New Orleans Approves Energy Use Benchmarking and Reporting

Ordinance requires tracking and reporting of annual energy use.

Benchmarking energy use is expanding across the country, and New Orleans has joined the fold of cities and states that are requiring some building owners to track and report on an annual basis.  

Institute for Marketing Transformation (IMT) published an article about the ordinance and below are a couple of the most important things you need to know:

The new law requires owners of non-residential and multifamily buildings over 50,000 square feet to track and report their annual energy use beginning in 2026. Buildings between 20,000 and 49,999 square feet are phased in by 2027. The data will be reported via EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager — a free federal tool that is the gold standard for building energy tracking. 

Building owners must make “reasonable efforts” to collect whole-building data, even from tenants in multi-tenant buildings, though exemptions exist for hardship or unique industrial uses. After a one-year grace period, the first violation carries a fine of $1000 with subsequent fines of $60 per day. The combined penalty amount is capped at $3,000. 

Benchmarking energy use is often the first step towards implementing building performance standards (BPS) and that is likely the case in New Orleans. IMT characterized the ordinance as:

[J]ust the beginning. Benchmarking is a data tool, not a final product. But it’s a tool that catalyzes less energy waste and better economic outcomes for residents and businesses, and this accelerates progress toward climate and environmental justice.

Read the full article and see the map of where benchmarking and reporting have been adopted.