House, No. 3313

Thomas A. Golden, Jr.

By the the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

Status
03/01/2007– Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy

History
01/10/2007– H Filed
01/10/2007– H Referred to Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy
01/10/2007– S Senate concurred in committee referral

AN ACT RELATIVE TO UPDATING THE MASSACHUSETTS ENERGY CONSERVATION
CODES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court
assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 143, of the Massachusetts General Laws is hereby amended by
adding in section 94, after clause (l), the following new clause:-

(m) To adopt, at least once every three (3) years, the latest edition of
the model energy conservation code, the International Energy
Conservation Code (IECC), published by the International Code
Council. No amendments to the Massachusetts energy conservation
code shall be adopted that increase energy consumption in buildings.
BBRS jointly with DOER shall adopt regulations to certify and train
qualified energy code inspectors and require that all new construction
and major renovations pass inspections by certified energy code
inspectors demonstrating full compliance with the Massachusetts
energy conservation code.

SECTION 2. Chapter 143 of the Massachusetts General Laws is hereby
amended by adding in section 94, after clause (m) as added above, the following
new clause:

(n) The BBRS shall, jointly with the DOER, through a public process,
establish benchmarks for energy performance that indicate how a
building can exceed the minimum standards set by the state energy
code by at least thirty percent. Such benchmarks shall be updated
through a public process not less than every three years. All buildings
built in whole or in part with public funds shall exceed in energy
conservation the most recent state energy codes by at least thirty
percent. The Department of Revenue shall provide a tax credit not to
exceed 10% of the allowable cost of the building, as determined by the
BBRS jointly with the DOER through formal rulemaking, for any
privately developed buildings that exceed in energy conservation the
most recent state energy codes by at least thirty percent.