Tennessee to Hold Series of Hearings on Prospective New Energy Code

After the passage of legislation in June updating the state's energy codes, the Tennessee Fire Marshal's office will be holding public hearings (schedule below) throughout the state on the prospective regulations. Among the proposed changes:

1. The state Fire Marshal's office will adopt the new state commercial and residential energy codes, which will be based on a combination of the IECC and either the IBC (commercial) or IRC (residential). This combination will be chosen from either the 2006 or 2009 code series.
2. In local jurisdictions that have already adopted codes equivalent to or exceeding the 2006 IECC, the new state codes are not required to be adopted.
3. The state will enforce the IECC for residential and commercial buildings in jurisdictions that do not have inspection programs, but only in those that do not choose to opt out of the state code with a two-thirds vote of the local governing body.
4. Jurisdictions that do have their own inspection program may adopt any edition of the IRC within 7 years of the latest published edition of the IRC. They can enforce any edition of the IECC that is within 7 years of the latest published edition or enforce Chapter 11 (energy efficiency) of an edition of the IRC that is within 7 years of the latest published edition of the IRC.
5. The provisions of the new state code will sunset in 2014.

PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULE:

Knoxville: October 8 at 1:00pm ET
University of TN Conference Center, 4th Floor dining Room
600 Henley Street

Chattanooga: October 9 at 9:00am ET
Chattanooga Marriott at the Convention Center Ballroom H/I/J
Two Carter Plaza

Jackson: October 13 at 1:00pm CT
West Tennessee Ag Research and Education Center, Room 150
605 Airways Boulevard

Nashville: October 15 at 1:00pm CT
Davy Crockett Tower, Room 160
500 James Robertson Parkway