Get Free Clean Buildings Law Technical Support
The City of Bellevue is helping large buildings (20,000+ sf) to track and reduce energy use, save on costs, and comply with WA State Clean Buildings Standards. Free building energy services include energy benchmarking, Energy Management Plan and Operations & Maintenance Program development, incentive navigation, and compliance reporting support. Start compliance work now to avoid fines, improve building performance and comfort, and save on energy and operating costs. Read our Clean Buildings Program Impact Report to learn more.
Sign up today by contacting our Climate & Energy Program Manager: Sign Up
Compliance Deadlines
Free Trainings - WA Clean Buildings Law Technical Support
City of Bellevue Webinars:
Clean Buildings 102: Energy Benchmarking, EMPs, and OMPs
Feb. 10,11 a.m.-noon: Register Here
Clean Buildings 101: Intro to Law, Incentives, & Support for Multi-Family Properties
Feb. 11, 11 a.m.-noon: Register Here
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
Detailed Program Services
Participants will receive the following services:
- Access to training focused on WA Clean Buildings Law compliance
- Energy Star Portfolio Manager-qualified technical support for energy benchmarking
- Support Operation and Maintenance Program best practices and Energy Management Plan development
- Assistance with understanding and navigating incentives
- Support with the compliance process
Resources for Covered Buildings
Covered building owners and operators should explore available resources:
- WA State Early Adopter Incentive Program for Tier 1 and Tier 2
- WA State Energy Public Building Audit Incentive Program for Tier 1
- WA State Clean Building Performance Grants for Tier 1 and Tier 2
- Puget Sound Energy (PSE) utility incentives
- Federal IRC 179D tax deduction for energy efficiency commercial buildings
- Federal tax credits and deductions for clean energy
- King County C-Pacer financing
- Other grants and financing
- 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