Madison Launches the Second Year of the Building Energy Savings Program

The City of Madison has launched the second year of the Building Energy Savings Program (BESP). Adopted by the Common Council in 2023, BESP requires large commercial buildings to benchmark their energy use annually and complete building tune-ups every four years. The program is being phased in between 2024 and 2027, with commercial buildings over 100,000 square feet already participating. 

This year, owners of commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet must benchmark their energy use by June 30, 2025. The 2025 Covered Buildings List identifies all buildings required to benchmark this year. If a building is on the list, the Building Owner Portal will guide owners through the benchmarking and reporting process. The webpage provides step-by-step guidance, and a help desk is available to assist with questions. 

The City also recently extended the compliance deadline for building tune-ups. Building tune-ups check and adjust building energy systems, such as lighting and HVAC controls, to ensure existing systems are running efficiently without wasting energy or money. Buildings 100,000 square feet and larger are required to complete a tune-up for the first time by October 30, 2026, while those between 50,000 and 99,999 square feet must complete a tune-up by October 30, 2027. The deadline extension provides building owners and managers with additional time to plan for tune-ups, identify a tune-up specialist, train staff as a tune-up specialist if needed, achieve alternative compliance pathways, and gather building data. 

To provide flexibility, the City is offering early bird tune-up submissions in 2025. Early bird submission is available to any building required to complete a tune-up. For early bird submission, building owners have until October 30, 2025, to complete a tune-up or apply for an Alternative Compliance Pathway that demonstrates they have a high-efficiency building or have recently taken actions that substantially improved their building’s efficiency. Early bird submission is a good option for buildings eligible for an alternative compliance pathway in 2025 but not in 2026.  

“The Building Energy Savings Program is making a real impact by reducing energy waste and improving efficiency across Madison,” said Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. “With more buildings joining in 2025, the program is helping owners take meaningful action to lower their energy costs and cut carbon pollution.” 

Benchmarking and energy tune-ups are proven strategies for reducing energy waste, saving money, and lowering emissions. Buildings that consistently benchmark reduce their annual energy use by up to 10%, while tune-ups cut energy use by an average of 12%. Commercial buildings account for approximately 45% of Madison’s greenhouse gas emissions, and the energy savings from BESP will help reduce emissions by more than 91,000 tons of CO₂ annually—the equivalent of removing nearly 18,000 cars from the road. 

To support building owners, the City is hosting virtual training sessions over the next four months to walk participants through the benchmarking and reporting process. Multiple sessions are available, each covering the same content.