Missouri has three cities with local benchmarking ordinances that affect privately- and publicly-owned and operated buildings. Click here to see how Missouri handles energy efficiency in state- and publicly-owned buildings.
Clayton, Missouri
On February 11, 2025, Clayton became the third city in Missouri to pass an energy benchmarking ordinance.
Title: Building Energy Awareness Law
Date Passed: February 11, 2025
Policy Language: Ordinance No. 6919
Assistance: Thomas Lard, Building Official (tlard@claytonmo.gov); Building Division (codequestionsbd@claytonmo.gov)
Summary:
The Building Energy Awareness Law requires city-owned buildings over 10,000 square feet, and commercial and multifamily buildings over 100,000 square feet to report their energy and water use to the city annually. The collection of benchmarking data will allow the City to assess the effectiveness of energy saving techniques and technologies, expand opportunities for building owners to implement more effective energy conservation measures and reduce operating costs. Building owners are required to run their energy and water use data through data quality assurance tools within ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and correct missing and inaccurate information prior to submitting their data to the Building Official.
Compliance Deadline | Type of Building | Building Size Threshold |
April 1, 2025, and each April 1 thereafter | City owned and operated | 10,000 square feet and larger |
April 1, 2027, and each April 1 thereafter | Privately-owned commercial and multifamily | 100,000 square feet and larger |
Kansas City, Missouri
On June 4, 2015, Kansas City became the 14th municipality in the U.S. and third in the Midwest to successfully pass an ordinance which requires building owners to improve their energy management practices.
Title: Energy Empowerment Ordinance
Date Passed: June 4, 2015
Policy Language: Ordinance 150299
Assistance: Kansas City Government Technical Assistance Webpage; 816.513.3462; benchmarking@kcmo.org
Summary:
The Kansas City benchmarking ordinance requires city-owned and –operated buildings over 10,000 square feet and privately-owned commercial, institutional and multifamily buildings larger than 50,000 square feet to record energy and water consumption data in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. It affects the largest 3% of commercial, institutional and multifamily buildings in Kansas City, which comprises more than 50% of the floor space & energy use. The benchmarking ordinance will assist the city to measure their progress towards their stated energy and greenhouse gas reduction goals. The data will also assist the city in providing owners of lesser performing buildings with the necessary resources to improve their energy consumption figures. These may include utility incentive/rebate programs, building operator training programs and best practices towards energy savings and human comfort. The ordinance passed the city council with a vote of 12-1 in favor of the initiative.
Compliance Deadline | Type of Building | Building Size Threshold |
May 1, 2016, and each May 1 thereafter | Municipal | Exceeds 10,000 square feet |
May 1, 2017, and each May 1 thereafter | Institutional, commercial, industrial, multifamily residential | Exceeds 100,000 square feet |
May 1, 2018, and each May 1 thereafter | Institutional, commercial, industrial, multifamily residential | Exceeds 50,000 square feet |
St. Louis, Missouri
Benchmarking Ordinance
Title: Building Energy Awareness Ordinance
Date Passed: January 30, 2017
Policy Language: Ordinance 70474
Assistance: St. Louis Ordinance Webpage; USGBC Missouri Gateway Chapter;
Summary:
The “Building Energy Awareness” ordinance of St. Louis requires certain buildings to record annual whole-building energy and water consumption data into ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. City-owned buildings will lead the way benchmarking in the first year under the ordinance, with privately-owned commercial buildings 50,000 sq.ft. and larger complying by April 1, 2018. Both city- and privately-owned buildings will be required to report their consumption information each year thereafter. The city will make the information available to the public after the reporting period. The ordinance covers approximately 900 existing buildings.
The ordinance was introduced by alderman John Coatar and passed unanimously in less than two months from its introduction, likely because St. Louis is no stranger to taking action to reduce energy consumption in buildings. The St. Louis High Performance Building Initiative was launched in 2014, which includes building benchmarking and goals of reducing energy consumption in buildings 25% by 2020. In 2015, Mayor Slay joined with other local government officials around the world in committing to the Compact of Mayors and pledging to gather GHG data, set a climate protection target and develop climate plans.
Compliance Deadline | Type of Building | Building Size Threshold |
December 31, 2017, and each April 1 thereafter | City owned and operated | 50,000 square feet and larger |
April 1, 2018, and each April 1 thereafter | Privately-owned buildings | 50,000 square feet and larger |
Building Performance Standard
Title: Building Energy Awareness Ordinance
Date Passed: January 30, 2017
Policy Language: Ordinance 71132
Assistance: Building Energy Performance Standard Targets; USGBC Missouri Gateway Chapter
Summary:
The St. Louis Building Energy Performance Standard ordinance requires large (50,000 sq. ft. and larger) existing commercial, multifamily, institutional and municipal buildings to meet designated energy reduction targets that align with the city's climate goals. Performance standards were set by their Building Energy Improvement Board, measured in the amount of energy used per square foot at the building (site energy use intensity or EUI) and based on building type. Building owners will be required to comply with standards using the free, online ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool which is also used for the city’s benchmarking ordinance. The first compliance deadline is May 2025 and the performance standard targets are to be updated every four years in order to continually reduce the energy impact of existing buildings.