Washington State (WA)

Is a regulatory measure aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the existing building industry by imposing energy usage caps on commercial buildings exceeding 50,000 square feet. Enacted to promote sustainability goals, this standard mandates compliance with energy management provisions and reporting requirements.

2. Compliance Requirements

Building owners are required to comply with the Clean Buildings Performance Standard based on specific due dates categorized by building size:

• June 1st, 2026, for buildings over 220,000 square feet.
• June 1st, 2027, for buildings between 90,000 and 220,000 square feet.
• June 1st, 2028, for buildings between 50,000 and 90,000 square feet.

Compliance is mandatory and recurring every five years.

3. Requirements for Building Owners to Comply

The Clean Buildings Standard mandates several requirements for affected buildings, including:

• Designation of an individual as Energy Manager for each building.
• Adoption of an Energy Management Plan for each building.
• Implementation of an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Program in each building.
• Meeting an energy performance standard or Energy Use Intensity (EUI) target based on building type.
• For buildings unable to calculate an EUI target or surpassing their EUI target, following the Investment Criteria process to identify and implement cost-effective energy efficiency measures.

4. Additional Reporting Requirements

Commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet must also benchmark their energy usage using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and report the data annually to the Washington Department of Commerce.