News Type: Roundtable Weekly

Administration Unsuccessfully Seeks to Add Like-Kind Exchange Restrictions to Debt Ceiling Talks

Posted on by Trey Jackson
LKE form 8824 held by business person

President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) signaled progress this week on debt limit and federal spending talks after they assigned teams of negotiators to bang out an agreement before a looming national default “x-date” is reached in June. (BGov and CQ, May 18)

LKE Restrictions Rejected

  • One cost-cutting measure proposed by the administration’s team, and rejected by Republicans, would have imposed limitations on the use of Section 1031 like-kind exchanges. (Washington Post, May 15)
  • President Biden has consistently proposed limiting the use of LKEs, most recently as part of his FY2024 budget proposal submitted earlier this year. (Roundtable Weekly, March 10)
  • “The administration’s proposal to severely limit the use of section 1031 would destroy jobs, lock properties into unproductive uses at a time when a realignment of real estate assets is needed, harm housing supply, and end a mechanism used by environmental groups to conserve land and natural spaces,’ said Real Estate Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer.
  • “It is an idea that has been debated by Congress numerous times and always rejected, most recently in a unanimous vote on the Senate floor,” DeBoer continued. “Perhaps most importantly, the proposal would eliminate one of the only real estate market liquidity tools available at a time when credit markets and banks are tightening, as they are today.”
  • Academic and other economic research has repeatedly demonstrated the positive economic contribution of LKEs and their importance to the US economy. (Roundtable Weekly, July 1, 2022 and EY report—“Economic Contribution of the Like-Kind Exchange Rules to the US economy in 2021: An Update”)

Looming Deadline

US Capitol
  • President Biden and Speaker McCarthy assigned five Washington insiders on May 16 to the immense negotiation task, in hopes that an “agreement in principle” can be reached this weekend, which would allow the House and Senate to vote before June 1. (The Hill and BGov, May 17 | Associated Press, May 18)
  • “I’m confident that we’ll get the agreement on the budget and America will not default,” Biden said before departing this week for a meeting of world leaders at the G-7 annual summit in Japan. (CBS News, May 17)
  • McCarthy said yesterday, “I see the path that we can come to an agreement. And I think we have a structure now and everybody’s working hard.” (Politico, May 18)

House Democrats this week began preparing an emergency “discharge petition” to raise the debt ceiling if negotiators are unable to reach an agreement, though its odds of passing are uncertain. (Wall Street Journal, May 17)

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Debt Ceiling Talks Inch Forward as Republicans, Democrats Prioritize Permitting Reform for Energy Projects

Posted on by Trey Jackson

Big Four with President Biden

A May 9 meeting between President Joe Biden and the “Big Four” congressional leaders about the debt ceiling and federal spending ended with little progress—yet the policymakers agreed to meet early next week as their respective staffs begin separate budget discussions. (The Hill, May 11 and Axios May 9 | Roundtable Weekly, May 5)

 Talks Begin 

  • As the “X date” for defaulting on the national debt looms in June, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) met to discuss raising the $31.4 trillion U.S. debt limit with President Biden, who described the gathering as “productive.” (Associated Press and Reuters, May 10)
  • McCarthy commented he “didn’t see any new movement,” but added he was willing to discuss spending cutbacks such as clawing back funding for pandemic programs. He added that Biden may also be open to discussing permitting reform for energy infrastructure projects, though the two parties are far apart on the specifics of their legislative proposals. (Washington Post and CNN, May 10 and BGov, May 9)

Energy Infrastructure Priorities 

White House Senior Advisor John Podesta

Related Energy News  EPA logo

  • The Environmental Protection Agency released a proposed rule today to cut carbon emissions by 90% from the nation’s power plants, drawing a “counterattack from Republicans and coal-state Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin” (D-WV), chairman of the Senate Energy Committee. (New York Times, May 11 and POLITICO, May 11)
  • De-carbonizing the electric grid, and moving utilities away from combusting coal and natural gas, would help building owners and commercial tenants reduce their “indirect” Scope 2 GHG emissions attributable to the electricity they purchase.
  • Meanwhile, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced yesterday it will leverage $3.4 billion it received under the IRA to pursue new public-private partnerships that will improve energy efficiency, reduce onsite emissions, and encourage electrification in federal buildings. (GSA news release, May 10)
  • The GSA will advance the White House’s  Climate Smart Buildings Initiative. It aims to modernize 41 federal facilities in DC and the Midwest through long-term “performance contracts” with private sector companies that guarantee projects will pay for themselves over time through energy savings that accrue from retrofit installations. (BGov, May 10). See GSA’s National Deep Energy Retrofit program. 

The Roundtable will focus on the impact of the debit ceiling and federal energy policy priorities during its all-member Annual Meeting on June 13-14 in Washington. 

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Roundtable Leaders Emphasize Need for Regulators to Allow More Flexibility for Restructuring CRE Loans

Posted on by Trey Jackson

Roundtable Chair John Fish

This week, Real Estate Roundtable leaders emphasized the need for federal regulators to allow more flexibility for lenders and borrowers to restructure commercial real estate loans facing potential default—as the Federal Reserve reported that CRE poses a potential risk to financial stability. (Fed’s Financial Stability Report, May 2023) 

Request for Time 

  • Real Estate Roundtable Chair John Fish, above, (Chairman and CEO, SUFFOLK) summarized the industry’s views in a May 9 MarketWatch article, noting that the Fed and regulatory agencies should grant more flexibility for borrowers, including corporate real estate developers, to restructure CRE loans.
  • Fish explained how an impending wave of $1.5 trillion in CRE loans—combined with tight lending conditions and higher, unsustainable interest rates—could stifle construction and development in major cities struggling to bounce back from the pandemic. (MarketWatch article pdf)
  • Post-pandemic CRE values have dropped $453 billion, according to the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research, especially in cities with high vacancy rates due to ongoing work-from-home policies. Prior to the pandemic, 95% of U.S. offices were occupied. Today, that number is closer to 47%. Collapsing property values are threatening the fiscal health of cities across the nation. (GlobeSt, March 3)
  • Defaults on CRE loans hit a 14-year high in February. Fish emphasized that further economic damage can be avoided if federal regulators grant additional time for markets to stabilize, as they have done in the past. (See regulatory notices from 2009, 2020, and 2022)

Roundtable Board Member Bill Rudin, left

  • Real Estate Roundtable Chairman Emeritus Bill Rudin, above left, (Co-Chairman and CEO, Rudin Management Co.) discussed similar topics today on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street.
  • “We are going to have to figure out a plan with the federal government to allow banks to have some time to work through some of these loans. It has been done before, so you can restructure, and get more equity into the deal, so that we don’t see this cascade of defaults that we’ve already started seeing happening. There has to be some thought to give banks, owners, and developers time to restructure loans,” Rudin said.

 Fed Reports 

Most cited potential risks -- CRE is # 4

  • A pair of recent Federal Reserve surveys show the state of CRE conditions and the potential risks the sector poses to the financial system.  (Enlarged graphic, above | Axios, May 9 and New York Times, May 8)
  • On Monday, the Fed released its bi-annual Financial Stability Report—a survey of market experts, economists, and academics that assesses concerns about the nation’s financial and economic health. The report, which includes a special section on commercial real estate-related risks, identifies CRE as the fourth-largest financial stability concern. (Commercial Observer, May 10 and ConnectCRE, May11)
  • Many survey respondents noted CRE as a “possible trigger for systemic risk,” listing concerns about higher interest rates, valuations, and shifts in end-user demand. “With CRE valuations remaining elevated … the magnitude of a correction in property values could be sizable and therefore could lead to credit losses by holders of CRE debt,” according to the May report. (GlobeSt, May 10)
  • Additionally, the Fed’s April 2023 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices (SLOOS) addressed changes in the demand, standards and terms for bank loans over the past three months. The survey notes, “Banks reported having tightened all the terms surveyed on all categories of CRE loans.”

  • Over the first quarter of this year, the SLOOS shows a majority of banks reported concerns about an uncertain economic outlook, reduced tolerance for risk, worsening of industry-specific problems, and deterioration in their current or expected liquidity position. Mid-sized banks generally reported tightening both price and non-price terms more frequently than the largest banks and other banks, according to the loan officer survey. 

The Roundtable continues to urge federal regulators to issue guidance that would give financial institutions increased flexibility to refinance loans with borrowers and lenders. The various market pressures facing CRE will be discussed during The Roundtable’s all-member Annual Meeting on June 13-14 in Washington. 

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John C. Cushman, III, Industry Legend, Roundtable Leader, and Iconic Pillar of Cushman & Wakefield

Posted on by Trey Jackson

John C. Cushman, III

John C. Cushman, III—Cushman & Wakefield’s chairman of global transactions, real estate industry titan for 60 years, and one of the founding members of The Real Estate Roundtable—passed away yesterday.

Industry Icon

  • Real Estate Roundtable Chair John Fish (Chairman and CEO, SUFFOLK) said, “As a founding member of The Roundtable, and later as a member of our Board of Directors, John Cushman consistently helped us with his knowledge, his relationships and his voice. John’s legacy will live on in the real estate industry and in the countless communities he touched.”
  • “The loss of John Cushman is a sad day,” said Jeffrey DeBoer, Roundtable President and CEO. “John’s personable and passionate approach to life was unique and inspiring. His sharp focus on structuring real estate transactions to meet the needs of business tenants and building owners was unparalleled. Time and again he rallied the industry to support positive economic and job growth initiatives. He made an enormous contribution to the commercial real estate industry—and to The Real Estate Roundtable’s advocacy efforts. The Roundtable, and I personally, will deeply miss him. We will always remember him as a generous, kind, and thoughtful friend.”
  • Cushman & Wakefield Executive Chairman Brett White said, “John was an extraordinary businessperson and global citizen who significantly impacted Cushman & Wakefield, the commercial real estate industry and broader community.”
  • The Cushman family stated, “John’s successes in commercial real estate were extremely notable but his positive impact on so many careers are what mattered to him even more. John always valued the importance of giving back and was a staunch supporter of many philanthropic efforts. His contributions to so many organizations will contribute to his legacy.” (John Cushman’s community involvement)

An Exemplary Career

John Cushman and Jeffrey DeBoer

(John Cushman with Jeffrey DeBoer at a Real Estate Roundtable meeting)

  • Over the course of his career, John Cushman played an essential role in advancing Cushman & Wakefield to its position as one of the top commercial real estate firms in the world. Prior to his becoming chairman of global transactions and co-chairman of the Board of Cushman & Wakefield, John was acknowledged as the top office-leasing broker in the United States. (List of clients and assignments)
  • He began his career in 1963 in New York City with Cushman & Wakefield, founded by his grandfather John Clydesdale Cushman and his great uncle Bernard Wakefield. In 1967, he moved to Los Angeles to open Cushman & Wakefield’s first office in Southern California. In 1965, as President of the Western Region, he was responsible for 60% of Cushman & Wakefield’s offices in the United States.
  • John and his twin brother, Louis B. Cushman, started their own firm in 1978, Cushman Corporation Realty, which they grew from two offices to operations in 11 US cities with over 200 employees. In September 2015, Cushman & Wakefield merged with DTZ, with the newly formed organization retaining the storied Cushman & Wakefield name. In 2017, John served as chairman of the Centennial Committee for Cushman & Wakefield’s 100th anniversary.
  • Cushman & Wakefield is now among the largest real estate services firms with 52,000 employees in over 400 offices and approximately 60 countries. In 2022, the firm had revenue of $10.1 billion across core services of property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets, and valuation and other services.

The Cushman family respectfully asks that individuals who would like to make a gesture in John’s honor visit a national park site or make a donation to the National Park Foundation on behalf of John C. Cushman, III.

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Real Estate Coalition Backs Bill to Support Multifamily Housing Construction

Posted on by Trey Jackson

Multifamily construction

The Real Estate Roundtable and 11 other national industry organizations on May 2 expressed their support for legislation that would bolster the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) ability to finance multifamily housing construction throughout the country.  The joint letter backed a discussion draft released on April 26 by Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) before a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing, “Building Consensus to Address Housing Challenges.”  (Coalition letter)

Housing Supply Constraints

  • The industry coalition letter noted how FHA’s base statutory limits define the number and size of multifamily mortgages that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can insure nationwide. The letter also emphasized how FHA’s multifamily insurance programs need to capture the true cost of current apartment construction using a more accurate price index.
  • Menendez, a senior member of the Banking Committee, stated during the hearing that his measure would increase FHA’s multifamily lending authority throughout the country for the first time in 20 years, enable the agency to better support apartment construction, and ultimately bring down rental costs. (Hearing video clip and Menendez news release, April 26)
  • FHA’s statutory limits are now significantly below current multifamily construction costs, which poses an unintentional regulatory barrier to middle-income housing.
  • The joint letter also recommended that FHA track residential construction costs more accurately by changing the index used for future annual inflationary adjustments—from the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to the Census Bureau’s Price Deflator Index of Multifamily Residential Units Under Construction.
  • FHA’s base limits for 2022 would be 26% higher than their current estimates by using the Price Deflator index instead of CPI.
  • FHA’s current limits and inaccurate price index now consider communities throughout the nation—from Columbia, South Carolina to Cleveland, Ohio—as “high-cost areas,” thereby constraining urgently needed workforce housing projects across the country.

Other Legislation

Senator Tim Scott interview on Opportunity Zones

  • Other housing issues discussed during the hearing included zoning and land use regulation, limiting regulation, and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).
  • Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-SC), above, discussed his newly proposed discussion draft of the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing Act, which seeks to reform housing programs and prioritize HUD grants to recipients located in communities designated as Opportunity Zones.
  • The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and National Apartment Association (NAA) submitted testimony for the April 26 committee hearing. (NMHC news release summary, May 1)

As Congress aims to advance bipartisan housing bills in the coming months, The Roundtable will continue to support innovative policy solutions and development incentives to develop increase the supply of affordable housing.

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Policymakers Face Debt Ceiling Crunch After Treasury Forecasts June “X Date”

Posted on by Trey Jackson

Capitol building

Pressure on Congress and the White House ratcheted up this week after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that the U.S. could default on its $31.4 trillion debt as early as June 1. President Joe Biden will meet on May 9 with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) to discuss raising the US debt limit and Republican concerns about federal spending levels. (Treasury letter, May 1 | Bloomberg and New York Times, May 2)

Looming Deadline

  • The estimated date that Treasury will run out of money to pay its bills is called the “X date.” Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi told the Senate Budget Committee yesterday that the best case scenario for hitting the X date is August 8 and the worst is June 1. (BGOV, May 5)
  • Zandi testified, “The Treasury debt limit drama is heating up and is sure to get much hotter in coming weeks as we have a better understanding of the 2023 tax filing season and the actual X-date.”
  • Zandi also noted how a debt ceiling extension could be combined with annual budget talks. “If the X-date is as soon as early June, it seems a stretch for lawmakers to come to terms fast enough, and they instead will decide to pass legislation suspending the limit long enough to line the X-date up with the end of fiscal 2023 at the end of September. This will buy time and combine the debt limit decision with the federal government’s fiscal 2024 budget, which is also must-do legislation for lawmakers to ensure the government is funded and avoids a shutdown,” Zandi stated. (Senate Budget Committee hearing, May 4)
  • Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young suggested this week that the White House may be open to a short-term debt ceiling extension. “I’m sure one of the things on the table we will have to work through is how long. I’m not going to take anything off the table,” Young said. (Reuters and The Hill, May 4)

Policy issues related to raising the debt ceiling and CRE market conditions will be discussed be during The Roundtable’s all-member meeting on June 13-14 in Washington, DC.

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House Republicans Pass Debt Ceiling Bill

Posted on by Trey Jackson

House Passes Debt Ceiling Bill

House Republicans this week narrowly passed legislation—the Limit, Save, Grow Act (H.R. 2811)—that would slash government spending and rescind much of the Biden administration’s climate-related incentives in an effort to spur bipartisan talks on raising the nation’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling. (Roll Call, April 26 and Reuters, April 27)

Avoiding Default

  • The White House issued an April 25 Statement of Administration Policy that the GOP bill would be vetoed if it ever made it to President Biden’s desk. Biden added he is willing to meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), but that extending the debt limit is “not negotiable.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) responded to passage of the House bill by stating it “has no hope of ever becoming law.” (Schumer Floor Remarks, April 27)
  • The Congressional Budget Office released an analysis this week showing that H.R. 2811 would reduce $4.8 trillion from the deficit by setting caps on federal spending over the next 10 years—with an additional $570 billion in savings coming from rescinding energy tax provisions passed in the Inflation Reduction Act. (Tax Notes, April 27 and Roundtable Weekly, Aug. 12, 2022)
  • Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics testified before Congress last month that if no resolution to the debt limit is reached before mid-August, “a default would be a catastrophic blow to the already-fragile economy.” (Zandi’s written testimony, March 7)
  • A previous standoff over the debt limit in 2011 led to a downgrade of the government’s credit rating, which pushed borrowing costs higher. (ABC News, Jan. 24)

Roundtable ResponseRER's Jefrey DeBoer and John Fish

  • The Roundtable and 13 other national real estate organizations sent a joint letter last month urging congressional leaders to raise the debt limit to avoid agitating the stability of U.S. financial markets and roiling significant sectors of the American economy unnecessarily. (Coalition letter, March 29)
  • Real Estate Roundtable Chair John Fish, right above, (Chairman and CEO, SUFFOLK) and President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer, left, have also called on Roundtable members to contact both policymakers in Congress and the White House to raise the debt ceiling. (Roundtable Weekly, Jan. 20)
  • DeBoer said, “Some threats to the U.S. economy are unavoidable, others are ones of our own making and entirely unnecessary. The potential for a default on the federal debt is a needless and inexcusable risk with potentially dire consequences for U.S. real estate, workers and retirees, and the entire economy. The full faith and credit of the United States government should not be open to negotiation.”

The impact of negotiations over federal spending and raising the debt ceiling on the national economy and CRE markets was a focus of discussion during The Roundtable’s Spring Meeting this week (see story above). It is possible that intense discussions among DC policymakers on these issues will be underway during The Roundtable’s all-member meeting on June 13-14 in Washington, DC.

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Roundtable Members, Policymakers Discuss Key National Issues

Posted on by Trey Jackson

Real Estate Roundtable 2023 Spring Meeting

Real Estate Roundtable members and policymakers met this week to discuss pressing issues affecting CRE, including return-to-work trends, the looming refinance wave, the debt ceiling, and affordable housing challenges. The Roundtable 2023 Spring Meeting also focused on tax, climate, and regulatory proposals. (The Roundtable’ Policy Priorities and Executive Summary, April 24)

Speakers & Policy Issues

  • Roundtable Chair John Fish (Chairman & CEO, SUFFOLK), below left, and Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer, right, led policy issue discussions featuring the following guests:

John Fish, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Jeffrey DeBoer

  • Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce

    Secretary Raimondo, center, discussed how the Commerce Department is investing billions in federal funds in infrastructure, manufacturing, and other industries to generate jobs and economic growth. The former governor of Rhode Island also focused on her recent “Million Women in Construction Initiative” during a National Public Radio Marketplace interview later the same day.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)

  • Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA)

    As a member of the Senate Budget and Foreign Relations Committees, Sen. Kaine offered his insights on negotiations surrounding the debt ceiling, global trade, and efforts to revise federal remote work policies aimed at getting government employees back to their offices. (The Roundtable’s workplace return efforts, Commercial Observer, April 14)

Rep. French Hill (R-AR)

  • Rep. French Hill (R-AR)

    Serving as Vice-Chair of the influential House Financial Services Committee and Chairman of its new Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion, Rep. Hill addressed economic issues and CRE, debt ceiling negotiations, the banking system, and monetary policy. Yesterday, the Financial Services Committee approved two bills sponsored by Rep. Hill to expand capital formation.

CBO Director Phillip Swagel

  • Phillip Swagel, Director, Congressional Budget Office

    The government’s fiscal trajectory; the impact of high interest rates on federal revenue and spending; and long-term trends in social security, immigration, and the national debt were among the topics discussed by CBO Director Swagel. (The Fiscal Times, April 25)

NHMCH President Sharon Wilson Geno

  • Sharon Wilson Géno, President, National Multifamily Housing Council

    A Roundtable member exchange on policy issues included an update on affordable housing challenges facing the industry by NMHC’s President Géno. Capital concerns affecting multifamily and commercial markets were also a topic in a recent Walker Webcast featuring Géno and The Roundtable’s DeBoer, hosted by Roundtable Member Willy Walker (Chairman & CEO, Walker & Dunlop).

Thomas Flexner and Kevin Warsh

  • Kevin Warsh, Former Member of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors
    Mr. Warsh, right, a member of the Fed from 2006-2011, discussed the central bank’s potential actions affecting commercial real estate markets, the wave of CRE debt maturities, and the future of the office sector, with Roundtable Treasurer Thomas Flexner, left, Vice Chairman and Global Head of Real Estate, Citigroup.

Next on The Roundtable’s meeting calendar is the all-member Annual Meeting on June 13-14 in Washington, DC. 

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Federal Appeals Court Strikes Local Natural Gas Ban on New Construction

Posted on by Trey Jackson

San Diego G&E natgas pipeline

A federal appeals court on Monday struck a local law that banned natural gas hook-ups to new buildings. (Wall Street Journal, April 17 and AP News, April 18)

State and Local Gas Bans

  • In California Restaurant Ass’n v. City of Berkeley, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Berkeley, California ordinance was illegal because federal law “preempts” local building codes that try to prohibit stoves, furnaces and other appliances that use natural gas. (Politico E&E News, April 18).
  • Dozens of cities including New York, Washington, D.C, Los Angeles, and Chicago—and the states of California, Colorado, Maryland, and Washington—have passed building electrification mandates requiring new construction to install expensive heat pumps and other electric equipment for heating, cooling, and cooking.
  • New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has proposed a similar statewide ban on natural gas furnaces as a way to fight climate change. (Bloomberg, Jan. 23)

Impact of Court Ruling

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

  • The Ninth Circuit’s reasoning will likely prompt federal preemption challenges and may pose a “chilling effect” to similar state and local building decarbonization laws. (E&E News, April 18). Yet, environmental advocates maintain that the ruling is limited in scope and will not call into question other gas bans. (POLITICO, April 18)
  • Meanwhile, about 20 states have gone the other way with “bans on bans.” These laws would prohibit their cities and municipalities from stopping natural gas distribution and requiring all-electric new buildings.
  • “States and localities can’t skirt the text of broad preemption provisions” in a law passed by Congress to address the 1970s energy crisis, Judge Patrick Bumatay wrote for the Ninth Circuit’s unanimous opinion.

As its next litigation option, the City of Berkeley might ask for a fuller panel of Ninth Circuit judges to uphold its ordinance. The Roundtable will continue to monitor how local natural gas bans and related building performance standards impact federal-level policies that address real estate’s role to help tackle climate change. (Roundtable Weekly, March 3 and Jan. 20)

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Energy Department Releases Latest Nationwide Data on Building Energy Use

Posted on by Trey Jackson

CBECS 2018 report

The Department of Energy (DOE) this week presented its latest data on energy use in U.S. commercial buildings. The nationwide information released by DOE’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) is the basis for ENERGY STAR building scores from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (EIA final results and reports) 

CBECS Results 

  • The latest Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) reflects information collected in 2018. Although this is EIA’s newest building data, it is a “snapshot” in time—and does not account for occupancy rates or energy usage during or after the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • According to the 2018 CBECS, there are an estimated 5.9 million public and private commercial buildings in the U.S. across non-residential asset classes—75% of which were constructed before the year 2000. (CBECS “building characteristics” highlights)
  • Key CBECS findings on building energy consumption and expenditures include:
     
    • Building energy efficiency improved compared to the 2012 survey.
      Total floor space in commercial buildings increased yet energy consumption did not. Commercial buildings overall consumed 12% less energy per square foot of floor space in 2018 than in 2012. 

    • Electricity and natural gas accounted for about 94% of energy consumed.
      Electricity accounted for 60% of energy consumed (mostly for cooling) and natural gas for 34% (mostly for heating).
    • Large buildings were fewer but consumed over one-third of energy.
      Buildings over 100,000 square feet accounted for 2% of all commercial buildings—yet covered 34% of total commercial floor space. The newest buildings were the most energy intensive.
    • Commercial buildings spent $141 billion on energy in 2018, averaging $1.46 per square foot.
      Commercial buildings spent $119 billion on electricity, or 84% of their total energy expenditures. Natural gas accounted for 12% of total commercial building energy expenditures ($16 billion).
    • Space heating accounted for close to one-third of end-use consumption.
      Space heating was the most energy-intensive end use, especially in colder climates. Office equipment and computing were the least intensive end uses.

ENERGY STAR & NextGen Label 

EPA NextGen logo

  • EPA’s successful ENERGY STAR score—an efficiency rating for buildings—is generally based on CBECS data.
  • EPA is expected to update its models for calculating ENERGY STAR ratings in 2025, under the newly-released 2018 CBECS data. The anticipated update could greatly alter a building’s current ENERGY STAR score (presently based on 2012 CBECS data).   
  • EPA recently proposed a new voluntary label for low-carbon buildings. The NextGen label would expand upon ENERGY STAR and recognize buildings that use significant percentages of solar and other forms of renewable energy. 

The Real Estate Roundtable submitted comments to EPA last month on the NextGen building label proposal. (Roundtable letter and Roundtable Weekly, March 3) 

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