Sources

Footnote numbers on this site point to the matching entry below.

1. Minn. Stat. § 216C.331: coverage and total floor area incl. covered parking (subd. 1), Data Quality Checker and 30-day corrections (subd. 4), tenant data within 30 days (subd. 5(c)), yearly schedule and sale disclosure (subd. 7), utility 4-customer / 50% aggregation rule (subd. 8), March 1 notices (subd. 13), June 15 warning, July 15 / August 15 deadlines and the $1,000 civil fine (subd. 16)
2. Minnesota Commerce benchmarking FAQ (Apr. 30, 2025, PDF): covered cities, exclusions, public buildings in B3, no consultant required, automated and manual review, "In Compliance" and "Pending Revisions" emails
3. Minnesota Commerce: large building energy benchmarking: program page, including the notice that civil penalty orders have been mailed under subd. 16 and that recipients may request a hearing within 30 days (checked Oct 19, 2026)
4. Minnesota Commerce: building owners: official state help desk (free)
5. Minnesota Commerce How-To Guide (Feb. 21, 2025, PDF): Portfolio Manager setup, Building ID, sharing with the State, portal registration, claiming the building, Energy Reporting Form
6. Minnesota Commerce compliance checklist (PDF): Building ID format (MN + 5 digits)
7. Minnesota Commerce: utility resources: 12 months of whole-building data (electric, gas, solar, district steam), auto-upload utilities, other utilities by request or past bills
8. Xcel Energy benchmarking user guide (PDF): owner authorization for third parties, tenant list "up to five business days"
9. Xcel Energy benchmarking FAQ (PDF): owner authorization, months at least 45 days old, about two months behind on average
10. CenterPoint Energy Data Portal instructions for third-party providers (PDF): owner authorization for every building, 4/50 rule applied month by month, account-holder (tenant) consent
11. City of Portland multifamily energy reporting pilot (June 2026, PDF): Portland's program, not Minnesota's; used only as an outside time reference. Five buildings, no tenant interaction; 3–9 hours active time, median 6 (pp. 11, 14); one month to one year total; one utility took more than 10 weeks; later years expected at two hours or less (p. 14)
12. Benchmarking MN portal: Energy Reporting Form
13. EPA ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager
14. City of Minneapolis: energy benchmarking: Ord. 47.190, water data, $200 fine, energy evaluations
15. City of Edina: business and commercial requirements: 25,000–49,999 sq ft
16. City of St. Paul: Energize Saint Paul: discontinued
17. Touchstone IQ plan details: paid full-service plans
18. Vert / EBEWE, Los Angeles: $495 per building, as of Oct 2026
19. Elevate, Chicago: $800 per building, as of Oct 2026

Checked October 2026. Rules can change. Confirm with Minnesota Commerce before relying on this page.