Announcing Multi-State Effort to Tackle Emissions From Homes and Buildings

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Utah Clean Energy and our partners a $2.6 million grant to help local municipalities across Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Wyoming design and implement voluntary stretch-codes for low- and zero-emission homes and buildings. This groundbreaking 3-year initiative is one of 25 projects nationwide aimed at improving energy efficiency and resilience in homes and buildings, cutting energy costs for families and businesses, slashing greenhouse gas emissions, and advancing environmental justice.

Utah Clean Energy has a long history of advocating for low and zero emission homes and buildings. Our partners in this project include:

• Boise, Idaho
• Colorado Energy Office
• Grand Junction, Colorado
• International Codes Council
• Town of Jackson, WY
• New Buildings Institute
• Provo City, Utah
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• Southwest Energy Efficiency Project
• Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity
• Utah Division of Air Quality

The Role of Homes & Buildings in Reducing Pollution

Depending on the community, buildings in the Intermountain Region can account for a significant share of community-level greenhouse gas emissions (i.e., 41% in Park City and 75% in Salt Lake City). Zero emissions buildings, which are highly energy efficient, free of on-site emissions from energy use, and powered from clean energy, are an essential piece of reducing local pollution.¹

The goal of this proposed project is to increase adoption of cost-effective, resilient, zero emission buildings across the Intermountain region through new “above code” municipal incentives, and expanded education and training programs, with a focus on disadvantaged and underrepresented communities. 

Designing and Implementing Voluntary Stretch Codes

The adoption of updated energy codes is key to ensuring newly built homes and buildings are utilizing readily available, low and zero emission standards. However, local governments in many communities across the Intermountain region have limited opportunity to adopt and enforce mandatory energy codes. For example, in Utah and Idaho, local governments are preempted by state law from adopting minimum energy codes that are more stringent than the state’s.

This project seeks to close this gap by working with local municipalities to design and adopt voluntary “stretch codes,” city- or county-level resolutions or ordinances that provide incentives to encourage building permit applicants to design and construct buildings to meet low and zero emission standards rather than meeting only the minimum energy code. This project will focus on education, training, incentives, and technical support. 

“By working with local governments to adopt voluntary stretch codes, we not only reduce emissions, but we also lower energy costs, improve air quality, and build healthier, more resilient communities. This project is a critical step toward ensuring that families and businesses—especially in underserved areas—benefit from low and zero emission building practices.” – Kevin Emerson, Director of Building Efficiency and Decarbonization

High-Level Summary

Through a collaboration that spans the Intermountain Region, this project seeks to accelerate the adoption of low and zero emission (LZE) construction practices for residential and commercial construction activities across the region. This will occur through the development and implementation of new, voluntary municipal-level “stretch codes” as well as program and policy support, technical support, training, and creative incentives and rebates, to help make LZE construction the standard practice across the region. This will reduce emissions and energy costs in municipalities across the Intermountain region.

Stay tuned for more as this project unfolds!