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Energy Code Board

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Model Low Energy and Carbon Code

The Energy Code Board is resuming meetings to develop the Model Low Energy and Carbon Code, pursuant to House Bill 22-1362. Updated information about meetings, meeting materials, and public comments can be found in the dropdown sections below.

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Final Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code Package & Webinars

Final Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code Package

The final Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code package was published on June 1, 2023. The package includes the final code language, an explanatory version with annotated notes for various sections of the code, and a final code report that outlines the statutory requirements for the code and an overview of the process and discussions of the Energy Code Board.

View the Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code package

CEO Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code Informational Webinars

The Colorado Energy Office hosted two informational webinars on the Energy Code Board’s model electric ready and solar ready code.

Webinar #1 - June 2, 2023 - Webinar #1 Recording

Webinar #2 - June 8, 2023 - Webinar #2 Recording

Webinar Slide Deck

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Building Energy Codes Legislation

The Colorado General Assembly passed the Building Energy Codes law (HB22-1362 Building Greenhouse Gas Emissions) in May of 2022 to improve energy use and efficiency in buildings. An updated energy code is an important tool to increase building efficiency and meet the state’s economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050 from a 2005 baseline. 2021 Colorado Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap.

This law advances this progress by directing the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) and the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to jointly appoint and convene the newly created Energy Code Board to review, approve, and recommend energy codes for new buildings and retrofits to existing buildings. The bill specifies the composition, objectives, and operating procedures of the new Board. The legislation directs the Energy Code Board to perform the following work:

  • Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code - the Energy Code Board developed and adopted a model electric ready code and solar ready code with the intent to prepare new homes and buildings for electric vehicles, rooftop solar, and high efficiency electric appliances. The model electric ready and solar ready code was published on June 1, 2023. Cities and counties with building codes must adopt at least the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) when they update other building codes between July 1, 2023 and July 1, 2026. This adoption must include the electric and solar ready provisions in the model electric ready and solar ready code.
     
  • Model Low Energy and Carbon Code - the Energy Code Board will develop and adopt a model low energy and carbon code with the intent of minimizing overall carbon dioxide emissions associated with new and renovated homes and commercial buildings, based on either the 2021 IECC or the 2024 IECC, plus any appendices and the model electric ready and solar ready code. This code must be adopted by the Board on or before June 1, 2025. Cities and counties with building codes must adopt the model low energy and carbon code when they update other building codes after July 1, 2026.

In addition to the work of the Energy Code Board, the Colorado Energy Office is directed by this legislation to perform the following work:

  • Model Green Code - CEO will promote a model green code that local governments may voluntarily adopt, in addition to the required energy code. The model green code will address building attributes such as energy efficiency (above minimum code), water efficiency, and embodied carbon in building materials.
     
  • Code Training and Adoption Assistance and Building Upgrades - the Legislature appropriated $4 million for CEO to provide funding to local governments for energy code adoption and enforcement, energy code training, and technical assistance, along with $21 million to support decarbonization of public buildings and communities with a focus on incentives for lower income households and historically disadvantaged communities.

If you would like to receive updates about the Energy Code Board, including the meeting schedule and agendas, please sign up for the Energy Code Board contact list.

 

CORA/Records Requests

The Colorado Energy Office is committed to transparency and open government in accordance with the Colorado Open Records Act (“CORA”) (§ 24-72-201 to 206, C.R.S.). All CORA requests to the office should be submitted to CEO_CORA@state.co.us. CEO is a non-regulatory department within the Governor's Office - more information about CORA is available here.

The Energy Code Board (ECB) created in the Building Energy Codes law was selected and seated by October 1, 2022. The Energy Code Board and its executive committee were jointly selected by the Directors of CEO and DOLA. The Board consists of 21 members representing specific interest groups and are listed by their appointments as follows:

Appointed by the Colorado Energy Office:

  • The director of CEO or the director's designee
  • One member representing an urban county
  • One member representing a rural municipality
  • Two members representing environmental or sustainability groups
  • One member who is a solar power expert
  • One member who is an energy efficiency expert
  • One member representing professional engineers with experience working on systems for buildings
  • One member representing an electrical utility, a gas utility, or a combined electric and gas utility
  • One member representing architects
  • One member who is a building energy code expert

Appointed by the Department of Local Affairs:

  • The director of DOLA or the director's designee
  • One member representing a rural county
  • One member representing an urban municipality
  • Two members representing affordable housing operations
    • One of these members must represent a for-rent nonprofit builder who serves populations with incomes under eighty percent of an area's median income
    • One of these members must represent a nonprofit affordable for-sale housing builder
  • Two members who hold an electrical license, plumbing license, or a professional credential in the mechanical trades, at least one of whom is a member of a labor organization
  • One member representing a statewide organization for home building professionals
  • One member with building operation expertise
  • One member who is a contractor who provides mechanical, electrical, or plumbing services or represents a statewide association that represents mechanical, electrical, or plumbing contractors

Of these 21 members, one of the four local government officials had to be a building official, and to ensure geographic diversity, each of the three major climate zones in the state had to be represented. In addition, all State boards appointing authorities are required to consider gender and ethnic diversity.

Please email Adam Berry (adam.berry@state.co.us) if you have questions about the Energy Code Board.
 

In line with the requirements of HB22-1362, the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) and the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) directors have appointed the following Energy Code Board members:

 

Board memberAppointmentBoard SeatClimate Zone & County
Director Maria De Cambra or her designee (TBD)DOLAN/AN/A
Aaron Martinez, VP of Operations and Sustainability, Urban Land ConservancyDOLAAffordable housing representative - nonprofit for-rent housing builderClimate Zone 4/5, City and County of Denver 
Kate Hilberg, Sr. Director of Real Estate Development, Habitat for Humanity Metro DenverDOLAAffordable housing representative - nonprofit for-sale housing builderClimate Zone 4/5, City and County of Denver
Cody Davis, Commissioner, Mesa CountyDOLABuilding operations expertClimate Zone 4/5, Mesa County
Zachary Esquibel, Licensed Electrical JourneymanDOLALicenced mechanical, electrical or plumbing trade representativeClimate Zone 4/5, Jefferson County
Sean Wyatt, Business Manager, Denver Plumbers Local #3DOLALicenced mechanical, electrical or plumbing trade representative whom is a member of a labor organizationClimate Zone 4/5, Weld County
Thomas Riead, Mechanical Engineer, Tolin Mechanical SystemsDOLAMechanical, electrical or plumbing services contractor OR statewide association representative of such contractorsClimate Zone 4/5, Douglas County
Andrew Harris, Senior Officer, Richmond American Homes of Colorado, Inc.DOLAStatewide home building professionals organization representativeClimate Zone 4/5, City and County of Denver
Don Suppes, Commissioner, Delta CountyDOLARural county representativeClimate Zone 4/5, Delta County
Tim Pate, Chief Building Official, City and County of BroomfieldDOLAUrban municipality representativeClimate Zone 4/5,  City and County of Broomfield
Director Will Toor or his designee (TBD)CEON/AN/A
Kevin Eronimous, Licenced Architect, SAR+ ArchitectsCEOArchitectClimate Zone 4/5, City and County of Denver
Brad Smith, Project Manager, Utility Energy Services, City of Fort CollinsCEOBuilding energy code expertClimate Zone 4/5, Larimer County
Rob Buchanan, Product Portfolio Manager, New Residential Construction, Xcel EnergyCEOElectric, gas, or electric & gas utility representativeClimate Zone 4/5, City and County of Denver
Kristen Taddonio, Senior Climate and Energy Advisor, Institute for Governance & Sustainable DevelopmentCEOEnergy efficiency expertClimate Zone 7, Grand County
Kim Wheels, Professional Mechanical Engineer, representing EcoAction PartnersCEOEnvironmental or sustainability group representativeClimate Zone 6, San Miguel County
Kayla Betzold, Vice Chair, Sustainable Neighborhood NetworkCEOEnvironmental or sustainability group representativeClimate Zone 4/5, Boulder County
Elizabeth Gillmor, Licensed Architectural Engineer, Energetics Consulting Engineers, LLCCEOProfessional engineer with experience working on building systemsClimate Zone 4/5, Arapahoe County
Carolyn Elam, Sustainability Senior Manager, Energy Systems, City of BoulderCEOSolar power expertClimate Zone 4/5, Boulder County
Jessie Burley, Sustainability and Parking Manager, Town of BreckenridgeCEORural municipality representativeClimate Zone 7, Summit County
Ron Flax, Chief Building Official, Boulder CountyCEOUrban county representativeClimate Zone 4/5, Boulder County

 

Additionally, HB22-1362 required the appointment of a 5-member Executive Committee, which includes the Directors of CEO and DOLA, as well as the Board's building code expert and one representative each from the county representatives and municipal representatives. The Executive Committee members that have been appointed are:

Executive Committee MembersExecutive Committee Seat
Will ToorExecutive Director of CEO
Maria De CambraExecutive Director of DOLA
Brad SmithBuilding code expert
Ron FlaxCounty representative
Tim PateMunicipality representative

 

Model Low Energy and Carbon Code

The full Energy Code Board will meet regularly between February 2024 and March 2025 to develop the model low energy and carbon code. Additionally, the Executive Committee may meet between March 2025 and May 2025 to address any elements of the model low energy and carbon code that fails to reach two-thirds support from the full Energy Code Board. To comply with Open Meetings laws, the Energy Code Board will record and livestream all meetings and deliberations relating to the low energy and carbon code. All Energy Code Board and Executive Committee meeting materials, as well as the schedule for meetings, for the low energy and carbon code development process are publicly available through the link below. The recording of each meeting will be available on CEO’s Youtube Channel.

Model Low Energy and Carbon Code Meeting Materials

Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code

The full Energy Code Board met 15 times between October 2022 and March 2023 to develop the model electric ready and solar ready code. Additionally, the Executive Committee of the Energy Code Board met three times in April and May 2023 to consider and vote on remaining elements of the model electric ready and solar ready code that failed to reach 2/3rds support from the full Energy Code Board. To comply with Open Meetings laws, the Energy Code Board recorded and livestreamed all meetings and deliberations. All Energy Code Board and Executive Committee meeting materials are publicly available through the link below. The recording of each meeting is available on CEO's Youtube Channel.

Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code Meeting Materials

The Energy Code Board is soliciting comments from the public about the proceedings of the Board, including comments on supplemental information or perspectives the Board should consider in developing the low energy and carbon code. The Board is also soliciting any proposals for language to include in the low energy and carbon code. 

Any comments or code proposals submitted through this platform will be posted publicly on the Colorado Energy Office website. No personal identifying information will be included with publicly posted comments and proposals.

Submit comments or code language proposals

View comments submitted to the Board

View code proposals submitted to the Board

If you have any questions, please reach out to Adam Berry, adam.berry@state.co.us.