THE IMPACT OF U.S. ENERGY POLICY ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION AS ILLUSTRATED BY THREE CASE STUDIES IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Abstract

This thesis examines the role U.S. energy policy has had on historic preservation over the past decade. Stricter requirements in energy efficiency targets have increased the number of rehabilitations to historic buildings. This rise results from the passing of two pieces of legislation and the implementation of two executive orders from President Barack Obama and his predecessor George W. Bush. This thesis reviews these laws and evaluates the ability of preservation professionals to meet these goals while also meeting the Secretary of Interior's Standards (SOl) for Rehabilitation. This document is divided into three main parts . The first examines the pertinent background for understanding the issues. This includes summaries of each of the energy laws and also an overview of the National Historic Preservation Act, the overarching preservation law in the United States. Next, three case studies are presented that involve National Register eligible or listed buildings that have undergone a major rehabilitation in the past ten years and have included increased energy efficiency as one of the goals of the project. Finally, this thesis examines responses from the State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO) around the country who answered a questionnaire regarding their experiences with these types of projects. This thesis finds that while there has been an increase in rehabilitations related to energy efficiency upgrades required by law, the Secretary of Interior Standards for Rehabilitation can be met.