Denver Energy Code Update

Project Overview

Community Planning and Development (CPD), in partnership with the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency (CASR), has begun the process to update the Denver Energy Code (DEC), which governs building energy use and sets local standards for efficiency in new and renovated buildings in Denver. The project will ensure Denver’s rules align with state and international industry standards and best practices, provide clear guidance for builders, consider cost impacts, reflect Denver’s specific context, and advance the city’s climate goals.

As with previous updates to city building and fire codes, the process will involve input and participation from community stakeholders and subject matter experts representing a diverse range of perspectives and areas of expertise serving as members of the Commercial Energy Committee, Residential Energy Committee and technical subcommittees. 

Submit a code amendment proposal

Members of the public are invited to submit potential amendments between now and June 5. The baseline code or starting point for proposals is the 2025 DEC and MLECC Correlation Document. Amendment proposals may suggest revising, adding, deleting, or substituting language in the correlation document. 

To submit an amendment proposal:

1. Review the 2025 DEC and MLECC Correlation Document
   1. Clean version(PDF, 945KB)
   2. Strikethrough version(PDF, 865KB)
2. Download the amendment proposal form linked below, and complete it according to the instructions. If you wish to submit multiple amendments, please complete one form per proposal.
   1. Denver Amendment Proposal Form(DOCX, 31KB)
   2. Example of a good proposal submission(DOCX, 42KB)
   3. Example of a bad proposal submission(DOCX, 45KB)
3. Submit your proposal online

Next steps

Once submitted, proposals will be prioritized based on the following criteria: impact on operational carbon, embodied carbon of buildings and building reuse, cost effectiveness, technical feasibility and market readiness, equity impact, energy efficiency, impact on code usability/regional alignment, enforcement complexity, grid resiliency, and national leadership as a jurisdiction. The commercial and residential code technical subcommittees will begin reviewing selected proposals in June. Meetings will be open to the public. 

Other ways to get involved

Along with submitting an amendment proposal, the public can participate in the code update process as it moves forward by:

• Attending committee meetings  
• Providing comments when the draft updated energy code is available for public review

Information on how to join virtual technical subcommittee meetings will be posted soon. To stay up to date on the process and hear about upcoming opportunities to share your voice, we encourage you to sign up for email updates. 

About the Denver Energy Code

The updated Denver Energy Code will consist of local amendments to the Colorado Model Low Energy and Carbon Code (MLECC), with amendments carried forward from the 2025 Denver Energy Code. The MLECC is based on the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) 2024/ASHRAE 90.1-2022. Please see the text of the MLECC on the International Code Code Council website. 

As Denver continues to work towards the goal of zero carbon emissions for new buildings by 2030 and all buildings by 2040, the public process to update the Denver Energy Code should identify intermediate steps to support buildings that are:

• Highly efficient
• All-electric
• Grid resilient and responsive
• Powered by systemwide renewable energy

Residential Committees

The residential code committee will begin meeting in the spring of 2026 to review and provide feedback on strategies to be developed into detailed code proposals, and will hold hearings to vote on the amendment proposals to be included in the final package in late summer and early fall. Subcommittees are made up of subject matter experts who will investigate specific concepts and strategies. Subcommittees will begin meeting in the summer. 

Residential Code Committee

Meeting Schedule

• Kick-off Committee Meeting: 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, May 5 (combined with commercial committee)
• Committee Hearings: 1-4 p.m. on the following Wednesdays
  • August 26 - meeting link
  • September 16 - meeting link
  • September 30 - meeting link
  • October 14 - meeting link

Member Roster

Residential Electrification Subcommittee

Meeting Schedule

• 1-3 p.m. on the following Thursdays:
  • June 18 - meeting link
  • July 9 - meeting link
  • July 23 - meeting link
  • August 6 - meeting link

Member Roster

Residential Performance Pathway Subcommittee

Meeting Schedule

• 9-11 a.m. on the following Tuesdays:
  • June 16 - meeting link
  • July 7 - meeting link
  • July 21 - meeting link
  • August 4 - meeting link

Member Roster

Residential Prescriptive Pathway Subcommittee

Meeting Schedule

• 9-11 a.m. on the following Tuesdays:
  • June 23 - meeting link
  • July 14 - meeting link
  • July 28 - meeting link
  • August 11 - meeting link

Member Roster

Commercial Committees

The commercial code committee will begin meeting in the spring of 2026 to review and provide feedback on strategies to be developed into detailed code proposals, and will hold hearings vote on the amendment proposals to be included in the final package starting in late summer and early fall. Subcommittees are made up of subject matter experts who will investigate specific concepts and strategies. Subcommittees will begin meeting in the summer.  

Commercial Code Committee

Meeting Schedule

• Kick-off Committee Meeting: 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, May 5 (combined with residential committee)
• Committee Hearings: 1-4 p.m. on the following Wednesdays
  • August 19 - meeting link
  • September 2 - meeting link
  • September 23 - meeting link
  • October 7 - meeting link 
  • October 21 - meeting link

Member Roster

Commercial Electrification Subcommittee

Meeting Schedule

• 1-3 p.m. on the following Wednesdays:
  • June 17 - meeting link 
  • July 8 - meeting link
  • July 22 - meeting link
  • August 5 - meeting link

Member Roster

Commercial Adaptive Reuse Subcommittee

Meeting Schedule

• 1-3 p.m. on the following Thursdays:
  • June 25 - meeting link
  • July 16 - meeting link
  • July 30 - meeting link
  • August 13 - meeting link

Member Roster

Commercial Embodied Carbon Subcommittee

Meeting Schedule

• 1-3 p.m. on the following Wednesdays:
  • June 24 - meeting link
  • July 15 - meeting link
  • July 29 - meeting link
  • August 12 - meeting link

Member Roster

Commercial Performance Pathway Subcommittee

Meeting Schedule

• 1-3 p.m. on the following Tuesdays:
  • June 16 - meeting link
  • July 7 - meeting link
  • July 21- meeting link
  • August 4 - meeting link 

Member Roster

Commercial Prescriptive Pathway Subcommittee

Meeting Schedule

• 1-3 p.m. on the following Tuesdays:
  • June 23 - meeting link
  • July 14 - meeting link
  • July 28 - meeting link
  • August 11 - meeting link

Member Roster

Project Timeline

• Spring 2026: Commercial and residential committees will meet online in spring 2026 to review the code adoption process and timeline, outline Denver's goals and amendment criteria, and share strategies for subcommittees to consider. 
• Summer 2026: Subcommittees to workshop the proposals before they are brought to the committees for a vote. 
• Fall 2026: Committees will review and vote on code amendment proposals.
• Winter 2026-27: A draft of the updated Denver Energy Code will be shared with the public for review and then presented to City Council for final adoption.