Proposed Building Energy Performance Standards require net zero emissions by 2030 for buildings as required by the Climate Solutions Now Act
BALTIMORE (July 15, 2024) – The Maryland Department of the Environment will hold a series of public outreach sessions on new regulations requiring large buildings 35,000 square feet or larger to achieve net zero direct greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
The proposed Building Energy Performance Standards, provided today to the Air Quality Control Advisory Council, will guide a transition to clean energy efficient products for heating, cooling, power and hot water in large buildings. The regulation, required by the Climate Solution Now Act of 2022, sets interim standards for the reduction of net direct greenhouse gas emissions.
“We are serious about meeting our climate goals, and decarbonizing large buildings is a key piece of the plan to do that,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain. “We are all in this effort together, and we are here to support building owners and landlords in meeting the goals for large buildings. Energy-efficient buildings are good for the planet, but they are also good for the health of the people who live and work inside of them.”
The Department of the Environment has been working with building owners and other interested parties in the development of the proposed standards, which include modifications to a previously proposed rule. This outreach will continue, with a series of virtual public meetings in August explaining the proposed regulations, answering questions and providing helpful tips on how to get started in the process of decarbonizing. Working groups will convene to dive more deeply into technical topics associated with the program’s implementation. This will be followed by a public comment period starting in early September and a public hearing in the fall.
The following sessions will be held virtually:
- Aug. 6, 7 – 8 p.m. – How to Get Started: Decarbonizing Large Buildings
- Aug. 13, 7 – 8 p.m. – Dr. Decarb Answers Questions About Building Standards
- Aug. 22, 7 – 8 p.m. – Clean Buildings for All: Leaving No One Behind
- Sept. 10, 1-2 p.m. – Benchmarking and Reporting Working Group
Attendees can register for the meetings and submit questions in advance.
Building energy standards are seen in cities, counties, and states across the nation. They typically seek to guide building owners to more efficient energy use and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Buildings 35,000 square feet and larger, excluding parking garage areas, would be required to meet Maryland’s new standards. This includes many warehouses, office buildings, multi-family housing buildings and stores. Historic buildings, public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools, manufacturing buildings, agricultural buildings, and federal buildings can apply to be exempted from the reporting and performance standards.
Starting next year, owners of buildings covered by the regulation will be required to report energy data to the Maryland Department of the Environment to establish a benchmark for future comparison. Buildings must meet interim standards starting in 2030 and attain net-zero direct emissions by 2040.
In December 2023, the Maryland Department of the Environment released Maryland’s Climate Pollution Reduction Plan to support the goals of the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022, which requires Maryland to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent below 2006 levels by 2031 and reach net zero emissions by 2045.
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