The City of New Orleans is stepping up its game in the battle against climate change by keeping closer tabs on energy use in large buildings. In a recent update, the Office of Resilience & Sustainability (ORS) released a comprehensive list of properties that come under the purview of the New Orleans Building Energy Benchmarking Ordinance. These properties, all of which are over 20,000 square feet in size, will now be expected to regularly report on their energy consumption, as per the city's announcement.
Property owners aren't left in the dark, as they can freely access the benchmarking Covered Property List (CPL) to check if their property falls within the ordinance's scope. For those who find their property on the list, the city has provided a straightforward process on the CPL page to "claim" their property and submit necessary details. It's essential for owners of these large buildings to cross-check their property's inclusion in order to avoid penalties down the line for non-compliance, according to the City of New Orleans.
To assist owners with navigating this new ordinance, ORS is hosting a couple of informative sessions via webinars. The first session is slotted for November 12, from 11 a.m. to noon, and the second on November 18, taking place between 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Those interested can head over to the CPL page to register and learn more about the ordinance and how it affects their properties.
Starting in 2026, buildings more than 50,000 square feet will have to start participating in this program, and in 2027, it will be the turn for properties of 20,000 square feet and above. The annual energy usage reporting will be facilitated through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, a tool for tracking and benchmarking energy consumption. While there is a grace period initially, properties that continuously fail to meet the benchmarking requirements may be looking at fines that could reach up to $3,000. However, it's worth noting that to help with the transition, penalties will be waived in the first year a property is required to comply, as per the City of New Orleans's page.
