Rules and Technical Guidance

Through the rest of 2024, Denver is committed to working with the community to improve and strengthen the Energize Denver Building Performance Policy. The city is proposing several significant updates to the policy to help building owners and ensure Denver reaches its climate goals, including

  • NEW: Penalty rates have been lowered.   
  • NEW: Corrective action plan: a process has been added to offer a building a last-ditch effort to not see penalties if the actual energy reduction is a few percentage points off what was estimated.   
  • NEW: Custom target adjustment: for buildings with a 42% reduction target, there’s a new option to adjust the final target.   
  • NEW: Non-Emitting Thermal Energy Network Incentive: in addition to the electrification incentive, a new bonus was created to encourage connections to district thermal networks that are decarbonized. 
  • NEW: Interim Compliance Deadlines: The 2025 Interim compliance deadline has shifted to 2026. The 2027 interim compliance deadline has been eliminated.
  • UPDATED:Financial Solvency definition for interim compliance holds. 
  • UPDATED: Appeals process: a more robust appeals process has been created.   
  • UPDATED: Simplified Compliance Holds: Streamlined options for delaying compliance due to financial or operational challenges.
  • UPDATED for HVAC: Additional flexibility for owners to choose HVAC replacement timing (end of service life) if that is part of their compliance strategy.
  • Tailored Condo Adjustment: Flexibility for HOAs to address fundraising timelines.
  • Enhanced Technical Guidance: Reorganized manuals and new resources for industrial, agricultural, and manufacturing buildings.
  • Target Cap: A cap for the maximum required reduction so that no building has to save more than 42%. With this change, one-third of the buildings would benefit and Denver would still meet its goals. 
  • Adaptive Reuse: A 2030 target adjustment for adaptive reuse projects for saving the building.
  • Rebates: Developing rebates for energy audits and for early compliance energy efficiency measures. 

The city is committed to Energize Denver as a key piece of our work to make Denver more vibrant. We look forward to improving how we support building owners with compliance.

To provide public comment on the updated draft documents in the third and final round of feedback, you can join a virtual feedback session (see dates and times below) or email comments to energizedenver@denvergov.org by end of day on February 14, 2025.  

General Public Feedback Sessions

  • Monday, February 10, 9:00am (register)
  • Wednesday, February 12, 4:00pm (register)
  • Friday, February 14, 12:00pm (register)

Service Provider Feedback Sessions

  • Monday, February 10, 3:00pm (register)
  • Thursday, February 13, 1:00pm (register)

The current Rules and Regulations for the Benchmarking and Performance Policy are available here.

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