The Reach Code Bill (SB 1518)

 

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

 
If I hadn’t checked my email’s spam folder, I would have missed a notice from the New Buildings Institute informing readers of the Oregon State Legislature’s consideration of the Reach Code Bill (SB 1518). If passed, the bill would allow municipalities across the state to adopt the Reach Code as their enforced benchmark for building energy codes. The Senate Committee on Energy & Environment is holding a public hearing regarding SB 1518 tomorrow, February 7, beginning at 3:15 PM. You will be able to view a livestream of the meeting here:
 
https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2022R1/Committees/SEE/Overview
 
What is a reach code? A reach code is a set of statewide, optional construction standards for energy efficiency that exceed the requirements of the state’s mandatory codes. SB 1518 would allow cities, towns, or counties to move faster in reducing climate pollution from buildings, by adopting a higher energy efficiency standard for new construction or major modifications of buildings in their jurisdictions than is required by the baseline code. Many states around the country have implemented similar reach codes in recent years. By “reaching” beyond the state minimum requirements for energy use in building design and construction, local governments are empowered to lead the way on energy efficiency in buildings.
 
Many reach codes require, or will eventually require, all-electric new construction. The aim is to completely phase out consumption of all fossil fuels associated with the operation of new homes and commercial buildings. For its part, the City of Eugene has already taken steps toward changes in the City Code that would require all newly constructed commercial, residential, and industrial buildings to be electric-only as early as January 1, 2023.
 
If I understand correctly (and I’m embarrassed to admit I’m not as well-informed on this topic as I should be), if SB 1518 passes, a municipality that chooses to adopt the Reach Code would be authorized to mandate its provisions, as opposed to simply presenting them as a choice for developers, designers, and builders to aspire to. Oregon first enacted reach codes for both residential and commercial construction in 2011, but these consisted of strictly optional sets of standards for energy conservation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
 
As is all too evident to anyone paying attention, the climate crisis is escalating. In addition to threatening public health, the existential threat of climate change is exacerbating systemic racial injustice and economic crises. If you doubt the role architects should play in addressing climate change, note the urban built environment is responsible for 75% of annual GHG emissions globally; buildings alone account for 39% of the total. Despite my pessimism—it’s clear to me the current trajectory of planetary climate change cannot be reversed—I do believe ultimately achieving carbon neutrality in our buildings will be critical to the stability and survivability of human settlements when confronting weather extremes.
 
Reach codes progressively tighten energy efficiency and emissions-reduction requirements. All-electric, carbon-neutral buildings can be part of the solution. A moratorium on the expansion of the natural gas infrastructure can be another. The corollary may be increased energy costs. Overburdening of the nation’s electrical grid may be another. The nation’s power grid was built in the 20^th century and increasingly incapable of dealing with the stresses of the 21^st. Certainly, power generation needs to be clean, so coal- or gas-fired generators must be phased out. Auspiciously, the nation’s electrical grid is becoming cleaner, relying more and more upon renewable generation sources. Distributed microgrids can further provide resilient sources of zero-emissions power. In the grand scheme of things, decarbonizing buildings is the lowest-cost, lowest-risk pathway to achieving broader climate goals.
 
Architects bear a responsibility to do what they can to protect their clients, their community, and the planet from the effects of their design choices. Architects do possess the expertise to implement strategies that mitigate the adverse environmental impacts and increase the climate resiliency of the buildings they design. Regardless, legislating an enlightened framework for energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions helps because such a framework clearly spells out desired performance metrics.
 
Tomorrow’s public hearing is your opportunity to listen to testimony regarding SB 1518. Add your voice by contacting your state legislator and letting them know you think Oregon cities would benefit from passage of the bill.