Architect: Gov.Palin right to reject energy stimulus

In a guest column in Wednesday's edition of the Anchorage Daily News, David Moore says Gov. Sarah Palin is right to reject the nearly $29 million in Obama administration energy stimulus funds with strings attached. Those attached strings require that Alaska adopt federally-mandated building codes. As an AIA architect, Mr. Moore understands building codes:

"The federal stimulus act mandates state adoption of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) or related ASHRAE standards and that the state verify 90% compliance statewide. This would expand the state fire marshal's plan review department to include residential construction."

"It would require the fire marshal's office to expand its duties beyond issuing building permits to include inspections to verify compliance. Alaskans would pay for these added duties and authority. Over the next 10 years this would cost us much more than the $29 million available in stimulus money. MOA's plan review and inspection department budget alone is over $9 million. Expand this type of enforcement statewide, add travel cost for inspections, and imagine the total cost."

Mr. Moore says adopting the code for commercial construction would actually do little to reduce fuel consumption across Alaska, as Anchorage and Fairbanks have already adopted it. Most commercial buildings, he points out, are in compliance with the code and the ASHRAE standards. He says that residential construction, even in Alaska's remote places, exceed many of the code's standards because of the extreme cold temperature common to the state. Mr. Moore says that by necessity, Alaskans have been building energy-efficient buildings for longer than rest of the country:

"So what this amounts to is solely a new regulatory requirement to verify compliance. It does little beyond what we are already doing to save fuel, but does a lot to grow government. We each have an inherent benefit in reducing our utility bills. I doubt that a government mandate to do so is better motivation than our own pocketbooks."

Mr. Moore argues that if Alaskans are to benefit from an energy conservation codes it should be one designed by Alaskans and tailored to the 40th State's unique environment, not one mandated by Washington politicians unfamiliar with the complexities of construction in Alaska. He warns that Alaskans should not be enticed into adopting federal codes without carefully considering the impact simply because temporary funding is available now. He concludes:

"If you think the federal government will not interfere after they've given us money, you must be from a different planet."

- JP