Grid Implications of Electrifying Residential New Construction—Update

November, 2024

In the fall of 2023, The Building Decarbonization Alliance published Grid Implications of Electrifying Residential New Construction, a discussion paper written to address concerns about the near-term viability of all-electric new residential construction. Our objective was to capture the utility sector’s perspective on the interplay of electrifying new homes and the electricity grid, and as part of the release, we encouraged the BDA partner network to engage with our research, challenge our assumptions, and give us their points of view.

This updated memo builds on that work by incorporating the perspectives of additional key stakeholders, especially developers and builders. Based on new input from 22 residential developers, builders and electricians, we now provide our updated understanding of the challenges with broad-scale electrification of new residential construction, along with actionable recommendations for a variety of stakeholders to guide ongoing efforts to make decarbonized new residential construction the norm.

About the Authors

Aurélie Vérin

Aurélie Vérin

Senior Policy Analyst - Building Decarbonization Alliance

Aurélie is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Transition Accelerator, at the Building Decarbonization Alliance. She has held technical and expert advisor roles, managing and implementing numerous projects related to energy transition and decarbonization in the built environment, with governments, utilities and businesses.

Before joining the Transition Accelerator, Aurélie was a Senior Consultant at Econoler. She also worked for energy and services providers focusing on demand side management and on the development of commercial strategies and service offerings related to energy efficiency.
Aurélie holds a Bachelor of Science in agro-environmental engineering from ISA Lille, as well as a master’s degree in urban environmental management from Wageningen University.

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Mathieu Poirier

Director of Policy – Building Decarbonization Alliance

Matt prides himself on translating research findings into actionable solutions that support the clean energy transition. He brings over 10 years of experience working with governments, utilities, and industry to decarbonize the built environment. Before this role, Matt held consulting roles at Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors and Deloitte and worked in industry and non-profit organizations focusing on green building design and legal analysis. He holds degrees in mechanical engineering and psychology from the University of Waterloo, in law, with specializations in environmental and business law, from Dalhousie University, and he also holds an MBA from Saint Mary’s University.

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Vérin, A., Poirier, M. (2024). Grid Implications of Electrifying Residential New Construction – Update November 2024. Building Decarbonization Alliance. Version 1.