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6/11/2026
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Lawmakers approve energy use reporting for largest buildings
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STATE HOUSE – The General Assembly today approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Rebecca Kislak and Sen. Meghan E. Kallman to create an energy-use reporting requirement for large buildings and campuses.
The Building Benchmarking and Reporting Act of 2026 would provide transparency as well as information to help the state track progress toward reducing carbon emissions.
“Rhode Island has set some very ambitious, very necessary goals for reducing our carbon emissions, but we are not keeping pace in terms of making the changes we need to accomplish them. Measuring and reporting is a critical first step toward addressing the portion of our emissions from buildings, and will provide information and motivation for progress toward reducing those emissions,” said Senator Kallman (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, Providence).
Said Representative Kislak (D-Dist. 4, Providence), “We know that buildings account for about one-third of all carbon output. Reporting requirements for the largest buildings will show us their energy use and hopefully improvements in efficiency from year to year in potentially some of the largest energy users in our built environment. Shining a light on their energy use will provide valuable information while encouraging owners to work diligently to improve their energy efficiency, advancing our state’s efforts to reduce overall emissions.”
The legislation (2026-H 7183, 2026-S 2260) applies to residential and nonresidential buildings or campuses of 25,000 square feet or more, and would require their owners to report information about their energy use and sources using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, an internet-based tool developed and maintained by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, or a portal already operated by Rhode Island Energy, the state’s largest electric and gas utility.
The bill would require that owners of buildings of 50,000 feet or more report their energy use for calendar year 2027 by May 15, 2028, and annually on May 15 for each subsequent year. The requirement would take effect for the 2029 calendar year for buildings of 25,000 to 49,999 square feet, with their first reports due by May 15, 2030.
The state Office of Energy Resources would provide notice to entities subject to the reporting requirements, as well as information sessions during the years and months before the requirements take effect. The bill also authorizes OER to develop incentives to encourage compliance, such as requiring participation for eligibility for state grants supporting benchmarking and decarbonization efforts.
The bill allows municipalities that have established their own similar building energy benchmarking program prior to the enactment of this bill to continue using them in lieu of this one, if they prefer. Providence began such a program in 2024, and the capital city accounts for more than 40 percent of all buildings in the state that would be subject to the reporting requirements.
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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