CABO: The Path to Clean and Sustainable Homes
Communities across Chicago need a pathway to clean and sustainable homes and buildings. The Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance (CABO), introduced by Mayor Johnson in January 2024, requires all new buildings in Chicago to use appliances that rely solely on efficient electricity. CABO has received the support of more than a dozen Alders, 50+ organizations, and many businesses who understand the benefits that CABO can have on communities’ health and finances.
CABO sets an indoor emissions standard limit of 25 kg of CO2 per BTU, effectively banning the combustion of fossil fuels that directly pollute the air and cause health problems. This is lower than all fossil fuel sources, including natural gas, propane, and kerosene.
The ordinance applies to all commercial and residential buildings, including building additions over 10,000 sq ft. Household appliances such as heating, air conditioning, water heating, cooking appliances, and clothes dryers are all included. Conversely, commercial cooking, emergency backup power, industrial production, wood fireplaces, hospitals, and laboratories are exceptions under CABO.
The Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance only applies to new construction; it does not mandate owners modify or retrofit existing buildings or dispose of appliances. Further, the ordinance requires nothing of existing single-family homes or apartment buildings. CABO applies to new buildings only, accounting for less than 0.5% of Chicago buildings. Once passed, CABO will go into effect one year from passage. With the transition away from natural gas across the nation, similar policies have passed in 50 other municipalities, including New York and Los Angeles.
Nearly 90% of lower-income homeowners in Chicago report being energy insecure or being without access to affordable and reliable energy sources to heat and power their homes. Moreover, residents with lower incomes, renters, seniors, and other vulnerable groups are more likely to live in older buildings, lack cooling, and disproportionately experience the effects of climate change. In Chicago, gas fixed fees are very high, and the elimination of gas costs contributes significantly to savings on utility bills. Thus, all-electric new construction, mandated by CABO, will be more affordable than the current gas system.
The largest source of climate pollution in Chicago is the burning of fossil fuels in buildings, accounting for more than two-thirds of Chicago’s carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and nitrogen oxide pollution. This, along with burning gas in our homes, pollutes the air and can cause an increased risk of asthma, aggravated respiratory symptoms, and cardiovascular effects, especially in children.
CABO is expected to grow the workforce of the clean energy sector, and the technology and skillset exist today to support building electrification and energy efficiency. Cold climate heat pumps are a fully proven technology that has advanced rapidly in a short period of time. Currently, the clean energy sector employs twice as many workers as the fossil fuel sector in Chicago. Clean new jobs in the energy efficiency field will ensure that our communities are healthy and that working families can be part of a thriving workforce.
Over the last three years, Elevate has electrified over 450 units across Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and residents are happy and comfortable in their fully electric homes. While CABO does not mandate owners modify or retrofit existing buildings or dispose of appliances, we followed up with residents whose homes were retrofitted and received positive feedback that there are no more drafts and noise through their exhausts, their homes are comfortable and healthy, and their utility bills are decreasing. Additionally, over the past three years, Elevate has provided over $10 million in construction dollars to contractors, building owners, and homeowners to help build wealth and invest in their communities. Elevate works to create a pathway for communities to not only have jobs that help people raise their families, put a roof over their heads, and food on the table, but also to create jobs in their own communities and be a part of the green economy. Energy efficiency is only the beginning, and Elevate is ready to support workers interested in good sustainable jobs that will create a healthier future for our children.
