2025 -- S 1161

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LC003079

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF ENERGY RESOURCES TO

UNDERTAKE A REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF BENCHMARKING PROGRAMS FOR

MUNICIPAL AND PRIVATE BUILDINGS GREATER THAN 25,000 SQUARE FEET

     Introduced By: Senator Meghan E. Kallman

     Date Introduced: June 20, 2025

     Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar

     WHEREAS, The 2021 Act on Climate established Rhode Island as a national leader in

reducing harmful emissions and achieving net-zero economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions; and

     WHEREAS, Rhode Island lacks sufficient up-to-date emissions and energy-use sample

data for large buildings; and

     WHEREAS, Large buildings greater than 25,000 square feet could account for 10 percent

of emissions statewide, or roughly one-fifth of the estimated emissions from the whole building

sector; and

     WHEREAS, To properly measure the emissions and energy-use intensity of large

buildings the State would need to develop a building energy benchmarking program for these

buildings; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby respectfully requests

the Office of Energy Resources (OER) to undertake a building benchmarking review and analysis

on the following:

Status on the implementation of current benchmarking efforts on state properties;

Recommendations for proper implementation of a benchmarking program that

expands current benchmarking to municipal and private buildings greater than

25,000 square feet. Recommendations shall include and not limited to timeline

for implementation, staffing requirements, resources, and programmatic changes;

Feedback from the League of Cities and Towns and Chambers of Commerce on

benchmarking program implementation and data collection; and

Coordinate with Rhode Island Energy on modeling data, implementation, and

cost of a benchmarking program; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby requests OER to develop recommendations as to

how to implement a State benchmarking program for municipal and privates buildings greater

than 25,000 square feet; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby further requests the OER to report its findings and

recommendations to the Senate on or before February 27, 2026; 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 Commissioner of the Office of Energy

Resources.

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LC003079

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