The City of Bellevue is helping owners of large buildings (20,000+ square feet) comply with state clean buildings standards. Start compliance work now to improve building performance and comfort, save on energy and operating costs, and avoid fines. The cities of Bellevue, Issaquah and Redmond have partnered to offer this expanded program.
Free building energy services are available to a limited number of buildings and include:
- Education about Clean Buildings compliance requirements
- Support completing required building energy benchmarking
- Development of required Energy Management Plans
- Development of required Operations & Maintenance Program
- Guidance on accessing available incentives
Complete an application form to get started!
The Eastside Clean Buildings Incentive Program will be administered by McKinstry.
Compliance Deadlines
Upcoming Events
Clean Buildings 101 Webinar: Intro to WA Clean Buildings Law, Incentives, and Support
April 23, Noon - 1 p.m. Register
Additional Information
State Law Overview and Compliance Requirements
WA Clean Buildings Law
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Residential and commercial buildings are Washington's second-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 27% of statewide emissions. Energy-efficient buildings are essential to meet statewide greenhouse gas emissions limits. Passed in the 2019 legislative session and later adjusted, the WA Clean Buildings Law requires covered buildings to comply with statewide energy reporting and performance requirements as detailed in the Clean Buildings Performance Standard Integrated Document. Covered buildings are separated into two tiers.
Tier 1 covered buildings generally include commercial buildings with a gross floor area (GFA) greater than 50,000 square feet. Tier 1 reporting and performance deadlines are:
- June 1, 2026 – More than 220,000 sq. ft.
- June 1, 2027 – More than 90,000 sq. ft. but less than 220,001 sq. ft.
- June 1, 2028 – More than 50,000 sq. ft. but less than 90,001 sq. ft.
Tier 2 covered buildings generally include commercial buildings with a gross floor area greater than 20,000 sq. ft. and less than 50,0001 sq. ft; tier 2 also generally includes all multi-family residential buildings with more than 20,000 sq. ft. Tier 2 reporting deadlines are:
- July 1, 2027
Compliance requirements vary by tier:
- Tier 1: benchmark building energy use; create energy management plan; implement operations and maintenance (O&M) program; meet energy performance metric
- Tier 2: benchmark building energy use; create energy management plan; implement operations and maintenance (O&M) program
Program Eligibility
Eligibility and Building Types
All covered buildings will be considered for free compliance services through our programs. Any interested party can receive free support through the CBIP Help Desk or by emailing CleanBuildings@bellevuewa.gov. Depending on community interest, we will prioritize participants to maximize community benefits based on:
- Building owner or users
- Building type
- Potential energy and emissions savings
- Building capacity to comply, based on financial or technical needs
- Registration date with program
- Compliance deadline
- Services required to comply and cost
Building use types that may have to comply with the law:
- Banking and financial services
- Education
- Entertainment and public assembly
- Food sales and service
- Healthcare
- Lodging or residential
- Office
- Public services
- Religious worship
- Retail
- Technology/science
- Utility
- Warehouse/storage
Resources for Covered Buildings
Covered building owners and operators should explore available resources:
- Compliance Document Templates
- Incentives and Financing One-Pager
- Extensions and Exemptions One-Pager
- CBPS FAQ Document
- Glossary of Terms
- WA State technical support, Clean Buildings Portal, Tier 1 covered buildings dashboard, document library, FAQ, events, trainings, and other resources
- PSE Clean Buildings Accelerator technical support
- Smart Building Center trainings, tool library, and CBPS Helpdesk
- Washington State University Resource Conservation Manager trainings
- EPA Energy Star Portfolio Manager benchmarking training