Establishes a program for the energy and water benchmarking of large buildings in Rhode Island and a standard for their energy performance.

Rhode Island Building Benchmarking and Reporting Act of 2026

This bill would create a program requiring owners of large buildings in Rhode Island to regularly measure and report how much energy and water their buildings use. This process, called "benchmarking," involves tracking a building's energy and water consumption over time using a standardized system, and then reporting that information to the state. The goal is to give building owners, tenants, and the public a clearer picture of how efficiently large buildings are using resources.

Beyond just measuring and reporting, the bill would also establish a performance standard — meaning large buildings would need to meet a certain level of energy efficiency. Buildings that fall short of the standard would likely need to make improvements over time to reduce their energy use. The specific buildings affected would be large ones, though the exact size thresholds would be defined in the bill's details.

This legislation would primarily affect owners of large commercial, residential, and potentially government buildings across Rhode Island. Tenants in those buildings could also be impacted, since energy efficiency improvements might influence utility costs or building conditions. The bill has been introduced and referred to the Senate Housing and Municipal Government Committee, meaning it is still in the early stages of the legislative process and has not yet become law.