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Plan Ahead: 2026 NJ Energy Benchmarking for Commercial and Multifamily Buildings

On May 23, 2018, Governor Murphy signed the New Jersey Clean Energy Act (P.L.2018, c.17). The Clean Energy Act takes several critical steps to improve and expand New Jersey’s renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. In the push toward a more sustainable future, one key requirement under this legislation is the annual energy and water benchmarking for covered commercial buildings 25,000 square feet or larger. The requirement applies to covered commercial buildings as defined by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU), including office buildings, retail properties, larger multi-family residential buildings, and warehouses.

Energy benchmarking is the process of measuring and reporting a building’s energy and water usage over time. This data is then compared to similar properties to evaluate performance. The program uses the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager, a trusted tool that calculates your property’s energy efficiency and, where applicable, assigns a 1–100 performance score.

New Jersey’s benchmarking mandate is designed to identify opportunities for greater efficiency, lower operating costs, and reduced environmental impact. Regular tracking of energy and water usage can reveal areas where improvements are needed, often leading to significant energy savings. These improvements help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support New Jersey’s broader decarbonization and sustainability goals. Transparency is another important aspect of the program, as benchmarking results may be incorporated into public information efforts over time, encouraging accountability and competition for better performance.

Reporting requirements

Owners and operators of covered commercial buildings 25,000 square feet or larger must benchmark and report their energy and water usage every year for the prior calendar year.

  • Reporting must be completed using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager.

  • Each property must be associated with its Unique Building ID (UBID) in Portfolio Manager, typically identified through NJBPU’s covered-building materials or related guidance.

  • Data can be entered manually or via bulk entry, and in some cases may be supported by utility data upload services or automated data exchange.

  • Property owners must share their benchmarking results with the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) by the applicable annual reporting deadline, which is set as July 1 for reporting the prior calendar year’s usage (for example, 2025 usage reported by July 1, 2026).

Because benchmarking is now part of an ongoing compliance framework rather than a one-time event, owners and managers should treat it as a recurring annual task in their regulatory calendar.

How we can help

Complying with the requirements of New Jersey’s Clean Energy Act is a priority for many building owners, asset managers, and facility teams. Professional support can simplify compliance while also turning benchmarking data into actionable insights.

Our team offers comprehensive energy benchmarking services, including:

  • Data collection: Coordination with your electric, gas, and water providers to gather accurate and complete usage data for each covered property.

  • Benchmarking setup and submission: Establishing or updating ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager accounts, entering building characteristics and utility data, assigning the correct UBID, and submitting results to NJBPU on time.

  • Performance analysis: Reviewing benchmarking results and trends, identifying major drivers of energy use, and recommending efficiency measures that can reduce consumption and operating costs.

  • Ongoing support: Assisting with follow-up efforts such as energy audits, retro-commissioning, and retrofit planning to help turn benchmarking metrics into real performance gains.

With a structured process and experienced guidance, benchmarking becomes a useful management and planning tool rather than just a reporting requirement.

Benefits of benchmarking

Annual benchmarking provides multiple advantages beyond simple compliance.

  • Performance scoring and comparison: For eligible building types, EPA’s Portfolio Manager provides a 1–100 score that allows comparison to similar buildings nationwide and supports year-over-year tracking of improvements.

  • Cost and risk management: Better visibility into energy and water use can inform capital planning, budgeting, and risk management by highlighting underperforming systems and opportunities for upgrades.

  • Market and tenant appeal: Demonstrated energy efficiency can support leasing, acquisition, and investor conversations, particularly as more tenants and stakeholders focus on operating costs and ESG performance.

  • Sustainability and ESG alignment: Benchmarking data supports corporate sustainability and ESG reporting by providing measurable indicators of energy use and emissions reductions over time.

In an environment of evolving policies and investor expectations, strong energy performance is increasingly part of how building quality and resilience are evaluated.

Certified benchmarkers and professional support

New Jersey supports training and certification for benchmarking professionals through the NJ Clean Energy Program’s learning resources, helping building owners access qualified support for compliance. Building owners can choose to hire a certified benchmarker or other qualified professional to manage data collection and submissions, or they can complete the process in-house if they have the necessary staff, systems, and expertise.

With decades of experience in environmental consulting, energy management, and regulatory compliance, our team is dedicated to helping businesses meet New Jersey’s benchmarking requirements while improving building performance and sustainability. Our services focus on accurate reporting and practical, data-driven insights that help property owners optimize energy usage, manage costs, and support long-term ESG goals.

The benchmarking requirement under New Jersey’s Clean Energy Act is an ongoing annual obligation for covered commercial buildings. Property owners should prepare each year by confirming covered-building status, ensuring access to utility data, validating Portfolio Manager inputs, and planning submissions well ahead of the July 1 deadline for the prior year’s usage. This proactive approach supports consistent compliance and positions buildings to capture the full financial and environmental benefits of improved efficiency

For more information contact: Donna Switzer, Compliance Program Manager at donnas@ttienv.com or Shian Knouse, Environmental Associate 2 at shiank@ttienv.com

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