Construction, Code and Commerce: The Economic Impact of Commercial Energy Codes in the Southeast
Construction, Code and Commerce: The Economic Impact of Commercial Energy Codes in the Southeast is the first in a series of SEEA white papers that will analyze the economic impact of building energy code adoption and implementation in the Southeast.
For this first report, SEEA analyzed commercial building construction data from CMD (formerly Reed Construction Data, Inc.) to obtain a macro-level view of commercial construction trends in the Southeast. Specifically, we wanted to understand what impact, if any, newer state-level energy codes have had on commercial construction starts, local economic activity and job creation.
Key Findings
- Commercial construction permit numbers are on the rise
- Renovations are growing more rapidly than new construction across the region
- Based on SEEA’s analysis, there is no evidence that energy codes adversely impact commercial construction activity
