House and Senate Lawmakers Unveil NAHB-Supported Transformer Bill
At NAHB’s urging, Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) have introduced identical House and Senate bills — Protecting America’s Distribution Transformer Supply Chain Act — that would delay for five years any rulemaking on energy-efficiency standards for distribution transformers.
“At a time when the home building industry is facing a severe shortage of distribution transformers, NAHB commends Rep. Hudson and Sen. Barrasso for introducing this important legislation,” said NAHB Chairman Alicia Huey. “This vital measure will provide needed time to boost output at existing facilities to address the growing supply chain crisis for transformers that has delayed home construction projects across the country and aggravated the nation’s housing affordability crisis.”
This was one of the key issues during the recent NAHB Legislative Conference when more than 700 NAHB members discussed vital matters of concern to the housing industry with their lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
The Department of Energy has proposed to increase the energy conservation standards for the production of distribution transformers and NAHB has been working diligently with House and Senate lawmakers to oppose this plan because it will exacerbate an already acute supply-chain shortage.
NAHB continues to work with both chambers of Congress to seek additional funding aimed solely at boosting production of distribution transformers to meet market demand.
Latest from NAHBNow
Jul 08, 2026
Enhance Your Next Land Development Project with the NGBSThe newly released ICC 700-2025 National Green Building Standard (NGBS) defines the benchmark for sustainable residential construction, renovation and land development. Not only does it provide best practices for the design, planning, construction and certification of land development projects, it also evaluates community design, infrastructure and environmental preservation independent of the actual buildings constructed.
Jul 08, 2026
Where Is Home Building Employment Most Concentrated?Despite nationwide job losses, residential construction remains a significant source of local employment in many markets, particularly in rural areas.
Latest Economic News
Jul 08, 2026
Mortgage Activity Flat in June, ARM Share DecreasesMortgage applications stalled in June as higher mortgage rates dampened market activity. The Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Market Composite Index, a measure of total mortgage application volume, stayed relatively unchanged with a marginal decrease of 0.3% month-over-month on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Jul 08, 2026
Characteristics of Homes in Age-Restricted CommunitiesIn 2025, approximately 47,000 homes were built in age-restricted communities, representing 3.45% of all housing starts. According to the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction, roughly two-thirds of these homes (30,000) were single-family units, while the remaining 17,000 were multifamily units.
Jul 07, 2026
Residential Construction Employment Concentrated in Rural and Smaller-Market CountiesResidential construction employment continued to soften in recent months, reflecting elevated interest rates, ongoing affordability challenges, and slower home building activity.