Public Building Requirements

Passed in 2010, Senate Bill 220 mandates the following of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to perform an energy audit of each public building at least once every seven years. The energy audit must include recommendations for corrective measures to improve energy efficiency and minimize the life-cycle cost of the public building surveyed. SB 220 also requires 15% energy efficiency improvement retrofits by 2020 of 25% of the state's public buildings that are 10,000 square feet or larger not including legislative or court buildings. Senate Bill 220 also included a provision mandating ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1 compliance on all retrofits or deferred maintenance of public facilities performed under the 25% improvement section of the bill.

In addition to the retrofit goal of reducing energy use by 15% in 25% of the public facilities by 2020, any new facilities managed or owned by the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, 10,000 square feet or greater that are not legislative or court buildings, must be constructed to the latest version of ASHRAE/IESNA standard. The Department of Education also requires that new facilities constructed with FY14 funds must be constructed to the same ASHRAE standards.

Senate Bill 220 also directed the Office of Management and Budget to work with state agencies to develop a standardized methodology to collect and store energy consumption and expense data. The state has benchmarked over 1,700 public facilities (as of June 2013). Data is compiled in the Alaska Retrofit Information System (ARIS) database. A voluntary effort is underway to benchmark publicly owned buildings not owned by the state of Alaska.

Last Reviewed: November 2024

The Sustainable Energy-Efficient Buildings Program, enacted in 2009 with the passage of HB 1663, directed the Arkansas Energy Office to develop a plan for reducing energy use in all existing state owned major facilities by 20 percent from 2008 levels by 2014 and 30 percent by 2017. Major facilities are defined as construction projects larger than 20,000 gross square feet of occupied or conditioned space. For new construction, the criteria specify that public buildings must be certified to be at least 10% more efficient than ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007, as it existed on January 1, 2009. The law directed the Arkansas Energy Office to develop a program to manage energy, water, and other public agency utility uses to reduce total energy consumption as long as the savings can be justified by a life cycle cost analysis. The Arkansas Energy Office must update this program annually. HB 1663 also directed the Arkansas Energy Office to complete an energy audit of every public agency within five years.

In May 2009, Governor Mike Beebe issued Executive Order 09-07, directing all executive-branch agencies to submit strategic energy plans describing energy-savings measures that can be implemented by the agencies. The plans should include provisions for collecting and monitoring energy use data. Other state agencies are encouraged to develop strategic energy plans as well.

Arkansas Act 1494 of 2009 requires all state agencies paying utility bills required to submit usage reports through Energy Star Portfolio Manager. Other agencies and institutions of higher learning encouraged to do so on a voluntary basis. The state currently benchmarks over 25 million square feet of public building space. The Arkansas Energy Office (AEO) is currently working with the US Green Building Council (USGBC) to collect and compile individual building reports.

Last Reviewed: September 2020

Executive Order D 005-05, signed in July 2005, requires all state government agencies and departments to adopt the LEED rating system for existing and new buildings to ensure reductions in energy use to the extent practical and cost effective. The executive order also requires an energy management program within state agencies to monitor and manage utility use and costs. Executive Order D2010-006 expanded this requirement, calling for all state buildings to track energy use, with the exception of higher-educational buildings due to their unique relationship with the state. Under this directive, agencies must provide details from tracking energy and water consumption to paper usage and reduction. K-12 schools are now subject to very high efficiency standards after the passage of SB 13-279 in 2013. The goal of this school efficiency bill is to create resource-efficient schools, which use 33% less energy and 32% less water that their conventional counterparts.

Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER) supports the tracking of energy use in public buildings through its Active Energy Management Program. The program has helped schools and public buildings save 10-30% of their energy use without retrofits. CLEER has assisted over 80 public buildings in western Colorado to track and manage their energy use.

The State of Colorado is in the process of setting one and five year goals in numerous areas including energy and water efficiency, petroleum reduction, environmentally preferable purchasing, and greenhouse gas emission reduction. The State is also developing directives for agencies and departments that ensure successful achievement of the goals. These include the requirement that all agencies prepare annual energy and water management plans and that energy performance contracting feasibility studies be performed for all state-owned buildings.

Colorado's High Performance Certification Program (HPCP) requires that buildings funded with state moneys or with moneys guaranteed or insured by the state where such moneys constitute at least 25 percent of the project cost achieve the highest performance certification attainable as certified by an independent third party pursuant to the high performance standard certification program. Colorado's Office of State Architect has approved the use of three different programs under this policy: U.S. Green Building Council, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design New Construction (USGBC LEED-NC) guideline with "Gold" as the targeted certification level; the Green Building Initiative (GBI), Green Globes guideline with "Three Globes" as the targeted certification level; and for the Colorado Department of Education, K-12 construction, the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (US-CHPS) is an optional guideline with "Verified Leader" as the targeted certification level.

While State buildings are exempt from local ordinances, the State of Colorado buildings are voluntarily participating in Denver's recently passed ordinance on benchmarking and transparency. Starting in June 2018, all State buildings over 50,000 square feet in the City and County of Denver will voluntarily benchmark utility data using Portfolio Manager and make this information available to the public. In June 2018, the State will do the same for buildings over 25,000 square feet.

Executive Order D 2019 016, signed December 2019, amends and replaces Executive Order D 2018 026 concerning the Greening of State Government. This EO builds on the State's prior greening govenrment efforts, and establishes new goals and directives that will save taxpayers money and reduce the impact of State operations on the environment and public health, including:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10% below 2014-15 levels by the end of fiscal year 2022-2023.
• Reduce energy consumption per square foot by at least 15% by the end of fiscal year 2022-23.
• Increase the percentage of renewable electricity by 5% by the end of 2022-23. That would come from state-owned renewable energy systems; renewable energy purchased through a power purchase agreement, or through a solar garden subscription; utility renewable energy purchase programs; and/or leased rooftop solar or other renewable energy installation.

Executive Order D2022 016 amends and replaces Executive Order D 2019 016 to establish new goals to reflect the State's continued commitment to efficient and sustainable government operations and to meet and surpass the State's goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving indoor air quality and reducing local pollution across Colorado. The new goals include:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from State operations by at least 26% by the end of FY2024-25 over the FY 2014-15 baseline.
• Reduce energy use per square foot in State facilities by at least 15% by the end of FY 2024-25 over the FY 2014-15 baseline.
• Ensure that at least 7% of total electricity consumed by State facilities is renewable by the end of FY2024-25.
• Reduce potable water consumption by at least 2% by the end of FY 2024-25 over the FY 2014-15 baseline.

Last Reviewed: November 2024

In February 2010, Governor Markell issued Executive Order 18, which set a variety of energy conservation goals and requirements intended to make the state a leader by example in clean energy and sustainability.

Under Executive Order No. 18 (EO 18), executive branch State agencies and departments in State-owned or State-leased buildings were directed to achieve an overall collective reduction of 30%, subject to funding opportunities and constraints, by the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 when compared to FY 2008. The order further prescribed a series of energy conservation practices for state employees to follow, such as turning off lights when they are not in use, eliminating the use of portable appliances, following green computing practices, and maintaining appropriate thermostat settings. The order also directed new construction and major renovation projects to be designed to meet or exceed the USGBC LEED Silver rating standards, and certification must be pursued for such projects if it can be accomplished at a reasonable cost. EO 18 also directs executive agencies and departments to procure at least 30% of their electricity load from clean, renewable sources.

As an extension of the State's efforts to track energy use in public buildings, Delaware joined the Better Buildings Challenge (BBC) in 2012. The BBC is a voluntary program administered by the U.S. Department of Energy, setting long range energy reduction goals for building portfolios and requiring partners to track and report detailed energy use annually. The BBC also requires partners to submit at least one showcase project to demonstrate best practices in energy efficiency and energy conservation, as well as develop and follow an implementation model that serves as a playbook to achieve energy use goals, identify barriers, and implement replicable solutions. The State currently tracks executive branch State buildings over 1,500 square feet using EPA's Portfolio Manager tracking database, or over 8 million square feet of state owned public building space. This achievement marked the State's successful completion of all BBC requirements, and as a result, Delaware was recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy as a BBC goal achiever. The State continues to participate in the BBC, and is being recognized for energy reporting for the 7th year in a row. To date, Delaware has exceeded its energy goal to reduce energy intensity by 20 percent relative to baseline levels and reported a cumulative energy usage reduction of 28 percent.

Last Reviewed: August 2022

The 2006 Florida Energy Plan calls for all new state government buildings to meet LEED standards and for a reduction of energy consumption in state facilities by 25% from 2002 levels by 2007. It is unclear if a post-2007 energy savings target is in place for new and existing state buildings. Green building requirements have been expanded several times since then. Executive Order 07-126 directs the Florida Department of Management Services to set Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building standards for the state's new and existing state-owned buildings. In 2008, Florida Governor Charlie Crist approved House Bill 7135, which requires newly constructed or renovated buildings financed by the state to be designed and built to meet a nationally recognized sustainable building rating or national model green building code. Eligible rating systems include those established by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, the International Green Construction Code (IGCC), the Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes rating system, the Florida Green Building Coalition standards, or a nationally recognized, high-performance green building rating system as approved by the department. State agencies also must lease ENERGY STAR-rated buildings and employ energy saving performance contracts to upgrade existing facilities.

In 2008, the Florida Legislature passed the Florida Energy Conservation and Sustainable Buildings Act, directing state agencies to incorporate sustainable building practices into the design, construction, and renovation of state buildings. Through this act, the Florida Department of Management Services (FDMS) developed the Florida Life-Cycle Cost Analysis Program (Chapter 60D-4, Florida Administrative Code), which pertains to the evaluation of life-cycle energy performance for alternative building designs. Additionally, FDMS developed the State Energy Management Plan (SEMP), which is a comprehensive plan to help state agencies reduce energy consumption and costs. The SEMP includes the following: data-gathering requirements, building energy audit procedures, uniform data analysis procedures, employee education program measures, energy consumption reduction techniques, training for agency energy management coordinators, guidelines for building managers, and measures to reduce energy consumption in the area of transportation.

§ 255.257 F.S., requires each state agency to collect data on energy consumption and cost for all state-owned facilities and metered state-leased facilities. Additionally, § 255.257 F.S., requires each state agency use a sustainable building rating system or a national model green building code for each new building and renovation to an existing building. 

Last Updated: November 2024

Hawaii Revised Statutes 196-9 requires newly constructed or substantially renovated state-owned facilities to be built to LEED Silver standards, but it is unclear if the policy specifically emphasizes energy efficiency points. Administrative Directive 06-01 (January 2006) states that newly constructed and renovated state buildings must adhere to LEED standards.

Hawaii Revised Statutes 196-30 addresses energy efficiency requirements for existing public buildings. By the end of 2010, state agencies were ordered to evaluate the energy efficiency of all existing public buildings that are larger than 5,000 square feet or use more than 8,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity or energy annually. Opportunities for increased energy efficiency must be identified by setting benchmarks for these buildings using Energy Star Portfolio Management or another similar tool. Buildings must be retro-commissioned every five years.

Hawaii completed a successful public benchmarking project with the support of DOE’s State Energy Program. Between 2014 and 2016, the state benchmarked 416 public facilities, including more than 2,600 buildings (some facilities like universities encompass multiple buildings) covering more than 29 million square feet. The benchmarking project found potential for all state agencies to save more than 56 million kilowatt hours annually—the equivalent to saving more than $25 million using current electricity rates.

Act 239, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022, requires and establishes deadlines for state facilities, except facilities under 10,000 sf, to implement cost‐effective energy efficiency measures. The Act also directs the Hawaii State Energy Office to collect utility bill and energy usage data for state‐owned buildings and to make the data publicly available. And beginning 7/1/2023, where feasible and cost‐effective, requires the design of all new state building construction to maximize energy and water efficiency, maximize energy generation potential, and use building materials that reduce the carbon footprint of the project.  

Last Reviewed November 2024

In 2007 the Illinois legislature enacted Public Act 095-0559, which specifically addresses energy efficiency in state government. The law directs all executive branch state agencies to set a goal of reducing energy use by 10% within 10 years. Targets were expanded in April 2009, when Governor Quinn signed Executive Order 7 to better coordinate energy savings activities in State government. Executive Order No. 7 sets a goal of a 20% energy reduction by 2020 for state facilities.

Specifically, EO 7 directed the Department of Central Management Services to implement a program to increase energy efficiency, track and reduce energy usage, and improve energy procurement for all State-owned and State-leased facilities. To facilitate these actions, the executive order creates an "Energy Efficiency Committee" consisting of several agency heads from various departments (Dept. of Central Management Services, Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and Capital Development Board). The committee oversees state building energy audits, the implementation of subsequent recommendations, and the procurement of equipment/services designed to decrease energy consumption at State-owned and State-leased facilities. 

Public Act 96-0896 required the state to conduct a pilot study to benchmark and label selected state buildings for energy efficiency.  Eleven individual buildings and six campuses representing a range of building types were included in the study, which was completed February 2013. The State intends to benchmark all significant Executive Agency buildings, although it would be a small percentage of all public buildings. Flagship buildings (James R. Thompson Center, Michael A. Bilandic Building) and some template buildings (e.g. ISP district offices) have done benchmarking thus far. 

Illinois' Green Buildings Act (20 ILCS 3130) requires that all new state-funded construction or major renovation of buildings are to seek LEED, Green Globes, or similar green building certification. New buildings and renovation less than 10,000 square feet must follow the guidelines for the highest level of LEED (or equivalent standard) that is practical, though they do not have to actually seek certification. Buildings or renovations larger than 10,000 square feet must be LEED Silver (or two Green Globes) certified and must receive all of the LEED credits that have been deemed mandatory by the Capital Development Board. LEED Silver is required when the project is valued at 40% the replacement cost of the state government building.

Last Reviewed: September 2020

All public buildings are required to comply with the 2012 IECC code.

Iowa Code requires an LCCA review of the energy equipment installed in a public building in the following cases: The Code of Iowa requires “… a public agency responsible for the construction or renovation of a facility shall… include as a design criterion the requirement that a life cycle cost analysis be conducted for the facility.” The LCCA requirements promote energy efficiency in public buildings by accounting for reduced operational costs for energy efficient systems. The guidelines for the analytical procedures that comprise the review were updated in 2018.

Last Reviewed: November 2024

House Bill 2, signed by Governor Beshear in 2008 requires that all construction or renovation of public buildings for which 50% or more of the total capital cost is paid by the state must be renovated or designed to meet high-performance building standards. All building leases entered into by the Commonwealth or any of its agencies on and after July 1, 2018 shall also meet the new standards.

House Bill 299 (2006) requires a life-cycle cost comparison of at least two types of energy-efficient HVAC equipment, including geothermal equipment when feasible, for every bid for new construction or for existing facility upgrade.

The High Performance Buildings Advisory Committee assisted the Finance and Administration Cabinet in establishing the regulations that set out the standards and benchmarks by which to evaluate buildings. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is required for new buildings. The level of LEED certification depends on the project budge, and, in general, the higher the budget and bigger project, the higher level LEED certification required. The regulations also provide for exemptions from the requirements if compliance is shown to cause the agency an "extraordinary undue burden."

The Kentucky Finance and Administration Cabinet received $3.65 million over a two-year period to develop and pilot a software program to benchmark, track, control, and diagnose energy use in state government buildings. The software, CEMCS or Commonwealth Energy Management and Control System, won a 2012 national innovation award from the National Association of State Facilities Administrators. This facility presently accounts for 324 (and increase of 95% over last year) buildings and 10.8 million square feet and 23,663 occupants of state buildings, and is budgeted to add more buildings in the current biennium.  Because of the positive budgetary impacts, it was one of few programs in state government granted a budget increase in the current biennium so that more buildings could be added to CEMCS. Current state policy is to publicly disclose building performance for all buildings in the CEMCS as they are added to the system, and as the budget allows over time.

Currently, 0% of buildings are benchmarked in Portfolio Manager. However, 801 buildings, representing over 16 million square feet (circa 5/13/19 at http://kyenergydashboard.ky.gov/), of facilities are tracked, benchmarked, and managed/controlled through the state Commonwealth Energy Management and Control System (CEMCS), with more added each year.

Last Reviewed: September 2020

Maine requires that construction or renovation of state buildings must incorporate green building standards that would achieve "significant" energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, provided that the costs of doing so are cost-effective over the life of the building. 

Maine Statutes Title 5, Section 1764-A also requires all planning and design for the construction of new or substantially renovated buildings owned or leased by the state include: (1) the consideration of energy efficiency, (2) an energy-use target that exceeds standards for commercial and institutional buildings by at least 20%, and (3) a life-cycle cost analysis over a minimum of 30 years that explicitly addresses the costs and benefits of efficiency improvements. 

Pursuant to a Legislative Resolve (Resolve 2009, Chapter 372), the State of Maine was charged with creating a task force to Advance Energy Efficiency, Conservation and Independence at State Facilities. The final report was issued in January 2010. The report concluded that energy efficiency, conservation and independence at the executive branch facilities of State Government should be improved by a number of means: continuing to attack and reduce consumption; conducting important and too-easily overlooked energy audits; diversifying the energy sources used at these facilities; reducing reliance on imported heating oil; and increasing the use of alternative and cost-effective renewable energy sources when possible.

In November 2019, Governor Mills signed Executive Order #13: An Order for State Agencies to Lead by Example Through Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Sustainability Measures. It called for the creation of a Sustainbility Leadership Committee to develop a baseline of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from state operations by February 1, 2021. Every two years thereafter, the state shall report annual energy use, sources, greenhouse gas emissions, and progress on the plan to the Governor, the Legislature, and post the report for the public.

The state's first Lead By Example report was published earlier last year, in accordance with EO-13. It outlines strategies to curb state agencies’ greenhouse gas emissions, transition state electricity use to 100 percent clean power by 2024, and purchase 100 percent electric vehicles for the state fleet by 2030. As part of the Lead by Example effort, EMT is coordinating with the Bureau of General Services and State facilities managers to create an initiative to promote the increased installation and use of clean, cost-effective energy measures at State properties. Per a December 29, 2020, Memorandum of Understanding between the Trust and the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Maine, the Trust received approximately $3.7 million in Volkswagen settlement funds to develop projects through this initiative.

The Maine Lead By Example Team (i.e., EMT, GOPIF, GEO, BGS, etc.) has been working with external entities to create a comprehensive database and baseline of all state owned and leased buildings. This will serve multiple purposes, including (1) enrolling the buildings in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, (2) creating a triaged list of future projects for beneficial electrification and decarbonization, and more. To this effort, the State of Maine has enrolled in the Better Climate Challenge in addition to several other federal initiatives that support this work. The second Lead By Example report was released in early 2024 and was accompanied by Executive Order 5 (See 5d). The report includes detailed information on emissions, energy use, energy efficiency, clean transportation, onsite renewables, and more.

Last Reviewed: November 2024

Massachusetts has several high-performance building requirements to help increase the energy efficiency of state government facilities and reduce and eliminate the use of fossil fuels for building thermal demand.  

Building on the success of a preceding order, Leading by Example Executive Order 594 (EO 594), signed in April 2021, sets goals and requirements to continue improving energy performance, help to demonstrate new technologies and strategies necessary to meet the Commonwealth’s energy goals, and quicken the shift to electric heating in state buildings. The result has been a significant shift toward a holistic approach to both new construction and existing buildings that prioritizes efficiency, fuel decarbonization, and expansion of on-site renewables.  

EO 594 set targets to reduce the Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) from on-site fossil fuels used at state facilities by 20% by fiscal year 2025, 35% by 2030, 60% by 2040 and 95% by 2050, from a fiscal year 2004 baseline. To achieve these targets, EO 594 established a series of specific requirements that include:   

• A reduction in energy use intensity (energy consumption per square foot) of state buildings by 20% in fiscal year 2025 and 25% in 2030 (based on a fiscal year 2004 baseline) 
• A reduction in fuel oil consumption at state facilities by 90% by fiscal year 2025 and 95% by 2030 from a 2004 baseline 
• A prioritization of fossil fuel free heating solutions as part of energy projects or building retrofits, wherever possible  
• Requirement to deploy all electric heating systems for all new construction projects  

To facilitate the transition to decarbonized fuels, the Commonwealth has supported the development of “decarbonization roadmaps” at more than 20 facilities in order to research, analyze, and detail the long-term technical and timing strategies toward fully electrified buildings and campuses. At varying degrees of completion, some of these roadmaps were funded by DOER, some by agencies themselves, and many by the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) (see below).  

The result of these ongoing efforts is more than 2 million square feet of larger state facilities conditioned primarily through heat pumps (primarily through more than 700 ground source wells completed or in construction) with several dozen smaller facilities installing mostly air source heat pumps to replace oil and natural gas boilers and furnaces. Efforts to expand and accelerate these programs continue, with a new DOER grant program for existing building decarbonization available now and a future DOER grant program to support larger decarbonization projects under development.  

In early 2023, the Healy-Driscoll administration demonstrated their commitment to emissions reductions by creating the position of Climate Chief, a new cabinet-level position responsible for driving climate policy across every agency and ensuring that climate change is considered in all relevant decision-making. This first in the nation cabinet level climate position has established a climate cabinet that meets regularly to ensure that policies and programs implemented by each agency are aligned with statewide climate policies, directed all state agencies to utilize a newly developed capital planning tool that documents climate impacts of different funding decisions, and a tool to infuse climate considerations into the grantmaking and review processes.  

Since 2013, the DCAMM has overseen the completion of 103 energy projects in almost 39 million square feet of state buildings, almost half the state building portfolio.  These completed projects represent an investment of $349 million, saving the Commonwealth approximately $24million and 926,000 MMBtu annually. The 103 energy projects consisted of 51 large Comprehensive Design-Build or Existing Building Commissioning projects and 52 bundles of small energy projects, completed at 399 sites. Collectively, these projects reduce GHG emissions by about 79,000 metric tons annually.   Efficiency measures include LED lighting retrofits and lighting controls, insulation and weatherization, window replacements, conversions to heat pumps, boiler replacements, heating, ventilation and air conditioning and mechanical upgrades, and more.  Many of these projects include the installation of EV chargers and renewable heating and cooling technologies, including biomass, air and ground source heat pumps, and solar thermal.  DCAMM is focused on fossil fuel free approaches to heating and cooling in all new or substantially renovated facilities.  These projects are using geo-exchange systems, air to water heat pumps, air to air heat pumps, and heat pump domestic hot water heating.  Additionally, DCAMM is setting EUI targets and tracking EUI for all major projects.   

At the center of the Commonwealth’s data-driven approach to reducing carbon emissions, is the award-winning Energy Intelligence program.  The innovative Commonwealth Energy Intelligence (CEI) program, managed by DCAMM, is at the core of the Commonwealth’s decarbonization and consumption reduction planning.  This energy and water information tracking system provides the Commonwealth with unparalleled access to real-time building information and utility bills in an easily accessible platform, formulating the basis for accurate consumption reduction projections and meaningful projects. The Commonwealth and its vendor Veolia (SourceOne), continue to expand the program, adding water metering as well as more buildings to the portfolio.  The expanding system provides facilities and agencies with a better understanding of whole building consumption and operations; allowing benchmarking, EUI tracking, COVID operation trend tracking, equipment right-sizing, and identification of future projects to meet the Commonwealth’s emissions reduction goals.  The Commonwealth is committed to continuing its investment in this beneficial program for the foreseeable future with a goal of including all buildings over 20,000 square feet. 

DOER’s Green Communities Division has also developed and implements MassEnergyInsight (MEI), a free, web-based tool that helps cities and towns make informed, targeted decisions about energy efficiency investments. MEI provides communities and state facilities with customized electricity, natural gas, and oil usage information to allow local officials to understand where their departments and buildings are wasting energy and act to reduce that waste. 

Municipalities will be able to use MEI for their building decarbonization efforts. MEI will include tools and reports to help communities plan for emissions reduction projects in their building portfolios. 

The Green Communities Division will launch the Climate Leader Communities program for municipalities in 2024. The Climate Leader Communities program will help municipalities reduce emissions by electrifying non-electric energy uses and maximizing the efficiency of buildings and transportation.  

Becoming certified as a Climate Leader Community provides access to grant funding to a municipality to support all or a portion of the cost of: studying, designing, constructing and implementing energy efficiency activities including, but not limited to, energy efficiency measures and projects;  procuring energy management services; adopting energy efficiency policies; and, siting activities related to and construction of renewable energy generating facilities on municipally owned property. 

DOER’s Leading by Example (LBE) program utilizes three databases for the benchmarking and tracking of state facilities. Firstly, the LBE database tracks 100% of the roughly 80 million square feet of state-owned facilities across the Commonwealth. Data are retrieved from a variety of sources, including statewide fuel contracts, utility accounts, and an annual energy tracking form distributed to campuses and agencies to facilitate self-reporting. MEI functions as the second database used for tracking and benchmarking of state facilities, providing monthly, site-level utility account data for over 80% of square footage at state facilities. The CEI system functions as the tertiary database, providing multi-commodity interval data for close to 400 buildings across dozens of state sites. 

Starting in 2023, to increase the transparency of these data, the LBE program launched a public Progress Dashboard on the LBE website to be updated annually which provides comprehensive analysis of the state portfolio data for a variety of metrics, including: progress to the Executive Order 594 targets, onsite fossil fuel emissions, fuel consumption, energy use intensity, EV adoption in the state fleet, EV charging deployment at state sites, LEED certified buildings, renewable energy installations at state facilities, sustainable landscaping, LBE grants awarded to support state entities, and equity and environmental justice impacts. 

Massachusetts is also a partner in the DOE’s Better Buildings Challenge (BBC), a voluntary program which sets long range energy reduction targets for a select portfolio of buildings, requires the state to track and report detailed energy use at its facilities annually, and develop and document one or more showcase projects that demonstrate best practices and far-reaching energy strategies.  As of FY22, the participating LBE facilities have reduced overall source EUI by 23%, achieving the BBC goal of a 20% EUI reduction by 2022 from a 2009 baseline. 

Last Reviewed: November 2024

Executive Order 05-16 (2005) required state-owned buildings to reduce energy usage by 10% in 2006 and mandated the use of specific energy conservation measures to help the state meet its target. It also required the incorporation of Minnesota Sustainable Guidelines for new construction and the adoption of "prudent energy" procurement strategies.

In May 2008, Minnesota adopted "Sustainable Building 2030" standards designed to achieve energy consumption reductions of 60% in 2010 (2003 baseline), increasing 10% every five years towards an ultimate target of net zero buildings by 2030. Beginning on July 1, 2010, all Minnesota State bonded projects — new and substantially renovated — that had not already started the Schematic Design Phase on August 1, 2009, were required to meet the Minnesota SB 2030 energy standards.

On April 4, 2019, Governor Walz signed Executive Order 19-27, rescinding Executive Orders 18-01 and 17-12. In state-owned buildings, agencies must adopt cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies to achieve no less than an aggregate 30% reduction in energy use per square foot by 2027 from a 2017 adjusted baseline, and by pursuing renewable energy strategies that ensure state agencies collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2025 from a 2005 calculated baseline.

Currently, the MN B3 Benchmarking program contains over 10,900 public buildings with over 370 million square feet in its database representing 31 State agencies, 682 cities, 69 counties, 58 higher education campuses, and 279 school districts. The B3 Benchmarking system has identified over $66 million in potential energy savings in over 1,400 identified MN public buildings.

Last Reviewed: November 2024

In 1993, Missouri enacted legislation requiring life-cycle cost analysis for all new construction of state buildings and substantial renovations of existing state buildings when major energy systems are involved. Substantial renovations involve projects that either affect at least 50 percent of the building's square footage or cost at least 50 percent of its market value.

Signed in 2008, Senate Bill 1181 required that by July 1, 2009, all design for state buildings over 5,000 square feet involving new construction or substantial renovation and any building over 5,000 square feet considered for purchase or lease by a state agency will comply with the minimum energy efficiency standard. The act also set the minimum energy efficiency standard so that it is at least as stringent as the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (2006 IECC) or the latest version of the code rather than the current standard of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.

Governor Nixon signed Executive Order 09-18 in 2009, which mandated that all state agencies whose building management falls under the direction of the Office of Administration (OA) adopt policies designed to reduce energy consumption by 2 percent each year for the following 10 years. Additionally, the order required that all new construction projects by agencies whose buildings are managed by OA must be at least as stringent as the most recent International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). In response to the order, OA and the Division of Facilities Management, Design and Construction (FMDC) developed and adopted a State Building Energy Efficiency Design Standard (BEEDS), which the state is in the process of updating.

As of July 1, 2018, state-owned commercial buildings must comply with the 2018 IECC, pursuant to Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo) Section 8.812 requirement: "Such standard shall be at least as stringent as the 2006 IECC or the latest version thereof."

A State Energy Program competitive grant entitled “Reinvigorating Missouri’s State Facilities Energy Conservation Program,” which was completed between 2012 and 2016, focused on supporting the goals of EO 09-18. The scope of the grant included employee outreach, benchmarking, energy auditing, combined heat and power feasibility study, district energy thermal energy metering study, review of energy savings performance contracting status, and energy-focused training for facilities management staff members. OA-FMDC utilized the Missouri State Energy Portal and Utility Dashboard to benchmark energy consumption across OA’s building stock using the 2008 calendar year as the baseline year. The portal tracks energy reduction and cost savings on a monthly basis. Sixty-five Missouri state government facilities with a cumulative square footage of approximately 11 million square feet were benchmarked in Portfolio Manager by the Missouri Division of Energy in partnership with OA-FMDC, which represents approximately 50 percent of square footage managed by OA and the Department of Corrections.

All Missouri Housing Development Commission (MHDC) financed low-income housing developments, receiving federal or state low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC), an MHDC loan or grant, must comply with the construction code used by the local government where the development is located or in the absence of such codes, the IBC 2012, and/or the IRC 2012. If new construction, sustainable building techniques and materials must meet current standards of a green building rating system.

Last Reviewed: June 2022

All new construction paid for with state funds (and remodeling projects that cost more than 50 percent of the replacement cost of the building), must comply with the Nebraska Energy Code, the 2018 IECC. Staff members from the Energy Office review the plans for compliance, or the designer/contractor may also follow the regulations established by the Nebraska Board of Architects and Engineers certification, which replaces actual plan submission. Regardless, the project is still reviewed for code compliance.

The state’s Administrative Services’ Building Division now benchmarks all existing state facilities using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. The Dept. of Administrative Services has been collecting utility data from the state agencies in a database since calendar year 2014. However, the database does not reflect any requirement, voluntary measures for the benchmarking of energy use in public buildings. The State University System has been tracking the energy use in its buildings on several of its campuses.

Last Reviewed: July 2020

In 2010, SB73 mandated that all agencies enter energy, water, and sewer data into a statewide tracking database in order to assess progress and properly benchmark success. The bill also requires each department to submit data and recommendations regarding its compliance with this reduction goal. Based on these agency reports, the State Energy Manager develops an Annual Energy Conservation Plan that includes a list of potential energy management projects that will enable towards achieving towards this energy reduction goal. This Conservation Plan complements the Annual Energy Report in which the State Energy Manager documents progress towards achieving the State's energy targets in state buildings and the state fleet.

New Hampshire law (RSA 155-A:13) requires that any state owned building that is newly constructed, reconstructed, altered or renovated such that it constitutes a major project, must meet a high performance design standard. The incremental costs related to any energy efficiency and sustainable design features may be recouped over a 10-year period.

On May 6, 2016, Executive Order 2016-03 (superseding EO 2011-01) was signed, setting new, aggressive goals for state government on energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy. This Executive Order recognizes the significant energy efficiency efforts and results thus far have already reduced fossil fuel energy use by 21% per square foot in State Buildings and sets new savings targets for State Vehicle Fleet and State Building energy use. Further, it sets updated goals of reducing fossil fuel use at state-owned facilities by 30 percent by 2020, 40 percent by 2025 and 50 percent by 2030, compared to a 2005 baseline; reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the state passenger vehicle fleet by 30 percent on a metric-ton basis by 2030, as compared to a 2010 baseline; enhancing construction and renovation standards; and increasing management and tracking of energy consumption.

Last Reviewed: November 2024

New Mexico first set energy standards for public buildings in 2006. Executive Order 2006-001 called for adoption of LEED-Silver standards in new public buildings in excess of 15,000 square feet and/or using over 50kW peak electrical demand, and that such buildings achieve a minimum delivered energy performance standard of 50% of the average consumption for that building type. New construction and renovation of existing buildings between 5,000 and 15,000 square feet must achieve a minimum delivered energy performance standard of 50% of the average consumption for that building type. Renovations of existing buildings in excess of 15,000 square feet and/or using over 50 kW peak electric demand must meet LEED-Silver standards and achieve a minimum delivered energy performance standard of 50% of the U.S. energy consumption for that building type. Under Executive Order 2006-01 and Senate Bill 200 (below), the state reviews over $186 million of renovation projects in all institutions of higher learning that must meet these criteria.

New Mexico continues to implement Executive Order 2007-053, which launched a statewide energy efficiency initiative that calls for state agencies to reduce energy usage by 20% below 2005 levels by 2015. The 2012 DOE SEP competitive award has a goal to realize 20% energy savings by the year 2020 in the General Services Department building inventory through the WISE (Whole-building Investments for Sustainable Efficiency) program.

SB 200 of 2010 established a wider building requirement for certain building projects throughout the state that receive state funding. New buildings and building additions of 3,000 square feet or more, and buildings undergoing certain system renovations must be designed and constructed to attain Energy Star certification. These buildings must meet an Energy Star rating of 75 or better. The Energy Conservation and Management Division (EMCD) encourages public entities to conduct energy audits then provides technical assistance to enable these entities to implement and fund identified measures. In addition, ECMD state tracks energy use in public buildings using Portfolio Manager. This data will be used to develop and inform a sustainable whole building energy retrofit program for public facilities. To date, the state has benchmarked approximately 20% of public buildings.

The state of New Mexico and the staff of the Energy Conservation and Management Division (ECMD) and State Energy Office (SEO) are committed in meeting the EPACT Goal of improving energy efficiency by 25%, the Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI) and the 20in20 initiative. Many steps have been taken to promote energy efficiency in New Mexico, including the implementation of many clean energy Executive Orders. The State Energy Office will also be reviewing and evaluating New Mexico's energy usage data to measure compliance with these goals. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued executive order 2019-03 in January of 2019 requiring state agencies to develop a NM Climate Strategy to reduce greenhouse gas pollution and adoption of new building codes.

Last Reviewed: June 2022

Senate Bill 668 and Senate Bill 1946 require state-owned buildings to be designed, constructed and certified to exceed the energy efficiency requirements of ASHRAE 90.1-2004 by 30% for new buildings, and 20% for major renovations. The energy consumption per gross square foot for all state buildings in total must also be reduced by 20% by 2010, and 30% by 2015 based on consumption during the 2003-2004 fiscal year. The North Carolina State Energy Office collects annual consumption and cost data per statute below for state agencies, UNC and community colleges.

The Utility Savings Initiative (USI) is the state’s overarching program for public building energy efficiency. § 143 64.12 requires the State agencies and State institutions of higher learning to develop a management plan that is consistent with the State’s comprehensive program to manage energy, water, and other utility use. Each state agency and state institution of higher learning shall update its management plan annually and include strategies for supporting the energy consumption reduction requirements under this subsection. Each community college shall submit to the State Energy Office an annual written report of utility consumption and costs. In 2017, the North Carolina General Assembly scaled back funding for the USI as well as other Department of Environmental Quality programs.

North Carolina participates in the US Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge. The entire existing building stock, which included all agency and UNC buildings, was committed to the challenge, which sets a goal of reducing energy consumption by 20% by 2020 from a 2008-09 baseline.

In October 2018, Governor Cooper signed Executive Order 80, requiring all state agencies to reduce BTUs/Sqft by 40% by 2025. It also requires state agencies to designate an energy manager, a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from a 2005 level by 2025, and purchase of 80,000 electric vehicles by 2025. As part of EO 80, a North Carolina Clean Energy Plan has been developed. It recommends actions to be taken by various public/private entities over then next 1-5 years in the areas of carbon reduction policies, energy efficiency, beneficial electrification, utility regualtory incentives, grid modernization and resilience, and clean transportation.

Last Reviewed: July 2020

Executive Order 2007 - 02S (2007) directed each state agency, board, and commission to conduct a statewide energy audit of its respective facilities, both owned and leased, and to achieve an overall reduction of 5% in building energy use for its facilities within a year and 15% by the end of four fiscal years. The order required the use of EPA's Portfolio Manager as a benchmarking tool for state-owned facilities. 

H.B. 251, also enacted in 2007, requires an energy consumption analysis for state leases of buildings over 20,000 square feet. The bill also calls for institutions of higher education to reduce energy consumption by at least 20 percent by 2014 from a 2004 baseline.

Last Reviewed: June 2022

The mandated State Energy Efficiency Design Program (SEED) requires that all state facilities constructed on or after June 30, 2001, exceed the energy conservation provisions of the Oregon State Building Code by at least 20 percent. New state construction and major renovations undergo a comprehensive energy analysis and review process, administered by the Oregon Department of Energy, to evaluate performance compared to this target.

A 2017 Executive Order implemented new requirements for carbon neutral operation for new state buildings, statewide plug load strategy, energy efficiency equipment procurement requirement, and life cycle cost analysis. All existing state-owned buildings must undergo retrofits and remodels to meet high performance energy use targets based on ASHRAE Standard 100. In addition, state-owned buildings permitted after January 1, 2022, and used primarily as office or other commercial work space must operate as carbon-neutral buildings following ASHRAE standard 189.1. DAS and ODOE developed and implemented a statewide plug-load management strategy to encourage occupant behavior changes to reduce energy uses not regulated by codes and standards. Oregon’s Department of Administrative Services and Department of Energy developed agency procurement guidelines incorporating equipment energy and water use requirements to drive purchase of the most efficient equipment. ODOE developed a life cycle analysis tool to analyze state building costs, including lifecycle energy and water use costs or savings, when considering energy and water measure upgrades for state buildings.

Progress and specifics on EO requirements can be found here. These include:

• High Performance Energy Targets for Existing State Buildings: State agencies are working toward that goal now via benchmarking and comparison to targets in ASHRAE Standard 100 or custom building targets, where no external benchmark targets are available. State-owned facilities over 5,000 square feet and greater than 10 kBtu/ft2/yr are required to report into Portfolio Manager.
• Carbon Neutral Operations for New State Buildings: New state-owned buildings permitted after January 1, 2022, and used primarily for office and other commercial workspace are required to be designed to be able to operate as carbon-neutral buildings that are inclusive of onsite and offsite renewable energy.
• Statewide Plug Load Strategy: strategy and policy.
• Energy Efficient Equipment for State Buildings
• Lifecycle Cost Analysis, Tools to Inform High Performance Energy Use Targets and Carbon Neutral Requirements

Many agencies are participating in Strategic Energy Management initiatives, with an emphasis on building-level data to effectively prioritize retrofits. 21 state agencies are currently using EPA's Energy Star Portfolio Manager to report energy use data. Oregon Administrative Rule 330-130-0080 requires state agencies to report their energy use to the Oregon Department of Energy. ODOE uses this data to benchmark facilities, identify potential energy efficiency investments, and create annual reports to agencies about their energy use in comparison to target performance. Oregon Department of Energy conducts outreach, training, and resources to local jurisdictions interested in commercial building benchmarking policies and ordinances. Based on ODOE's ongoing data gathering and Portfolio Manager reporting of state buildings, the state has benchmarked 312 buildings, or over 17.5 million square feet.

ODOE pulls reports from the Portfolio Manager database to prepare a biennial State Energy Efficient Design report to the State Legislature as required by ORS 276.915(9). SEED was originally established in 1991 as a result of Oregon State law, ORS 276.900-915. This law directs state agencies to work with the Oregon Department of Energy to ensure cost-effective energy conservation measures are included in new and renovated public buildings.

Oregon’s Green Energy Technology mandate requires all new construction or major renovations of public buildings invest 1.5 percent of project cost in green energy technologies such as energy efficiency or renewable energy systems.

ORS 276.900 requires state facilities that will be constructed or purchased by authorized state agencies be designed, constructed, renovated, and operated so as to minimize the use of nonrenewable energy resources and to serve as models of energy efficiency. University system policy requires that new construction in the higher education system meet at minimum LEED silver standards.

Schools in Portland General Electric and Pacific Power territory are eligible for the Public Purpose Charge Program (2002). As part of the Public Purpose Charge Program, school districts receive funds to conduct energy audits of their educational facilities and to implement those audits. These school districts report their energy usage data for their educational facilities into a secure online Schools Interactive Database. School districts hire energy audit firms to analyze potential energy conservation measures at their educational facilities. ODOE reviews the energy audit reports for consistency and accuracy to provide the school districts with their energy efficiency opportunities. ODOE facilitates the administration of the program and provides assistance to school districts to help them make informed energy efficiency investments.

Last Reviewed: August 2022

In December 2015, Governor Gina Raimondo signed Executive Order 15-17, establishing a Lead by Example program within the state's Office of Energy Resources (OER) to oversee and coordinate efforts at state agencies to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.  In May 2023, Governor Daniel McKee expanded the LBE program with Executive Order 23-06 to cover state government, municipalities, school districts, and public colleges and universities. The Lead by Example Initiative achieved its initial 10% reduction in energy consumption in state agencies by 2019, and EO 23-06 sets new targets in alignment with the 2021 Act on Climate legislation for the State to meet through its Lead by Example Program. These targets include significant reductions from a 2014 baseline in emissions from fossil fuel use in vehicles and buildings; 25% of light-suty State fleet vehicles will be zero-emission vehicles by 2030; increasing reductions in energy use intensity (EUI) from the same 2014 baseline through 2050; expansion of the State electric vehicle charging network to 200 stations by 2030; and procurement of 100% of State electricity supply from renewable sources. OER has also begun using web-based centralized utility billing for state agencies for both electricity and natural gas, which has streamlined payment, reporting, and tracking capabilities for the State.

The state has several other energy benchmarking efforts underway, requiring governmental borrowers from the Efficient Buildings Fund to track energy for at least five years. State and Municipal entities are encouraged to do energy benchmarking using Portfolio Manager. To support that work, RI Energy developed a tool for automation and integration of utility usage with Portfolio Manager has now been completed and is being promoted to customers as a convenient and efficient way to track and manage building energy usage. Additionally, Rhode Island State Government, as part of the Lead by Example initiative, is using EnergyCAP to automate billing and to track and share state energy usage data for all of its buildings.

In January 2013, the State of Rhode Island signed onto the Better Buildings Challenge, which committed the State to reducing energy consumption in state facilities by 20% by 2020 below 2010 levels. In partnership with the University of Rhode Island, RI Office of Energy Resources (OER) developed an energy data inventory that includes of electricity and natural gas consumption for 100% of state building square footage.

The state previously established the Rhode Island Public Energy Partnership (RIPEP), which was a 3-year (2012-2015), U.S. Department of Energy-funded collaborative effort to achieve deep energy savings in state and municipal facilities and build a sustained, effective infrastructure for ongoing savings. Led by the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources, RIPEP brought together the Office of Energy Resources, National Grid, URI Outreach Center, Narragansett Bay Commission, Energy Efficiency and Management Council, and other key public and private sector representatives. The project completed in 2015 and achieved the following results:

• Established energy data baseline inventories for all public facilities, including 546 municipal, 331 school and approximately 900 state facilities, for a total of about 1,777 facilities.
• Performed 39 energy audits covering over 1.8 million square feet.
• Implemented 123 energy efficiency projects for total energy savings of 28.6% or 4,748 MMBTU.
• Utilized over $5 million in rebates and on-bill repayment funds, including $2.5 million in RGGI funds, to support project implementation.
• Identified barriers to implementing energy efficiency in the public sector then addressed these barriers through master price agreements, expanded and enhancing financing and incentive options, and extensive technical assistance.

In addition to recent programs, the Green Buildings Act (November 9, 2010; updated June 2022) requires that all major facility projects of public agencies be designed and constructed to at least the LEED certified or an equivalent high performance green building standard. Under the Green Buildings Act, the Department of Administration is responsible for monitoring and documenting ongoing operating savings that result from this Act and annually publish a public report of findings and recommended changes in policy. Additionally, the Act required the Department of Administration to create a green buildings advisory committee composed of representatives from the design, construction, lumber and building materials industries involved in public works contracting, personnel from affected public agencies and school boards that oversee public works projects and others at the department's discretion to provide advice on implementing this section. The advisory committee makes recommendations regarding an education and training process and an ongoing evaluation or feedback process to help the department implement this section. The 2022 update to the stretch codes will be done in consultation with the Green Buildings Advisory Committee.

Last Reviewed: November 2024

New construction shall, in good faith, be designed with the intention of meeting or exceeding the high-performance green building standard that was in effect when the construction was registered with the rating system. Before construction begins, the Office of the State Engineer, architect, and building owner shall identify, in good faith, all components of the new construction. 

There is no specific energy efficiency requirement in the building standard. The state standard applies to all new state-funded construction projects costing more than $1,000,000 or occupying more than 10,000 square feet of space. 

The State of South Dakota Energy Conservation Loan Fund uses over $8 million dollars of funds to provide no-interest loans to State Government of South Dakota projects. The loan repayment is based on energy costs savings. 

South Dakota tracks and benchmarks building energy use with Energy Cap.

South Dakota no longer requires a specific level of LEED or Green Globes rating, although LEED Silver or a Green Globes -  2 Globe rating are still the goal.  The Office of the State Engineer reviews and approves projects to strive to meet these goals, without adding significant cost to chase ineffiecent points.  This only applies to state government buildings.

Last Reviewed: November 2024

The Texas Health and Safety Code §388.005(c) requires political subdivisions in 41 non-attainment or affected counties to establish a goal to reduce electric consumption by at least five percent each state fiscal year. In 2019, the 86th Legislature passed Senate Bill 241, extending the timeline for this requirement seven years beginning September 1, 2019. Each political subdivision must submit a report annually to SECO regarding the entity's progress and efforts to meet the five percent annual reduction goal.

In 2007, Governor Perry signed HB 3693—an omnibus energy efficiency bill, which established efficiency provisions applicable to school districts and to certain institutions of higher education and executive branch state agencies, requiring them to establish a goal of reducing their annual electricity consumption by 5% for six consecutive years beginning September 1, 2007. Executive Order RP 49 in 2005 was updated by SB 700 in 2013 and requires uniform reporting of self-determined energy saving goals by state agencies and institutions of higher education. In September 2014, the state began to use Energy Star Portfolio Manager as the tracking tool for SB 700 reporting. School Energy Reporting Education Code §44.902: Each ISD shall establish a long-range energy plan with the goal of reducing the district's annual electricity consumption by 5 percent beginning with 2008 state fiscal year. Plan must include strategies for energy savings and cost effectiveness. Energy Savings Performance Contracts and Pay For Success Programs are encouraged (Education Code §44.901 and §44.904) Plans may be voluntarily submitted to SECO, as SECO can help to identify funding or incentives, which may be available to the district.

As published in April 2016, the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) established ASHRAE 90.1-2013 as the standard for state-funded new construction or major renovation projects, except low-rise residential buildings, which must comply with the 2015 IECC. This code went into effect on June 1, 2016. As published in May 2020, SECO published a rule for comments to update the standard for state funded new construction or major innovation from 90.1-2013 to 90.1-2018. State Statute (19 TX Administrative Code 34.1.C) requires that before beginning construction of a new state building or a major renovation project, a state agency or an institution of higher education establishes that the project complies with minimum energy efficiency design requirements. The 81st Legislature also passed HB 1831 and HB 4409, both of which require critical government buildings to obtain a combined heat and power (CHP) feasibility study prior to construction or major renovation.

Per the Long-range Utility Services Plan: 34 Tex. Admin. Code Rule §19.16, each shall develop a comprehensive plan that outlines percentage goals for reducing electric, water, transportation fuel, and natural gas consumption. SECO aids in developing an EWMP. Reporting includes a record of monthly electric, water and natural gas consumption data in the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. Each shall prepare a long-range plan for the delivery of reliable, cost-effective utility services to the agency or institution, and shall update every 5 years and post plan on a public website.

As published in April 2016, the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) established ASHRAE 90.1-2013 as the standard for state-funded new construction or major renovation projects, except low-rise residential buildings, which must comply with the 2015 IECC. This code went into effect on June 1, 2016.

State agencies track energy data on EnergyStar Portfolio Manager.

Last Reviewed: July 2020

The 2021 State Agency Energy Plan, part of the Comprehensive 2022 State Energy Plan, establishes the following goals: 1) reducing total energy consumption by 40% by 2025, and by 50% by 2035; 2) meeting 35% of the remaining energy need from renewable sources by 2025, and 45% by 2035; and 3) achieving 40% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2030. The plan also encourages all Vermont State Agencies to track and benchmark state-owned and operated buildings' energy use using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager. To meet the SAEP's goals for reductions in total energy consumption, state agencies must improve electric and heating efficiency within state buildings (especially those that are state-owned, but also those that are leased), in addition to conserving more energy through changes in practices. In total, these gains in efficiency and conservation should reduce fuel usage by 15% by 2030, to support progress in meeting the state's overall energy use reduction goal. Funding is available for energy retrofits through the State Energy Management Program (SEMP). VT Buildings and General Services currently considers meeting the energy standards necessary to secure the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design certification, on all new construction projects.

BGS is statutorily required to utilize lifecycle cost analysis when considering the use of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and thermal energy conservation in any new building construction or major renovation project in excess of $250,000.

The State shall consider buildings with LEED Certification, Energy Star Certification or Efficiency Vermont’s High Performance Building designation when entering into a new lease space that is greater than 5,000 square feet and the total term of the lease is five or more years. The leasing agent must consider these criteria unless there is no space available that will meet these criteria and the program needs of the agency including, emergency relocation and geographical requirements. If the needs of the tenant require a space that does not meet these energy standards, the lease agreement will include an arrangement between the landlord and BGS to create an implementation plan for energy efficiency and energy conservation measures and consider renewable energy usage and generation to improve the overall efficiency of the building.

When entering into a new lease agreement or amending an existing lease agreement in which BGS will not be responsible for paying the utility bills, the lease agreement will reflect the landlord’s responsibility to make all energy usage data available to BGS for the term of the lease. BGS will reserve the right to sub-meter in multi-tenant spaces to obtain State only energy usage data if it is beneficial to the State.

Last Reviewed: June 2022

WA Statute RCW 39.35D.030 (January 2005) requires that all major facility projects of public agencies receiving any funding in a state capital budget – including state government projects, public schools, and Housing Trust-funded low-income housing – must be designed, constructed, and certified to at least the LEED Silver standard and must include building commissioning as a component of the design process. LEED has been adopted by state colleges and universities as well as state agencies. All public schools must meet a LEED equivalent standard approved by State the Superintendent of Public instruction.

Washington Senate Bill 5854, passed in 2009, set benchmarking requirements for public facilities as well, requiring utilities to maintain utility data and transfer the data to facility managers using EPA Portfolio Manager. To date, the state has benchmarked about 99% of state agencies representing over 45 million square feet. Of all state-owned and leased buildings, including universities and community colleges, the state has benchmarked about 74%. Washington State Supports local government benchmarking through a fund to the Smart Building Center. Local governments may take advantage of the technical and data management support available for implementing municipal or mandatory benchmarking and disclosure policies for the general population.

Washington State Executive Order 20-01 requires state agencies to lead by example and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The order also requires some state agencies to meet zero energy or zero energy capable standards for new construction. The EO requires investments in energy efficiency, and includes a zero energy building standard for new construction. To assure agency action, the EO established the State Efficiency and Environmental Performance (SEEP) Office and a Governing Council (Council) of executives from the states most energy intensive agencies. State agencies are also required to meet emissions limits established in RCW 70A.45.050 and to develop long-term strategies to meet these emissions limits.

Washington House Bill 1257, passed in 2019, requires the Washington State Department of Commerce to develop and implement an energy performance standard for existing buildings over 50,000 square feet and to provide incentives to encourage efficiency improvements. In 2022, these standards were extended to Tier 2 buildings over 20,000 SF. Reporting requirements for Tier 2 buildings will become effective in 2027, with an incentive program starting in 2025. The WA standard, based on ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 100-2018, includes energy use intensity targets by building type and methods of conditional compliance that include an energy management plan, operations and maintenance program, energy efficiency audits, and investment in energy efficiency measures designed to meet the targets. Publicly owned buildings are subject to the requirements of the law.

Last Reviewed: June 2022

Per Executive Order 63, signed in March 2012, all new state facilities are required to be designed to achieve a level of energy efficiency that meets or exceeds the commercial code requirement in effect on the date of the issuance of this Order by at least 10%, so long as such measures are cost-effective on a life-cycle basis. No further goals have been put into place since then.

While there is no explicit requirement for benchmarking or tracking of energy use in public buildings, agencies are required to submit energy plans that include estimated energy savings. To do so, many agencies choose to benchmark buildings.

The Division of Facilities Development published Sustainability Guidelines for Capital Projects. These guidelines are based on the American Institute of Architect’s (AIA) Framework for Design Excellence and adapted for use on DFD projects to align with Governor Evers' Executive Order #38 to “Develop energy efficiency, sustainability and renewable energy guidelines for all new and existing state facilities, office buildings, and complexes.” The intent of these guidelines is to provide a holistic approach to sustainability by evaluating multiple measures for applicability to capital projects as they are relevant to our customer’s varying project needs and missions. These guidelines are part of a larger effort towards a more sustainable environment today and for future generations.

The Governor issued Wisconsin's Clean Energy Plan with strategies for state government Lead-by-Example work. State agencies leadership aim to:

• Contribute to the fulfillment of carbon reduction goals of the new U.S. nationally determined contribution (NDC) as part of the Paris Agreement (50-52 percent economy-wide net GHG emissions reductions below 2005 levels by 2030);
• Develop energy efficiency, sustainability, and renewable energy standards for all new and existing state facilities, office buildings, and complexes;
• Accelerate new and existing policies to reduce carbon pollution and promote clean energy deployment at the state level; and
• Focus on priority areas and practices, such as environmental justice, energy consumption reduction, sustainable procurement, transitioning the fleet to clean fuels and zero-emission vehicles, reducing solid waste, and reducing water consumption.

Last Reviewed: November 2024