If your building is on Maryland’s Covered Building List and you haven’t submitted your 2024 benchmarking yet, you may have already received a “Notice of Required Action” from the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). Don’t stress – we’re your neighborhood energy advisors, and we can take this off your plate.
What the MDE letter says
MDE has identified your property as a covered building under Maryland’s Building Energy Performance Standards (BEPS) regulations (COMAR 26.28). The letter states that:
- As of October 1, 2025, MDE has not received a benchmarking report or an exemption request for your building’s calendar year 2024 energy data.
- The deadline for submission was September 1, 2025.
- You must submit a 2024 energy benchmarking report or a request for an exemption within 35 days of the date on the letter.
- If you do not comply, consequences range from warnings to fines for noncompliance.
- Letters may include your Building Address, Unique Building ID (UBID), and Estimated Gross Square Footage to help confirm you’re looking at the right property.
- BEPS requires annual benchmarking to MDE beginning in 2025 and phased performance standards beginning in 2030.
If that sounds like a lot, it is. That’s why we’re here.
What you need to do right now
1. Check the letter date. Your 35-day clock starts from the letter’s date.
2. Confirm coverage. Make sure your building is indeed on the Maryland Covered Building List and the UBID matches your property.
3. Choose your path:
- File your 2024 benchmarking report, or
- Submit an exemption request (if you qualify, we can help determine that).
4. Keep records. Save confirmations for your files – future BEPS cycles will build on this year’s submission.
How Honeydew makes compliance easy (we do the heavy lifting)
- Coverage check & UBID confirmation – We verify your place on the Covered Building List and validate your UBID and square footage.
- Portfolio Manager setup or cleanup – We configure ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager (or straighten out past setups).
- Utility data gathering – We handle whole-building data, meter aggregation, and tenant data requests where needed.
- Benchmarking calculations – We QA your inputs and run your 2024 benchmarking accurately.
- Submission to MDE – We prepare and submit the report so you meet the 35-day requirement.
- Exemption review (if applicable) – We evaluate eligibility and file your exemption request with proper documentation.
- Roadmap for what’s next – We brief you on annual reporting and the phased performance standards beginning in 2030, so you’re never surprised.
Bottom line: you forward the letter, we handle the rest.
FAQs
What is “benchmarking”?
Benchmarking is reporting your building’s annual energy use (electric, gas, etc.) – through ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager – and submitting the results to MDE.
What if I already submitted?
Great! Keep your confirmation. If you’re unsure, we can verify your submission status and fix any gaps.
What if I received a letter in error?
It happens. We’ll help you confirm coverage, UBID, and square footage – and if necessary, coordinate with MDE to correct records.
What happens if I ignore it?
Per the letter, consequences range from warnings to fines for noncompliance. It’s faster (and cheaper) to submit now.
What’s after benchmarking?
Annual reporting continues, and phased performance standards begin in 2030. We’ll create a simple plan so you stay compliant and avoid penalties.
Why work with Honeydew?
We’re friendly energy nerds who live and breathe benchmarking and BEPS. We’ve helped hundreds of buildings benchmark correctly, avoid headaches, and plan smart upgrades. We host webinars, answer panicked emails and calls, and keep you ahead of deadlines – so you can focus on running your building.
Need help with your letter? Send it to us and we’ll start today
- Forward your MDE “Notice of Required Action” (a photo or PDF is fine).
- We’ll confirm your coverage, UBID, and 35-day deadline, then prepare and file your 2024 benchmarking or exemption request.
- You’ll get submission proof and a clear next-steps plan for Maryland BEPS.
Honeydew Energy Advisors – your neighborhood team keeping you compliant, confident, and ready for what’s ahead. We’ve got your back.