BEPS Rulemaking
Seattle’s Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS) law (SMC 22.925) establishes greenhouse gas emissions targets that larger existing buildings must meet over the next two to three decades.
Director’s Rules are required by Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) to clarify the law’s compliance details, such as specifying required documentation and steps to comply. A Director’s Rule can only modify certain elements of BEPS as specified in the law.
BEPS Director's Rules Currently in Effect
- 2025 Director's Rule - Adopted 12/09/25: This version covers all rules needed for compliance with BEPS in 2027-2030 and most rules for ongoing compliance.
Future BEPS Rules
Required rulemaking to cover limited topics such as updating emissions factors for 2031–2035 and other elements is noted in the BEPS law and must occur by December 31, 2027 (more below).
The law also requires regular Rule updates about every five years that must occur by future dates listed in the law.
Timing and opportunities for stakeholder engagement and the required two-week public comment period on future rule drafts will be announced on this page and via our e-news.
BEPS 2027 Rulemaking
OSE is currently engaging stakeholders for the 2027 Director’s Rule, which will be an addendum to the 2025 Rule.
In October 2026, OSE is convening a working group of laboratory representatives to inform a required review of the 2031-2035 provisional emissions target for laboratory spaces. Meeting slides and summaries will continue to be posted to this page.
- BEPS Rulemaking Laboratories Focused Topical Group Meeting #1 - 10/2/26
Rulemaking will resume in 2027 with OSE's utility partners to update emissions factors and to offer additional public engagement on other topics (TBA) along with a webinar on proposed updates.
We expect to have the draft Director's Rule addendum for public comment by summer 2027.
2025 Stakeholder Engagement
OSE facilitated public engagement with a Technical Rulemaking Workgroup, topic-specific focus groups, two public webinars, and a three-week formal public comment period on the draft.
Public Webinar #1: Covered buildings, exemptions, Qualified Persons, Benchmarking Verification, compliance with one building, end use deductions, and extensions.
Review the slides or watch the recording
Public Webinar #2: Aggregate GHGIT, alternate GHGIT, Alternative Compliance Payments, Multifamily Prescriptive Pathway, penalties and enforcement, and decarbonization plans.
Review the slides or watch the recording
2024-2025 Rulemaking Timeline
Summer 2024 – Fall 2025
- Technical Rulemaking Workgroup and Focused topical meetings
- Developed draft rule
- Hosted rulemaking public webinars
- Published final rule draft for official public comment process that ended 7/9/25
- Conducted State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Addendum process from 6/30/25 – 7/14/25 (Link to notice in Land Use Information Bulletin
- Adopted final Director’s Rule on Dec. 9, 2025
Technical Rulemaking Workgroup & Focused Topical Summaries
Technical Rulemaking Workgroup Meetings
- Rulemaking Workgroup Member Roster
- TRW Meeting #1 — 7/11/24
- TRW Meeting #2 — 7/30/24
- TRW Meeting #3 — 9/11/24
- TRW Meeting #4 — 10/9/24
- TRW Meeting #5 — 11/20/24
- TRW Meeting #6 — 12/18/24
- TRW Meeting #7 — 1/15/25
- TRW Meeting #8 — 4/10/25
- Summary of Focused Stakeholder Feedback — This report summarizes the key discussion topics, the diverse perspectives shared, and how workgroup input shaped the draft rule.
- Meeting #8 Slides
Focused Topical Meetings
These small group meetings focused on key technical elements of the ordinance that needed rulemaking discussion.
Focused Topical Meeting — Hospital and Lab End Use Deductions — 11/13/24
Focused Topical Meeting — Commercial Real Estate — 12/9/2024
Focused Topical Meeting — District Campus Decarbonization Plans — 2/27/2025
Focused Topical Meeting — Low Income Multifamily Housing — 3/25/2025