New Mexico is ahead on energy efficiency codes
The front page of last Sunday’s Real Estate section featured an article on successful efforts by North Carolina homebuilder associations to thwart adoption of new energy efficiency codes.
Not surprising, knowing the conservatism of many builders in middle and southern Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast states. So far from New Mexico.
With little fanfare, the state’s Construction Industries Commission adopted a 2021 version of the International Energy Conservation Code in January, which is a very big deal. It’s optional today and mandatory statewide by July 30.
A version was adopted because New Mexico always makes minor and usually appropriate amendments to codes developed at the national level. That doesn’t usually affect much, but now money is at stake that could come from the Inflation Recovery Act.
This subject was introduced in a Building Santa Fe column from Oct. 15, 2022. The IRA dangles $1 billion for jurisdictions, state or local, striving for maximum energy efficiency in their adopted codes. The pie is split into two pieces, the first $330 million for entities willing and able to adopt the 2021 energy efficiency code or something equal to or better than.
The second piece, $670 million, is reserved for jurisdictions having policies striving for net-zero energy codes. Both piles of funds are competitive, meaning first come, first served, but the larger chunk is presumed to last until 2029.
Since North Carolina just took itself out of the race, things look better for New Mexico, if it can get by a little hiccup from bean counters advising the Department of Energy. New Mexico chose to go one better than 2021 codes but, because the process is relatively new, New Mexico’s creativity is yet to be fully understood and recognized.
Under the able nonpartisan leadership of Martin Romero, longtime bureau chief of the Construction Industries Division, builders, environmental organizations, building scientists and code specialists came together, as they have on all code cycles for the past 20 years, and came up with something good.
This latest adoption was the quickest cycle ever, less than three years between 2018 version and 2021 version. Even better, Romero’s negotiators incorporated notions from the upcoming 2024 version, on the verge of its cyclical designation, and amended them into New Mexico’s new 2021 version. That’s what has analysts under contract with DOE scratching their heads.
The money is intended for “jurisdictions having authority” for code enforcement, education of personnel, administrative costs and the like — not earth-shaking amounts, but stuff that never gets fully funded. The bigger issue is code people aren’t grant writers. That’s why it’s up to elected officials to pay attention and direct the right departments.
In the 2022 column, I noted the city, a jurisdiction having authority, already has energy efficiency codes “equal to or better than” the 2021 version just adopted by the state. That column also noted the city had recently filled a vacant grant writer position in the Finance Department.
The request to be considered for Inflation Recovery Act money comes in cycles. One has already come and gone, but another is on the horizon. The ask is a simple two-page expression of interest leading to a deeper dive for proof of accomplishment.
It should be a slam dunk, but it’s almost certain the current grant writer doesn’t know much about building science or the history of Santa Fe’s nation-leading energy efficiency codes. Some in land use may know some things, but not everything, and they’re too busy anyway.
The city should hire local green-building scientists and consultants to work with the grant writer and get the money; it’ll easily pay costs of hires.