Why Alexandria's Green Building Policy Matters

Guest Contributor Kathie Hoekstra explains the importance of an upcoming City Council decision on amendments to Alexandria's Green Building Policy

Kathie Hoekstra

About Alexandria welcomes Kathie Hoekstra, a long-time climate and environment activist, as a guest contributor. Kathie is a member and former Chair of Alexandria’s Environmental Policy Commission.

The Environmental Policy Commission advocates for city programs and projects to fight the climate crisis, including creating the Office of Climate Action, reforming the city’s Green Building Policy to move to net zero energy, and encouraging city interactions with residents and businesses about the tax incentives and rebates now available for conversions of gas to electric appliances.

Kathie has a JD from John Marshall Law School in Chicago and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Law (LLM) from George Washington University Law School.

Kathie explains the City Council’s critical decision this fall on amendments to the city’s Green Building Policy.

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We all want Alexandria to be a community with healthy, comfortable, affordable housing. To attain that goal, the city’s Healthy Homes Initiative was adopted to ensure that all Alexandrians have healthy, safe and hazard-free housing. You can see more about the initiative and the 2025 Healthy Homes Action Plan

Our Healthy Homes survey results show we have work to do. We suffer from high electric bills, unhealthy air that contributes to asthma, and we are not comfortable in our homes during all too frequent power outages during storms.

We can change all that going forward with every new apartment built in Alexandria by amending our Green Building Policy to create safer, healthier, more comfortable, affordable, and resilient units. This is not a technology or economic problem, but is rather a political one and a “fight against change” problem.

As the proposed amended Green Building Policy states, Alexandria should adopt standards for cheaper renewable energy onsite and off, and a policy that moves away from polluting natural gas as fuel.

The complete April 4, 2025 Green Building Policy Update can be seen

We should also support the change to Energy Use Intensity (EUI) as a measuring indicator instead of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. EUI is the current best method to assess energy efficiency and the health and comfort of a home. EUI is like miles per gallon that measures the fuel efficiency of a car or truck. EUI is the amount of energy used per year (as determined by the power or gas company) divided by the square footage of the housing unit—a matter of public record. EUI is rapidly gaining acceptance because it measures only energy efficiency and is impossible to manipulate.

LEED is a complicated scoring system that assesses buildings on a number of issues like open space, transportation, etc. LEED certification allows applicants to choose various items to earn points. A LEED applicant might get points for a green roof, providing a book on how to manage an HVAC system, or providing green space or an interconnected street network, but these conditions do not lead to a more energy efficient building. A 2019 study finding that many LEED-certified buildings use more energy than non-LEED buildings can be seen

To really “move the needle” and get those “best practices” talked about in our Eco-City Charter, we must require more.

Buildings built to current standards vs. energy efficient buildings are like the difference between driving a car with a hole in the gas tank and one without a hole. One wastes a lot and costs more. Some claim energy efficient buildings will result in fewer buildings being built. Rules change, and developers must change along with the rules. They may not like it initially, but they learn, adapt and economize fast. Their ability to profit depends on their ability to adapt quickly. Developers in other cities have shown how fast they can change and adapt.

Under the current rules in Alexandria, our experts tell us buildings are being built with an EUI of 42. But the healthiest, most affordable (because heating and cooling costs are so much lower) and most resilient during power outages units have an EUI of under 25. Buildings with this comfort level and low energy costs have been built in Philadelphia and New York for the past 10 years. You can see more about this at the website of Build Our Future

Build Our Future is an organization of city residents dedicated to supporting the city’s transition to a zero carbon community through improvements to our built environment.

Building housing with an EUI of 25 or less could save renters over $200/ month in utilities, significantly reduce mold, smoke and other unhealthy effects, including a noticeable reduction in noise levels. If combined with renewable energy and/or backup batteries energy efficient construction allows residents to manage the impacts of power outages even if they last for days.

Currently, city staff recommends changing the Green Building Policy to an EUI of only 38. A city consultant listed 3 potential EUI values: Good = 38, Better = 36, and Best = 31. However, a 2022 Advanced Energy Design Guide for Multifamily Buildings authored by a coalition of experts found that current “best practice” for our climate zone is an EUI of 23. Thousands of housing units have been built in New York and Philadelphia with EUIs at or below 25 with an average cost increase of only 2%. As with all changes in building practices there is a learning curve that requires a bit more cost, but only initially as builders adapt to the change and become more efficient.

If you are ready for more affordable, comfortable and healthier homes built in Alexandria, I ask you to join me in urging the Council to take the bold, but achievable step of amending the Green Building Policy to require an EUI of 25 for all new multifamily buildings.

Making this change will then encourage existing building owners to improve their buildings as well due to the competition from new buildings. Everyone wants healthier, more comfortable housing. We should start with new buildings and move on to improving existing ones. As the saying goes, eat the elephant one bite at a time.

You can see my comment letter to the City Council

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