Geothermal’s Big Moment, HUD Shakeups, Passive House Affordable Housing & More

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.

Geothermal’s Big Moment, HUD Shakeups, Passive House Affordable Housing & More

Could geothermal become the clean energy source everyone actually agrees on? Why is Congress considering a new EV fee? And is affordable multifamily housing one of the biggest climate solutions hiding in plain sight? This week, we break down the biggest stories shaping sustainable building, housing, energy, and resilience—including geothermal’s breakout moment, major HUD policy shifts, the future of affordable housing, Passive House at neighborhood scale, and why fire sprinklers may deserve a second look. In This Episode: * Geothermal’s Big Moment  https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/climate/the-new-gold-rush-of-geothermal-energy.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/climate/the-new-gold-rush-of-geothermal-energy.html] * Congress Considers EV Fees   [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/business/energy-environment/electrc-vehicles-annual-fee-congress.html?campaign_id=54&emc=edit_clim_20260519&instance_id=175836&nl=climate-forward®i_id=89362075&segment_id=220093&user_id=5dd64e77c3908027223fa23c2899006d]https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/business/energy-environment/electrc-vehicles-annual-fee-congress.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/business/energy-environment/electrc-vehicles-annual-fee-congress.html]? [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/business/energy-environment/electrc-vehicles-annual-fee-congress.html?campaign_id=54&emc=edit_clim_20260519&instance_id=175836&nl=climate-forward®i_id=89362075&segment_id=220093&user_id=5dd64e77c3908027223fa23c2899006d] * White House Housing Program Cuts Proposal https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/white-house-wants-eliminate-housing-160000708.html [https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/white-house-wants-eliminate-housing-160000708.html] * HUD Housing Playbook https://www.hud.gov/news/hud-no-26-036 [https://www.hud.gov/news/hud-no-26-036] * Why Apartments Could Be a Climate Solution https://grist.org/cities/the-surprising-climate-fix-that-democrats-and-republicans-both-love/ [https://grist.org/cities/the-surprising-climate-fix-that-democrats-and-republicans-both-love/] * Alafia Passive House Community https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/a-blueprint-for-resiliency-in-east-new-york [https://passivehouseaccelerator.com/articles/a-blueprint-for-resiliency-in-east-new-york] * HUD Assistance Animal Policy  https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/22/us/politics/hud-assistance-animals-disabled.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/22/us/politics/hud-assistance-animals-disabled.html] * Watch: The Impact Series with Tim O’Brien https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUdEWoZ4Abg&list=PLwQAcwOzaQyftMxZfrSjZFo1gI-e6qNyo&index=1 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUdEWoZ4Abg&list=PLwQAcwOzaQyftMxZfrSjZFo1gI-e6qNyo&index=1] * Download: The Case for Residential Fire Sprinklers (Free Ebook)  https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/download-the-case-for-residential-fire-sprinklers [https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/download-the-case-for-residential-fire-sprinklers] * Editor’s Product Pick: Trex Refuge Decking  https://www.trex.com/products/decking/refuge/ [https://www.trex.com/products/decking/refuge/] * Register Free: Sustainability Symposium 2026 — Systems Reckoning  https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/sustainability-symposium-2026-systems-reckoning?hsCtaAttrib=212234382646 [https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/sustainability-symposium-2026-systems-reckoning?hsCtaAttrib=212234382646] Upcoming Events: 💚June 3–4: Sustainability Symposium 2026 (Free Virtual Event)💚 https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/sustainability-symposium-2026-systems-reckoning?hsCtaAttrib=212234382646 June 1–4: NAREE’s 60th Annual Real Estate Journalism Conference Miami https://www.naree.org/annual-conference June 10–13: AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2026 San Diego https://conferenceonarchitecture.com/ June 11–12: Next Generation Water Summit Santa Fe https://ngws.vfairs.com/ June 18–July 30:  High Performance Home Master Class Series—plus CEU opportunities for builders and pros (Coupon Code for AM class $90 discount:  https://www.learningedgellc.com/offers/HMh73TFf/checkout?coupon_code=GBM0226AM; Coupon Code for PM class $90 discount: https://www.learningedgellc.com/offers/EmLrNsoL/checkout?coupon_code=GBM0226PM) June 22–24: 2026 NFPA Conference & Expo Las Vegas https://www.nfpa.org/events/conference [https://www.nfpa.org/events/conference] June 23–25: Trellis Impact 26 San Francisco https://trellis.net/teaser-ti26/ July 22–23: Sunbelt Builders Show, San Antonio, Texas  https://www.sunbeltbuildersshow.com/ [https://www.sunbeltbuildersshow.com/] September 9–10: Building Fire Safety Symposium https://web.cvent.com/event/cae6dc8d-a2c4-4b4b-970d-42b14c08a21a/register September 16–18: EEBA Summit 2026 St. Paul, Minn. https://summit2026.eeba.org/registration October 20–23: Greenbuild 2026 New York, NY https://greenbuild.informaconnect.com/2026/registrations/Attendee November 4–5: The Building Products Customer Workshop, Nashville  https://www.venveo.com/2027?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93MVoaxjiTvIX5b86Dwm32UwmhDVTtdCDx9lAcwyK3IP77-_xYB9kTtcajBxcjnzFFmRXRYYJ48uAiCTLdMj6PgYv2FcEcLIKCqoxxj9lbX7e471c&_hsmi=414332482&utm_content=414332482&utm_source=hs_email [https://www.venveo.com/2027?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93MVoaxjiTvIX5b86Dwm32UwmhDVTtdCDx9lAcwyK3IP77-_xYB9kTtcajBxcjnzFFmRXRYYJ48uAiCTLdMj6PgYv2FcEcLIKCqoxxj9lbX7e471c&_hsmi=414332482&utm_content=414332482&utm_source=hs_email] 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 enewsletter: https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/enewsletter-subscribe Follow Green Builder Media: LinkedIn: @green-builder-media-llc Facebook: @greenbuildermedia Bluesky: @greenbuildermedia Threads: @greenbuildermedia #HousingMarket #SustainableBuilding #Homebuilding #ConstructionNews #SmartHomes #SolarEnergy #FloridaBuildingCodes #AffordableHousing #AIInfrastructure #DataCenters #GreenBuilding #EnergyEfficiency #Resilience #HomeDesign #HousingNews

New Homes Save Money, Builders Face Lawsuits, AI Competes for Power

Florida may be rewriting the rules of homebuilding. New homes could save buyers thousands. And the AI boom? It may be competing with communities for power. This week on This Week in Sustainable Building News, Ronan Mirza breaks down the forces quietly reshaping housing, affordability, resilience, and infrastructure. From Florida’s proposed building code overhaul to a new study showing buyers of newly built homes may save $25,000 over ten years, the definition of housing value is changing fast. But so are the risks. Major builders are facing a growing wave of construction defect lawsuits, while labor shortages tied to immigration policy could put even more pressure on affordability and housing supply. Meanwhile, the AI boom is creating a new kind of infrastructure tension. Reno just advanced a temporary moratorium on new data centers, and a new report suggests Lake Tahoe could lose much of its electricity supply as power shifts toward Northern Nevada’s exploding digital economy. Also in this episode: •  Why stronger building codes may become unavoidable in climate-vulnerable states like Florida. [https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2026/05/08/869167.htm] • The hidden long-term savings behind new construction homes. [https://www.realtor.com/research/new-construction-total-cost-of-ownership-2026]  • What rising construction defect claims say about speed, labor, and quality in housing. [https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realestate/home-builders-are-getting-buried-in-claims-of-shoddy-construction/ar-AA23uoAD]  • How immigration policy may be affecting housing supply and construction jobs. [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/realestate/trumps-deportations-are-costing-americans-jobs.html]  • Why communities are pushing back on AI-driven data center growth. [https://www.swenergy.org/reno-advances-temporary-data-center-moratorium/]  • Could solar shift from a sustainability play to an energy security strategy? [https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/blog/dear-america-please-cancel-the-war-on-solar]  • What consumers actually want from smart homes. [https://www.parksassociates.com/event/connections/research]  • A surprisingly cool new insulation material made from fungi and construction waste [https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/fungi-transform-unrecyclable-building-waste-into-low-carbon-insulation/] • Why buyers care more about how a home feels than fancy finishes. [https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/blog/financial-transparency-is-what-makes-the-walk-through-moment-possible] • The Valuation Metric with Matthew Cooper [https://youtu.be/GPmjD08vSqc] Upcoming Events: 💚June 3–4: Sustainability Symposium 2026 [https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/sustainability-symposium-2026-systems-reckoning] (Free Virtual Event)💚 May 27–28: California Green Building Conference 2026 Berkeley  [https://usgbc-ca.swoogo.com/CGBC2026] June 1–4: NAREE’s 60th Annual Real Estate Journalism Conference Miami [https://www.naree.org/annual-conference] June 10–13: AIA Conference on Architecture & Design 2026 San Diego [https://conferenceonarchitecture.com/] June 11–12: Next Generation Water Summit Santa Fe [https://ngws.vfairs.com/] June 18–July 30:  High Performance Home Master Class Series—plus CEU opportunities for builders and pros:  Coupon Code for AM class $90 discount [https://www.learningedgellc.com/offers/HMh73TFf/checkout?coupon_code=GBM0226AM;] Coupon Code for PM class $90 discount [https://www.learningedgellc.com/offers/EmLrNsoL/checkout?coupon_code=GBM0226PM] June 22–24: 2026 NFPA Conference & Expo Las Vegas [https://www.nfpa.org/events/conference] June 23–25: Trellis Impact 26 San Francisco [https://trellis.net/teaser-ti26/] July 22–23: Sunbelt Builders Show, San Antonio, Texas [https://www.sunbeltbuildersshow.com/] September 9–10: Building Fire Safety Symposium [https://web.cvent.com/event/cae6dc8d-a2c4-4b4b-970d-42b14c08a21a/register] September 16–18: EEBA Summit 2026 St. Paul, Minn. [https://summit2026.eeba.org/registration] October 20–23: Greenbuild 2026 New York, NY [https://greenbuild.informaconnect.com/2026/registrations/Attendee] November 4–5: The Building Products Customer Workshop, Nashville [https://www.venveo.com/2027?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93MVoaxjiTvIX5b86Dwm32UwmhDVTtdCDx9lAcwyK3IP77-_xYB9kTtcajBxcjnzFFmRXRYYJ48uAiCTLdMj6PgYv2FcEcLIKCqoxxj9lbX7e471c&_hsmi=414332482&utm_content=414332482&utm_source=hs_email] 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

Price Is a Snapshot. Value Is a Story

In this episode, Sara and Cynthia expose a major economic blind spot: we’ve optimized for the transaction, not the experience.