New construction in Worcester must adhere to specialized stretch codes starting in July
Photo | Timothy Doyle
Worcester City Hall
The Worcester City Council voted 10-1 to adopt a specialized stretch energy code, making requirements more stringent than existing stretch codes prescribed by the State for 300 communities statewide.
City Manager Eric Batista, originally recommended that the plan take effect in January 2025, a plan backed by the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, but the city council voted to enact the codes on July 1. Councilor-at-Large Donna Colorio was the lone nay vote.
The new code will require homes in excess of 4,000 square feet to be electrified. New multi-family projects more than 12,000 square feet must meet passive house standards. New commercial construction must be either all-electric, meet passive house requirements, and pre-wire for electrification; or if they use a fossil fuel, they must meet all stretch code efficiency requirements, be pre-wired for future electrification, and use solar power on-site where feasible.
Renovations or additions to existing buildings are exempt from the specialized stretch codes.
“Buildings contribute 65% of total carbon emissions in the city,” John Odell, Worcester chief of the Department of Sustainability and Resilience, wrote in an Aug. 22 letter to Batista. “Incorporating the SSC will not only reduce future carbon emissions associated with the operation of these new buildings, but will also reduce energy costs, improve indoor air quality, and increase comfort of the user and/or occupants of those buildings.”
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