In July 2021, the Montgomery County, MD, Executive proposed new legislation (Bill 16-21) that will expand the number of buildings covered by the County’s Benchmarking Law and require the use of less energy, effectively a Building Energy Performance Standard. If the bill is approved, Montgomery would become the first county in the nation to establish a Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) policy that sets a minimum energy performance threshold for existing buildings.
The new BEPS legislation would cover commercial and multifamily buildings that are 25,000 gross square feet and greater. It would require building owners to meet targets to improve energy performance, balances flexibility and certainty for owners with immediate action required by the County’s climate goals and offers technical assistance for building owners.