City staff briefs council on Illinois Energy Stretch Code and possible local adoption; no immediate decision

Council received an informational update Monday on the Illinois Energy Stretch Code and the city’s plan to update its building code to the 2024 International Code Council cycle. Director of Community Development Joel Fontaine told the council the state’s energy stretch code is a local-option standard developed to go beyond the state’s base energy code.

Fontaine reviewed background: Highland Park currently adopts the state base energy code by reference, but the Illinois Energy Stretch Code — developed through stakeholder input and intended as a local option — would require higher energy-efficiency standards. "The Illinois energy stretch code on the other hand is a local option, for municipalities to go further in terms of requiring energy efficiency in buildings," Fontaine said.

Staff said they had conducted outreach, attended a stakeholder seminar, surveyed neighboring municipalities, and submitted grant applications for technical assistance including a program from the Illinois Finance Authority (through the Illinois Climate Bank) for grants of up to $200,000 and a technical-assistance grant from a national energy-efficiency organization. Fontaine said staff have been assessing incremental costs, training needs, permitting and enforcement implications, and the degree to which the stretch code aligns with the city’s long-term glide path to net-zero buildings.

The council and staff discussed trade-offs. Sustainability Advisory Group members told staff they were generally supportive of adopting a stretch code but recommended waiting for incentives that could help offset retrofit and compliance costs, and urged regional coordination so neighboring communities use similar standards. Councilmember Tapia asked how the city’s net-zero timeline interacts with other local goals; Fontaine said staff will map city policy targets against the code’s glide path and return with recommendations and cost analyses at a future committee meeting.

Staff emphasized public education and outreach would be a key near-term step, and said staff are pursuing grants to fund technical assistance and community education projects (for example, appliance-electrification programs and public demonstrations). No ordinance was introduced at the meeting; staff requested council direction to continue analysis and apply for grants. Council did not take a formal vote to adopt the stretch code during this meeting.