The City of Madison announced Thursday that it has launched the first year of the Building Energy Savings Program (BESP).

BESP was adopted by the Common Council back in 2023 and requires large commercial buildings to adjust its energy systems every four years while benchmarking their energy use annually.

City officials say the program will be in its beginning phases between 2024 and 2026. For this year, commercial buildings over 100,000 square-feet have until Sept. 6 to benchmark their buildings in the new Building Owner Portal.

Building owners can access information and program resources through the city’s website and can view a 2024 Covered Buildings List of all the buildings required to benchmark in 2024.

“The Building Energy Savings Program is a significant step toward improving the energy efficiency of Madison’s buildings,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said. “We’ve provided an array of resources to help building owners and managers successfully benchmark their building’s energy use. There’s never been a better time to start measuring energy use, setting goals, and taking action to improve efficiency.”

According to city officials, commercial buildings make up 45% of greenhouse gas emissions in Madison. This program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 91,000 tons of CO2 each year.

The city says it will host virtual training sessions that will explain the benchmarking and reporting process to participants.