CONTACT: Julia Robey Christian, PIO, (202) 741-0842 desk, (202) 450-7878 cell, [email protected]
Standards show District’s deep commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions
WASHINGTON, DC – November 8, 2021– The Bowser Administration, through the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), announces the issuance of two groundbreaking final regulations that demonstrate the District’s deep commitment to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to stem catastrophic climate change. Regulations for the nation’s first Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) program solidify BEPS compliance and enforcement details and bolster the requirements for the nation’s longest-running energy benchmarking program.
“The District is proud to continue to be a leader in addressing the energy consumption and greenhouse gases in our existing buildings. As a key piece of Mayor Bowser’s Clean Energy DC Plan, implementation of the BEPS program is a major step in the direction of making our city carbon neutral by 2050,” said DOEE Director Tommy Wells.
The rules are as follows:
- Final regulations on applying BEPS for privately- and District-owned buildings (DC Register, November 5, 2021) — This rulemaking outlines compliance details such as how building owners determine applicability, the available compliance pathways, reporting and verification requirements, circumstances for applying for exemptions and delays of compliance. It also explains penalties, fines, and other enforcement actions for buildings found in noncompliance with the energy performance requirements. The rulemaking incorporates changes made based on two rounds of public comment, along with DOEE’s extensive engagement and outreach over the past two years with the BEPS Task Force and other key stakeholders.
- Final regulations for energy performance benchmarking of privately-owned buildings (DC Register, October 22, 2021) — This rulemaking implements several updates to the District’s existing energy benchmarking rules based on changes to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Portfolio Manager program, new legislative mandates, such as third-party data verification of all covered buildings under the Clean Energy DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2018, and general clarification of existing requirements.
In conjunction with November 5 rulemaking, DOEE released an alpha version of its BEPS Online Portal, which will be the central access point for building owners to determine their BEPS status, receive compliance assistance, and submit required documentation. Building owners can request access to the Portal from the DOEE website.
More details on these regulations are available. Get more information about DOEE’s building performance programs.