Posting Language
Title
Authorize negotiation and execution of an interlocal agreement with Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station for updates to the International Code Compliance Calculator and related technical and research services for an initial term of five years with a three-year extension option in an amount not to exceed $183,211. Funding: $33,504 is available in the Operating Budget of Austin Energy. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets.
De
Lead Department
Austin Energy
Fiscal Note
Funding in the amount of $33,504 is available in the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Operating Budget of Austin Energy. Funding for the remaining contract term is contingent upon available funding in future budgets.
For More Information:
Amy Everhart, Director, Local Government Relations (512) 322-6087; Richard Genece, Vice President, Customer Energy Solutions (512) 322-6327.
Council Committee, Boards and Commission Action:
August 10, 2026 - Recommended by the Electric Utility Commission on a 7-0 vote, with Commissioners Alvarez, Reed, and White absent, and one vacancy.
Additional Backup Information:
The City of Austin has a long-standing commitment to energy efficiency, greenhouse gas reduction, and improving building performance through progressive adoption of local energy codes.
The International Code Compliance Calculator (IC3) helps builders evaluate residential energy performance, understand design impacts, and generate required permitting documentation for submission to Development Services. As Austin adopts more advanced, performance-based codes, accessible and no-cost tools like IC3 help maintain predictable permitting processes and reduce design burdens.
IC3 is also a critical tool for the Austin Energy Green Building program. The platform provides insight into local building practices, supports program evaluation, and enables Austin Energy to collaborate with other City departments, builders, energy raters, and trade allies to improve energy efficiency programs and other City sustainability initiatives.
In 2025, the Austin City Council adopted the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) along with Austin-specific amendments. These updates further Austin Energy’s efforts to deliver measurable energy savings, reduce peak demand, and support the transition to high-performance, low-carbon building practices. Future code adoptions are likely in 2028 and 2031. Austin Energy tracks and reports the energy and demand savings associated with local code adoption, which directly supports the utility’s Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan goals. Reliable modeling tools are essential to quantify impacts, inform future code recommendations, and ensure alignment between City policy and utility planning.
Under this contract, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station will provide technical support and software modifications that allow IC3 to accurately model Austin’s local code amendments and support early adoption pathways aligned with the Austin Energy Green Building program. These updates will enable more precise assessment of the impact of Austin’s energy code on community-wide energy use and carbon emissions. They will also support the City’s sustainability, climate, and affordability goals by keeping compliance tools freely available, easy to use, and aligned with evolving building practices.