Mayor Brandon Johnson, Department of Environment Relaunch the Chicago Energy Benchmarking Program

CHICAGO ~ Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Department of Environment (DOE) have announced the relaunch of the Chicago Energy Benchmarking program, a city initiative aimed at tracking and sharing energy use data from the largest buildings in Chicago. The updated program includes a new support team and a user-friendly web platform to simplify energy data reporting for building owners.

Mayor Johnson expressed his excitement about the relaunch, stating that it marks a significant milestone in his administration's mission to strengthen both the DOE and Chicago's environmental agenda. He believes that by centralizing this work within the DOE and placing building owners at the center of this effort, progress towards making buildings more efficient will be accelerated, bringing Chicago closer to achieving its long-term climate goals.

The Energy Benchmarking program was originally established in 2013 with the passing of the Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance. Its goal is to provide transparency around energy use in large buildings. Under this program, building owners and managers of buildings over 50,000 square feet are required to report their energy use to the City on an annual basis.

To encourage transparency, the City publishes this reported data on the Chicago Data Portal, analyzes it, and releases an annual report on energy findings and trends in the building sector. In 2025, as part of Mayor Johnson's efforts to reconstitute the DOE and its environmental regulatory authority, the Energy Benchmarking program was officially transferred to the department.

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Angela Tovar, Chicago's Chief Sustainability Officer and DOE Commissioner, stated that their focus as a department is to bring everyone along in the clean energy transition. She believes that by providing resources and support through this revitalized program, they can make this shift accessible and achievable for all building owners. Tovar also emphasized that through this program, energy reporting will no longer be seen as just a compliance requirement but rather a meaningful starting point for building owners to better understand their energy use, reduce costs, and contribute to lowering the city's overall emissions.

The relaunch of the program is supported by a team of experienced energy-use experts from Slipstream, ClearlyEnergy, JAQ Corp, and Shelton Solutions. Their expertise is complemented by ClearlyEnergy's BEAM web platform, which is used by many peer cities to help building owners track and report on their energy use. These new program upgrades will prioritize education and provide building owners with a better understanding of their energy use, allowing them to identify opportunities for greater energy efficiency.

The Chicago Energy Benchmarking program has already shown success since its inception in 2013. Carbon emissions have decreased by 39% for buildings over 50,000 square feet since 2016, indicating that building owners have taken steps in response to insights from the program. However, with buildings still being the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Chicago, the program remains an important mechanism for continuing progress towards the city's climate goals. The new phase of the program will build upon past successes while addressing barriers to enforcement and increasing compliance.

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Sandra Henry, President and CEO at Slipstream, expressed her company's honor in supporting the City of Chicago in advancing one of the nation's most impactful building energy transparency initiatives. She believes that the revamped Chicago Energy Benchmarking program will provide building owners with actionable data and tools to take meaningful steps towards decarbonization. Henry also stated that Slipstream is proud to work alongside the DOE and their partners to ensure that every building owner has the support needed to reduce energy use, cut carbon emissions, and contribute to a more sustainable Chicago for all.

Building owners are reminded that the reporting period for 2025 energy data runs from early March to June 1st, 2026. To learn more about the program or access resources and support, visit chicago.gov/energybenchmarking.

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