CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to building energy use benchmarking and reporting; directing the Office of Sustainability and Environment to make building energy benchmarking reports and, where available, an energy performance rating available to the public; amending Sections 22.920.060, 22.920.125, and 22.920.170 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and amending Ordinance 124927, which adopted the 2016 Budget, changing appropriations to various departments and budget control levels, and from various funds in the Budget; all by a 3/4 vote of the City Council.
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WHEREAS, The City of Seattle (City) has a goal to become a carbon neutral city by 2050 and adopted a strategy for achieving this goal through Resolution 31447, adopting the 2013 Seattle Climate Action Plan; and
WHEREAS, the 2013 Seattle Climate Action Plan includes an action to make information from the energy benchmarking reports publicly accessible; and
WHEREAS, cities with full transparency of energy benchmarking reports and additional regulations have attained higher rates of energy use reduction; and
WHEREAS, as part of its 2013 Seattle Climate Action Plan, the City set a 2050 goal for reducing emissions from all commercial and residential buildings from 2008 levels by 45 percent and 63 percent, respectively; and
WHEREAS, emissions tracking from 2008 to 2012 through a citywide greenhouse gas inventory shows the City is not currently on track in per-year energy reductions to meet these targets; and
WHEREAS, RCW 19.27A.170 requires disclosure of nonpublic nonresidential benchmarking data and ratings for buildings greater than 10,000 square feet to a prospective buyer, lessee, or lender for the most recent continuously occupied 12-month period; and
WHEREAS, the City will publicly post annual building energy benchmarking reports and, where available, an energy performance rating; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate to make te...
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