NEW ORLEANS — Recently, the City of New Orleans adopted its first Building Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (Ordinance No. 35,154), which requires large buildings over 20,000 square feet to track and report their annual energy use. This benchmarking ordinance is a key strategy in the City’s Climate Action Plan, which is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving building performance, and advancing a more climate-resilient New Orleans.
Benchmarking is the practice of tracking a building’s energy use over time and comparing it to similar buildings. It helps building owners identify opportunities to lower utility bills, plan for upgrades, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In New Orleans, large commercial buildings account for roughly 20% of citywide greenhouse gas emissions.
Beginning in 2026, owners of properties totaling 50,000 square feet or more will be required to report annual energy usage. This must be done using the free EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool, which allows users to submit their annual energy data and receive individualized building performance metrics. Properties that fail to comply may be subject to fines of $1,000 and $3,000 for noncompliance. Penalties will be waived in the first year a property is required to comply.
To help building owners and managers comply with the new ordinance, the Office of Resilience & Sustainability (ORS) will host two virtual Benchmarking Ordinance Overview webinars:
- Friday, Sept. 19 at 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. CT
- Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. CT
To register, please visit https://nola.gov/benchmarking.
Additionally, ORS launched the benchmarking knowledgebase, which is a public resource designed to assist building owners and managers achieve compliance. This newly available resource hub will provide how-to guides, demonstration videos, exemption forms, and a help desk ticketing system that streamlines 1-1 technical assistance and outreach.
In 2024, the City received $1.5 million from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) to support the launch of the citywide benchmarking initiative, as well as cover staffing, outreach, and technical assistance to support building owners in meeting benchmarking requirements.
Energy benchmarking offers several key benefits, including improving building efficiency, reducing emissions, and lowering overall operating costs. Benchmarking also promotes transparency by making building energy use and emissions publicly accessible.
For more information on the knowledgebase or to register for a virtual training session, visit nola.gov/benchmarking or email benchmarking@nola.gov.