Require Efficiency in New Construction

The State should enable local jurisdictions to have residential energy codes to be more stringent than the State's basic residential energy codes.

Background

The city's commercial building energy code supercedes and improves on what is in the state commercial energy code. Both codes have recently been significantly improved to require more efficiency. The State will soon (fall 2022) be considering new residential energy codes, which would apply to single family and smaller multi-family buildings. We would like these new State residential energy codes to be significantly stronger.

Further, we would like State law to be amended to allow individual cities to adopt their own more stringent residential codes, just as they already may do for the commercial energy code. This may come in the form of a single residential stretch energy code, which would a single state-wide code that cities that want a higher standard may adopt.