N. Mariana Islands - Building Energy Code

Much of the information presented in this summary is drawn from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Energy Codes Program and the Building Codes Assistance Project (BCAP). For more detailed information about building energy codes, visit the DOE and BCAP web sites.

Building codes for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) are adopted by the legislature and enforced by the Building Safety Code Division in the Department of Public Works. The 1991 Uniform Building Code, including Chapter 53 (for commercial and all multifamily buildings), and the 1989 Council of American Building Officials (CABO) One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code were the first energy codes adopted by the CNMI in 1990.

In 2009 the CNMI became the first U.S. territory to adopt the Tropical Energy Code. The Tropical Energy Code was designed specifically to address the unique climate conditions of the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, CNMI, Guam and Hawaii.

In July 2011, National Renewable Energy Laboratory published the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Initial Technical Assessment Report that includes additional information about energy, energy policy and resources in the Northern Mariana Islands.