The City of New Orleans Building Energy 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 June 2025, this program provides building owners insight into their building’s energy efficiency and helps meet the City of New Orleans’ Climate Action Plan goals.
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WHAT BUILDINGS ARE COVERED UNDER NEW ORLEANS BENCHMARKING?
Property Size
Non-residential and multifamily buildings over 20,000 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 NEW ORLEANS BENCHMARKING REPORTS DUE?
January 1, 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.
*Buildings over 50,000 Sq. Ft. need to comply January 1, 2026. Buildings between 20,000 and 50,000 Sq. Ft. begin reporting January 1, 2027.
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.
New Orleans does not require BPS compliance at this time. However, improving your building’s efficiency can lower your operating costs, improve your NOI, and save you money in the long run.
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.
New Orleans does not require data verification at this time.
WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES IF YOU DON'T COMPLY WITH NEW ORLEANS BENCHMARKING?
Violating any aspect of the New Orleans Building Energy Benchmarking Ordinance will result in fines between $1,000 and $3000.
Penalties are waived for buildings in their first year of compliance.
HOW DO I COMPLY WITH NEW ORLEANS BENCHMARKING?
CONTACT US HERE to learn more and get started with compliance.
New Orleans Building Energy 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 NEW ORLEANS BENCHMARKING COMPLIANCE?
Ordinances such as the New Orleans Building Energy Benchmarking Ordinance are already in effect across the country, and deadlines are rapidly approaching. Retrieving historical building data will take time, especially when coordinating with property managers 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.
NEW ORLEANS BENCHMARKING RESOURCES
Policy
New Orleans Building Energy Benchmarking Ordinance
Bill Text
Ordinance No. 35, 154
Enforcing Agency
New Orleans Office of Resilience & Sustainability
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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