PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Requires each State to review its home energy rules and say, within 2 years after October 24, 1992, whether it will change them to meet or beat the CABO Model Energy Code, 1992. That decision must follow public notice and a hearing, be written, explain the findings, and be made available to the public. A State can choose to change the code or not. If it decides not to change, it must give written reasons that the public can see. If the CABO code (or its successor) is revised, the Secretary must decide within 12 months if the revision would save energy and publish that decision. If the Secretary says yes, States then have 2 years to review and decide again, using the same public, written process. Requires each State to review and update commercial building energy rules and, within 2 years after October 24, 1992, certify that they meet or beat ASHRAE Standard 90.1–1989. If ASHRAE is revised, the Secretary has 12 months to decide if the new standard will improve energy use and publish that decision. If yes, States have 2 years to update and certify their codes meet or beat the revised standard. If the Secretary says the revision won’t help, States must at least meet ASHRAE 90.1–1989 or the last revised standard the Secretary approved. The Secretary may give deadline extensions if a State shows good faith and progress, and must offer technical help. The Secretary will also give incentive money to help States improve and enforce codes, and extra funds to States or local governments that adopt codes that meet or beat the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code for homes and ASHRAE 90.1–2004 for commercial buildings (or later versions the Secretary approves) and that have a plan to reach and show at least 90 percent compliance. Up to $500,000 per year may be used for training. Congress authorized $25,000,000 for each fiscal year 2006–2010 and whatever sums are needed for 2011 and later. Each year, money paid to States under the 90 percent rule cannot exceed one-half of the amount by which total funding that year exceeds $5,000,000.

Title 42, §6833

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Consideration and determination respecting residential building energy codes

(1)Not later than 2 years after October 24, 1992, each State shall certify to the Secretary that it has reviewed the provisions of its residential building code regarding energy efficiency and made a determination as to whether it is appropriate for such State to revise such residential building code provisions to meet or exceed CABO Model Energy Code, 1992.

(2)The determination referred to in paragraph (1) shall be—

(A)made after public notice and hearing;

(B)in writing;

(C)based upon findings included in such determination and upon the evidence presented at the hearing; and

(D)available to the public.

(3)Each State may, to the extent consistent with otherwise applicable State law, revise the provisions of its residential building code regarding energy efficiency to meet or exceed CABO Model Energy Code, 1992, or may decline to make such revisions.

(4)If a State makes a determination under paragraph (1) that it is not appropriate for such State to revise its residential building code, such State shall submit to the Secretary, in writing, the reasons for such determination, and such statement shall be available to the public.

(5)(A)Whenever CABO Model Energy Code, 1992, (or any successor of such code) is revised, the Secretary shall, not later than 12 months after such revision, determine whether such revision would improve energy efficiency in residential buildings. The Secretary shall publish notice of such determination in the Federal Register.

(B)If the Secretary makes an affirmative determination under subparagraph (A), each State shall, not later than 2 years after the date of the publication of such determination, certify that it has reviewed the provisions of its residential building code regarding energy efficiency and made a determination as to whether it is appropriate for such State to revise such residential building code provisions to meet or exceed the revised code for which the Secretary made such determination.

(C)Paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) shall apply to any determination made under subparagraph (B).

(b)Certification of commercial building energy code updates

(1)Not later than 2 years after October 24, 1992, each State shall certify to the Secretary that it has reviewed and updated the provisions of its commercial building code regarding energy efficiency. Such certification shall include a demonstration that such State’s code provisions meet or exceed the requirements of ASHRAE Standard 90.1–1989.

(2)(A)Whenever the provisions of ASHRAE Standard 90.1–1989 (or any successor standard) regarding energy efficiency in commercial buildings are revised, the Secretary shall, not later than 12 months after the date of such revision, determine whether such revision will improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings. The Secretary shall publish a notice of such determination in the Federal Register.

(B)(i)If the Secretary makes an affirmative determination under subparagraph (A), each State shall, not later than 2 years after the date of the publication of such determination, certify that it has reviewed and updated the provisions of its commercial building code regarding energy efficiency in accordance with the revised standard for which such determination was made. Such certification shall include a demonstration that the provisions of such State’s commercial building code regarding energy efficiency meet or exceed such revised standard.

(ii)If the Secretary makes a determination under subparagraph (A) that such revised standard will not improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings, State commercial building code provisions regarding energy efficiency shall meet or exceed ASHRAE Standard 90.1–1989, or if such standard has been revised, the last revised standard for which the Secretary has made an affirmative determination under subparagraph (A).

(c)Extensions

The Secretary shall permit extensions of the deadlines for the certification requirements under subsections (a) and (b) if a State can demonstrate that it has made a good faith effort to comply with such requirements and that it has made significant progress in doing so.

(d)Technical assistance

The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to States to implement the requirements of this section, and to improve and implement State residential and commercial building energy efficiency codes or to otherwise promote the design and construction of energy efficient buildings.

(e)Availability of incentive funding

(1)The Secretary shall provide incentive funding to States to implement the requirements of this section, and to improve and implement State residential and commercial building energy efficiency codes, including increasing and verifying compliance with such codes. In determining whether, and in what amount, to provide incentive funding under this subsection, the Secretary shall consider the actions proposed by the State to implement the requirements of this section, to improve and implement residential and commercial building energy efficiency codes, and to promote building energy efficiency through the use of such codes.

(2)Additional funding shall be provided under this subsection for implementation of a plan to achieve and document at least a 90 percent rate of compliance with residential and commercial building energy efficiency codes, based on energy performance—

(A)to a State that has adopted and is implementing, on a statewide basis—

(i)a residential building energy efficiency code that meets or exceeds the requirements of the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code, or any succeeding version of that code that has received an affirmative determination from the Secretary under subsection (a)(5)(A); and

(ii)a commercial building energy efficiency code that meets or exceeds the requirements of the ASHRAE Standard 90.1–2004, or any succeeding version of that standard that has received an affirmative determination from the Secretary under subsection (b)(2)(A); or

(B)in a State in which there is no statewide energy code either for residential buildings or for commercial buildings, to a local government that has adopted and is implementing residential and commercial building energy efficiency codes, as described in subparagraph (A).

(3)Of the amounts made available under this subsection, the Secretary may use $500,000 for each fiscal year to train State and local officials to implement codes described in paragraph (2).

(4)(A)There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection—

(i)$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2010; and

(ii)such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2011 and each fiscal year thereafter.

(B)Funding provided to States under paragraph (2) for each fiscal year shall not exceed one-half of the excess of funding under this subsection over $5,000,000 for the fiscal year.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 6833, Pub. L. 94–385, title III, § 304, Aug. 14, 1976, 90 Stat. 1146; Pub. L. 95–91, title III, §§ 301(a), 304(a), title VII, §§ 703, 707, 709(e)(1), Aug. 4, 1977, 91 Stat. 577, 580, 606, 608; Pub. L. 96–399, title III, § 326(a)–(c), Oct. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1649; Pub. L. 97–35, title X, § 1041(a), (c), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 621; Pub. L. 100–418, title V, § 5115(c), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1433, related to development and promulgation of energy conservation voluntary performance standards for new commercial and residential buildings, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–486, title I, § 101(a)(2), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2783.

Amendments

2005—Subsec. (e)(1). Pub. L. 109–58, § 128(1), inserted “, including increasing and verifying compliance with such codes” before period at end of first sentence. Subsec. (e)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 109–58, § 128(2), added pars. (2) to (4) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this subsection.”

§6833 Updating State Building Energy Efficiency Codes