Mark Your Calendar
The next Building Energy Codes and Standards Committee (BECS) Meeting will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, January 14-15, 2026, at Sempra Headquarters downtown San Diego. Information regarding the hotels, meeting registration and preliminary agenda will be available in the near future.
The ICC Posts the 2025 Public Comment Draft for the 2027 International Energy Conservation Code – Public Comment Period from Nov.1 through Dec.15.
This week, the 2025 Public Comment Draft for the 2027 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) has been posted by the International Code Council (ICC). The draft includes energy efficiency requirements for both residential and commercial applications You can view and download the file at the following link: 2025 Public Comment Draft for the 2027 International Energy Conservation Code.pdf. The public comment period will open for comments on substantive technical changes on the cdpACCESS site on November 1, 2025, and will run through 11:59 p.m. PST, December 15, 2025. During the development phase of the draft, we have been documenting troublesome provisions that have been included in the draft and will be preparing a list of proposed comments that identifies concerns with the negative impact that they would have on the direct use of natural gas for the built environment. These will include requirements that we believe, do not meet the Scope and Intent of the IECC that provisions must “provide market-driven, enforceable requirements that achieve a reasonable level of energy efficiency that is safe, technologically feasible, and lifecycle cost effective, considering economic feasibility, including potential costs and savings for consumers and building owners, and return on investment.” Additionally, the Intent states that “ The code will provide for the safe and efficient use of energy sources and is not intended to eliminate any fuel type.” BECS committee members are requested to review the draft and provide us with comments and concerns with the draft by November 10.
Update on the International Code Council (ICC) Ongoing Code Hearings Being Held in Cleveland, Ohio Now till October 30 – Fuel Gas Detector Proposal Disapproved.
In last week’s Update on End Use Codes and Standards we reported on the ICC ongoing Code Hearings being held in Cleveland, Ohio. We identified proposal (RB29-25) to the International Residential Code (IRC) for coverage for the installation of fuel gas detectors as a non-mandatory Appendix provision in the IRC. This non-mandatory revision was in response for a proposal that was originally submitted to the IRC that was disapproved that mandated the installation of fuel gas detectors as a compliance requirement to the IRC but was revised by the proponent to be included as a non-mandatory appendix in the IRC. The rationale for the revised proposal was that to offer “guidance to any jurisdiction considering how to implement the installation of fuel gas alarms. It may also help guide individual jurisdiction considering the local installation of fuel gas alarms with a basis for those requirements that are consistent with best industry practices and the NFPA 715 Standard.” At the hearings this week, the revised proposal was disapproved for essentially the same reason the IRC Committee disapproved it at the April hearings. These included the need for defining a flow path, clarifying the use of detectors and alarms, and where required by jurisdiction, and removing the ownership clause.“ We will report back on the any other ICC actions on proposals impacting the direct use of natural gas coming out of the Code Hearings that end on October 30th .
State Codes Activity Update.
Attached is a weekly feature of the “Friday Update” covering state code calendar activities as presented by the online utility “Fiscal Note,” which is sponsored by APGA and AGA Code and Standards. Please review the update and determine if there are state code activities that impact your service territory or organization.
The American Gas Association represents more than 200 local energy companies committed to the safe and reliable delivery of clean natural gas to more than 73 million customers throughout the nation.
2026 BECS Committee Meeting Schedule
January 14-15, 2026, San Diego, California Hotel TBD
May 13-14, 2026, Portland, Maine Hotel TBD
September 16 -17, 2026, Wilmington, NC Hotel TBD