Some counties in Southeast Tennessee are deciding if it's necessary to join a state program that would update residential building codes to conserve electricity.
"The cleanest energy of all is the energy that we don't use," Gov. Phil Bredesen said in a news release after state lawmakers last year passed the conservation program.
The average Tennessee household uses 41 percent more electricity than the typical U.S. household, according to the Tennessee Valley Authority.
One of the program's components, the Clean Energy Future Act, encourages all counties and municipalities to adopt building codes before July. State records show that Bledsoe, Grundy, McMinn, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie counties lack building codes, although some of their cities have them.
It's not mandatory for counties to adopt codes, but state officials have put in some incentives for local governments.
Several grants are available, including up to $500,000 for training and materials to bring officials up to speed on codes. Cities with populations less than 35,000 and counties with populations less than 200,000 may have access to up to $100,000 in grant money for retrofitting public buildings, LED lighting, solar or geothermal retrofits and developing building codes.
Counties can adopt recent versions of the International Residential Code and allow the state to perform inspections at no cost to local governments. They can draft their own codes or have no code at all, officials said.
It's all pretty new to area county officials, and some say they don't know where to start.
Sequatchie County Executive Michael Hudson said the County Commission will wait until the last possible moment to decide.
"The program's speculation, basically," he said. "We're all for clean energy and efficiency and helping the environment, but at the same time I don't know what the numbers will be on this program."
But a Rhea County real estate agent appreciates the nudge from Nashville. She believes a building code is necessary in Rhea County, adding that buying a home is the biggest investment most people ever make.
Lynda Moore said she's seen "too many contractors" who aren't qualified to build.
"You have the right to have a warm and fuzzy feeling that it's constructed right," Ms. Moore said. "If we didn't have builders who are more interested in the dollar and running off with it, we wouldn't need it. But not everyone's honest."
Christopher Garrett, a spokesman for the state Department of Commerce and Insurance, said codes also can improve fire safety.
"Tennessee occupies really undesirable rankings when it comes to fire deaths across the country," Mr. Garrett said. "That has to do with habits of Tennesseans -- people who smoke and fall asleep in comfortable chairs and that sort of thing."
To those concerned about increased costs for energy efficiency, Mr. Garrett urged patience.
He said rising energy costs will surpass the estimated 2.5 percent cost increase for energy efficient construction.
"Over time, the initial cost is outweighed by the benefit to the homeowner in savings," he said.
One elected official said he's worried about retribution if counties refuse to change the status quo.
"It's going to be hard to get state money if we don't do their program," said McMinn County Commissioner Tad Simpson.
"It's not that they want a less-built house, but people in this area think the government getting into something like this doesn't necessarily make it better," he said.
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