The Madison City Council on Tuesday approved new rules that will require the owners of large commercial buildings to report their annual energy use and perform building energy “tuneups” every four years or face fines for noncompliance, according to a report from the Wisconsin State Journal.
The new ordinance, which was unanimously approved by the council, creates a Building Energy Savings Program for commercial building owners so they can increase the energy efficiency of their buildings, save money, and reduce their carbon footprint.
According to the city, commercial buildings account for 30% of Madison’s carbon pollution today. Benchmarking and tuneups can save businesses energy and money on their bills. In fact, the city estimates that the Building Energy Savings Program could cut carbon pollution by more than 91,000 tons per year, which would have the same impact as taking 18,000 cars off the road.
