Cambridge, MA · Overview
Cambridge Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO)
Cambridge requires annual energy reporting for nonresidential buildings 25,000 sq ft and up, residential buildings with 50 or more units, and municipal buildings 10,000 sq ft and up, filed via ESPM data request. 2023 amendments set net-zero emissions targets by 2035 for nonresidential buildings over 100,000 sq ft (2050 for 25,000-100,000 sq ft).
Verified against primary sources
Filing deadline
May 1
Annually, for the prior calendar year
- City fee
- No city fee on file.
- Files via
- ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager — you respond to the jurisdiction’s data request.
Filing facts
What the registry knows
- Who’s covered
- Commercial buildings 25,000 sq ft or larger.
- Multifamily buildings — applies only if the building has 50 or more residential units, singly or together with other buildings under common ownership — there is no square-footage trigger (a 40-unit, 30,000 sq ft building is not covered; a 55-unit, 20,000 sq ft building is).
- Municipal buildings 10,000 sq ft or larger.
- Deadline
- May 1, annually
- Files via
- ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager — you respond to the jurisdiction’s data request.
- City fee
- No city fee on file.
- If you miss it
- $300/day per violation.
How to comply
Step by step
Confirm coverage: nonresidential 25,000+ sq ft, residential 50+ units, or municipal 10,000+ sq ft.
Benchmark the building in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager with a "Cambridge" Standard ID and respond to the city's ESPM data request before May 1.
Track the building's net-zero emissions target year (2035 for nonresidential over 100,000 sq ft; 2050 for 25,000-100,000 sq ft) alongside the annual reporting cycle.
FAQ
Common questions
What counts as covered residential in Cambridge if it's not measured by sq ft?
Residential buildings with 50 or more units are covered regardless of total square footage — unit count is the operative trigger for residential properties, unlike the sq-ft-based commercial threshold.
Do all covered Cambridge buildings share the same net-zero deadline?
No — nonresidential buildings over 100,000 sq ft must reach net zero by 2035, while smaller nonresidential buildings (25,000-100,000 sq ft) have until 2050.
Want Cambridge Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) 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