New Funding Opportunity for Local Jurisdictions Focused on Code Adoption

Local jurisdictions have exciting new opportunities for funding the development and implementation of local reach codes and other building energy codes through the Department of Energy’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP). This program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), provides up to one billion dollars directly to local communities to support adoption, implementation, and enforcement of the latest model, zero energy, or equivalent codes. DOE is particularly interested in supporting States and local governments in implementing local capacity building, multi-year investments in workforce and education, and long-term improvements in building energy codes through multi-cycle adoption and building performance standards (BPS).

Topic areas explicitly described in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) include:

• Qualifying Building Energy Codes: This Topic Area is to provide funding to units of local government that have authority to adopt building codes for the adoption and implementation of a qualifying building energy code.
  • IECC 2021 pathways for residential
  • ASHRAE 90.1 2019 for nonresidential

• Latest Model or Zero Energy Codes with Amendments: This Topic Area is to provide funding to States and units of local government that have authority to adopt building codes for the adoption and implementation of a building energy code with combinations of strengthening and weakening amendments that achieves equivalent or greater energy savings as compared to the applicable latest model energy code or zero energy code.

• Innovative Building Energy Code Approaches: This Topic Area is to provide funding to States and units of local government that have authority to adopt building codes for the adoption and implementation of certain innovative building codes, including certain building performance standards (BPS) for existing buildings or stretch codes for new and renovated buildings.

Timelines and Resources

The program was announced in January 2024 with three anticipated rounds of funding (third round is pending funds availability). Each round consists of a submission of a concept paper followed by a full application, responses to reviewer comments, and selection notification. The first round is already underway. Jurisdictions interested in participating in the second round may submit concept papers by May 31, 2024, and full submissions by September 13, 2024.

The program webpage includes information on the SCEP program as well as complete details on the complete FOA. At the California Energy Commission, Daniel Wong of the Standards Compliance Branch, Efficiency Division is spearheading efforts by the Commission to support or partner with interested jurisdictions. He can be reached at daniel.wong@energy.ca.gov.