MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT RELAUNCH THE CHICAGO ENERGY BENCHMARKING PROGRAM

Mayor Brandon Johnson
Mayor Brandon Johnson

MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT RELAUNCH THE CHICAGO ENERGY BENCHMARKING PROGRAM

The revamped program aims to increase support for building owners while making progress toward Chicago’s emissions reduction targets.

CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Department of Environment (DOE) announced the relaunch of the Chicago Energy Benchmarking program, the City’s initiative to track and share energy use data from Chicago’s largest buildings. The new program updates include a new program support team and a web platform with resources to make energy data reporting simpler for building owners.

“The relaunch of the Chicago Energy Benchmarking program marks a significant milestone in my administration’s mission to strengthen both the Department of Environment and Chicago’s broader environmental agenda,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “By centralizing this work within the Department of Environment and placing Chicago’s building owners at the center of this effort, we are accelerating progress towards making our buildings more efficient, which moves Chicago closer to achieving our long-term climate goals.”

Originally established in 2013 with the passage of the Building Energy Use Benchmarking Ordinance, the Chicago Energy Benchmarking program aims to provide transparency around the energy use of large buildings. Through the program, building owners and managers of buildings of 50,000 sq. ft. and above are required to report building energy use to the City on an annual basis.

To encourage transparency about energy use, the City publishes the reported energy data on the Chicago Data Portal, analyzes the data, and releases an annual report on energy findings and trends in the building sector.

In 2025, the Energy Benchmarking program was officially transferred to the Department of Environment as part of the ongoing process by the Johnson administration to reconstitute the Department and its environmental regulatory authority.

"Our focus as a department is to bring everyone along in the clean energy transition, and that includes providing resources and support to make this shift accessible and achievable,” said Angela Tovar, Chicago’s Chief Sustainability Officer and DOE Commissioner. “Through this revitalized program, the Department of Environment is transforming energy reporting from a compliance requirement to a meaningful starting point that helps building owners better understand their energy use, reduce costs, and contribute to lowering the city’s emissions overall.”

The relaunch of the program is supported by an experienced team of energy-use experts from Slipstream, ClearlyEnergy, JAQ Corp, and Shelton Solutions. The team’s experience is complemented by ClearlyEnergy’s proprietary BEAM web platform, a reporting and resource hub used by many peer cities to help building owners track and report on energy use.

Together, these new program upgrades will prioritize education, helping building owners better understand their energy use so they can find opportunities for greater energy efficiency.

Since 2016, carbon emissions have decreased by 39% for buildings over 50,000 sq. ft., which suggests that building owners have already benefitted from and taken steps in response to insights from the Chicago Energy Benchmarking program. However, with buildings still representing the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Chicago, the program represents an important mechanism for continuing progress on Chicago’s climate goals. The new phase of the program will build upon past successes, while making targeted improvements to increase compliance and address barriers to enforcement.

“Slipstream is honored to support the City of Chicago in advancing one of the nation’s most impactful building energy transparency initiatives,” said Sandra Henry, President and CEO at Slipstream. “The revamped Chicago Energy Benchmarking program pairs actionable data with the tools, training, and guidance that help building owners take meaningful steps toward decarbonization. We are proud to work alongside the Department of Environment and our 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.”

The reporting period for 2025 energy data runs from early March to June 1, 2026. To learn more about the program, visit chicago.gov/energybenchmarking.

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