Canada Calls for Proposals on Aggregated Deep Energy Retrofit Demonstration Projects June 15, 2023 By John Boling A Canadian government official announced June 13, 2023, a call for proposals under the Greener Neighbourhoods Pilot Program that focus on deep aggregated retrofit projects. The call will support up to six projects targeting clusters of low-rise community housing buildings of 100 or more units and will explore methods and approaches that […] Read More
Canadian Government Allocates Funding to Improve Energy Efficiency and Reduce Carbon Emissions June 02, 2023 On May 29, 2023, Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s minister of natural resources, and Scott Pearce, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, announced more than $900,000 for six feasibility studies through the Green Municipal Fund’s (GMF) Community Buildings Retrofit initiative to help cities and towns across Ontario find the best approach to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions at municipally owned buildings. Read More
IIBEC Opposes Cooperative Purchasing Programs in Two States, Scores Victory in Virginia May 26, 2023 IIBEC sent two separate letters last week opposing the use of cooperative purchasing programs to sidestep qualifications-based selection (QBS) requirements. These letters reflect IIBEC’s commitment to oppose solicitations for design services that negatively affect consultants—and they are producing results. Read More
IIBEC Leaders Meet with the EPDM Roofing Association May 05, 2023 On May 4, 2023, IIBEC leaders Brian Pallasch, executive vice president and chief executive officer, and John Boling, director of government relations, met with the EPDM Roofing Association Board of Directors at its meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, to share IIBEC’s plans over the next few years and to explore areas where our respective interests overlap. Read More
IIBEC Helps Defeat Florida Legislative Language Expanding Cooperative Purchasing May 05, 2023 In April, IIBEC sent a letter opposing legislation expanding cooperative purchasing to the members of the Florida Appropriations Committee. IIBEC has long opposed bills that expand cooperative purchasing to include construction design services. Recently, IIBEC submitted testimony opposing a Missouri bill that crossed the threshold and notched a victory when North Dakota exempted all construction services from their cooperative purchasing bill after IIBEC had submitted testimony to the North Dakota Senate State and Local Committee in support of QBS. Read More
IIBEC Leaders Join the 2023 Roofing Day in DC April 21, 2023 Roofing industry professionals descended upon Washington, DC, April 18–19, 2023, to participate in the 2023 Roofing Day in DC. IIBEC’s delegation, led by Amy Peevey, president, and Brian Pallasch, executive vice president and chief executive officer, was joined by Chris Giffin, immediate past president, and Melissa Lieb, IIBEC Advocacy Committee chair, as well as John Boling, IIBEC’s director of government relations. Read More
IIBEC Opposes Missouri Bill Expanding Cooperative Purchasing to Include Design Services April 18, 2023 On April 6, 2023, IIBEC submitted testimony to the Missouri State Senate Committee on Governmental Accountability outlining opposition to S. 544, which would expand cooperative purchasing authorizations to include architectural, engineering, and design services. Read More
IIBEC Provides Maine Legislative Panel With Comments on Solar-Ready Mandate April 12, 2023 IIBEC submitted testimony to a Maine legislative panel as part of the panel’s April 4 discussion of solar-ready mandates for future commercial buildings, ensuring that building enclosure consultants’ interests were made known to the panel. Read More
Canadian Government Confirms Support for Transition to Net Zero March 23, 2023 Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault outlined Canada’s support for a net-zero emissions economy through the fostering of economic environmentalism and a range of policies, including the launch of the independent Net-Zero Advisory Body, which will provide advice on the most likely pathways for Canada to reach net zero. Guilbeault made his remarks during a March 20, 2023, speech at the Americana 2023 environmental conference. Read More
Canada Opens Applications for Two Initiatives to Accelerate Building Retrofits February 16, 2023 On February 9, 2023, Natural Resources Canada issued a statement announcing Calls for Applications for two new initiatives to accelerate building retrofits: the Deep Retrofit Accelerator Initiative (DRAI) and the Greener Neighbourhoods Pilot Program (GNPP). Read More
