The New Mexico Construction Industries Commission has adopted a new statewide energy conservation code, based on the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) with specific amendments for New Mexico. This update aims to reduce energy use in new residential and commercial buildings by approximately 25 percent.

Tammy Fiebelkorn from the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project highlighted the significance of this update, stating that it is "one of the most important and effective things New Mexico can do to reduce its climate impact from the buildings sector."

John Ammondson, State Director at Environment New Mexico, praised the decision: “We applaud the Construction Industries Commission for taking this long-overdue step to make New Mexico’s buildings more energy efficient, reducing emissions from wasted energy and saving consumers money.”

The updated code results from Governor Lujan-Grisham's Executive Order 2019-003, signed on January 29th, 2019. The state was previously operating under the 2009 version of the code due to missed updates during previous administrations.

Camilla Feibelman of the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter remarked on recent progress: “The Governor’s climate vision is taking shape... these actions don’t just protect our planet and New Mexico’s air, water and communities, but they also save us money on our electric bills in our homes and businesses.”

Studies by Pacific Northwest National Labs indicate that these changes are cost-effective. For residential buildings in New Mexico, average life cycle cost savings could reach $6,397 per dwelling.

Ona Porter from Prosperity Works emphasized how these savings will benefit low-income residents: “the associated cost savings allow New Mexicans to cover other essential commodities that they are now doing without.”

Sanders Moore from Policy Solutions Institute noted that reduced energy costs would particularly benefit low-income families: “Reducing energy use in new buildings will save New Mexican families money.”

For commercial properties, energy usage is expected to decrease by about 27 percent. This reduction could aid businesses as they recover from COVID-19 shutdowns.

Tom Solomon & Jim Mackenzie of 350 New Mexico stressed the importance of efficient building design in addressing global warming emissions: “Buildings... account for 19 percent of all global GHG emissions... These new building codes get that done.”

For further information, contact Camilla Feibelman at camilla.feibelman@sierraclub.org.