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TAG refers site-versus-source energy question to Building Code Council
Summary
The TAG voted to send a proposal that would explicitly specify whether the Washington energy code uses site or source energy to the state Building Code Council for guidance; members said the question is fundamental, technically complex and best resolved at council level.
TAG members voted to refer a proposal that would clarify the code'wide basis for energy accounting (site energy versus source energy) to the Washington State Building Code Council for direction. The referral followed repeated debate among TAG members and recognized that the question touches statutory interpretation, policy goals and technical detail about grid fuel mixes.
The draft language proposed adding a definition and a statement that the energy code is measured on a specific basis; multiple members said the TAG cannot resolve the larger policy and statutory questions without council guidance. TAG members noted the policy intersects with initiative 2066, state statute language that references 'annual net energy consumption' and federal EPCA requirements.
The vote to forward the issue to the council passed by roll call; members acknowledged the matter requires a council-level discussion that can include legal counsel, utility fuel-mix data and staff analysis. TAG members asked staff to present the council with background on state fuel-disclosure data from the Department of Commerce and to request formal guidance from the council or an advisory committee.
Why it matters: Whether the code uses site, source or another metric changes how measures are compared and can shift the relative competitiveness of electrification measures versus fossil-fuel options. TAG members said the question is both technical and policy-based, and they requested council-level direction so the TAG can proceed consistently through the remainder of the code cycle.
Next steps: Staff will report the TAG referral and the background materials (including Department of Commerce fuel mix disclosures) to the Building Code Council for guidance; the TAG will await council direction before adopting a blanket site-vs-source change.
Ending: TAG members emphasized the need to avoid repeated debate at TAG meetings and to get a single authoritative decision on the metric from the Building Code Council so the TAG can focus on specific technical revisions.
