BIAW suit to kill energy code a cynical attack on consumers

A lawsuit to stop improvements to the state energy code filed by the lobbyist for the state’s building contractors will increase the cost of home ownership at a time when record numbers of Washingtonians are struggling to pay their bills.

The new state energy code set to take effect July 1 will make new homes 18 percent more efficient in western Washington and 26 percent more efficient in colder eastern Washington than today’s code. That means lower energy bills across the state that free up money to meet other bills.

“The Building Industry Association of Washington complains that its members lack the ability to comply with a flexible standard that calls for nothing more than using cost effective proven technology and building practices,’’ said Kim Drury, manager of NW Energy Coalition’s Efficiency Works! project. “This suit is a cynical attempt to delay a common-sense standard that will save homeowners money on their energy bills, make their homes more comfortable, and help the region avoid expensive new power plants. This suit says builders don’t care about long-term affordability of homeownership or a clean energy future.”

An economic analysis of the code conducted for the State Building Code Council by the Department of Commerce shows the new standards will add just $1 per square foot to the cost of most new homes, or about $2,000 for a 2,000-square-foot house. Per-square-foot costs are a little higher in colder climate zones and lower for larger homes. Energy savings will make most homeowners cash positive on that investment before the end of the third year. The full analysis is at http://sbcc.wa.gov/File.ashx?cid=850.

The code allows builders to choose how they meet the new efficiency threshold through a combination of building practices and technologies that include better insulation, windows and doors and high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment.

Beyond protecting homeowners, the State Building Code Council has shown important leadership in helping to meet new demand for energy without building costly new power plants and pipelines that invariably lead to higher energy costs for consumers.

Energy efficiency is the least-cost resource for meeting new demand and is recognized as such in utility plans and in the official electric system plan for the region, the Sixth Power and Conservation Plan recently issued by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

The Sixth Power and Conservation Plan calls for cost-effective energy efficiency—like that found in improved energy codes—to meet nearly 90 percent of new electricity demand.

Energy efficiency and improved codes are a proven strategy. Since 1980, common-sense energy efficiency has met half the Northwest’s new electricity demand, saving businesses and families more than $2 billion a year and avoiding construction of several new power plants. Nearly a quarter of those savings have come from improved energy codes in Washington and Oregon.

The NW Energy Coalition and the region’s utilities have long advocated improved energy codes as the cheapest, most reliable and most equitable means to achieving long-term energy savings.

Here is a fact sheet on the lawsuit and its bogus claims.

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