Local Law 84 of NYC mandates owners of buildings larger than 50,000 square feet to annually measure their energy and water consumption through a process called benchmarking.
Building owners are required to use the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) online benchmarking tool, Energy Star Portfolio Manager®, to enter and submit the usage data to the City.
The deadline for submitting benchmarking data is May 1 of every year. Once you have submitted a satisfactory report by the deadline, there is no additional responsibility until the following year.
If you do not submit a report by May 1, you may aim for the next quarterly deadline of August 1. Subsequent deadlines are November 1 and February 1 of the following year.
The annual benchmarking compliance process consists of the following steps:
Failure to benchmark will result in a DOB violation and a penalty of $500. Continued failure to benchmark by subsequent deadlines of August 1, November 1, and February 1 will result in additional violations on a quarterly basis and a penalty of $500 per quarter with a maximum of $2,000 per year.
| Deadline | Penalty |
| May 1 | $500 |
| August 1 | $500 |
| November 1 | $500 |
| February 1 (of the following year) | $500 |
Building owners need to report energy usage data, along with specific building information. For water use, benchmarking results will be uploaded by the Department of Environmental Protection for all buildings equipped by the DEP with automatic water meters for the full previous year.
Building owners can hire a representative and seek assistance from qualified professionals, such as energy consultants or engineers, who are experienced in Local Law 84 compliance. Additional resources and guidelines are available on the NYC.gov website.
In some cases, extensions may be available. Building owners should contact the relevant authorities to inquire about extension possibilities and requirements.
Local Laws 84, 87, and 97 work together to support NYC’s sustainability goals:
LL84 requires annual energy benchmarking, LL87 mandates energy audits and retro-commissioning every ten years, and LL97 sets carbon emissions caps—each playing a key role in reducing building energy use and emissions.
Mandates energy audits and retro-commissioning every ten years for buildings over 50,000 square feet, with penalties starting at $3,000 for late or incomplete filings.
Requires buildings over 25,000 square feet to limit carbon emissions under NYC’s climate goals, with annual reporting due each May and penalties starting at $268 per excess ton of CO₂.