| R 397 | 
| 2024 -- H 7617 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 06/14/2024  | 
| J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N | 
| RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE EXECUTIVE CLIMATE CHANGE COORDINATING COUNCIL (EC4) TO PREPARE A REPORT ON BENCHMARKING AND BUILDING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS | 
Introduced By: Representatives Kislak, Cortvriend, Fogarty, Carson, Speakman, McEntee, Spears, Morales, McGaw, and Felix  | 
| Date Introduced: February 15, 2024 | 
| RESOLVED, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island hereby | 
| respectfully requests that the Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council ("EC4") provides | 
| the Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives and President of the Rhode Island | 
| Senate, and members of the Rhode Island House Environment and Natural Resources Committee, | 
| and the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture with a report on benchmarking and | 
| building performance standards; and be it further | 
| RESOLVED, That this General Assembly hereby requests that said report shall include | 
| recommendations for the implementation of benchmarking and building performance standards | 
| for large existing buildings in Rhode Island, meaning those with at least 25,000 sq. ft. of gross | 
| floor area and including both publicly and privately owned buildings; and be it further | 
| RESOLVED, That said report shall also include recommended approaches and | 
| implementation plans to collect and evaluate the following, but not be limited to: | 
| 1. A summary of the State's building sector emissions using the best available data on | 
| what is known about the energy use intensity and emissions from large buildings; | 
| 2. An inventory of properties that would be subject to benchmarking and building | 
| performance standard requirements, including building type and size; | 
| 3. A summary of the best available data on current energy sources for large buildings, | 
| including delivered fuels such as oil, coal, and propane, natural gas, grid electricity, district | 
| energy systems, and on-site renewable energy; | 
| 4. The estimated costs pertaining to expected retrofits, alterations, and repairs that may be | 
| required to comply with the benchmarking program standards; | 
| 5. Identification of the State agency or agencies with relevant roles and responsibilities to | 
| develop and implement benchmarking and performance standards for large buildings; | 
| 6. An estimation of the staff and other resources, and associated annual budget, needed to | 
| develop and implement benchmarking and performance standards for large buildings; and | 
| 7. A recommended timeline for establishing and implementing benchmarking and | 
| performance standards for large buildings; and be it further | 
| RESOLVED, That this General Assembly hereby requests that in developing said report, | 
| the EC4 is encouraged to hold at least one public meeting in partnership with the Green Buildings | 
| Advisory Committee to hear and incorporate stakeholder input, to gather information on these | 
| topics, and at least one public listening session to hear feedback on the draft report; and be it | 
| further | 
| RESOLVED, That this General Assembly hereby requests the Executive Climate Change | 
| Coordinating Council to provide the Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, members of | 
| the Rhode Island House Environment and Natural Resources Committee, and the Senate | 
| Committee on Environment and Agriculture said report on benchmarking and building | 
| performance standards on or before February 15, 2025. The EC4 shall also make this report | 
| available on its website; and be it further | 
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to | 
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Executive Climate Change Coordinating | 
| Council. | 
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| LC005012/SUB A | 
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