NYC Benchmarking Law Tracks Energy Efficiency
Starting with 2018, owners of buildings measuring 25,000 square feet and larger need to submit reports to EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager.
By Anca Gagiuc
New York City
In 2009, New York City enacted several local laws as part of the city’s Greener, Greater Buildings Plan to improve energy waste in its existing buildings and contribute towards the city’s goal of reducing emissions by 80 percent from the 2005 levels by 2050. One of these laws, 84/09, the New York City Benchmarking Law, has been requiring owners of large buildings—single buildings larger than 50,000 square feet of groups of buildings on a single lot that encompass more than 100,000 square feet—to annually measure their energy and water consumption in a process called ‘benchmarking’.
Upcoming in 2018
In October 2016, NYC passed Local Law 133/16, which extends the list of buildings required to benchmark to include mid-sized buildings of 25,000 square feet and larger. Their owners are expected to benchmark for the first time by May 1, 2018 and by May 1 every year thereafter.
The reports will be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where they need to register first. Also, they are required to enter utilities data from January 1 to December 31 of the previous year into the EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager.
Buildings that don’t submit their utilities data as required under NYC Benchmarking Law will be fined $500 per quarter, up to $2,000 per year.
Image courtesy of Marriott International Inc.
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