New Energy Building Codes in Washington State

On March 15, 2024, new statewide buildings codes for residential and commercial structures went into effect in Washington State. The new codes, which were revised last year following the Ninth Circuit’s holding in California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley, will greatly incentivize the installation of electric heats instead of thermal fuels, such as propane or natural gas. The State Building Code Council’s (SBCC) new codes will award vastly more energy efficiency credits – a certain number of credits are required to obtain necessary building permits – for the installation of electric heat pumps, as opposed to appliances powered by conventional thermal sources. These new codes will severely distort decision-making, to propane’s detriment, by builders and homebuyers.

Although these news codes are currently being enforced, both the National Propane Gas Association and the Pacific Propane Gas Association are supporting lawsuits in federal and state courts to challenge SBCC’s harmful actions and ensure propane has a fair opportunity to compete in the marketplace.

As of the 2022 sales report from PERC, the industry sold 207 million gallons of propane in Washington State, making it the 16th largest state market in the country.

For more information, contact NPGA’s Director of State Affairs, Jacob Peterson.