Housing Starts Crash, Solar Beats Coal, and a Startup Wants to Make It Rain

Housing Starts Crash, Solar Beats Coal, and a Startup Wants to Make It Rain

This Week's Sustainable Building News [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwQAcwOzaQyfAMZ7xA2Mz2acdLVauKFlV] This week on Green Builder Media's Housing News Podcast, we explore the trends reshaping housing, sustainability, and resilience. Housing starts have fallen to a six-year low, raising new concerns about affordability and housing supply. At the same time, solar generated more electricity than coal in the United States for the first time ever, marking a major milestone in the nation's energy transition. We also examine a new corporate climate standard that shifts the focus from climate promises to measurable action, a controversial North Carolina proposal that would exempt some agricultural facilities from building code oversight, and a startup that claims it can increase rainfall in drought-stricken regions of the American West. In this issue:  Housing starts lowest in six years [https://www.reuters.com/business/us-single-family-housing-starts-drop-eight-month-low-may-2026-06-16/?] Solar generates more power than coal [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-10/solar-surpasses-coal-in-historic-shift-for-us-electricity-mix?] SBTi Climate Standard prevents fake green claims [https://time.com/article/2026/06/12/sbti-corporate-climate-progress/] North Carolina Farm Act exempts agricultural buildings, including fertilizer facilities, from local zoning and state building code oversight  [https://lrs.sog.unc.edu/bill/constitutional-right-farm] Tech innovation makes rain machine [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-06-11/us-west-drought-spurs-startup-to-pitch-weird-rain-machine?] Mass timber earthquake research [https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-resilient-earthquakes-solution.html] HomeRES.ai [http://homeres.ai] wins tech innovation award USGBC Designing for Greater Efficiency [https://www.usgbc.org/articles/designing-greater-efficiency-certificate-now-available-through-usgbc] Greensboro Downtown Greenway [https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/blog/the-case-for-visible-infrastructure] Farmers defend Iowa water quality regulations [https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07062026/iowa-farmers-talk-regulation-amid-water-crisis/] Is FEMA ready for the next storm? [https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/fema-ready-disaster-season/822507/] New IAPMO 2027 Codes [https://iapmostore.org/] The Valuation Metric with Doug Tarry [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSjjb52smKs&t=83s] Subscribe for weekly housing, sustainability, resilience, energy, and building science news. Editors’ Product Pick: Rheem Endeavor Line Classic Plus Series Top-Discharge Universal Heat Pump [https://www.rheem.com/endeavor/] Upcoming Sustainability Events:  June 18–July 30:  High Performance Home Master Class Series—plus CEU opportunities for builders and pros [https://www.learningedgellc.com/webinars-special] June 22–24: 2026 NFPA Conference & Expo [https://www.nfpa.org/events/conference] Las Vegas June 23–25: Trellis Impact 26 [https://trellis.net/teaser-ti26/] San Francisco July 15–16: The Flooring Sustainability Summit [http://www.flooringsummit.com], Arlington, Va.  July 22–23: Sunbelt Builders Show [https://www.sunbeltbuildersshow.com/], San Antonio, Texas July 23–24: Industrialized Housing Summit [https://cvent.utexas.edu/event/510d0030-a4ca-4a44-a4ea-028cce12f260/summary], Austin September 9–10: Building Fire Safety Symposium [https://web.cvent.com/event/cae6dc8d-a2c4-4b4b-970d-42b14c08a21a/register] September 16–18: EEBA Summit 2026 [https://summit2026.eeba.org/registration] St. Paul, Minn. October 20–23: Greenbuild 2026 [https://greenbuild.informaconnect.com/2026/registrations/Attendee] New York, NY November 4–5: The Building Products Customer Workshop [https://www.venveo.com/2027?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93MVoaxjiTvIX5b86Dwm], Nashville  About Green Builder Media Green Builder Media www.greenbuildermedia.com is North America’s leading green building and sustainable living media company. Through our magazine, website, demonstration homes, and data services, we provide actionable information to consumers and builders about how to build and remodel sustainable homes. We focus on net-zero building, green products, energy efficiency, healthy homes, resilience, connected living, and building science. Subscribe to our once-a-week Vantage enewsletter: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHpyMkxpS3RPUmE0YnVUVWoyTy0xSzNzQUN3UXxBQ3Jtc0treGoyX3VNQWVGMXRTeGlBWkRYQ19vNmcyNXlPTWhvcVdLNllsTFluM0h2MmFvV1IzazBYRE1nNXNKTWVUbi1sQ1pMRndiSk1EN051RDlJcjZTQmtJVHE4OERuVzdDZF9UbDRnOHJibUp3Zk9aZDlDSQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.greenbuildermedia.com%2Fenewsletter-subscribe&v=QB76WbG8Hpshttps://www.greenbuildermedia.com/enewsletter-subscribe Follow Green Builder Media: LinkedIn: @green-builder-media-llc Facebook: @greenbuildermedia Bluesky: @greenbuildermedia Threads: @greenbuildermedia

A 328-Foot 3D Printer, Nuclear-Powered AI, and the Fight Over America's Data Centers

This week on Green Builder Media's Sustainable Building News, we explore the growing backlash against data centers, including Google's Project Skyway data center, Arizona's push to streamline small modular nuclear reactors for data center power and kneecap residents’ ability to use zoning laws to block data centers, and a construction technology breakthrough that could transform how buildings are built. We also cover major changes to federal home energy rebates, new resources for homeowners seeking efficiency incentives, wildfire resilience standards that now extend beyond individual homes, and what the 2026 FIFA World Cup may reveal about housing markets and sustainability. In this episode:  * The world's first tower crane 3D construction printer. [https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/worlds-first-tower-crane-3d-printer]   [https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/worlds-first-tower-crane-3d-printer] * Why some homeowners may lose access to electrification rebates. [https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/worlds-first-tower-crane-3d-printer]   [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/climate/energy-rebates-home-appliances.html] * A primer on rebates, incentives, and financing programs for homeowners.  [https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/blog/how-to-find-the-green-you-need-to-upgrade-your-homes-efficiency] * Google Project Skyway Data Center Halted  [https://www.constructiondive.com/news/judge-halts-google-data-center-project/822152/] * The future of wildfire-ready neighborhoods.  [https://ibhs.org/ibhs-news-releases/ibhs-rounds-out-wildfire-prepared-program-with-neighborhood-and-multifamily-standards-updates-home-requirements/] * A new debate over federal research funding. [https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/05/29/2026-10817/regulation-for-federal-financial-assistance] * Fire-resistant building products. [http://arclin.com] * The Impact Series: Kelly Kopp on Water, Landscapes, and the Future of Communities  [https://youtu.be/jg56DEjgpe8] * Green Builder Media's upcoming housing affordability webinar. [https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/webinar-ownership-affordability] * World Cup Host Cities and Housing Prices  [https://www.ennessglobal.com/us] Upcoming Sustainability Events: June 11–12: Next Generation Water Summit [https://ngws.vfairs.com/]Santa Fe & virtual June 18–July 30:  High Performance Home Master Class Series [https://www.learningedgellc.com/webinars-special]—plus CEU opportunities for builders and pros June 22–24: 2026 NFPA Conference & Expo [https://www.nfpa.org/events/conference] Las Vegas  June 23–25: Trellis Impact 26 [https://trellis.net/teaser-ti26/] San Francisco July 15–16: The Flooring Sustainability Summit [http://www.flooringsummit.com], Arlington, Va.  July 22–23: Sunbelt Builders Show [https://www.sunbeltbuildersshow.com/], San Antonio, Texas  July 23–24: Industrialized Housing Summit [https://cvent.utexas.edu/event/510d0030-a4ca-4a44-a4ea-028cce12f260/summary], Austin  September 9–10: Building Fire Safety Symposium [https://web.cvent.com/event/cae6dc8d-a2c4-4b4b-970d-42b14c08a21a/register] September 16–18: EEBA Summit 2026 [https://summit2026.eeba.org/registration] St. Paul, Minn. October 20–23: Greenbuild 2026 [https://greenbuild.informaconnect.com/2026/registrations/Attendee] New York, NY November 4–5: The Building Products Customer Workshop [https://www.venveo.com/2027?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93MVoaxjiTvIX5b86Dwm], Nashville  About Green Builder Media Green Builder Media www.greenbuildermedia.com is North America’s leading green building and sustainable living media company. Through our magazine, website, demonstration homes, and data services, we provide actionable information to consumers and builders about how to build and remodel sustainable homes. We focus on net-zero building, green products, energy efficiency, healthy homes, resilience, connected living, and building science. Subscribe to our once-a-week Vantage e-newsletter [https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/enewsletter-subscribe] Follow Green Builder Media: LinkedIn: @green-builder-media-llc Facebook: @greenbuildermedia Bluesky: @greenbuildermedia Threads: @greenbuildermedia

The Valuation Metric: Building Homes for Human Flourishing

Sara Gutterman talks with Doug Tarry, President of Doug Tarry Homes and author of From Bleeding Edge to Leading Edge, about what happens when housing is valued not as a commodity, but as human infrastructure. Together, they explore why homes must do more than meet code or maximize price per square foot—they must support health, safety, resilience, connection, and long-term well-being. From net-zero homes and climate-ready design to nature-integrated communities and seven-generation thinking, this conversation reimagines what it means to build with purpose, responsibility, and care.

Scale, Resilience, and Resources Will Drive the Next Housing Cycle

This week on the Green Builder Media News Podcast, we cover one of the biggest housing stories of the year: Berkshire Hathaway's $8.5 billion acquisition of Taylor Morrison and what it could signal for the future of builder consolidation. We also explore Houston's new solar-plus-storage virtual power plant program, Texas' growing water challenges, fire safety concerns surrounding green walls, and a proposal to convert thousands of underused federal buildings into housing. In This Episode:  * Berkshire Hathaway to Acquire Taylor Morrison Homes [https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/berkshire-hathaway-buy-us-homebuilder-taylor-morrison-85-billion-2026-05-31/] * Sunrun and NRG partnership in Houston, Texas [https://investors.sunrun.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/358/sunrun-and-nrg-energy-announce-partnership-to-harness-the] * Texas Water Problem [https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2026-05-29/texas-has-a-water-crisis-its-response-is-a-disaster?re_source=postr_story_2] * New York City's plan to create and preserve 400,000 affordable housing units [https://ground.news/article/nyc-mayor-zohran-mamdani-announces-plan-for-400-000-affordable-housing-units?utm_source=mobile-app&utm_medium=newsroom-share] * Green Walls a fire hazard [https://www.dezeen.com/2026/05/28/plastic-potted-green-walls/] * Turning empty federal buildings into housing [https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2026/0529/federal-buildings-reform-board-redevelopment] * A new guide to conditioned attics and unvented roof assemblies [https://insulationinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/BI509-Unvented-Roofs-for-Conditioned-Attics-Solutions-That-Work.pdf] * Winners of USGBC California's global water design competition [https://usgbc-ca.org/winners-of-global-design-challenge-shaping-the-future-of-water-use-at-home-announced-by-usgbc-california-full-report-released/] * The Valuation Metric with Cynthia Adams, Pearl [https://youtu.be/vseeSHWfkH4] * Why green skepticism may be causing consumers to disengage from sustainability altogether [https://phys.org/news/2026-04-green-skepticism-indirectly-intention-sustainable.html] * Opta Glass turns recycled glass into lower-carbon concrete [https://opta-group.com/opta-glass/] * New data shows 76% of buyers are open to all-electric homes [https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/blog/76-buyers-are-open-to-all-electric-homes] Upcoming Sustainability Events: 💚June 3–4: Sustainability Symposium 2026 [https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/sustainability-symposium-2026-systems-reckoning?hsCtaAttrib=212234382646] (Free Virtual Event)💚 June 10–13: AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2026 [https://conferenceonarchitecture.com/] San Diego June 11–12: Next Generation Water Summit [https://ngws.vfairs.com/]Santa Fe June 18–July 30:  High Performance Home Master Class Series—plus CEU opportunities for builders and pros, [https://www.learningedgellc.com/webinars-special]virtual June 22–24: 2026 NFPA Conference & Expo [https://www.nfpa.org/events/conference] Las Vegas June 23–25: Trellis Impact 26 [https://trellis.net/teaser-ti26/] San Francisco July 15–16: The Flooring Sustainability Summit [http://www.flooringsummit.com], Arlington, Va.  July 22–23: Sunbelt Builders Show [https://www.sunbeltbuildersshow.com/], San Antonio, Texas  September 9–10: Building Fire Safety Symposium [https://web.cvent.com/event/cae6dc8d-a2c4-4b4b-970d-42b14c08a21a/register] September 16–18: EEBA Summit 2026 [https://summit2026.eeba.org/registration] St. Paul, Minn. October 20–23: Greenbuild 2026 [https://greenbuild.informaconnect.com/2026/registrations/Attendee] New York, NY November 4–5: The Building Products Customer Workshop [https://www.venveo.com/2027?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93MVoaxjiTvIX5b86Dwm], Nashville About: Green Builder Media www.greenbuildermedia.com is North America’s leading green building and sustainable living media company. Through our magazine, website, demonstration homes, and data services, we provide actionable information to consumers and builders about how to build and remodel sustainable homes. We focus on net-zero building, green products, energy efficiency, healthy homes, resilience, connected living, and building science. Subscribe to our once-a-week Vantage e-newsletter [https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/enewsletter-subscribe] Follow Green Builder Media: LinkedIn: @green-builder-media-llc Facebook: @greenbuildermedia Bluesky: @greenbuildermedia Threads: @greenbuildermedia

The Impact Series: Kelly Kopp

Mike and Kelly talk about The Great Salt Lake, aliens and a whole lot more on The Impact Series.