CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Environment announced the relaunch of the Chicago Energy Benchmarking program, the city initiative designed to monitor and share data on the energy consumption of the city’s largest buildings.
Program updates include a new support team and a web platform with resources that will make it easier for building owners to report energy data.
“The relaunch of the Chicago Energy Benchmarking program marks an important milestone in my administration’s mission to strengthen both the Department of Environment and Chicago’s broader environmental agenda,” said Mayor Johnson. “By centralizing this work within the Department of Environment and placing building owners at the center of this effort, we are accelerating progress toward making our buildings more efficient, bringing Chicago closer to meeting its long-term climate goals.”
The program was originally created in 2013 following the passage of the Building Energy Use Benchmarking ordinance, with the goal of promoting transparency in the energy consumption of large buildings. Through this initiative, owners and managers of buildings 50,000 square feet or larger are required to report their facilities’ energy use to the city annually.
To promote transparency, the city publishes the reported data on the Chicago data portal, analyzes the information, and releases an annual report with findings and trends on energy consumption in the building sector.
In 2025, the program was officially transferred to the Department of the Environment as part of the Johnson administration’s process to restructure the department and strengthen its environmental regulatory authority.
“Our focus as a department is on ensuring everyone participates in the transition to clean energy, and that includes providing resources and support to make this change accessible and achievable,” said Angela Tovar, Chicago’s chief sustainability officer and a commissioner with the department. “With this revitalized program, energy reporting is no longer just a regulatory requirement but a starting point that helps owners better understand their consumption, reduce costs, and contribute to lowering the city’s emissions.”
The relaunch is supported by a team of energy use specialists from Slipstream, ClearlyEnergy, JAQ Corp, and Shelton Solutions. Their expertise is complemented by ClearlyEnergy’s BEAM digital platform, used in several cities to help building owners monitor and report energy use.
With these enhancements, the program will prioritize education so building owners can better understand their energy consumption and identify opportunities to increase efficiency.
Since 2016, carbon emissions from buildings larger than 50,000 square feet have decreased by 39%, suggesting that many building owners have already taken action based on the data generated by the program. However, buildings remain the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Chicago, making the initiative a key tool for advancing the city’s climate goals.
“Slipstream is honored to support the City of Chicago in advancing one of the nation’s most influential building energy transparency initiatives,” said Sandra Henry, president and CEO of Slipstream. “The revamped program combines actionable data with tools, training, and guidance that help building owners take concrete steps toward decarbonization. We are proud to work alongside the Department of the Environment and our partners to ensure that every building owner has the support they need to reduce energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, and contribute to a more sustainable Chicago for all.”
Read article in Spanish / Leer artículo en español:
