Proposed change to IECC process irks efficiency advocates

The International Code Council’s (ICC’s) plan to alter how it develops the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) has raised the ire of those pushing for more stringent efficiency measures.

The council has proposed rules changes that would make the code-making process less open, with development done by a committee without input from local government building officials, according to published reports. According to Mike Collignon, executive director and co-founder of the Green Builder Coalition, local officials were not informed of the possibility that their voice in future code development “might be stripped from them,” when the ICC recently proposed the changes.

The changes were proposed after ICC representatives from the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) objected to some efficiency measures during deliberations over the latest version on the IECC. NAHB’s appeals led to stripping out provisions to require that new homes go all-electric and be EV-ready—provisions supported by the majority of IECC voters.

The ICC is seeking members’ and stakeholders’ feedback on the proposed code development reforms through Jan. 11. The IECC is in use or has been adopted by 47 states.