New Jersey's Clean Energy Act of 2018 requires owners of large commercial buildings to measure and report their energy and water use every year. The program is run by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU).

Who must benchmark

The requirement applies to commercial buildings over 25,000 square feet. BPU identifies covered buildings and notifies owners. If you own a large commercial property in New Jersey and have not heard from BPU, it is worth checking whether your building is on the covered list.

How reporting works

  1. Set up ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. This free EPA tool is the reporting platform. Each building gets a property record with its size, use type and operating characteristics.
  2. Collect 12 months of data. Electricity, gas, steam, fuel oil and water use for the whole building, including tenant-paid utilities. New Jersey utilities can provide aggregated whole-building data.
  3. Submit by the annual deadline. Reports are shared with BPU through Portfolio Manager. Check BPU's current deadline each year.
Benchmarking does not require you to cut energy use. But it produces an ENERGY STAR score that shows exactly how your building compares with similar buildings nationwide.

Using the results

A score below 50 means your building uses more energy than most similar buildings. That gap is usually the fastest route to savings, and New Jersey's utility efficiency programs offer generous incentives to close it.

  • Score under 50: a Level II audit will likely find significant, low-cost savings.
  • Score 50–74: look at controls, scheduling and targeted upgrades.
  • Score 75 or higher: your building may qualify for ENERGY STAR certification.

Public buildings and ESIP

Public entities can go further with the Energy Savings Improvement Program, which pays for upgrades from guaranteed savings. See our ESCO page for details.

We handle benchmarking submissions for New Jersey owners. See our New Jersey services or request help.