Sudbury debate centers on state'specialized energy "stretch" code for new homes

The Select Board on March 11 heard a detailed update on a citizen-backed proposal to opt in to Massachusetts''specialized energy ("stretch") code for new homes, a statewide policy that aims to cut building greenhouse gas emissions.

Supporters, including the town'Energy and Sustainability Committee representative Rami Elwan and a Department of Energy Resources regional coordinator, said the revised code would require new all-electric houses or mixed-fuel houses to include additional electric infrastructure and solar to offset fossil-fuel use. Dylan Patel of the Green Communities division of the Department of Energy Resources told the board the typical incremental construction cost for a mixed-fuel home could be roughly $24,000 before incentives and that, with tax incentives, the net cost of solar often cited is about $15,000. "We're talking about $24,000 in additional costs," Patel said, adding the median price of the new homes analyzed in Sudbury implied the increment was roughly 1…