BUILDING CODES

Description:  Amend Washington State building and electrical codes by exercising RCW 19.27.540 to direct the State Building Code Council and Electric Code ?? to include electric vehicle charging station capability or infrastructure for all multi-family, commercial and single family housing developments.

Why This Should Be Supported:  As anyone living in the Seattle/Bellevue area can attest, there is a housing/building boom going on.  These buildings will likely not have even the basic of infrastructure in place to support future electric vehicle charging at home or at work.  It is substantially more difficult, sometimes impossible, and prohibitively more expensive to retrofit an existing building to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure.  The proposed changes are simple and inexpensive, yet would pave the way for future electric vehicle charging as demand grows.

Estimated State Costs:  $0.

Recent Legislative Actions:  The City of Seattle passed Ordinance 124593 in October 2014 containing electrical code changes similar to those we are proposing statewide.

Legislative Summary: