew Turner, Susie Harris, along with USGBC-CA members Ben Stapleton, Robyn Eason, and Michael Rochmes.

In a shifting environment where drastic carbon emissions reductions and intensified adaptation to growing extreme weather are both critical to preserving life and wealth, Passive House is uniquely positioned to meet the challenge predictably and affordably, while supporting vibrant and resilient communities across California, the US, and the world.

The PHN California Rebuilds Passive House Design Competition is currently underway, highlighting how we can rebuild a more resilient and beautiful future after wildfires. We invite you to join us on November 4th, on the eve of Greenbuild in Los Angeles, where we’ll announce the winners.

Onward.