Demystifying Energy Code Development - New Buildings Institute

Published by NRDC: Historically, the energy code has been developed through a public process where stakeholders submit proposed changes to the code, then come together to debate the proposals in front of a technical committee that makes recommendations for whether the proposals should move forward. Proponents could then make adjustments through a public comment process, with the final decisions resting on the vote of public officials. Starting with the development of the 2024 IECC, the ICC board changed the procedures so that it now follows a standards development process, where the final decisions rest with consensus committees, not governmental voting members. This was a controversial decision that NRDC and others did not support (including the majority of governmental voting members, as well as leading stakeholders like the American Institute of Architects, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, the Institute for Market Transformation, and New Buildings Institute).