Local Ordinances Exceeding the 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards

Public Resources Code Section 25402.1(h)2 and Section 10-106 of the Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Standards) establish a process which allows local adoption of energy standards that are more stringent than the statewide Standards. This process allows local governments to adopt and enforce energy standards before the statewide Standards effective date, require additional energy conservation measures, and/or set more stringent energy budgets. Local governments are required to apply to the Energy Commission for approval, documenting the supporting analysis for how the local government has determined that their proposed Standards will save more energy than the current statewide Standards and the basis of the local government's determination that the local standards are cost-effective. Once the Energy Commission staff has verified that the local standards will require buildings to use no more energy than the current statewide Standards and that the documentation requirements in Section 10-106 are met, the application is brought before the full Energy Commission for approval.

Please note that under the authority of Section 10-106, only those local ordinances that have been approved by the Energy Commission are legally enforceable.

The California Energy Commission commends the following local agencies that have adopted energy ordinances requiring more stringent energy requirements than those set by California's 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards Title 24, Part 6.

For more information contact:

Joe Loyer
1516 Ninth Street, MS 37
Sacramento, Ca. 95814
jmloyer@energy.state.ca.us