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Council approves Executive Regulation 17-23 on building energy performance standards
Summary
The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously to approve Executive Regulation 17-23, a set of building energy performance standards supported by the Transportation and Environment Committee and the Department of Environmental Protection, following a work session and stakeholder engagement.
The Montgomery County Council voted Feb. 25 to approve Executive Regulation 17-23, the county’s building energy performance standards, following a committee recommendation and a work session on Feb. 11. The Transportation and Environment Committee recommended approval and multiple councilmembers and DEP staff were acknowledged for extensive stakeholder engagement.
“The 13 months of work…is a big bold step,” said Councilmember Will Jawando, chair of the Transportation and Environment Committee, citing the county’s emissions goals and the need for complementary public and private investment. Council members credited the Department of Environmental Protection and community advocates for negotiating technical details and bringing stakeholders to the table.
Council members confirmed the regulation after brief remarks; the chair called for a voice/hand vote and reported unanimous support. The motion approved the regulation as supported by the T&E committee and as amended in the council-sent cover memo. No roll-call tally naming individual votes was entered in the meeting record; the chair reported all present councilmembers raised their hands in favor.
According to planning and DEP staff statements at the meeting, the regulation is part of a broader county effort to meet near- and long-term greenhouse-gas reduction goals. Committee and staff work leading to the vote included community meetings, multiple T&E committee sessions and revisions addressing business and common-ownership stakeholders. The council’s vote implements the regulatory text described in the meeting packet; the DEP will publish the approved regulation and proceed with implementation steps provided by county administrative processes.
Votes at a glance - Executive Regulation 17-23 (Building Energy Performance Standards): Approved; T&E committee recommended approval; unanimous voice/hand vote recorded at the Feb. 25 meeting. - Consent calendar (multiple routine items including earlier minutes and state legislative session minutes): Approved; motion to approve moved by Council Vice President (name in meeting record) and seconded by Councilmember Katz; unanimous approval recorded.
The approval represents a regulatory step rather than a direct budget appropriation; implementation will involve DEP and other county departments working through administrative and programmatic steps.
