Broomfield to adopt state low‑energy, low‑carbon code with 2024 code package; council gives unanimous support

City staff recommended and the City Council gave unanimous consent on Tuesday to adopt the Colorado Low Energy and Carbon Code as part of Broomfield’s 2024 code package, aligning local rules with the state’s forthcoming updates to the International Energy Conservation Code.

Tim Pate, Broomfield’s chief building official, told the council the city has completed earlier phases of an energy roadmap — adoption of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code in March 2023 and local electric‑ready and solar‑ready requirements effective Jan. 1, 2024 — and is now in phase 3 of the roadmap. “Phase 3 is the following options,” Pate said, reviewing timing alternatives to adopt the 2024 IECC baseline and the state’s low‑energy and low‑carbon code. The Colorado Energy Code Board has been developing the state code using the 2024 IECC as a baseline and will publish the final state version once the 2024 IECC is finalized.

Pate described preliminary efficiency estimates provided by state analyses: the residential portions of the 2024 IECC are about 7% more efficient than the 2021 code, while unofficial estimates suggest commercial sections may be roughly 10% more efficient than the 2021 code. He also warned that the Colorado Energy Code Board is not allowed by statute to weaken the base code but may add more restrictive appendices.

Staff recommended waiting until the state publishes the final low‑energy and low‑carbon code — staff cited a recent delay in the state publication schedule — and then incorporating that final version into Broomfield’s 2024 code package, with a proposed effective date in spring 2026. Pate said staff are not recommending additional strengthening amendments now because the state code, as drafted, will be stronger than the 2024 base code.

Council members asked several technical questions. Council member Cohen asked how the state code treats “all‑electric” approaches. Pate said the state code is not an all‑electric code but is “electric‑preferred”: it encourages all‑electric appliances and makes mixed‑fuel designs meet more stringent efficiency requirements.

Council members expressed general support. Council member Ward said only “yes” when asked for direction; Mayor Pro Tem Schaff also voiced support. Pate said the advisory committee on environmental sustainability had met and supported the staff recommendation and asked council to direct staff to adopt the state code concurrently with the 2024 package and to review possible strengthening amendments with ACES after the state code’s final publication.

Authorities and timeline noted in the presentation include the 2021 and 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), the Colorado Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code (adopted locally Jan. 1, 2024), and state legislation directing the Colorado Energy Office and the Energy Code Board to develop the low‑energy and low‑carbon code. Pate said the state’s final publication was delayed and will be published by September 1; the staff recommendation scheduled local first reading with the full 2024 code package in January and a proposed effective date of April 15, 2026.

What council approved by unanimous consent was direction to proceed with staff’s recommended timing to adopt the state low‑energy and low‑carbon code as part of Broomfield’s 2024 code package and to have staff and ACES review the state code for potential amendments once it is published.