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Efficiency Vermont urges state enforcement for energy codes, warns of municipal capacity gaps
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Summary
Efficiency Vermont told the committee municipal code enforcement is uneven and recommended the state take the enforcement lead for new building energy-code provisions while offering technical advisory support to code writers and municipalities.
Peter Woltock, managing director of Efficiency Vermont, told the committee H-7-118 would be stronger if the state enforces energy codes rather than relying on an opt-in municipal approach that many towns lack capacity to administer.
Woltock said municipalities "don't have the capacity to take that on" and favored a state-level enforcement role or a stronger state support structure for local implementation. He offered Efficiency Vermont as an advisory contributor on technical education modules but said the code writers should remain accountable for final module content.
Committee members asked whether Efficiency Vermont could review education modules and Woltock recommended using existing working groups and code authors with technical input from installers and Efficiency Vermont rather than creating an entirely new oversight body.
The committee accepted the testimony and moved on to the next agenda items, scheduling further deliberations as needed.
