Atlanta, Portland Adopt Policies on building energy benchmarking.
Press Release Summary:
Atlanta City Council unanimously passed building energy benchmarking and disclosure ordinance on April 20. Likewise, Portland, OR City Council unanimously adopted benchmarking ordinance on April 22. In comment, NEMA President and CEO Kevin J. Cosgriff expressed support on behalf of NEMA and its members, "because they will increase transparency and give building owners and occupants information about the true cost of operating their buildings."
Original Press Release:
Atlanta and Portland Adopt Building Energy Benchmarking Policies
ROSSLYN, Va.—On Monday, April 20, the Atlanta City Council unanimously passed a building energy benchmarking and disclosure ordinance. On Wednesday, April 22, the Portland, Oregon, City Council unanimously adopted its own benchmarking ordinance, making Atlanta and Portland the 12th and 13th U.S. cities, respectively, to adopt such policies.
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) President and CEO Kevin J. Cosgriff stated that, "NEMA and its members support Atlanta's and Portland’s ordinances because they will increase transparency and give building owners and occupants information about the true cost of operating their buildings."
Cosgriff added that, "Few of us would buy a car without first knowing its miles-per-gallon rating, and many of us consult nutrition labels on food products before making a choice. But we frequently don’t do that in detail with buildings and in many markets it is impossible to compare the energy performance of two different buildings. These ordinances fill that information gap, allowing prospective buyers and renters to understand the full and more detailed cost of operating the buildings in which they work, live, learn, or play."
These ordinances will save energy and create local jobs by making energy use transparent for large commercial and municipal buildings. NEMA has actively supported benchmarking and disclosure policies across the country, and is working to ensure that building owners and renters have the information they need to make informed decisions about how they use energy.
NEMA congratulates and thanks the City of Atlanta and the City of Portland for continuing to demonstrate strong committed leadership to becoming more sustainable and energy-efficient communities by focusing on policies that simultaneously reduce inefficient energy use while creating high-quality local manufacturing, construction, design, engineering, and energy management jobs.
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) represents nearly 400 electrical, medical imaging, and radiation therapy manufacturers. Our combined industries account for more than 400,000 American jobs and more than 7,000 facilities across the U.S. Domestic production exceeds $117 billion per year. Our industry is at the forefront on electrical safety, reliability, resilience, efficiency, and energy security.
National Electrical Manufacturers Association
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