March 2024 Director Message

I hope you are all adjusting to the roller coaster of weather that we have had the last couple of days.  I just wanted to give everyone an update on things going on at the IPGA office.

As some of you may know, the Capitol Development Board has been tasked with coming up with a new stretch energy code for the State of Illinois.  They had drafted a code that has been in discussion for the last few months. This code was to be adopted and put in place in 2024. The jest of the code is to help Illinois meet the Governors green initiative that he is touting.  Although this draft does not ban propane and natural gas connections in new construction and new additions, it does makes it almost impossible or extremely expensive to meet their requirements.

In our efforts to help stop this new code the IPGA has joined the Clean Energy Choice Coalition which is a group that consist of Illinois home builders, roofing contractors, and several unions including pipe fitters and natural gas installers.  The natural gas companies are relatively quiet since most of them are a dual utility and they stand to benefit either way.

On February 13th, the Capitol Development Board held a meeting for public comment and a vote to approve the Stretch Energy Code which, after public comments from some of the coalition members, was rejected and sent back to committee for changes.  This is a win for us for now however it will come back and we will continue to push for propane to be added to the code language in new construction.

Many have called and asked about the new edition of NFPA 54 and NFPA 58 and if they would be adopted by the Office of the State Fire Marshall. The update on this is a very slow process. I have submitted a request with the OSFM explaining our reasons for adopting the new codes.  They are now under review. I will keep you updated as the process moves forward but, until it is adopted, we are still under the 2011 edition in the state.

We will be hosting spring safety meetings starting on March 11th and ending on April 4th.  So far it looks like we will have good attendance.   Click here for a meeting in your region.  The topic is Underground Tanks and Piping Cathodic Testing and Requirements.

That is all for now.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to reach out.

Be Safe Out There!

Brad