The City of Milwaukee Efficient Buildings Benchmarking Ordinance, is a citywide energy benchmarking & disclosure program requiring owners of existing buildings to report energy use annually, using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®. Effective as of July 2024, this program provides building owners insight into their building’s energy efficiency and helps meet the City of Milwaukee’s Climate Action Plan goals.
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WHAT BUILDINGS ARE COVERED UNDER MILWAUKEE BENCHMARKING?
Class 1 Covered Buildings
Municipal government and Public School buildings over 10,000 Sq. Ft.
Class 2 Covered Buildings
Commercial buildings over 50,000 Sq. Ft.
WHAT INFORMATION IS REQUIRED FOR BENCHMARKING?
Annual benchmarking reporting requires 12 calendar months of whole-building energy and building use data. For example, in 2025, building owners must report 12 months of 2024 data.
WHEN ARE MILWAUKEE BENCHMARKING REPORTS DUE?
June 30, annually.
Benchmarking reports must be submitted on an annual basis using the previous year’s data via ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®. This is the EPA’s benchmarking tool that is used for compliance reporting in most ordinances across the country.
WHAT INFORMATION IS REQUIRED FOR BPS?
Building Performance Standards (BPS) are often considered Phase II of these building energy use ordinances. After reporting your benchmarking data, many ordinances require you to make changes to the building’s operations or equipment to lower energy use over time.
The Milwaukee Efficient Buildings Benchmarking Ordinance does not require building efficiency improvement at this time.
WHAT IS THIRD-PARTY DATA VERIFICATION?
Third-party data verification requires owners/managers of covered buildings to hire a third-party expert who will independently review and verify the building’s benchmarking data.
The Milwaukee Efficient Buildings Benchmarking Ordinance does not currently require data verification.
WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES IF YOU DON'T COMPLY WITH MILWAUKEE BENCHMARKING?
- Failure to comply with the Milwaukee Efficient Buildings Benchmarking Ordinance will be fined $1,000 for every 90-day period while non-compliance persists.
- Falsification of data will result in an initial $4,500 fine and $6,500 fine for each subsequent violation.
HOW DO I COMPLY WITH MILWAUKEE BENCHMARKING?
CONTACT US HERE to learn more and get started with compliance.
Milwaukee Efficient Buildings Benchmarking Ordinance compliance can be confusing and hard to navigate. Bringing on a consultant like Green Econome streamlines the entire process while ensuring accurate reporting. We also offer free consultations with our benchmarking clients to review the reports and identify inefficiencies to improve.
WHEN SHOULD I START MILWAUKEE BENCHMARKING COMPLIANCE?
Ordinances such as Milwaukee Efficient Building Benchmarking Ordinance are already in effect across the country, and deadlines are rapidly approaching. Retrieving historical building data can take up to 6 months, especially when coordinating with property managers, tenants, and utilities.
Waiting until the last minute risks missing compliance windows, resulting in fines and enforcement penalties. Green Econome takes every measure to ensure complete and accurate data collection. The sooner you reach out, the sooner you will reach compliance.
MILWAUKEE BENCHMARKING RESOURCES
Policy
Milwaukee Efficient Buildings Benchmarking Ordinance
Bill Text
Milwaukee File #240297
Enforcing Agency
City of Milwaukee Environmental Collaboration Office
GREEN ECONOME PROCESS
With every phase of the process, Green Econome’s experienced and knowledgeable team is here to guide you on the results, options, and path forward to meet your compliance goals.
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