Except as provided in *RCW 19.27A.020(7), the Washington state energy code for residential buildings shall be the maximum and minimum energy code for residential buildings in each city, town, and county and shall be enforced by each city, town, and county no later than July 1, 1991. The Washington state energy code for nonresidential buildings shall be the minimum energy code for nonresidential buildings enforced by each city, town, and county.

*Reviser’s note: RCW 19.27A.020 was amended by 2009 c 423 § 4, changing subsection (7) to subsection (6).

Findings—1990 c 2: “The legislature finds that using energy efficiently in housing is one of the lowest cost ways to meet consumer demand for energy; that using energy efficiently helps protect citizens of the state from negative impacts due to changes in energy supply and cost; that using energy efficiently will help mitigate negative environmental impacts of energy use and resource development; and that using energy efficiently will help stretch our present energy resources into the future. The legislature further finds that the electricity surplus in the Northwest is dwindling as the population increases and the economy expands, and that the region will eventually need new sources of electricity generation.

It is declared policy of the state of Washington that energy be used efficiently. It is the intent of this act to establish residential building standards that bring about the common use of energy efficient building methods, and to assure that such methods remain economically feasible and affordable to purchasers of newly constructed housing.” [ 1990 c 2 § 1.]

Severability—1990 c 2: “If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.” [ 1990 c 2 § 13.]

Effective dates—1990 c 2: See note following RCW 19.27.040.