New York City requires over 15,000 buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to submit an Energy Efficiency Report annually. The intent of this program, which is regulated under Local Law 84 of 2009 and Local Law 133 of 2016: Benchmarking, is to promote more efficient building operations and energy conservation. New York City’s Covered Building List for Compliance in 2020 identifies the buildings that are subject to this reporting requirement. . The Benchmarking regulation requires information to be submitted on the property’s energy usage including electric, gas, and water consumption for the entire year.
When are Benchmarking reports due?
Typically, if your building is on the NYC’s Covered Building List, you are required to submit the annual Benchmarking report by May 1st of every year to the Department of Buildings. The report must be submitted through the City’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, which is web based. This year, if you did not submit the data by May 1st, the City sent out a Notice of Non-Submission to all facilities as a reminder. The letter looks like the one pictured below.
Change of Filing Date:
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, NYC has extended the filing date until August 1st, 2020, as indicated in the Notice of Non-Submission. The City sent out the letters of Non-Submission to let facility owners know that the May 1st due date has passed, but they are granting an extension until August 1st without any penalties. Failure to submit a Benchmarking report by August 1st will result in a $500 penalty. Continued failure to submit will result in an additional $500 fine for every quarter that the deadline is missed.
Next Steps:
Have you received a letter similar to the one above, and you are not sure about the next steps to take? It is not too late to comply! Call or Email Walden now. We are experienced in completing Energy Benchmarking filings and would be happy to help you comply.