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For Immediate Release
For Further Information
Beth Cope (404) 602-9655; bcope@seealliance.org
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance Commends Alabama’s Adoption of Residential Energy Code Standard
Atlanta, March 19, 2012 – The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) commends Alabama’s adoption of its first residential energy code standard. The Alabama Energy and Residential Codes (AERC) Board unanimously passed the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) and 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) in Montgomery on Monday, March 12, 2012. Once implemented and enforced, these codes will save the average Alabama homeowner up to $166/year on their energy bills, resulting in more money for Alabama’s citizens and improved economic development and prosperity for the state.
“SEEA hails the leadership of the Alabama Energy and Residential Code Board in adopting this code, thus marking what will be a substantial improvement of the overall energy efficiency of buildings in the state of Alabama for many years to come,” said SEEA President Michael Mills. “Buildings consume over 40 percent of all energy use and over 70 percent of all electricity in the United States, so any attempt in updating a state’s building code is a win-win for not only future Alabama homeowners, but by improving the overall efficiency of the state economy.”
Mills continued, “Despite recent upticks in the American economy, many Americans are still struggling to make ends meet and by adopting a stricter code, the AERC Board has ensured that energy will make up less of an Alabama family’s overall budget for the foreseeable future. Money unspent on energy waste is money spent elsewhere in the state economy, which can do nothing less than improve the economic benefits of those in the state.”
Former Alabama Governor Bob Riley (R-Ala.) gave the AERC Board the authority to adopt Alabama’s first mandatory energy standard when he signed SB. 315 on March 9, 2010. A legislative review committee is now in the process of certifying the new codes, and they will formally take effect on Oct.1, 2012. According to the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP), these statewide codes have the potential to save an Alabama homeowner approximately $720.54 over a five-year period.
Mills concluded, “We applaud Alabama’s leadership in adoption of these codes and urge other states in the region to follow their lead and ensure the citizens of their state also will reap the rewards of low energy bills, a better quality of life and a more efficient economy.”
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The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance promotes energy efficiency for a cleaner environment, a more prosperous economy, and a higher quality of life in the Southeastern region of the United States.
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