Last week, Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission established new energy performance standards for large buildings, reportedly making Colorado one of only a few states to mandate emission cuts at existing buildings rather than just new ones. The new rule provides flexible options for owners of large buildings to meet standards to decrease energy use and reduce greenhouse gas pollution. The state anticipates these building performance standards will reduce energy bills for tenants and long-term operating costs for building owners.
As directed by state law, the state health department’s Air Pollution Control Division developed the standards. The building performance standards rule applies to about 8,000 buildings in Colorado. This includes most commercial, multifamily, and public buildings 50,000 square feet or larger.
The rule will help Colorado meet statutory greenhouse gas reduction targets of 7% by 2026 and 20% by 2030 for the buildings covered in the program, as compared to 2021 levels. Newer, more efficient buildings may already meet the standards. As part of its target methodology, the division determined about 40% of the 8,000 buildings covered under the program already meet standards for the 2026 target. About 20% of the buildings already meet standards for the 2030 target.
