The Honorable Firstname Lastname

The Honorable {{Firstname Lastname}}

Dear {{Title}} {{First Name and Last Name}}

On behalf of (X) organization(s), I’m writing to you in support of the proposed 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as put forth by the {{Official or Regulatory Body}}. By adopting this code, {{City or State Name}} will help ensure that every buyer of a new home and every owner or operator of a new commercial building receives the benefits of modern energy efficiency standards.

Up-to-date energy codes are an important component of good public policy that benefits home owners, businesses, and everyone who uses energy in {{City or State Name}}, and investing in energy efficiency saves us more than just on our monthly utility bills. This leads to:

· Lower energy bills for home owners: The slight increase in the monthly mortgage is more than offset by lower energy bills every month, over the lifetime of the home.

· Improved economy in {{City or State Name}}: Money saved on energy bills can be spent elsewhere in our economy. Also, increased demand for better energy efficiency in the construction industry creates jobs in insulation installation, heating and cooling contracting, air sealing contracting, and home energy rating for example.

· Avoided future costs for home owners: It's much more cost-effective to add insulation before the drywall goes up; put in higher performance windows the first time they are installed; or install properly sized and efficient heating and cooling systems from the outset. Doing so later is difficult and expensive.

· Lower energy rates: Energy codes help keep rates lower by delaying the need to build costly new power plants and easing the strain on our nation's aging utility grid that delivers electricity from the power plant to our homes and businesses.

· A cleaner environment: Energy efficiency reduces air, water, and soil pollution because fewer fossil fuels are burned to meet demand.

By adopting the 2012 IECC, {{City or State Name}} will reduce the energy needed in its buildings for the lifetime of those structures.

Adoption of the complete 2012 IECC is an important step in protecting our residents and businesses from excessive energy costs. Thank you in advance for your attention and consideration, and we look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Sincerely,