New Orleans, LA · Overview
New Orleans Building Energy Benchmarking
New Orleans passed a new building energy benchmarking ordinance in 2025 (Ordinance No. 35,154) covering buildings 20,000 sq ft and larger, phased in by size: buildings ≥50,000 sq ft were first required to comply beginning Jan 1, 2026, with their first annual report already due May 31, 2026; buildings 20,000-49,999 sq ft begin Jan 1, 2027, with first reports due May 31, 2027. May 31 is the recurring annual deadline going forward, with a first-year penalty waiver for each cohort's inaugural cycle.
Verified against primary sources
Filing deadline
May 31
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
- Buildings 20,000 sq ft or larger.
- Deadline
- May 31, annually
Ordinance No. 35,154 (passed July 10, 2025) phases in: properties >=50,000 sq ft must comply beginning Jan 1, 2026 — their first annual report was due May 31, 2026 (already passed); properties 20,000-49,999 sq ft begin Jan 1, 2027 with first reports due May 31, 2027. May 31 is the recurring annual deadline, not a one-time date. Penalties are waived only in the first year each property is required to comply. Submission is via EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager per the city (nola.gov/benchmarking).
- 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
- $1,000-$3,000 per violation, with a first-year penalty waiver for the inaugural compliance cycle.
How to comply
Step by step
Confirm the building is 20,000 sq ft or larger within New Orleans city limits.
Watch for the city's implementing guidance on the submission mechanism (most peer cities use an ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager data request, but New Orleans's specific process was not yet confirmed as of the source research).
File by May 31 annually: buildings ≥50,000 sq ft were already required to file by May 31, 2026; buildings 20,000-49,999 sq ft must file by May 31, 2027. Each cohort's first required year carries a penalty waiver, so early filers in a newly covered cohort should not assume a fine for minor inaugural-cycle issues.
FAQ
Common questions
When does New Orleans benchmarking actually start?
Buildings ≥50,000 sq ft were already required to start: their first annual report was due May 31, 2026. Smaller buildings (20,000-49,999 sq ft) get a longer runway — their first report isn't due until May 31, 2027.
Is there a grace period for the first year of New Orleans compliance?
Yes — the ordinance includes a first-year penalty waiver for each size cohort's inaugural cycle, so a building that misses its first required May 31 deadline (May 31, 2026 for buildings ≥50,000 sq ft; May 31, 2027 for buildings 20,000-49,999 sq ft) is not immediately subject to the standard $1,000-$3,000 fine.
Want New Orleans Building Energy Benchmarking 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