Philadelphia to Force Large Property Owners to Post Energy Use

Philadelphia City Council followed in the footsteps of cities like Washington D.C., New York City and San Francisco on Thursday when it passed “energy benchmarking” legislation. The measure requires commercial building owners with more than 50,000 square feet to record their yearly water and energy usage in a publicly accessible database.
Think of it as peer pressure to reduce energy consumption. Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown introduced the legislation and describes the bill’s purpose in a release.

“Property owners will find out how their buildings stack up to comparable buildings providing the tools necessary to formulate best practices and discover savings.”

Companies who fail to post their usage could face fines of $100 a day.

Editor's Picks