Austin, TX · Overview
Austin Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) Ordinance
Austin's ECAD ordinance requires commercial buildings 10,000 sq ft and larger within Austin Energy's service territory to file an annual energy rating due June 1, with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager's "Portfolio Manager Reporting Option" available as one path. Multifamily properties instead face audit-and-disclosure requirements, and single-family homes are covered at time of sale.
Verified against primary sources
Filing deadline
Jun 1
Annually, for the prior calendar year
- City fee
- No city fee on file.
- Files via
- ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, plus the Austin Energy ECAD reporting system.
Filing facts
What the registry knows
- Who’s covered
- Commercial buildings 10,000 sq ft or larger — applies only if the building is within Austin Energy utility territory (multifamily instead follows an audit + disclosure track rather than annual ESPM benchmarking, and single-family homes are covered at time of sale).
- Multifamily buildings — applies only if the property is within Austin Energy utility territory; multifamily coverage is unit-count based (5 or more residential units), NOT square footage. The requirement is an energy audit in the calendar year the property turns 10 years old (results valid 10 years) plus disclosure to current/prospective residents — not annual ESPM benchmarking. Properties with above-average energy use (>150% of average) must cut usage 20%.
- Deadline
- Jun 1, annually
- Files via
- ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, plus the Austin Energy ECAD reporting system.
- City fee
- No city fee on file.
- If you miss it
- Fines reported up to roughly $2,000 in secondary sources; the exact current schedule is unconfirmed.
How to comply
Step by step
Confirm the building is commercial, 10,000 sq ft or larger, and within Austin Energy's utility territory (not just Austin city limits).
Choose a reporting path: file directly through Austin Energy's ECAD system, or use the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Reporting Option with an "Austin" Standard ID.
Submit the annual energy rating before June 1; for multifamily properties, arrange the required audit and disclosure instead of annual benchmarking.
FAQ
Common questions
Does ECAD apply to every building within Austin city limits?
No — coverage is tied to Austin Energy's utility service territory, which does not perfectly match the city's political boundaries, so a building just outside Austin Energy territory may not be covered even if it is inside the city.
Is ESPM required for ECAD compliance?
No — Austin Energy's own rating system is the primary path, and the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Reporting Option is offered as an alternative, not a requirement.
Want Austin Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) Ordinance handled for you?
Run the compliance checker to confirm this program actually applies to your building, then join our early-access waitlist — we’re onboarding buildings city by city and will email you the moment we’re filing in your jurisdiction.
Check your building