[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 76 (Wednesday, April 21, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20833-20834]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-9152]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
[Docket No. EERE-2010-BT-BC-0012]
Building Energy Codes
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Request for Information.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is soliciting information
on how it can better assist the states to adopt, implement, enforce,
and assess compliance with the current model building energy codes or
their equivalent. DOE is interested in better understanding the
barriers and issues involved and the needs, resources, materials and
other technical assistance required to accomplish the goal of increased
adoption and compliance with the latest model building energy codes,
Standard 90.1-2007, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise
Residential Buildings (or equivalent), for commercial buildings and the
2009 International Energy Conservation Code (or equivalent) for low-
rise residential buildings.
DOE is publishing this request for information to allow interested
parties to provide suggestions, comments, and other information. This
notice identifies several areas in which DOE is particularly interested
in receiving information; however, any input and suggestions considered
relevant to the topic are welcome.
DATES: Written comments and information are requested by May 21, 2010.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons may submit comments in writing,
identified by docket number EERE-2010-BT-BC-0012, by any of the
following methods:
E-mail: [email protected]. Include EERE-
2010-BT-BC-0012 in the subject line of the message.
Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy,
Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, Building Energy Codes,
1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Phone (202)
586-2945. Please submit one signed paper original.
Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department
of Energy, Building Technologies Program, 6th Floor, 950 L'Enfant
Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20024. Phone: (202) 586-2945. Please submit
one signed paper original.
Internet: http://www.energycodes.gov/HelpUpdateStateCodes.
Please use the input form and complete all required fields.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the
agency name and docket number.
Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents, or
comments received, visit the U.S. Department of Energy, Resource Room
of the Building Technologies Program, 950 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Suite
600, Washington, DC 20024, (202) 586-2945, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Please call Ms. Brenda
Edwards at the above telephone number for additional information
regarding visiting the Resource Room.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margo Appel or Jean Boulin, U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,
Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Ms. Appel (202) 586-9495, e-
mail: [email protected] or Mr. Boulin (202) 586-9870, e-mail:
[email protected].
Christopher Calamita, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the
General Counsel, Forrestal Building, Mailstop GC-71, 1000 Independence
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, Telephone: (202) 586-1777, e-mail:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority and Background
Any strategy to realize the goal of the President and the Secretary
of Energy (Secretary)--to achieve 83-percent reductions in energy use
by the year 2050--must address the energy performance of the buildings
sector. Increases in stringency to building energy codes, along with
increased adoption by states and localities and paired with rigorous
compliance verification, can provide significant reductions in building
energy use. This is consistent with section 304(d) and (e) of the
Energy Conservation and Production Act which requires DOE to provide
technical and financial assistance to states. (42 U.S.C. 6833(d) and
(e))
A number of states are in the process of, or planning to, update,
implement, and enforce their building energy codes. Further, many
states will implement plans to assess and improve compliance with their
updated codes, in response to assurances received by their governors in
response to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L.
111-5), of which the Secretary was notified. This presents a unique
opportunity to increase current efforts to ensure that states,
municipalities, and local governments, are able to adopt the latest
energy codes and increase compliance rates.
In view of the above, DOE believes it is important to provide
interested parties with an opportunity to submit information they feel
will assist DOE in compiling information.
Public Participation
A. Submission of Information
DOE will accept information in response to this notice under the
timeline provided in the DATES section above. Information submitted to
the Department by e-mail should be provided in WordPerfect, Microsoft
Word, PDF, or text file format. Those responding should avoid the use
of special characters or any form of encryption, and wherever possible,
comments should include the electronic signature of the author.
Comments submitted to the Department by mail or hand delivery/courier
should include one signed original paper copy. No telefacsimiles will
be accepted. Comments submitted in response to this notice will become
a matter of public record and will be made publicly available.
B. Issues on Which DOE Seeks Information
DOE is particularly interested in receiving information on the
following issues/topics:
(1) Problems, issues, and barriers to the adoption, implementation,
enforcement, and improved compliance with improved building energy
codes.
(2) Training needed for designers, builders, code officials,
owners, and others to support upgraded codes to meet Standard 90.1-2007
(or code that achieves equivalent or greater energy savings) for
commercial buildings and the 2009 IECC (or code that achieves
equivalent or greater energy savings) for residential buildings.
Training and assistance needed to develop and implement a plan to
achieve compliance with upgraded codes by 2017.
(3) Processes, information, materials and tools necessary to
upgrade building
[[Page 20834]]
codes to meet Standard 90.1-2007, Energy Standard for Buildings Except
Low-Rise Residential Buildings (or equivalent) for commercial buildings
and the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (or equivalent) for
residential buildings. Information, materials, and tools necessary to
develop and implement a plan to achieve 90-percent compliance with
upgraded codes by 2017.
(4) Assistance and resources available from stakeholders, states,
local jurisdictions, and others.
Issued in Washington, DC, on April 9, 2010.
Cathy Zoi,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2010-9152 Filed 4-20-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P