§ 6838 — Cost-effective Codes Implementation For Efficiency And Resilience

(a) In this section: (1) The term “eligible entity” means— (A) a relevant State agency, as determined by the Secretary, such as a State building code agency, State energy office, or Tribal energy office; and (B) a partnership. (2) The term “partnership” means a partnership between an eligible entity described in paragraph (1)(A) and 1 or more of the following entities: (A) Local building code agencies. (B) Codes and standards developers. (C) Associations of builders and design and construction professionals. (D) Local and utility energy efficiency programs. (E) Consumer, energy efficiency, and environmental advocates. (F) Other entities, as determined by the Secretary. (3) The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Energy. (1) The Secretary shall establish within the Building Technologies Office of the Department of Energy a program under which the Secretary shall award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to enable sustained cost-effective implementation of updated building energy codes. (2) An update to a building energy code under this section, including an amendment that results in increased efficiency compared to the previously adopted building energy code, shall include any update made available after the existing building energy code, even if it is not the most recent updated code available. (c) In awarding grants under subsection (b), the Secretary shall— (1) consider— (A) prospective energy savings and plans to measure the savings, including utilizing the Environmental Protection Agency Portfolio Manager, the Home Energy Score rating of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the Department of Energy, the Energy Star Building rating methodologies of the Environmental Protection Agency, and other methodologies determined appropriate by the Secretary; (B) the long-term sustainability of those measures and savings; (C) prospective benefits, and plans to assess the benefits, including benefits relating to— (i) resilience and peak load reduction; (ii) occupant safety and health; and (iii) environmental performance; (D) the demonstrated capacity of the eligible entity to carry out the proposed project; and (E) the need of the eligible entity for assistance; and (2) give priority to applications from partnerships. (1) An eligible entity awarded a grant under this section may use the grant funds— (A) to create or enable State or regional partnerships to provide training and materials to— (i) builders, contractors and subcontractors, architects, and other design and construction professionals, relating to meeting updated building energy codes in a cost-effective manner; and (ii) building code officials, relating to improving implementation of and compliance with building energy codes; (B) to collect and disseminate quantitative data on construction and codes implementation, including code pathways, performance metrics, and technologies used; (C) to develop and implement a plan for highly effective codes implementation, including measuring compliance; (D) to address various implementation needs in rural, suburban, and urban areas; and (E) to implement updates in energy codes for— (i) new residential and commercial buildings (including multifamily buildings); and (ii) additions and alterations to existing residential and commercial buildings (including multifamily buildings). (2) Training and materials provided using a grant under this section may include information on the relationship between energy codes and— (A) cost-effective, high-performance, and zero-net-energy buildings; (B) improving resilience, health, and safety; (C) water savings and other environmental impacts; and (D) the economic impacts of energy codes. (e) There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $225,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.