Resources

This page provides background information on the Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS) from its early development stage in 2022 on through to the present rulemaking proccess.

Per Seattle Municipal Code, OSE developed a Director's Rule to clarify topics such as required documentation, processes for compliance and reporting, and other key elements flagged for rulemaking in the BEPS law.

You can access the final Director's Rule here. This Rule covers nearly all rules needed for compliance with BEPS, which starts with the largest buildings reporting by Oct. 1, 2027.

Public Comment Period

OSE released the draft Director's Rule on June 17 and concluded a three-week comment period on July 9. OSE reviewed all comments and considered those relevant to rulemaking decisions and topics to develop the final Rule for adoption. Additional required rulemaking to cover limited topics such as updating emissions factors for 2031–2035 and other elements noted in this draft Rule and specified in SMC 22.925 will take place by Dec. 31, 2027, and at later dates as specified in SMC 22.925.

In addition, as part of its ongoing compliance with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), OSE posted an Addendum to the DNS on the Seattle Land Use Information Bulletin (LUIB) on 6/30. Comments specific to the DNS addendum were accepted through July 14.

Rulemaking Public Webinars

OSE hosted two webinars to solicit feedback from stakeholders to inform its drafting of the BEPS Director’s Rule. 

The webinars covered the following topics as they relate to the proposed Rule:

  • Webinar #1: Covered buildings, exemptions, Qualified Persons, Benchmarking Verification, compliance with one building, end use deductions, and extensions. Review the slides or watch the recording >
  • Webinar #2: Aggregate GHGIT, alternate GHGIT, Alternative Compliance Payments, Multifamily Prescriptive Pathway, penalties and enforcement, and decarbonization plans. Review the slides or watch the recording >

Stakeholder Engagement

BEPS includes many flexible options for compliance and OSE values opportunities for stakeholder participation to help the City further shape and clarify these options. To facilitate this OSE is conducted: 

  • A facilitated Technical Rulemaking Workgroup with subject matter experts from multiple sectors to weigh in on options to inform the draft. 
  • Facilitated topic-specific focus groups (e.g., affordable housing, decarbonization plans, private building portfolios, and others TBD). 
  • Public webinars for feedback on key elements of the draft rule. 
  • Continuous opportunities to share written comments. 
  • A three-week formal public comment period after the draft rule is released

Rulemaking Timeline 

  • Summer and Fall 2024
    • Kicked off Technical Rulemaking Workgroup
    • Focused topical meetings
  • Winter 2025
    • Technical Rulemaking Workgroup and focused topical meetings held
    • Developed draft rule
  • Spring 2025
    • Rulemaking public webinars held
    • Published final rule draft for official public comment
  • Fall 2025
    • Published adopted Director’s Rule

Technical Rulemaking Workgroup Meetings

Focused Topical Meetings

These small group meetings focueds on key technical elements of the ordinance that need rulemaking discussion such as campus decarbonization, provisions that impact affordable housing or challenging spaces like laboratories. 

Webinar recording and handout: "Seattle's Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS): Rulemaking Public Webinar." The second of two rulemaking webinars presented by OSE to solicit input on the BEPS Director's Rule on May 22, 2025.

Webinar recording and handout: "Seattle's Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS): Rulemaking Public Webinar." The first of two rulemaking webinars presented by OSE to solicit input on the BEPS Director's Rule on May 8, 2025.

Webinar recording and handouts: "Seattle's New Building Emissions Performance Standard for Property Managers." Presented by OSE and hosted by Seattle BOMA on Oct. 2, 2024.

Webinar recording and handouts: "Seattle’s Brand-New Building Emissions Performance Standard: What You Need to Know Now." Presented by OSE and hosted by the Lighting Design Lab on Feb. 1, 2024.

  • HEAR Program— Appliance rebates for low-income multifamily buildings
  • PSE Commercial Retrofit Incentives — Puget Sound Energy (PSE) customers are eligible for a variety of commercial gas incentives, including strategic energy management.

  • State of Washington Clean Buildings Website — Official compliance information, fact sheets, FAQs, application forms for the early adopter incentives, and reporting.
  • Clean Buildings Performance Standard Integrated Document — This document, which integrates ASHRAE Standard 100-2018 with WAC194-50 is a must-read for energy service providers, Tune-Up Specialists and facility engineers that need to know the details of the requirements.   
  • CBPS Incentives — Incentives for building owners who demonstrate early compliance with the Washington Clean Buildings Performance Standard.

**Important: the links below contain proposed policy details that may now be out-of-date. Please see the updated policy guides for final targets & timeline.**

Webinar: Estimating Your Building’s Emissions and Draft Targets for the Proposed Seattle Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS) — March 23, 2023

This webinar provided a brief overview of the proposed policy. It then provided basic instructions, suitable for beginners, to learn how to quickly estimate and track a building’s current greenhouse gas emissions and estimate BEPS proposed targets. It also showed how to retrieve energy data from Portfolio Manager. 

Webinar: Draft Emissions Targets for Seattle Building Performance Standard — Oct. 25, 2022

At this technical webinar, OSE and SBW Consulting shared the draft greenhouse gas intensity targets and the analysis conducted to inform the targets. A brief overview of the proposed policy and the updated policy timeline was also shared. 

  • View the slide deck (Includes an appendix that outlines the proposed individual targets pathway and other alternative compliance and exemptions that were briefly covered during the webinar.)
  • View the recording (PDF)

2nd Online Open House — June 16, 2022

This 2nd open house, attended by 200 people, provided a brief policy background and update on work to date and shared highlights of stakeholder feedback received on developing a BPS policy. OSE also shared the Draft Seattle BPS policy framework for the regulations, the updated policy timeline, and took comments and questions on the draft policy framework. 

1st Online Open House — April 5, 2022 

This open house, attended by 350 people, gave an overview of how buildings contribute to climate pollution and the ways this pollution affects people’s health and our community, especially impacting communities of color. Staff presented on existing City policies to reduce climate pollution and discussed building performance standards (BPS) — what they are, how they work, how they might complement current state and city policies, and their benefits. Following the presentation, staff responded to audience questions and comments, which are summarized in the Q&A below. 

This section archives the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) process documentation, which took place in June 2023.

June 8, 2023 — State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Determination Issued — The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) has issued a Determination of Non-Significance under SEPA (no Environmental Impact Statement required) for the proposed Building Emissions Performance Standard. More information:

Sustainability and Environment

Michelle Caulfield, Interim Director
Address: 700 5th Avenue, #1868, Seattle, WA, 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 94729, Seattle, WA, 98124-4729
Phone: (206) 256-5158
OSE@seattle.gov

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