Schedules are being developed to produce a condensed 2021 ICC Annual Conference and Public Comment Hearings September 19-28 in Pittsburgh. This year’s event will take precautions to allow members, stakeholders and employees to gather safely. Some sessions will be offered virtually. More details are forthcoming. “After making the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 event, we are very excited to safely host this year’s in-person conference and hearings,” said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “We will strictly follow the recommended precautions to ensure the health and safety of all our attendees. The 2021 event will offer training and networking opportunities for industry professionals looking to learn from top experts and discuss the latest innovations in building technology.” Read more here.

The Biden Administration is doubling funding to $1 billion for state and local governments under BRIC (Building Resilient Communities and Infrastructure). Read the White House statement here. The BRIC program premiered in 2020 and was FEMA’s new $500 million mitigation grant program. It prioritizes the adoption and enforcement of hazard resistant building codes and makes funding available for adoption activities (including staff time and consultant costs), training, certifications, electronic permitting, building department accreditation, and online access to codes and standards. Brick and mortar mitigation projects are more competitive candidates for funding based on state adopted codes and local BCEGS scores. The latest for code officials on the American Rescue Plan (ARP) allocations comes from the U.S. Treasury Department, a guide which details what activities are eligible. See the ICC factsheet which summaries eligible activities and other program facets. Treasury has finalized allocations to all units of government here.

On Thursday morning, join High Performance Buildings Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Peter Welch (D VT) as well as chief executives from the High Performance Building Coalition for a roundtable discussion on efforts in Congress and the private sector to promote public health, address climate change and mitigate against natural hazards in the built environment. Those participating in the panel include:

• Dominic Sims, CBO, CEO, International Code Council
• Vicki Worden, President & CEO, Green Building Initiative
• David Gans, Board President, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials
• Charles E. Gulledge III, P.E., FASHRAE, HBDP, LEED AP, President, ASHRAE
• Panel moderator Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, President & CEO, National Institute of Building Science

Register and read more here about the webinar which starts 9 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, June 3.

Preliminary analysis released by the U.S. Department of Energy finds that the residential provisions of the 2021 edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) are 9.38 percent more efficient than the 2018 edition and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8.66 percent. The International Code Council has developed the IECC for over three decades. With this new analysis, the IECC has seen a 40 percent improvement in energy savings starting from the 2006 edition. Read more here.

Energy code users and participants of all types are expected to sign up for the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2021 National Energy Codes Conference to be held online July 20-22. That list includes building officials, builders, state energy offices, trade associations, energy efficiency organizations, architects, engineers, policymakers, manufacturers, utilities, code administrators, educators, researchers and the interested public who will participate in this virtual event. It will include pre-conference workshops, a webinar series and two full-day meetings. View recordings and presentations from the 2020 Fall Webinar Series by clicking here.  This year’s event followed by a series of topic-based seminars throughout the summer. Learn more here.