Building Code Council committee debates EV-charging terminology, utility exceptions and percentage targets

The State Building Code Council’s Building, Fire, and Plumbing (BRFW) committee on May 30, 2025, discussed proposed amendments to state EV-charging code language, including aligning terms with the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and International Code Council (ICC), adding a utility-capacity exception for new buildings, and revising the split among EVSE, EV‑ready and EV‑capable parking spaces. Todd Byreuther, serving as BRFW pro tem, opened the working session and said, “So today, we're gonna have a very focused committee meeting... only discussing and potentially taking action on the EV charging proposal.”

The conversation mattered because committee members are preparing a recommendation to the SBCC and staff for rulemaking (CR102). Patrick Hanks of the Building Industry Association of Washington proposed edits to tighten terminology (using “EVSE” rather than “EV charger”) and to bring Washington’s language into closer alignment with model codes. “In 90% of cases, the actual EV charger is located inside of the electric vehicle, and the EVSE, the external thing that we call the charger, that's not the charger. It's just supplying electrical current to the internal…