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OPINION: Regulators, experts concluded EV-ready circuits are justified in new homes
Cars use a commercial charging station on Lang Avenue NE in Albuquerque. New state requirements that went into effect Aug. 1 require new developments have infrastructure for electric vehicle chargers. Some Republicans say the new building codes will drive up the cost of new, single-family homes between 10% to 20%, pricing many New Mexicans out of the new home market. An alliance of craft unions, the New Mexico Building and Construction Trades Council, disputes the cost-increase estimates, and says the electric vehicle wiring requirements are a good investment.
Modern building codes ensure the quality, safety, and resilience of new homes, protecting families from hazards while guaranteeing modern conveniences. Our homes are sturdy, comfortable, and modern because of these codes, not in spite of them.
So who would argue against building codes? Developers and home builders who want to cut corners, rake in higher profits, and run — and legislators like state Rep. James Townsend and state Rep. Luis Terrazas, who care more about spreading developer misinformation than protecting their constituents.
New Mexico’s building codes are under attack as developers and their legislative proxies push to weaken construction standards while pretending to care about housing affordability. New homebuyers should be outraged. Developers aren’t advocating for lower new home prices; they want to shift costs to buyers, leaving buyers with a choice between lower-quality construction or expensive retrofits.
As contractors, electricians, plumbers, roofers and other qualified construction professionals, we’re open to discussing the costs and benefits of health and safety measures in new homes.
We’re all too happy to debate whether homes should be built with new features like EV-ready wiring in preparation for the future or built with outdated materials and designs that worked for the past.
However, we cannot tolerate the gross exaggeration of simple measures like added insulation or an extra electrical outlet in a blatant attempt to mislead the public about housing affordability.
Reps. Townsend and Terrazas confidently, and incorrectly, claimed that recent code updates would add $70,000 to each new home, mainly from added insulation and an extra circuit for EV charging. (“New EV building codes will drive up home construction costs considerably,” Aug. 11 Sunday Journal).
As contractors who install these components, this is downright laughable. Any builder who says extra insulation and an electrical circuit cost $70,000 is either exceptionally greedy, incompetent, or both.
The National Association of Home Builders’ commissioned study found that increased ceiling insulation under the 2021 model codes adds just $1,366, modest compared to the comfort, noise reduction, and utility bill benefits. Despite this, New Mexico builders successfully lobbied to remove the additional insulation from our code. The fact that these legislators haven’t even read the code they’re attacking is telling.
Equally absurd is the claim that a new EV-ready circuit would add 10% to 20% to a new home price. An EV-ready outlet is essentially a dryer outlet. Adding a 208/240-volt circuit during construction of a new home costs between $50 and $300. Even with inflation, $300 doesn’t turn into $70,000.
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Is the requirement for an EV-ready outlet justified? New Mexico’s public process, which included homebuilders, concluded it was. Installing this circuit later costs far more, requiring drywall removal, service panel reconfiguration, more expensive conduit installation, and additional permitting. Notably, the code doesn’t require an actual EV charger, just the circuit and outlet for future installation.
These legislators seem oblivious to the comprehensive public process that the New Mexico Construction and Industries Division uses to evaluate, amend, and adopt building code updates.
They dismiss the expertise of those of us who were in the room many days giving input and who make a living doing the actual work out in the field. They never participated in this process, and they’ve never built a home or building themselves.
They don’t care about housing affordability or safe, functional homes. They care about boosting builder profits and scoring political points on topics they know little about.
As construction professionals, we live and raise our families in the communities we serve. We care about our communities. Spreading misinformation about building codes, exaggerating costs, rolling back safety standards, halting modernization of homes, and ignoring the real drivers of housing affordability are dangerous steps backward in our efforts to create safer, more resilient communities.
Brian Condit is executive director of the New Mexico Building and Construction Trades Council.
