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San Miguel County staff recommend adopting Colorado Low Energy and Carbon Code this year
Summary
County staff and a visiting code expert told the Board Review and Planning Commission that the Colorado model Low Energy and Carbon Code (LECC) bundles 2024 IECC and state electric‑ready provisions, offers multiple compliance paths, and can be adopted this fall with enforcement phased in a year later.
San Miguel County officials and a visiting code program manager briefed the Board Review and Planning Commission on the Colorado model Low Energy and Carbon Code and recommended adopting the LECC as the county’s energy code this year.
Sean Maldigo, a code program manager with Noretho, told the joint work session the LECC is intended to reduce energy use and carbon emissions while preserving multiple compliance paths and local flexibility. “This code is intended to provide flexibility … We can give you options of how you want to do that,” Maldigo said, noting the LECC includes electric‑ready, solar‑ready and EV‑ready provisions that have been updated based on public feedback and practitioner experience.
Maldigo explained the LECC is based on the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) but is localized for Colorado. Adopting the LECC, he said, avoids some complexity and commercial penalties in the 2024 IECC as written. “For commercial buildings, I recommend the low energy and carbon code … it’s easier and cheaper to build to the LECC,” he said.
County staff described a two‑step local process: present proposed local amendments and the LECC to the planning commission in August and to the Board of County Commissioners in September, with the county’s resolution adopting the 2024 international codes and the LECC as the energy supplement. Staff advised delaying enforcement for one year after adoption to give contractors and designers time to adjust.
The presentation emphasized that many local builders already meet much of the new code’s intent and that jurisdictions should assess new requirements against existing practice rather than “start from ground zero.” Maldigo also stressed the code does not mandate electrification: “It does not mandate electrification. It does not penalize you for using gas,” he said, explaining the LECC rewards electric options where appropriate but preserves fuel choices.
Questions from board members and the public covered occupancy classifications, how the state enforces multifamily EV requirements (tied to electrical permits), and whether the grid can handle increased electric loads. Staff and guest speakers said utilities are preparing for electrification but that some neighborhoods may need incremental transformer or infrastructure upgrades and that implementation plans can be coordinated with utilities where necessary.
The county did not adopt the code at the session; staff indicated they will present the code and any proposed local amendments at the August planning commission meeting and seek adoption by the county commissioners ahead of a grant deadline at the end of September.
