Department of Energy releases $90 million to aid energy code adoption

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is making $90 million available to support efforts to implement modern building codes nationwide.

The competitive awards will help state, local and Tribal governments adopt updated building energy codes and will help support training and technical assistance programs, the department said.

“Homes built with current energy codes are nearly 40% more efficient than those built just a few years ago, saving working families hundreds of dollars per year on their energy bills,” Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said in a press release. The funds could help reduce 900 million metric tons of CO2 emissions by 2040, according to the agency.

The department expects to make 20 to 40 awards available under this funding opportunity announcement (FOA). However, the department may also choose to issue no awards at all, it said.

This is the second round of funding of DOE’s $225 million Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation initiative, which awarded $90 million to 27 projects across 26 states and the District of Columbia in 2023.

The initiative is designed to help make communities more resilient to extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, flooding, wildfires and other natural disasters that climate change is exacerbating.

One of the main goals is to offer education and training opportunities on the most recent building codes to industry professionals, DOE said.

Awardees will be responsible for creating jobs and attracting and training workers while retaining existing ones, the department said. The goal is to develop a skilled and diverse workforce that is knowledgeable in modern building standards while ensuring future workforces can keep up with the latest technologies and construction practices.

Projects must support an updated building code that increases energy efficiency. Additional criteria include established need, long-term sustainability, and the ability to address equity, environmental justice, and resilience priorities, according to the agency.

Some of the projects that received funding in 2023 include:

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy received $9.6 million to establish a National Energy Codes Collaborative, a nationwide network to help states and other jurisdictions implement modern energy codes.
The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation received $1.5 million to help local communities develop and implement energy codes.
The California Energy Commission received $2.3 million to expand digital infrastructure for energy code compliance and implementation throughout the state.

To apply for the latest round of funding, applicants must include a relevant state or Tribal government agency, according to DOE documents. DOE will prioritize teams that include partnerships with local building code agencies, codes and standards developers, or associations of builders and design and construction professionals.

^{Strategic Partnerships, Inc.}^{can provide information on contract opportunities, plus existing and future government funding. For more information, contact}^{research@spartnerships.com}^.