WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it has selected 24 states to receive a total of $7 million to support the adoption of updated, energy-efficient building codes. DOE said the funding will expand the existing partnerships between states and the federal government and help states to more rapidly adopt new residential and commercial building codes, as well increase compliance with those codes.

This technical assistance through the Department’s Building Energy Codes program is being funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will provide the selected states with up to $350,000 in technical assistance that includes activities such as code training for the building community and adoption outreach to policy makers. Each state has committed to work with DOE to advance adoption, training, and compliance with the updated building codes.

The Recovery Act provided a new goal for DOE’s building codes efforts: 90 percent compliance with energy code requirements for each state by 2017. The Recovery Act specifically references two target building codes for states to adopt: Standard 90.1-2007 from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (2009 IECC), which collectively address residential and commercial buildings. Overall, the codes outline a number of energy efficiency measures related to the building envelope, HVAC systems, service water heating, power, and lighting.

The following states have been selected to receive technical assistance to help them adopt updated building energy codes:

Alabama - $329,665

Arizona - $324,500

Colorado - $257,376

Georgia - $337,532

Idaho - $245,263

Illinois - $332,707

Kentucky - $347,463

Maine - $348,264

Massachusetts - $350,000

Michigan - $350,000

Mississippi - $85,735

Missouri - $158,565

Montana - $141,705

Nebraska - $276,417

Nevada - $347,504

New Jersey - $346,018

New Mexico - $308,237

North Carolina - $346,126

South Carolina - $256,520

Texas - $300,415

Utah - $265,202

Virginia - $244,799

Washington - $349,937

Wisconsin - $349,989

The Building Energy Codes Program is part of DOE’s Building Technologies Program. For more information, visit www.energycodes.gov.

Publication date:01/03/2011