A changing climate and lower utility bills have led Iowans to build more energy-efficient homes

On this episode of River to River , the need to climate-proof homes as temperatures rise. First, Iowa City resident, Del Holland, explains what it is like to live in a LEED-certified green home.

Then, Holly Edgell, of the Midwest Newsroom joins host Ben Kieffer to share how growing electricity costs and the need to climate-proof homes have prompted the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to adopt updated energy standards for new single and multi-family homes.

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Senior Policy Director Mark Kresowik shares how many dollars lower-income households will save under these new standards. Council Bluffs-based contractor Tamara Brunow shares how she builds homes that are more affordable and sustainable in the long run for occupants, rather than budgeting for the short term.

Guests:

• Del Holland, member, Prairie Hill Cohousing Community
• Holly Edgell, managing editor, Midwest Newsroom
• Mark Kresowik, Iowa native and senior policy director, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
• Tamara Brunow, president and CEO, Brunow Contracting, LLC