Design

Consider Whether this Program In a Box is Right for Your State

When you weigh the possibility of initiating a Circuit Rider program, several factors apply. Partnering with a local community college or university can provide stronger opportunities for ongoing training; however, this is not essential for a successful program. If your state has completed an energy code compliance field study, it may illuminate areas to address through education. Finally, this program may be easiest to implement if your state has a statewide energy code rather than municipal stretch codes; however, the program may be most needed in states with municipal stretch codes. Circuit rider programs can provide support to rural building officials as well as urban and suburban building officials.

Justice40 Considerations

Through Executive Order 14008 which established the Justice40 Initiative, the Biden Administration has set a goal of ensuring that at least 40 percent of the benefits of federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities. Justice40 will have significant implications for hundreds of programs across the federal government, including clean energy, climate, and resilience programs that are overseen by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in partnership with states. State Energy Offices and their partners may wish to consider assessing various dimensions of their programs – including such factors as the ability of disadvantaged and diverse individuals and communities to influence, participate in, and access the benefits of state policies and programs – and explore metrics and reporting strategies that will help illustrate the Justice40 impacts of their policies, programs, and investments. Available resources to support these actions include:

• White House landing page for Justice40
• July 2021 Office of Management and Budget Interim Implementation Guidance for the Justice40 Initiative
• Justice40 Initiative Updates from DOE’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity
• Guidance on Community Benefits Plans in Proposals for IIJA Funding
• January 2023 Addendum to the Interim Implementation Guidance for the Justice40 Initiative, M-21-28, on using the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)
• Instructions for using the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool

Through NASEO’s Energy Equity Committee, State Energy Offices can learn about ongoing developments and resources that support federal Justice40 and state energy equity and environmental justice goals.

To help states identify the location of disadvantaged communities, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has developed The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST). Instructions for using the tool are linked above.

Goals and Name

Writing a goals statement for an expert code official program will create internal consensus and help with communications among municipalities and code officials. Goals of current circuit rider programs include educating the building code industry on energy code best practices, improving code compliance, providing technical assistance, and fostering connections among code professionals.

Giving the program a name is an important step in the process of branding and advertising the program.

Recommendations for program name:

• Reflect the goals of the program
• Solicit recommendations from participating agencies and organizations

Proposed action items:

• Align program activities with state policies and goals
• Finalize the program name
• Craft a goals statement
• Craft a one-page program description to support consistent communications

Performance Metrics

Program metrics should be defined before the program is implemented. Metrics to consider include code compliance improvement, the number of energy professionals served by the program, the number of communities served by the program, and specific equity and Justice40 goals.

Partnerships

Consider how partnerships with local universities and the relevant Regional Energy Efficiency Organization (REEO) can support programs. For example, see successful programs run by MEEA. Illinois runs a program with a partnership through University of Illinois Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC).

Eligibility Criteria

The program should provide clear guidelines on which municipal jurisdictions are eligible to participate in each program. The program should also provide guidance on methods for contacting the circuit rider and the nature of assistance available.

Budget and Staffing

Before finalizing the program design, consider budget allocations and staffing requirements. In most cases, the circuit rider devotes half their time to the circuit rider program and half their time to other activities. In Iowa, the code consultant is typically between a 0.33-0.5 full time employee. The consultant fee (including travel expenses) has been $3,200-$4,600 per month, excluding MEEA management and overhead. See a summary of Iowa's Energy Code Consultant Program budget and staffing.

Scale and Scope

During program design, consider the scope and reach of the circuit rider program, the scope of training activities offered, how technical assistance will be provided (e.g. telephone, email, text message) and the State Energy Office administrative functions. The scope of training activities and technical assistance offered will vary depending on your state’s needs, the expected number of participants in trainings, and the amount of funding available for the program.

Proposed action items:

• Draft a description of your proposed program that includes the number of communities served.
• Define the scope of groups that the circuit rider will train and the objectives for the trainings.
• Define the scope of assistance offered by the circuit rider.

Timeline

One element of program design is reviewing the budget and determining a realistic timeline for getting the program up and running. As your state develops the timeline, consider key objectives for accomplishing during the duration of the program. Examples may include funding the program, hiring the expert, setting up trainings and technical assistance, and setting up a tracking system. In the case of the Iowa program, the time from planning the code consultant program until the consultant was in the field was a few months.