Washington State Clean Building Performance Standard (CBPS) Initiative

The State of Washington has implemented a 2-tiered “Clean Buildings Performance Standard” initiative as summarized by the following table:




Here is the full reporting schedule for Tier 1 buildings:

  • 2021 – 2026 – voluntary adherence to the initiative
  • June 1, 2026 – buildings over 220,000 sf mandatory adherence
  • June 1, 2027 – buildings between 90,001- 220,000 sf mandatory adherence
  • June 1, 2028 – buildings between 50,000- 90,000 sf mandatory adherence

For Tier 2 buildings, the initial round of reporting will be due July 1, 2027.


Here are helpful links to this initiative:


This reporting requires a lot of work as well as the assistance of a qualified professional to complete it.  Because of this I encourage building owners to start the work at least 1.5 years in advance of the deadline their building needs to meet.


From 2021 to 2026, the standard will be used to administer a voluntary efficiency incentive program for Tier 1 buildings as well as multifamily buildings> 50,000 sq ft.  Here’s a link to the Early Adopter Incentive Program.  Beginning in 2026, the standard will be implemented as a mandatory requirement for Tier 1 buildings.


Each Tier 1 and Tier 2 reporting building will need to have energy benchmarking in place (the work I do for you) as well as  develop an energy management plan which includes an operations and maintenance program.  I can provide the needed information from your building’s energy benchmarking.  However, this is only one aspect of adhering to the Clean Building initiative.


The mandatory standard will require building owners to demonstrate that their building consumes less energy than a specified energy use intensity target or be in the process of reducing the building’s energy use intensity.  The incentive program will provide early adopters financial support when they demonstrate they have moved a non-compliant building into compliance with the standard.


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