Providence, RI Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage threshold
- 20,000+ sq ft (10,000+ municipal)
- Benchmarking tool
- ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
- Reporting deadline
- May 15 annually, phased by size
- City goal
- Carbon neutral by 2050
- Max fine
- $4,000 per building per year
Summary
Providence requires owners of buildings 20,000+ square feet (10,000+ for municipal buildings) to benchmark energy use annually, report emissions data to the city, and complete an energy assessment or efficiency action every five years, working toward citywide carbon neutrality by 2050.
There is hereby established a building energy reporting program for covered properties with the purpose of helping the city conserve energy, reduce energy costs for businesses, and meet its goal to be carbon neutral by 2050 by requiring large building owners to benchmark their buildings' energy use and report this data to the city. The city will be responsible for reporting this information to the public in order to provide transparency to the marketplace.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 7).
Full Breakdown
Providence's Building Energy Reporting Program, codified at City Code §§ 5-147, 5-160 (Ord. No. 2024-40, following an earlier version at §§ 5-126, 5-139 under Ord. No. 2023-36), is the city's operative green-building measure for existing large buildings, Providence has no separate green construction code in this file. Covered-property owners must upload annual energy-use data into ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager on a schedule that starts with buildings of 50,000+ square feet in 2025 and phases down to 10,000 square feet by 2026. Every five years, each covered property must also complete an ASHRAE-style energy assessment or an energy-saving action such as retro-commissioning, with results reported to the Department of Sustainability's director.
Violations & Fines
A first violation draws a written warning. Repeat violations bring civil fines of $30/day (capped at $3,000/year) for buildings of 20,000+ sq ft, or $40/day (capped at $4,000/year) for buildings of 50,000+ sq ft not reported.
Frequently Asked Questions
What buildings does Providence's energy reporting law cover?
How often must owners report energy use?
What if an owner skips the required energy assessment?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Providence
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