ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Uncertainty – What You Need to Know for BOMA BEST

BOMA BEST Users,
With recent news about the potential defunding of the ENERGY STAR program, we want to provide clarity on what this may mean for your building certifications and benchmarking efforts—especially for those of you responsible for operational performance, sustainability reporting, and BOMA BEST submissions.

Current Situation

• The proposed U.S. federal budget for fiscal year 2026 includes recommendations to eliminate the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, including Portfolio Manager, a tool widely used to track building energy performance.
• While this is not yet final, changes could take effect as early as October 1, 2025.

What This Means for You
If you are a building owner, property manager, or sustainability consultant, here’s what you need to know:

• BOMA BEST remains fully operational. Regardless of changes to ENERGY STAR, the BOMA BEST Sustainable certification process continues without interruption.
• Portfolio Manager is still online and functional. You can and should continue uploading and maintaining your data as usual.
• The BOMA BEST Benchmarking page on the hub is still online and functional.  For those utilizing the hub to upload data to push to the Portfolio Manager, continue uploading and maintaining your data here as usual.
• 2025 reporting and recertification activities will proceed as scheduled. There is no immediate action required from you in relation to BOMA BEST.

Proactive Steps You Should Take
To prepare for any potential changes to Portfolio Manager:

1. Export and secure your historical building data from Portfolio Manager. This includes utility data, ENERGY STAR scores, and benchmarking reports.
2. Ensure your current data is accurate and complete to support future reporting, regardless of the platform used.
3. Consider entering data on the hub to push to the Portfolio Manager instead of pulling. BOMA BEST is working to identify options that may offer continuity in the event that ENERGY STAR is phased out.
4. Consult your sustainability team or service provider to develop a data continuity strategy aligned with BOMA BEST’s requirements.

What BOMA BEST Is Doing
We understand how essential reliable data is to the success of your sustainability programs and certifications. That’s why we are:

• Actively assessing alternative benchmarking platforms that align with BOMA BEST’s data quality standards.
• Engaging with industry partners and stakeholders. BOMA BEST is in communication with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) to ensure any changes and/or transitions are smooth and well-communicated.

Stay Connected
We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out:
Have a question? Contact us at info@bomabest.org

Whether you manage a single property or a large portfolio, BOMA BEST is here to support your sustainability efforts through whatever changes lie ahead.

Sincerely,
The BOMA BEST Team