The proposed bill introduces the "Building Benchmarking and Reporting Act of 2026," which establishes a building energy reporting program for covered residential and non-residential properties, as well as campuses that contain twenty-five thousand (25,000) or more gross square feet. The Office of Energy Resources (OER) will oversee the program, requiring property owners to input annual energy use data and other relevant information into a benchmarking tool, such as the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. The reporting schedule is set for properties with fifty thousand (50,000) or more gross square feet to report by May 15, 2028, and for those with twenty-five thousand (25,000) to forty-nine thousand, nine hundred ninety-nine (49,999) gross square feet by May 15, 2030.

The OER will notify property owners of their obligations between September 15 and December 15 each year, beginning in 2027, and will publish a list of covered properties by January 31 of each year starting in 2028. The bill outlines exemptions for property owners under certain conditions, such as lack of occupancy for the entire calendar year, issuance of a demolition permit, or lack of energy services for the entire calendar year required to be benchmarked.

Additionally, the OER is mandated to publish an annual summary report on the program by December 31 of each year, detailing benchmarking information, progress on energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and compliance status. The OER is also tasked with developing incentives for participation in the program and may impose enforcement mechanisms, including escalating warnings and fines, starting May 15, 2031. The act will take effect upon passage.