On June 4, 2019, Edina became the second city in Minnesota to require buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to benchmark their building energy data.
Edina, Minnesota joined the ranks of some of the most sustainability-conscious cities in the Midwest when the city Council adopted a new benchmarking ordinance on June 4, 2019. The ordinance will require all commercial and multifamily buildings larger than 25,000 square feet to report their energy and water usage to the city. Currently, large buildings in Edina account for 60% of energy usage and this initiative will aid in the city’s goal of reducing their greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050.
On February 8, 2013, Minneapolis became the first municipality in the Midwest to successfully pass an ordinance which engages building owners to improve their energy management practices.
The Minneapolis Building Rating and Disclosure Policy requires commercial buildings 50,000 square feet and larger and city-owned buildings 25,000 square feet and larger to annually benchmark their energy consumption through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. According to the city, “This ordinance will allow building owners and the City to track energy and water usage year to year to determine opportunities for improvement, recognize high performers, and determine progress towards the City’s Climate Action Plan goals.” The ordinance also requires annual reports of benchmarking results released to the public. Commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet represent over 70% of the total commercial square footage in Minneapolis.
