WEST VIRGINIA

CURRENT CODE West Virginia will receive $32.7 Million from the federal
government if the state adopts the latest energy codes:
 IECC 2009 (International Energy Conservation
Code)
 ASHRAE 90.1 2007 (American Society of Heating
Residential:
2003 IECC (Voluntary) Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers)
Commercial: Accumulated residential sector savings for 2009 to 2030
2003 IECC (Voluntary)
would be:
DEMOGRAPHICS  2.2 trillion Btu of energy
Population: 1,814,468  153 million metric tons of CO2 (Equivalent to an-

Total Housing Units: nual greenhouse gas emissions from 28,022 passen-
852,165 ger vehicles)
 $15 million
ENERGY
 $15 million could pay more than the full un-
CONSUMPTION
Residential Sector: dergraduate tuition for current students at
157.6 Trillion BTU private universities in West Virginia
Commercial Sector:
109.1 Trillion BTU
FINANCING OPPORTUNITIES:
48% of West Virginia’s natu- In February 2009 the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allo-
ral gas and 32% of the elec- cated $3.1 billion for U.S. Department of Energy’s State Energy Program
tricity supply is consumed (SEP) to assist states with building energy efficiency efforts. As one of
for heating homes. the requirements to receive SEP grants, state governors must certify to
DOE that their state will implement energy codes of equal or greater
West Virginia is the top coal
producing state east of the
stringency than the latest national model codes (currently IECC 2009 and
Mississippi River and second Standard 90.1-2007). Thus, it is in the state’s best economic interests to
in the nation (after Wyo- adopt these standards statewide and begin enjoying the benefits of an effi-
ming). cient building sector.
CODE ADOPTION AND CHANGE PROCESS:
Residential use of natural gas Legislative and Regulatory process: The West Virginia State Fire Com-
costs $16.25/thousand cubic mission is responsible for adopting, promulgating, and amending state-
ft, well over the national av- wide construction codes. The Administrative Procedures Act requires
erage of 11.59/thousand cu- public hearings on the adoption of all codes by the State Fire Commis-
bic ft. Residential use of sion.
electricity costs $7.97/kWh.

CODE CHANGE CYCLE For more information please consult the Building Codes Assistance Project (www.bcap-energy.org)
or Nick Zigelbaum (nzigelbaum@nrdc.org)
No set schedule

BCAP
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