BEUDO

Cambridge is doing our share to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and to lower the bar for other communities to do so as well by learning from our experiences. That's why the City is one of a growing number of state and local governments – including Massachusetts and Boston – that recognize they can only meaningfully address the warming planet by significantly reducing building emissions.

This page is for building owners subject to BEUDO, and for others who want to learn about Cambridge’s Building Performance Standards.

Why BEUDO

In Cambridge, more than 80% of emissions come from buildings:

About 35% from large commercial and institutional buildings
About 35% from power plant emissions providing electricity and HVAC to buildings
About 5% from small businesses and all residences

Building greenhouse gas emissions come almost entirely from the heating and cooling (HVAC) and electricity they use. Cambridge’s Net Zero Action Plan – adopted in 2015 and updated in 2023 – lays out goals, policies, and programs to get Cambridge to net zero emissions from buildings by 2050 or earlier.

Cambridge passed its Building Energy Use and Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) in 2014, which required the city's largest buildings to report their annual energy (and water) use. Nearly 1,100 buildings in Cambridge now report their energy use to the city every year.

In 2023, after voluntary reduction measures failed to meaningfully change building carbon emissions, the City Council updated the ordinance to additionally require large non-residential buildings to become net zero. Net Zero means that all greenhouse gas emissions produced annually through a building's operations are offset by carbon-free energy such as solar, wind, or geothermal, or electricity produced by renewable energy.

If your building is covered by BEUDO and you still have questions after reviewing the following sections, please email BEUDO@cambridgema.gov for free technical assistance.

BEUDO Requirements by Building Size and Use

Residential buildings, regardless of size, are not required to decrease their carbon emissions. Large (50+ units) residential buildings are required to report energy and water use data.

Buildings below 25,000 square feet in size are not covered by BEUDO regulations.

Only larger non-residential buildings in Cambridge are subject to BEUDO emission reduction requirements:

Non-residential buildings at least 100,000 square feet in size must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2035.
Non-residential buildings 25,000 to 100,000 square feet in size must start reducing emissions in 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Building owners with multiple properties may treat their buildings as a campus, allowing emissions reductions to be averaged across buildings.

The City updates the list of covered buildings each year and sends notices to property owners.

Latest Map of BEUDO-Covered Buildings

Gathering and Submitting Your Data

Owners of all Covered Properties are required to gather and submit their energy and water use data in a process called benchmarking.

Benchmarking allows communities to measure a building's use of resources compared to earlier years and similar buildings. BEUDO buildings must submit energy use data by May 1st of the following year.

The baseline is the initial starting point for emissions reductions for a property. It is calculated as the average greenhouse gas emissions for two consecutive calendar years. BEUDO owners may choose to use any two consecutive years between 2010 and 2019 to capture prior investments in energy efficiency and electrification.

BEUDO buildings are required to verify their emissions data for the years that establish their baseline, as well as all years starting in 2026.

Cambridge uses the free ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager platform to upload and report annual energy use data. The steps to submit annual BEUDO benchmarking are listed below and provided in detail here:

Provide verified emissions data for building(s) two-year baseline
Obtain energy and water data for your building(s)
Set up an ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Account and your property(ies)
Upload annual energy data into Portfolio Manager
Upload annual water data into Portfolio Manager
Check your data before submission
Share your property(ies) with the City of Cambridge

Help Desk

Reducing your Building's Emissions

The first step is getting an energy audit to prioritize and decrease electrical and thermal energy use. Mass Save has lower-cost options for energy audits. Based on what you learn, next steps might include the following.

Lower heating/cooling costs by improving insulation, sealing air leaks, and upgrading windows, doors, roofs, and HVAC systems.
Install energy-efficient electric appliances and air- or ground-source heat pumps for heating and cooling.
Use smart building controls to automate lighting, HVAC, and other building functions based on occupancy and environmental conditions.
Maximize natural light and use highly efficient artificial lighting.

Getting Help from the City

Cambridge’s Building Performance Help Desk is publicly available. Cambridge’s BEAM Platform is only for BEUDO building owners and managers.

The Cambridge Building Energy Retrofit Program connects you to energy efficiency services and technical support including:

Comprehensive planning services and support specific to your building.
Expert guidance, including a dedicated Eversource Energy Efficiency team, vendor referrals, and specialized building technologies.
Energy Efficiency offerings and incentives tailored to your building type and size.
Building Operator Certification training classes for facilities staff.

To participate, contact the Cambridge Building Energy Retrofit Consultant at (781) 441-3502 or Submit Your Information to Eversource.

Mass Save Business: A program that offers business customers a wide array of financial incentives to offset the cost of purchasing energy efficiency equipment in order to lower energy usage and operating costs.

Property Assessment Clean Energy (PACE): A financing mechanism that allows commercial property owners to finance energy improvements for new construction and existing buildings over a long term. It can be used for commercial, industrial and multi-family (5+units with a single owner) buildings.

If you still need one-on-one support, please email BEUDO@cambridgema.gov.

Options for Compliance

For building owners not able to fully comply with BEUDO requirements starting in 2026 through on-site renovations, the following options will be available.

Purchase Renewable Energy: Starting in 2026, building owners can purchase renewable electricity through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs).

Verified Carbon Credits: Starting in 2030, 100,000+ square foot buildings may purchase Verified Carbon Credits (VCCs) to offset a portion of on-site thermal energy emissions.

Alternative Compliance Payments: are payments property owners can make to offset their greenhouse gas emissions. One Alternative Compliance Credit is equivalent to one metric ton of carbon emitted. The cost of an ACC is updated for each compliance period and is $234/mT for 2026 to 2030.

Deferrals: Building owners can apply to the Review Board with detailed plans to defer compliance for up to five years.

Hardship Compliance Plans: These will be considered for properties facing hardships including financial distress or limitations because of historic designations, access to grid electrical service, or a property's ownership structure.