Seattle Energy Benchmarking Ordinance
What is Seattle's Energy Benchmarking Ordinance?
Seattle’s Energy Benchmarking Ordinance (SMC 22.920) requires owners of non-residential and multifamily buildings over 20,000 square feet to benchmark their energy use every year and report it to the City’s Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE).
Benchmarking is now the foundation of Seattle’s wider building climate rules. The Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS), adopted in 2023, uses the same data and adds benchmarking verification and greenhouse gas targets on a schedule that starts October 1, 2027. In addition, most of these buildings also fall under Washington State’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard.
OSE publishes energy and emissions data for more than 3,600 buildings each year, so tenants and buyers can compare performance.
What buildings must comply with Seattle energy benchmarking?
The ordinance covers non-residential and multifamily buildings over 20,000 square feet (excluding parking) located entirely within the City of Seattle.
Your building may be exempt if it is:
- covered by the Seattle Residential Code, such as detached homes and townhouses of up to three stories;
- classified as Residential Group R-3, such as buildings with no more than two dwelling units; or
- used primarily for manufacturing or industrial purposes, with at least 50% of the building classified as Factory Industrial Group F.
To claim the industrial exemption, submit a Certificate of Occupancy or construction permit, or OSE’s benchmarking exemption form.
What is the penalty for non-compliance?
Seattle no longer charges quarterly fines. Instead, OSE issues a single Notice of Violation about 90 days after the June 1 deadline:
- Buildings 20,000–50,000 sq ft: $2,000 fine.
- Buildings over 50,000 sq ft: $4,000 fine.
OSE sends reminder and warning letters before it issues a violation, so you have time to file late. Watch for messages from seattle.gov email addresses.
What is the compliance process?
Seattle owners benchmark in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and submit through the City. In July 2026, OSE moved compliance to its new Seattle Building & Energy Portal. A typical filing looks like this:
- First, confirm your building is covered and note its Seattle Building ID from your OSE notification letter.
- Next, set up or update the property in Portfolio Manager with accurate floor area and use details.
- Then enter 12 months of whole-building energy data for the previous calendar year. Request aggregated data from Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy where tenants are separately metered.
- Submit your report to OSE by June 1 and keep the confirmation.
- Finally, if your building is over 20,000 sq ft, plan for BEPS benchmarking verification on your assigned date.
What is the deadline for Seattle energy benchmarking?
Seattle benchmarking reports are due June 1 every year and cover the previous calendar year. The City moved the deadline from April 1 to June 1 in 2024 so it matches Washington State’s Clean Buildings reporting date.
Next deadlineJune 1, 2027 for calendar-year 2026 data
Larger buildings should also prepare for BEPS benchmarking verification, which begins October 1, 2027. We recommend starting your data collection in February.
Seattle BEPS benchmarking verification schedule
Under BEPS, buildings over 20,000 sq ft must have their benchmarking data verified, then repeat verification every five years alongside their emissions targets:
| Building size | First verification | First BEPS target |
|---|---|---|
| Over 220,000 sq ftTier 1 | Oct 1, 2027 | 2031 |
| 90,001–220,000 sq ftTier 2 | Oct 1, 2027 | 2032 |
| 50,001–90,000 sq ftTier 3 | Oct 1, 2028 | 2033 |
| 30,001–50,000 sq ftTier 4 | Oct 1, 2029 | 2034 |
| 20,001–30,000 sq ftTier 5 | Oct 1, 2030 | 2035 |
Building Tune-Ups: the final cycle of Seattle’s separate Building Tune-Ups program ended on October 1, 2026, for non-residential buildings of 50,000–69,000 sq ft.
What utilities are required for benchmarking reporting?
- Electricity
- Natural Gas
- District Energy
- Any other purchased fuel
What is the purpose of Seattle's benchmarking ordinance?
Buildings produce more than a third of Seattle’s core greenhouse gas emissions, so the City uses benchmarking to measure and improve how they perform. The program serves two main goals:
Cut energy use and emissions. Annual data shows owners where they waste energy, and it now drives BEPS emissions targets, so benchmarking is the first step toward meeting them.
Make performance transparent. Because the City publishes building data on its benchmarking map, tenants and buyers can compare buildings. Many owners then go further and pursue ENERGY STAR certification.
To see how other cities handle benchmarking, visit our energy benchmarking compliance guide.
Need a verifier? Our Professional Engineers and Certified Energy Managers provide third-party verification services.
Seattle energy benchmarking FAQs
Does BEPS replace Seattle energy benchmarking?
No. You still benchmark every year by June 1. BEPS adds a benchmarking verification step and greenhouse gas targets on top of the annual report.
Do I also need to comply with Washington’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard?
Usually yes. Seattle buildings over 20,000 sq ft are also covered by the state standard, which has its own reporting and energy targets. See our Washington Clean Buildings guide.
Is Seattle benchmarking data public?
Yes. OSE publishes energy and emissions data for covered buildings on data.seattle.gov and the Seattle Energy Benchmarking Map.
What happens if I miss the June 1 deadline?
OSE sends reminder and warning letters, then issues a single Notice of Violation about 90 days after the deadline: $2,000 for buildings of 20,000–50,000 sq ft and $4,000 for larger buildings.
Can Energy Fave file my Seattle report?
Yes. The owner is responsible for compliance, but a benchmarking provider such as Energy Fave can collect the data and submit the report on your behalf.
Interested in benchmarking help?
Seattle at a Glance
- Who's covered
- Non-residential & multifamily 20,000+ sq ft
- Next deadline
- June 1, 2027The 2026 report was due June 1, 2026. Not filed yet? We can file it now →
- Late penalty
- $2,000–$4,000 Notice of Violation
- BEPS verification
- Starts Oct 1, 2027
- Reporting tool
- Portfolio Manager + Seattle Building & Energy Portal