Building performance standards: who is over the limit
Estimates for every benchmarked building in the four US cities whose standards can be computed from public data. Each figure shows its method, the data year and the source; none is a regulator's determination.
At a glance
1,520 of 36,568 NYC buildings we could estimate are over their Local Law 97 limit for 2024–2029 on the energy they reported, and 9,397 would be over the 2030–2034 limit at the same energy use. The largest estimated annual fine is $14M.
Lists
- NYC buildings estimated over their LL97 2024–2029 limit
Covered buildings whose reported energy puts them over the Local Law 97 limit for 2024–2029, ranked by the estimated annual fine.
1,520 buildings
- NYC buildings estimated over their LL97 2030–2034 limit
Covered buildings that would exceed the much tighter 2030–2034 limit if they kept using the energy they reported, ranked by the estimated annual fine.
9,397 buildings
- Boston buildings estimated over their BERDO 2025–2029 emissions standard
Buildings of 35,000 sq ft or more whose published emissions exceed the BERDO standard for their use, ranked by estimated alternative compliance payment.
333 buildings
- Denver buildings above their Energize Denver 2024 target
Buildings whose weather-normalized site EUI is above the city's own 2024 interim target for them, ranked by how far above.
1,446 buildings
- Washington, DC buildings that do not meet BEPS
Buildings DOEE lists as not meeting the Building Energy Performance Standard for their property group, ranked by DOEE's estimated distance from it.
883 buildings
Method and sources by program
NYC Local Law 97 (building emissions limits)
Emissions = the building's reported LL84 energy (grid electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, district steam and other fuels) × the LL97 carbon coefficients (Admin Code §28-320.3.1.1; for 2030–2034, 1 RCNY §103-14: grid electricity 0.000145 tCO₂e/kWh, steam 0.0000432 tCO₂e/kBtu). Limit = each reported property use's floor area × its 1 RCNY §103-14 emissions factor for the period. Estimated fine = tons over the limit × $268. Coverage and compliance pathway come from DOB's Covered Buildings List.
Not included: deductions (renewable energy credits, GHG offsets, clean distributed energy, beneficial electrification), the 2024–2025 option to use the occupancy-group limit, campus or shared-energy aggregation, time-of-use electricity, adjustments, mitigated penalties and Article 321 buildings. The 2030 figure assumes the building keeps using the energy it reported.
DOB LL97 page and Covered Buildings List · 1 RCNY §103-14 (emissions factors) · LL84 benchmarking data (NYC Open Data 5zyy-y8am)
This is an estimate, not a DOB determination. Verify with the NYC Department of Buildings and a registered design professional.
Boston BERDO 2.0 emissions standards
Standard = the BERDO emissions standard for the building's use (kgCO₂e per sq ft per year: e.g. office 5.3 for 2025–2029 and 3.2 for 2030–2034) × floor area, compared with the emissions Boston published for the building. Exposure = tons over the standard × the $234 ACP.
Uses the primary property type only (a mixed-use building has a blended standard), Boston's published emissions as reported, and no flexibility measures (portfolios, individual compliance schedules, hardship plans) or renewable purchases. Buildings of 20,000–34,999 sq ft start in 2030.
This is an estimate, not a City of Boston determination. Verify with the Environment Department's BERDO team.
Energize Denver building performance targets
The city's own per-building targets (first interim target for 2024, adjusted final target for 2030) from Denver's master benchmarking dataset, compared with the building's weather-normalized site EUI. Gap only: no fine is estimated, because Denver's penalties depend on compliance pathways and timelines the public file doesn't show.
Manufacturing, agricultural and industrial buildings on the alternate (MAI) path are left out.
Targets and status are Denver's; check them with Energize Denver.
Washington, DC Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS)
Quoted from DOEE's Building Energy Performance Data: the BEPS standard for the building's property group, the building's own BEPS metric (usually the ENERGY STAR score), whether it meets the standard, and DOEE's estimated distance from it. Not recomputed.
Cycle 2 standards are not yet published per building; DC's penalties depend on the compliance pathway, so no fine is estimated.
DOEE BEPS · Building Energy Performance Data (DC GIS)
Status is DOEE's published figure; confirm with the DC Department of Energy and Environment.
Not scored: cities with benchmarking but no computable per-building standard in public data — e.g. Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and statewide California (disclosure only, or standards not yet in effect), and St. Louis, Montgomery County MD, Cambridge and others whose performance standards publish no per-building targets we can read.
Consultants and lenders: filtered lists with managing agents, recent sales and mortgages, CSV export and alerts are on Compliance & lender lists.
Frequently asked questions
How is the LL97 fine estimated?
Emissions = the building's reported LL84 energy (grid electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, district steam and other fuels) × the LL97 carbon coefficients (Admin Code §28-320.3.1.1; for 2030–2034, 1 RCNY §103-14: grid electricity 0.000145 tCO₂e/kWh, steam 0.0000432 tCO₂e/kBtu). Limit = each reported property use's floor area × its 1 RCNY §103-14 emissions factor for the period. Estimated fine = tons over the limit × $268. Coverage and compliance pathway come from DOB's Covered Buildings List. Not included: deductions (renewable energy credits, GHG offsets, clean distributed energy, beneficial electrification), the 2024–2025 option to use the occupancy-group limit, campus or shared-energy aggregation, time-of-use electricity, adjustments, mitigated penalties and Article 321 buildings. The 2030 figure assumes the building keeps using the energy it reported.
Is this the fine my building will actually pay?
No — it is an estimate from the energy the building reported under LL84. The real figure depends on deductions, adjustments, the compliance pathway and the report a registered design professional files with DOB. Use it to size the problem, then verify.
Which other cities have building performance standards here?
Boston (BERDO 2.0 emissions standards, estimated alternative compliance payment), Denver (Energize Denver: the city's own per-building EUI targets, gap only) and Washington, DC (BEPS: DOEE's own published status). Other cities with benchmarking but no public per-building standard data — or no standard yet — are not scored.
About this data
Source: NYC DOB Covered Buildings List + LL84, Boston BERDO, Energize Denver, DC DOEE BEPS, as published October 28, 2026. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: BuildingCensus, “Building performance standard exposure”, https://buildingcensus.com/bps (data as of October 28, 2026).