AGA Moves Forward With Organizing Residential Cooking Appliance Emissions Testing Program.
As previously reported, the BECS Committee has been concerned with the negative media portrayal of using natural gas cooking products. This week, BECS Committee staff held discussions with the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) and National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) about the co-sponsorship of an emissions testing program for residential gas cooking appliances covering source emission rates for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and formaldehyde (HCHO) from undiluted combustion emissions from cooktops and ovens. These emission products are often cited by “electrification” advocates as contributing unhealthful indoor air quality (IAQ) in residences where gas-fired cooking appliances are installed and operated. Similar discussions on sponsorship with American Public Gas Association (APGA) are scheduled for next week. Additionally, preliminary technical discussions were held with the CSA Group, Cleveland, OH identified as a likely testing organization to perform the emissions testing work, and with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD as an organization with unique qualifications for performing exposure estimate modeling using the source rate data compiled from appliance testing. Planning for both the testing program and modeling will proceed concurrently and as consensus of eventual sponsors of the testing program is developed. At this point in time, completion of the programs is anticipated by November 2020.
BECS Committee Gas Utility Members of the International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) Development Committee.
This week, six gas utility members of the BECS Committee were recommended for membership on the International Code Committees 12 member IFGC Code Development committee who will begin working on revisions to the next Edition of the IFGC. Chris Byers, Piedmont Natural Gas Company, Inc., Kevin P. Carney, Southern California Gas Company, Ralph Euchner, Dominion Energy North Carolina, Bill Hamilton, UGI Utilities, Andrea Papageorge, Southern Company Gas, and Jason Stanek, Metropolitan Utilities District have been recommended and are expected to be appointed to the IFGC Code Development Committee and begin participation in the revision process of proposed changes to provisions to the next edition of the IFGC that will take place over the next 2 years. The 2021/2022 ICC Code Development Schedule is attached and the IFGC is included in the Group A codes that will be acted during 2021. The BECS Committee has expressed appreciation for members and their companies who support and actively participate in the important development of codes and standards that will impact the availability and installation requirements for the direct use of natural gas appliances and equipment. Anyone interested in finding out what I-Codes (Fuel Gas, Building, Energy, etc.) are adopted in their service territory can go to the ICC site that has a listing of I-Codes by state.
BECS Staff Supports Member Company Court Filing on DOE Commercial Packaged Boiler Rule Lawsuit.
In response to a request by Spire Inc., BECS staff reviewed the DOE technical information supporting its final rule on commercial packaged boiler minimum efficiency standards to identify shortcomings in DOE’s justification for its proposed minimum efficiencies. Following the guidance from Spire staff and outside counsel, issues of the decreased margin of safety with respect to the equipment’s venting system performance posed by the promulgated minimum efficiency levels and deficiencies in “clear and convincing evidence” in justifying these efficiency levels were explored. Preliminary findings of the BECS staffs effort were reviewed with Spire, Inc. staff on Thursday. Spire Inc. is a party along with the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the American Public Gas Association (APGA) in contesting the final rule in federal court (see May 22nd, 2020 Update). AGA has filed as an intervenor in the court proceeding in support of the positions of Spire Inc, APGA and AHRI.
BECS Committee Members Surveyed on AGA Member Support of End Use Codes and Standards Activities.
In support of AGA leadership’s commitment to pursue greater AGA member support of natural gas end use codes and standards advocacy, sent out today to the BECS Committee utility representatives is a proposed list of key codes and standards activities and proposed priorities for committee review and recommendations. Recommendations for additions to the listed activities, changes in priorities, refinement of engagement levels of commitment, and refinement of the statement of importance of end use codes and standards advocacy issues are invited. Comments are requested by June 5, 2020. Once the document is revised and updated, it will be forwarded to AGA leadership.
AGA BECS Staff Briefs the CSA Group “Fuels and Appliances Strategic Steering Committee” (F&A SSC) on U. S. Electrification Efforts Toward Banning Natural Gas Appliances.
As a regular agenda item of the F&A SSC, AGA’s Ted Williams provided an update of U. S. activities related to residential and commercial appliances and threats and opportunities that might be addressed through standards development. At its Thursday meeting, Ted provided a detailed review of U. S. electrification advocacy and current focus on indoor air quality (IAQ) claims associated with installation and operation of residential gas-fired cooking appliances. NPGA, which is also represented on the F&A SSC, contributed its perspective regarding these advocacy efforts that oppose the direct use of gaseous fuels. Questions from the F&A SSC focused upon possible standards implications of this activism, to which AGA presented several potential responses to consider over the long run, provided manufacturer support materializes, including adding an air-free NO2 limit to Standard Z21.1 for residential cooking appliances following and consistent with the NO2 limit in the unvented heater standard, Z21.11.2 and inclusion of requirements covering exhausting range hoods in Z21.1. However, AGA will not advocate any such measures without the concurrence and support of the appliance manufacturers. AHAM has recently joined the F&A SSC and will contribute to any such discussions going forward.
State Codes Activity Update
[This 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.]
Recent Activity Alerts
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State
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Date
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Title
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N/A
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N/A
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NO RECENT ALERTS
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N/A
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Upcoming Code Body Meetings
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State
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Body
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Date
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Address
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Agenda
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OH
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Code Committee Meeting
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05/29/2020
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Teleconference
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Bills with Recent Activity
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State
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Bill #
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Bill Title
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Primary Sponsor(s)
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Last Action
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Last Action Date
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CA
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SB 1371
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Maintenance of the codes
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Andreas Borgeas (R) Maria Durazo (D) Lena Gonzalez (D) Brian Jones (R) Bill Monning (D) Henry Stern (D) Tom Umberg (D) Bob Wieckowski (D) Senate Committee on Judiciary
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In Senate; From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (May 22)
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05/22/2020
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Summary: This bill would make non substantive changes in various provisions of law to effectuate the recommendations made by the Legislative Counsel to the Legislature.
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MA
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An Act relative to tiny homes
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Adam Hinds (D)
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In Senate; Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means
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05/18/2020
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Summary: This bill amends Section 94 of Chapter 143 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, by adding the incorporation of the International Code Council’s Appendix Q into the code of Massachusetts regulations, 780 CMR, for purposes of defining “tiny homes” and establishing requirements and standards for the construction of tiny homes.
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MA
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An Act relative to tiny homes
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Natalie Blais (D)
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In House; Accompanied S1863
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05/18/2020
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Summary: To incorporate the International Code Council’s Appendix Q into the code of Massachusetts regulations, 780 CMR, for purposes of defining “tiny homes” and establishing requirements and standards for the construction of tiny homes.
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MA
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An Act relative to tiny homes
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Natalie Blais (D)
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In House; Accompanied S1863
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05/18/2020
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Summary: This bill incorporates the International Code Council’s Appendix Q into the code of Massachusetts regulations, 780 CMR, for purposes of defining “tiny homes” and establishing requirements and standards for the construction of tiny homes.
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MA
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An Act relative to tiny homes
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Adam Hinds (D)
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In Senate; Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means
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05/18/2020
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Summary: This bill amends Section 94 of Chapter 143 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, by adding the incorporation of the International Code Council’s Appendix Q into the code of Massachusetts regulations, 780 CMR, for purposes of defining “tiny homes” and establishing requirements and standards for the construction of tiny homes.
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