PHMN April 22, 2025 Monthly Meeting: Stepping Up to Passive

Advocacy and opportunity in Minnesota with special guests Sheri Hansen, AIA Minnesota and Eric Fowler, Fresh Energy.
Attend and network with others working to transform the building industry in Minnesota. Get the latest, regional, national & international Passive House news. Hear reports on ongoing efforts and help brainstorm new ones.
Join PHMN for a presentation and insightful discussion with Sheri Hansen, the Director of Communications, Advocacy, and Public Outreach at AIA Minnesota, and Eric Fowler, the Director of Building Performance at Fresh Energy and member of the Technical Advisory Group for Minnesota’s next residential energy code at the Department of Labor and Industry on advocacy in Minnesota. We will discuss the key legislative topics currently being considered at the Minnesota State Capitol, receive an update on the discussions of the Technical Advisory Group which is currently updating Minnesota’s next residential energy code, a brief overview of the new energy benchmarking law, and discuss long term initiatives where the PHMN chapter can join with other allied groups to help build momentum for the 2026 session and beyond. We will also explore potential impacts of federal spending cuts on these issues.
Learning Objectives
- Identify key legislative topics currently being heard at the Minnesota State Capitol and explore ways to support their advancement.
- Outline upcoming policy initiatives for the 2026 session and discuss strategies to ensure they are considered at the Capitol.
- Analyze the potential effects of federal funding cuts on built environment programs and explore actions to sustain building science and resilience efforts.
- Review updates to Minnesota’s residential energy code, including current and proposed changes, the three-year adoption cycle, and the state’s 2038 energy goals.
Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at Noon CST on Zoom.