To comply with AB 802, report your building's energy use to the California Energy Commission (CEC) by June 1 every year. There are five steps: open an ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager account, enter each covered building, enter 12 months of energy data, open the CEC reporting link, and submit from inside Portfolio Manager.
What are the five steps to comply with AB 802?
- Open a free ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager account.
- Enter each covered building into the account, with its address, gross floor area, occupancy and year built.
- Enter the energy use data for each building. Portfolio Manager needs 12 months of data.
- Click the correct reporting link on the CEC's Report Benchmarking Data page. It sends you to log in to Portfolio Manager.
- Submit the report from within Portfolio Manager. You will receive a confirmation email from ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.
What do I need before I start?
Have the building's gross floor area, occupancy, year built and street address ready, plus 12 months of electricity and natural gas data (steam and fuel oil too, if used). Since 2023 you also need the building's benchmarking reference number (BRN). You can look it up by street address at benchmarkingca.com, the CEC's lookup tool run by Touchstone IQ. Add the BRN to the property in Portfolio Manager under Unique Identifiers.
Water and waste data are optional. An ENERGY STAR score is not required for compliance.
How do I get my utility data?
The CEC says utilities have their own request processes, and there is no single form. You will usually attest that you are the owner or are authorized to act for the owner. If a building has three or more utility customers, utilities must provide whole-building data without tenant permission. With fewer than three customers, authorization from tenants or the prior owner may be required.
Some utilities can send data to Portfolio Manager automatically. If yours does not, you can type in totals from bills or use the Portfolio Manager upload template.
What if I cannot get the data before June 1?
Submit your building information anyway. The CEC says to use the "information if energy use data is unavailable" link on the Report Benchmarking Data page when one is shown for the year. If it is not shown, use the standard energy use data link to submit without data. Resubmit when the data arrives. The later submission replaces the earlier one. You can also request a deadline extension from the CEC with documentation of the steps you took and a date by which you can comply.
Can someone else do this for me?
Yes. Anyone the owner authorizes can request utility data, benchmark the building and submit the report. The CEC cannot do it for you. See our guide on who can file.
Frequently asked questions
When is the AB 802 report due?
By June 1 every year, covering the previous calendar year's energy use.
Do I need an ENERGY STAR score?
No. Not every building type is eligible for a score, and a score is not required to comply.
Do I have to report water use?
No. Water and waste data are optional.
