Washington’s State Energy Benchmark Law

In addition to benchmarking requirements for private buildings, Washington’s State Energy Benchmark Law (2009) put in place strict requirements for public buildings, including mandatory investment-grade energy audits. The law required that the state “implement any cost-effective energy conservation measures” revealed by those audits by 2016. The law also generally prohibited the state from entering into leases for buildings with an Energy Star rating less than 75, unless certain energy efficiency measures are utilized.