Columbus, Ohio — Today, Columbus City Council passed an Energy and Water Benchmarking Ordinance which is a critical piece of the city’s climate action plan. As adopted by council, the ordinance will enable greater efficiency in apartments, stores, schools, hospitals and other large buildings.
The following statement can be attributed to Miranda Leppla, advocate for for the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund:
“Acting on climate change is crucial. The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund commends Columbus City Council for adopting the Energy and Water Benchmarking Ordinance and demonstrating its commitment to act on climate. By establishing energy benchmarking for large buildings, we can reduce our reliance on coal-fired power plants, save residents and businesses money, and help our community fight climate change.”
Additional Information:
In the U.S., buildings such as homes, apartment buildings, stores, schools, and hospitals use 70% of our electricity. Buildings also emit over one-third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than any other sector of the economy. Most buildings waste energy needlessly, making power plants work harder and in Ohio, that means predominantly carbon-emitting, coal-fired power plants.
Requiring energy benchmarking for all commercial and multi-family buildings that are 50,000 square feet or larger as well as municipal buildings that are 25,000 square feet or larger will provide multiple benefits to the community:
Enable greater efficiency in businesses, apartments, stores, schools, hospitals and other large buildings. A study by the Environmental Protection Agency indicated that, on average, buildings that are benchmarked consistently use 2.4% less energy than those that aren’t. Building performance data also helps cities strategically meet energy efficiency and climate change reduction goals, by targeting energy efficiency rebates and incentives for buildings that have the most potential for savings.
Save Columbus families money. Low-income communities in particular face the greatest exposure to aging and poorly constructed housing. In Columbus, 20.8% of Columbus residents live below the poverty line. These residents spend up to 11% of their income on utility bills. Energy efficiency through benchmarking will help reduce the energy burden on household budgets.
Cut energy costs for Columbus businesses. The cost of benchmarking is minimal compared to the energy and cost savings over the decades of a building’s life. With energy and water costs accounting for an average of 26.8% of office building operating costs nationally, efficiency improvements can help building owners and tenants significantly reduce utility bills. These savings can be put to other needs such as the purchase of goods and services, which drive local economic activity. Making city buildings more efficient also creates jobs at all skill levels, and frees up money to flow back into the local economy.