The recent volume of appeals of controversial provisions (see October 9^th BECS Committee Update) to the ICC’s IECC has resulted in the  ICC Code Council Board of Directors putting  forward a framework for updating the IECC and Ch. 11 of the IRC using the ICC standards process. The ICC Code Council Board is meeting the week of January 18 to hear verbal testimony from interested members and stakeholders on this framework. Written comments and providing requesting verbal testimony can be requested at [email protected]. All written submissions and commitments to participate must be received by 8:00 PM ET on Monday, January 11, 2021. For more information, please visit https://www.iccsafe.org/about/periodicals-and-newsroom/icc-pulse/public-comment-period-on-the-iecc/. AGA BECS staff is supportive of this proposed change in the IECC development process (see attached December 15, 2020 letter) and will be submitting comments and a request to participate in the January 18 ICC Code Council Board of Directors meeting.

 

As previously reported in BECS Committee End Use Codes and Standards Updates that in response to the DOE issuance of its final rule on commercial packaged boiler minimum efficiency requirements, Spire Inc., the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the American Public Gas Association (APGA) filed petitions challenging the final rules minimum efficiency levels. This past Monday, December 21, 2020 , the Department of Energy filed a brief in the DC Circuit court (attached) that states that now, DOE does not support the rule and has requested that the court vacate and remand the rule back to DOE.  DOE believes that the final rule should have been subject to a clear and convincing evidence standard and DOE agrees with petitioners (AHRI, Spire, and APGA) that the final rule should be vacated and remanded to the agency on that basis.  While there is  still a ways to go in this court action, the DOE filing that support the petitioners is a positive development that can resolve a DOE minimum efficiency standards development for packaged natural gas boilers that the petitioners believe was not conducted properly.