Statement on Building Benchmarking
Published on June 24, 2025
The Village of Oak Park’s Energy and Benchmarking Ordinance requires buildings 10,000 square feet and larger to report their annual energy and water consumption. It has recently come to the Village’s attention that energy consulting companies are contacting building owners and managers directly via letter and offering services for a fee to assist with compliance. These companies are not associated with the Village and the Village did not endorse or authorize these solicitations.
The letters also state that a violation for missing a deadline comes with a monetary fine. Although the Ordinance does allow the Village of Oak Park to pursue fines for non-compliance, the Village is continuing to provide education and technical assistance to those in need. The Village has not begun to issue fines at this time.
While use of consulting companies is permitted, the Village does not require buildings to do so in order to meet the requirements of the Ordinance. Please email the Village’s Chief Sustainability Officer and staff at sustainability@oak-park.us to request free technical assistance.
In order to avoid fines in the future, those responsible for buildings 10,000 square feet and larger are encouraged to visit the Village’s Building Benchmarking webpage to claim their buildings and find additional guidance on the benchmarking process.
For more information about the Village of Oak Park’s Sustainability initiatives, visit www.oak-park.us/sustainability.
About Oak Park - The Village of Oak Park, located just nine miles west of downtown Chicago, offers a distinctive urban/suburban lifestyle in a thriving, multi-cultural community. Well-known for progressive values, tree-lined streets and bustling business districts, Oak Park serves as an ideal place to live, work and play. As a longstanding community of choice, the Village benefits from convenient access to local and regional transit, high-quality public schools, and arts and cultural attractions, including Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio and his acclaimed Unity Temple, which was recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.