MDE announced Oct. 9th as the hearing date for proposed new BEPS regulations.
On October 9th, the Maryland Department of the Environment will be hosting a public hearing on proposed building energy performance standards (BEPS). Required by the Climate Solutions Now Act (CSNA) of 2022, MDE has been tasked with developing state BEPS and is withdrawing those proposed in 2023.
Click here to check out the full text of the proposed BEPS.
Click here for more information on how to attend public hearing.
What Are BEPS?
Buildings can be a significant source of emissions as it takes tremendous energy to build, heat, cool, and operate these structures. Building Energy Performance Standards, or BEPS are requirements to reduce or even eliminate emissions from the construction and operation of buildings. Maryland’s BEPS will be designed to achieve zero net direct greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 efficiently.
What the CSNA said about BEPS.
The CSNA was a landmark piece of environmental legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2022. As part of that bill, MDE was tasked with developing building energy performance standards for covered buildings that achieve (1) a 20% reduction in net direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by January 1, 2030, as compared with 2025 levels for average buildings of similar construction and (2) net-zero direct GHG emissions by January 1, 2040. To facilitate the development of these building energy performance standards, MDE must require covered building owners to measure and report direct emissions data to the department each year beginning in 2025. The provision requiring MDE to set a standard that achieves net-zero direct GHG emissions for covered buildings terminates December 31, 2029.
Read more about Maryland BEPS.
