Seattle mayor wants to scale back energy code to spur more housing construction

Seattle’s mayor recently proposed that the city scale back a scheduled revamping of its building energy code to help boost housing production.

The proposal would halt an update to the city’s multifamily and commercial building energy code that is scheduled to take effect later this year. The mayor’s plan goes against a trend in recent years in which the city has adopted a more stringent energy code than the statewide standard. The state, in turn, had followed the city’s lead and boosted its energy code standards.

The mayor is proposing that Seattle use the 2021 Washington State Energy Code, which took effect a few weeks ago elsewhere in the state. There could be some Seattle-specific changes, as well.

The mayor’s plan would eliminate a new requirement that at least 20% of a new building’s glazing be constructed of high-performance material—typically triple glazing units. It would also address HVAC, as the advanced mechanical systems that the city is set to require are harder to maintain, adding significant costs.