Dear Chairman Semones:

I write today in support of updating Virginia’s residential building code with strong energy efficiency standards that reflect the urgent economic and environmental need to promote energy efficiency. I understand that the Board of Housing and Community Development (BHCD) is considering merely continuing current standards instead of modernizing them, and I encourage the Board to choose the latter option and help bring Virginia from the back to the front of the pack on energy efficiency.

As the House patron of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), which created the Commonwealth’s first energy efficiency resource standard for utilities, I collaborated with industry stakeholders, activists, constituents, and my fellow lawmakers on this important issue. Our work proved that there is clear bipartisan support in the General Assembly for ambitious energy efficiency standards and programs – it is the fastest, cheapest way to reduce energy bills and reduce carbon emissions. The VCEA made great strides on energy efficiency, but we have to do more if we are to maximize this important energy-saving tool in Virginia.

I urge the Board to adopt, at a minimum, the International Energy Conservation Code’s (IECC) 2018 standards for all USBC-covered forms of construction. The Board should reject using the IECC’s 2009 standards, which fail to reflect the technological advances of the last decade and do not meet the popular demand for strong energy efficiency requirements.

Thank you for your consideration, and I am ready to answer any questions that you may have.

Best,

Delegate Rip Sullivan

48th District of Virginia