The International Code Council (ICC) Extends the Deadline to Submit Appeals to the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC) to Tuesday, January 2, 2024, Request for Comments for Improving the IECC Code Development Process and IECC Code Committee Membership .

On Thursday, the ICC announced an extension of the deadline to submit appeals to the 2024 IECC from December 3, 2023 to Tuesday, January 2, 2024  at 11:59 PM PT. In the November 3, 2023 Update on End Use Codes and Standards, we reported on the ICC announcement of the appeals process on the proposed 2024 IECC along with some details for filing appeals.  In last week’s Update, we reported that AGA, the American Public Gas Association (APGA) and the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) filed a request (attached) to the ICC Board of Directors BOD for a 60-day extension to the deadline to file appeals. As previously reported,  AGA will be filing appeals on the proposed final draft of the 2024 IECC Commercial Code and the final draft of the 2024 IECC Residential and IRC Chapter 11 Codes. AGA continues developing a complete list of concerns with the proposed 2024 IECC codes and the extension and supplemental appeals process information provided by the ICC includes the additional needed clarification on the appeals process to prepare and submit appeals.  Our appeals approach and justification for the appeals are mainly on procedural and content issues that we have documented and identified as inappropriate in the code development process including concerns with modifications of the Scope provisions during the code development process, lack of a proper cost effectiveness analysis on new energy provisions,  committee balance, etc.

In addition to the extension announcement, the ICC “is inviting public comments on how to improve the IECC standards development process. Comments should be submitted using this online feedback form, and received by Saturday, December 30, 2023, at 11:59 PM PT. All comments will be considered prior to the commencement of the 2027 cycle. Shortly following the publication of the 2024 IECC, the entire document will be open for public comment through energy.cdpaccess.com.“ This is an opportunity to provide recommendations on the IECC Code Development process that were at times, confusing and inconsistent during the 2024 development process.

Finally, the announcement includes a 2027 Call for Committee members for the 2027 IECC that “ will open in early spring 2024 as the term of existing members will conclude on June 15, 2024. Once new committee members are appointed by the Code Council Board of Directors, the Consensus Committees will meet to structure their subcommittees. A subsequent call for voting members of subcommittees will be made at that time. The balance of the committee’s member interest categories will be maintained in accordance with the Code Council Standard Consensus Procedures.”  We will provide additional information when applications for membership to the IECC committees are available for submission for membership.

AGA, APGA and NPGA File a Request for a 60 Day Deadline Extension to File Comments on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) NOPR on a Proposed Safety Standard for Gas Furnaces and Boilers.

Last week,  AGA, the American Public Gas Association (APGA) and the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) filed an extension request to file comments on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) NOPR on a proposed safety standard for gas furnaces, wall furnaces, floor furnaces and boilers. In the October 27, 2023 Update, we reported  that the CPSC published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR)  Federal Register Notice and notice of opportunity for oral presentation of comments on a proposed safety standard for residential gas furnaces, boilers, wall furnaces and floor furnaces.  According to the NOPR, “ The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (Commission or CPSC) has determined preliminarily that there is an unreasonable risk of injury and death associated with residential gas fired central furnaces, boilers, wall furnaces, and floor furnaces (gas furnaces and boilers). To address this risk, the Commission proposes a rule to detect and prevent dangerous levels of carbon monoxide (CO) production and leakage from residential gas furnaces and boilers.”  This action is a continuation of the CPSC November 19, 2019, Federal Register Notice, “ Performance Requirements for Residential Gas Furnaces and Boilers; Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” (ANOPR). That ANOPR proposed that a carbon monoxide (CO) sensor be installed within the residential gas fired central furnace or boiler that would shut them down in the event of excessive CO production in the exhausted combustion products from these vented heating products. This NOPR adds gas fired wall furnace and floor furnaces to the proposed standard.  According to the Notice, “Written comments must be received by December 26, 2023. Deadline for Request to Present Oral Comments: Any person interested in making an oral presentation must send an email indicating this intent to the Office of the Secretary at cpsc-os@ cpsc.gov by December 26, 2023.” Attached is the November 17, 2023 request that provides the strong rationale for the 60 day extension request. We will report the response to the request from the CPSC when available.

State Codes Activity Update.

Attached is a weekly feature of the “Friday Update” covering state code calendar activities as presented by the online utility “Fiscal Note,” which is sponsored by APGA and AGA Code and Standards. Please review the update and determine if there are state code activities that impact your service territory or organization.