As an economic hub, a global destination, a great place to live, and a leader on environmental sustainability, Chicago is
defining what it means to be a world-class city. Chicago’s 500,000 buildings are vibrant connections to the city’s history,
and these buildings house the activities that are carrying Chicago forward into the 21st century. The energy used by buildings
powers Chicago’s economy and profoundly impacts the natural environment.
By raising energy performance awareness and transparency, Chicago’s Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance unlocks
information to help accelerate efforts to save energy and strengthen the economy. The ordinance delivers on ambitious energy priorities outlined in Sustainable Chicago 2015, Mayor Emanuel’s three-year action agenda to make our city more livable, competitive, and sustainable.
In 2014, the initial phase of Chicago Energy Benchmarking required municipal and commercial buildings larger than 250,000
square feet to track whole-building energy use, verify data accuracy, and report to the City. The policy is creating a foundation of
information for efforts to unlock significant energy savings, and phased implementation through 2016 will include commercial,
municipal, and residential buildings larger than 50,000 square feet.
