The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides an opportunity to advance the efficiency and resilience of building energy codes in states and local jurisdictions throughout the country. As outlined in Section 40511 of the IIJA, $225M in funding has been appropriated to “eligible entities to enable sustained cost-effective implementation of updated building energy codes” through a competitive grant process over five years (FY22-FY26).
Awardees eligible for this funding must include a relevant state or tribal government agency, and priority will be given to teams that include strategic partnerships, such as a local building code agency, codes and standards developers, associations of builders and design and construction professionals, and many others. Projects must also be tied to an updated building energy code, which includes any amendment or code update resulting in increased energy efficiency as compared to the previously adopted code. The act outlines priority criteria for the funding, including an established need by an eligible entity, the long-term sustainability of measures and savings, the ability to address equity, energy, and resilience priorities, and others.
Current Funded Projects
On September 16, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $90 million in competitive awards to help states, cities, Tribal Nations, and partnering organizations implement updated energy codes for buildings. Funded by the IIJA, these awards will support 25 additional Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation (RECI) projects in providing technical assistance to state and local governments as they update and ensure the successful implementation of energy codes.
This second installment of 25 selected projects builds on an initial RECI cohort of 27 projects totaling $90 million announced in July 2023. It also expands the geographic area and assistance provided under the RECI initiative, supporting workforce development and other code-implementation solutions in high-impact states with substantial construction activity. The projects will also expand stakeholder engagement opportunities through tailored rural and regional collaboratives and develop new resources, standardized policies, and research and data collection methods to support jurisdictions across the country.
Previous RECI Funding Opportunities
Second RECI FOA: On March 4, 2024, DOE announced $90 million in funding to support building energy code adoption, training, and technical assistance at the state, Tribal, and local level. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) represents the second installment of the IIJA RECI initiative.
Initial RECI FOA: On December 19, 2022, DOE issued the First FOA of the RECI Initiative supporting the implementation of resilient and efficient energy codes, in accordance with Section 40511 of the IIJA. A Notice of Intent (NOI) was issued on July 21, 2022.
Stakeholder Engagement
In preparing for the RECI initiative, DOE conducted extensive engagement and stakeholder outreach to identify prominent needs and challenges impeding energy code implementation, explore, prioritize, and validate topics of interest, and establish key desired outcomes.
In April 2022, DOE issued an initial Request for Information (RFI) and hosted a Public Workshop seeking input from stakeholders to inform the implementation of the IIJA's $225M in funding for improved building codes.
- Official RFI. Please note that the deadline for public comments has now passed.
- Public Workshop: Presentation Slides and Workshop Summary