In late August, the Mayor forwarded the 2009 Seattle Energy Code ordinance to the Seattle City Council. On September 29, 2010, the Seattle City Council Committee on the Built Environment began consideration of the 2009 Seattle Energy Code ordinance. However, the Committee on the Built Environment was not able to complete their review. Consequently, the Committee on the Built Environment will continue their discussion of the 2009 Seattle Energy Code at a future meeting later this fall. No date has been set. For additional information on the full Seattle City Council and for the Committee on the Built Environment, the meeting calendar can be viewed at www.seattle.gov/council/calendar/default.htm# and agendas can be found at www.seattle.gov/council/com_assign.htm.
For nonresidential spaces, as a result of today’s continuation, the effective date of the 2009 Seattle Energy Code is unknown.
For residential spaces, the 2009 WSEC requirements would take effect on the date specified by the Washington State Building Code Council (WSBCC). Since the 2009 Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) requirements for residential spaces were finalized on November 20, 2009 (more than ten months ago at this point), there would not be any additional grace period.
The WSBCC held public hearings on September 10, 2010 in Spokane and September 24, 2010 in Olympia regarding the revised effective date for the 2009 WSEC. The WSBCC is scheduled to meet on October 15, 2010 to consider the public comments and make a firm decision on the effective date for the 2009 WSEC. While the WSBCC endorsed January 1, 2011 as a preferred effective date at their meeting on June 30, 2010, this date could be anytime from as early as October 29, 2010 (the end of the current WSBCC emergency rule) to as late as April 1, 2011. For further information on the effective date for the 2009 WSEC, visit the WSBCC website: www.sbcc.wa.gov.
City staff thanks everyone for their participation and contributions to the 2009 Seattle Energy Code. For further information, contact:
John Hogan
(206) 386-9145
john.hogan@seattle.gov