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ICC Board Votes to Support Switch of IECC to Standards Process

By Renée Lani posted 03-04-2021 03:09 PM

  
On March 3, the International Code Council (ICC) Board of Directors voted to move the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) from its traditional code development process to a standards development process. According to the ICC Board, this new process “would allow for additional time for debate, additional avenues to reach consensus, and a continuous maintenance cycle to facilitate the IECC’s ability to keep up with the pace of changing technology.”

While the switch will remove the governmental consensus vote, in which some APGA members participated, there will still be an opportunity for municipal utilities to engage in the development of future iterations of the IECC. For instance, public utilities can apply to be members of the development committee, submit code proposal changes, and participate in hearings.

In addition to changing the code development process, ICC also announced that its new framework will provide optional requirements aimed at achieving net zero energy buildings. Furthermore, ICC plans to establish an Energy and Carbon Advisory Council of governmental and industry leaders, which is intended to help better inform ICC’s efforts in assisting communities in meeting their energy efficiency and emissions reductions goals.

APGA staff is still in the process of reviewing the newly released framework to determine any further potential impacts on our members. In the meantime, additional information can be found online:
• The executive summary and full framework are available online
• An infographic detailing the changes is here
• For additional resources, visit www.iccsafe.org/energy


For questions on this article, please contact Renée Lani of APGA staff by phone at 202-464-0836 or by email at rlani@apga.org.

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