Cambridge BUDO Update Cites $20 Million Federal Grant, 91 Percent Reporting Compliance

CAMBRIDGE — October 8, 2024 — Cambridge committee hears BUDO building emissions update, touts $20 million federal grant. The Ordinances Committee, chaired by Councillor Patty Nolan, received a progress report October 8 on the city's Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance from the newly created Office of Sustainability, whose director Julie Wormser had been in her role for one week. Senior Climate Program Manager Nikhil Nadkarni reported that about 780 of roughly 850 covered properties — a 91 percent compliance rate — submitted complete 2023 energy data by the May deadline, and that enforcement actions against the remaining 68 non-compliant properties will begin this fall. The city, partnering with Boston and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, was awarded a $20 million U.S. Department of Energy grant "very close to the maximum that can be awarded," to fund technical assistance for building owners, additional staff, and a statewide decarbonization resource hub. Staff cautioned that even full compliance with BUDO's mandatory reductions — affecting roughly 810 large commercial buildings, with the first reductions required in 2026 — would achieve only about a 43 percent citywide emissions reduction by 2035, short of the state's legally required 50 percent reduction by 2030. Draft Phase One regulations covering emissions factors and renewable electricity criteria are expected for a 30-day public comment period within weeks, with final regulations due by December 31, 2024.