Madison’s City Council elected to postpone a final vote on a controversial law requiring certain building owners in the city to publicly report energy performance. Under the proposed ordinance, if they refused, they could be fined up to $1,000 annually.
As it stands, the measure would apply to city-owned buildings over 15,000 sq. ft., commercial buildings over 25,000 sq. ft., and apartment buildings with more than 35 units. Although several area companies and the state of Wisconsin currently practice benchmarking, Ald. David Ahrens, 15th District, put the idea on hold and asked that a special ad hoc committee be formed to study the ordinance more closely.
Opponents don’t necessarily argue with the practice of benchmarking, but they have plenty to say when it comes to making the law mandatory, saying forcing this type of energy use reporting would be “cumbersome, costly, and ineffective,” according to a report in the Wisconsin State Journal.
The ad hoc committee will be named in the next few weeks and could take as long as six months to study the issue from both sides.
